NORCET 11 Mains 2026: Exam Date, Admit Card & Pattern

Update, 10 October 2026: the Mains exam is over and the result is out. 10,613 candidates qualified. See the NORCET 11 Mains result and official cut off and the full result analysis.

The AIIMS NORCET 11 Stage II (Mains) exam was held on 30 September 2026. After the Stage I result released on 18 September 2026, 12,638 candidates have been called for the Mains, and this single paper will decide the final merit list for 2,218 Nursing Officer posts.

Of those 12,638 called, 10,613 went on to qualify. This page remains as the record of the exam pattern, the competition numbers and the preparation plan, which still apply to the next cycle.

NORCET 11 Mains 2026 at a Glance

• Exam date: 30 September 2026, online CBT
• Called for Mains: 12,638 candidates, after the Stage I result of 18 September 2026
• Qualified: 10,613
• Pattern: 160 questions, 160 marks, 180 minutes, one third negative marking
• Posts: roughly 2,218 Nursing Officer vacancies
• Merit basis: Stage II score alone. Prelims is only qualifying

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What Were the NORCET 11 Mains Key Dates?

Event	Date
Stage I (Prelims) Result	18 September 2026
State and City of Examination Intimation	23 September 2026
Mains Admit Card Release	26 September 2026
NORCET 11 Stage II (Mains) Exam	30 September 2026

Your exam city is informed 7 days before the exam, and the admit card is issued 4 days before. Download the admit card the day it is released and check your name, photograph, category, reporting time and centre address carefully.

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What Is the NORCET 11 Mains Exam Pattern?

Particular	Details
Mode	Computer-Based Test (CBT)
Total Questions	160 MCQs
Total Marks	160
Duration	180 minutes
Negative Marking	1/3 mark deducted per wrong answer
Nature	Merit-deciding (final selection)

The biggest difference from Stage I is the composition. The Prelims had 100 questions in 90 minutes, including a General Knowledge and Aptitude section. The Mains is a pure nursing paper: 160 questions, all of them nursing, with 90 extra minutes but far more thinking required per question.

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For the complete subject-wise syllabus, see our NORCET syllabus and exam pattern guide.

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What Changes Between NORCET Prelims and Mains?

1. Questions become clinical, not factual. The Prelims rewards recall. The Mains gives you a patient scenario and asks what you would do first, what you would assess next, or which finding you would report immediately. Two options usually look correct, and only one is the priority action.

2. Prioritization decides your score. Expect questions built on frameworks like airway-breathing-circulation, Maslow's hierarchy, and the nursing process. When two answers are both "right", the one that addresses the most urgent physiological need is the one that earns the mark.

3. Negative marking punishes guessing more. With 1/3 deducted per wrong answer across 160 questions, careless attempts can wipe out the advantage you built with genuine knowledge.

4. Stamina matters. Three hours of continuous case-based reasoning is tiring. Candidates commonly lose accuracy in the last 40 questions, not because they do not know the content, but because their concentration drops.

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How Much Competition Was There in NORCET 11 Mains?

Particulars	Number
Candidates appeared in Stage I	1,00,804
Candidates called for Stage II	12,638
Nursing Officer vacancies	2,218

That works out to roughly 5.7 candidates for every post. Everyone sitting in the Mains hall has already cleared a hard filter, so small differences in accuracy and time management will separate a selection from a near miss.

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How to Use the Days Left

Days 1 to 3: High-Yield Revision

• Revise Medical Surgical Nursing, Fundamentals of Nursing, OBG, Child Health and Community Health. These carry the most weight in the Mains.
• Stick to your own notes. New sources at this stage add confusion, not marks.
• Revise normal values, drug classes and emergency protocols, since they appear inside scenario questions.
• Go through the most expected NORCET Mains questions and high-yield topics.

Days 4 to 6: Full-Length Mocks

• Take at least two 180-minute mocks (start with a free AIIMS NORCET mock test) at the same time of day as your exam slot, to train your concentration for that window.
• Analyse every mock for an hour afterwards. The mistakes you understand are worth more than the questions you got right.
• Track how many marks you lose to negative marking, and adjust how aggressively you guess.

Days 7 to 9: Correction and Calm

• Work only from your mistake notebook and formula or value sheets.
• Fix your attempt strategy: which subject you start with, how long you allow per question, and when you mark a question for review instead of dwelling on it.
• Sleep on schedule. On exam day, a rested mind reads a long case stem correctly the first time.

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NORCET Mains Exam Day Checklist: What to Carry

For the full reporting-time and documents walkthrough, read the NORCET Mains exam day guide.

• Printed admit card and an original photo ID
• Passport-size photographs, matching the one on your application
• Reach the centre 60 to 90 minutes early, since entry closes well before the exam begins
• No jewellery, watches, electronic devices or thick-soled footwear
• Check your system, mouse and question loading before the paper starts, and raise your hand immediately if anything is wrong

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NPrep Insider's View

In NORCET Mains, the candidates who convert are rarely the ones who studied the most topics. They are the ones who attempted the paper cleanly: they read the full stem, ruled out two distractors on logic, and refused to burn four minutes on a single question.

With 1/3 negative marking, a disciplined attempt of 130 accurate questions usually beats 155 rushed ones. Decide your attempt strategy before you enter the hall, and stick to it even when the person beside you is clicking faster.

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Final Word

The Prelims tested whether you belong in the race. The Mains tests whether you can think like a Nursing Officer under time pressure. You have already beaten roughly 88% of the candidates who appeared in Stage I. Spend these last days revising what you know, practising full-length papers, and protecting your accuracy.

For everything about the exam in one place, visit our AIIMS NORCET exam guide.

All the best for NORCET 11 Mains on 30 September 2026.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was the NORCET 11 Mains exam held? The NORCET 11 Stage II (Mains) exam was held on 30 September 2026 as an online computer based test.

How many candidates were called for NORCET 11 Mains? 12,638 candidates were called for Stage II after the Stage I result of 18 September 2026. Of those, 10,613 qualified in the Mains.

What is the NORCET 11 Mains exam pattern? 160 questions for 160 marks in 180 minutes, with one third negative marking. Three wrong answers cancel one correct answer.

How many posts is NORCET 11 recruiting for? Around 2,218 Nursing Officer posts were reported for this cycle, against 10,613 qualified candidates, which is about 4.8 qualified candidates per post.

Is the NORCET 11 Mains result out? Yes. AIIMS declared it through Result Notification 287/2026 dated 9 October 2026, with 10,613 candidates provisionally qualified.

Does the Prelims score count towards the final merit? No. Stage I is purely qualifying. The final merit list is based on the Stage II Mains score alone.