NORCET for Male Candidates: The 80:20 Seat Rule | NPrep

Yes, male candidates can apply for NORCET, but at participating AIIMS only 20% of Nursing Officer seats are reserved for men and 80% for women. AIIMS states this in Notice 103/2026, citing the decision of the 4th CIB meeting held on 27 July 2019. Men therefore compete for a much smaller pool of AIIMS seats.

Updated 29 October 2026. Figures are from AIIMS Notice 103/2026, Result Notifications 276/2026 and 287/2026, and the NORCET 8, 9 and 10 seat allocation results on aiimsexams.ac.in.

NORCET gender rule at a glance

Item	Value	Source
Can men apply?	Yes, with the same eligibility, fee and exam	Notice 103/2026
Seat split at participating AIIMS	80% women, 20% men	Notice 103/2026, quoting the 4th CIB meeting of 27 July 2019
NORCET 11 applications from women	86,399 of 1,22,099 (about 71%)	Result Notification 276/2026
NORCET 11 Stage II qualifiers	7,461 women and 3,152 men	Result Notification 287/2026
Men among AIIMS and CAPFIMS seats allotted	20.1% (NORCET 8), 20.7% (NORCET 9), 22.8% (NORCET 10)	NPrep count from AIIMS allocation results

What exactly does the 80:20 rule say?

Notice 103/2026 for NORCET 11 says: "As per decision in 4th meeting of CIB held on 27th July 2019, 80% Seats are reserved for Females and 20% for Males at participating AIIMS."

Two points matter:

1. It applies to participating AIIMS. The sentence sits under the list of AIIMS institutes in the notice. JIPMER, ESIC, CIP Ranchi, NITRD and the Delhi central government hospitals recruit through NORCET under their own notices.
2. It is a seat reservation, not an exam rule. Men and women sit the same paper, face the same cut-offs and are ranked on one merit list. The split applies when seats are allotted.

How many men qualify NORCET?

Cycle	Men qualified Stage II	Women qualified Stage II	Total
NORCET 8	2,946	5,628	8,575 (includes 1 third-gender candidate)
NORCET 9	4,253	9,743	13,996
NORCET 10	4,131	9,832	13,963
NORCET 11	3,152	7,461	10,613

Sources: Stage II Result Notifications 57/2025, 233/2025, 160/2026 and 287/2026. More women qualify mainly because far more women apply: in NORCET 11, about 71% of applications came from women.

How many AIIMS seats actually go to men?

NPrep counted every allotted seat in the AIIMS seat allocation results for three cycles. At AIIMS institutes (including AIIMS-CAPFIMS), men received close to the 20% share. At the other participating institutes the share varied more.

Cycle	Seats at AIIMS and CAPFIMS	Men	Share	Seats at other institutes	Men	Share
NORCET 8	1,800	362	20.1%	139	51	36.7%
NORCET 9	1,929	400	20.7%	1,314	297	22.6%
NORCET 10	1,532	349	22.8%	906	217	24.0%

What does this mean for a male candidate?

• Your competition is the 20% pool. Compare yourself with other male candidates, not with the overall numbers.
• Fill choices beyond AIIMS. Notice 103/2026 limits the 80:20 split to participating AIIMS, so include eligible non-AIIMS institutes such as ESIC New Delhi, JIPMER and the Delhi central government hospitals in your choices.
• Rank still decides everything. Within the male pool, seats go in order of Stage II rank and choice. See NORCET marks vs rank.
• Check every new notice. Seat rules are published with each cycle's advertisement. Read the NORCET 12 notice when AIIMS releases it.

Is the 80:20 rule the same in every NORCET?

The NORCET 11 notice (103/2026) quotes the 2019 CIB decision, and the AIIMS seat shares in NORCET 8, 9 and 10 sat close to 20% men, which fits the same rule. AIIMS can change seat rules in any new advertisement, so confirm it in the NORCET 12 notice, expected in February or March 2027.

FAQs

Can male nurses apply for NORCET?

Yes. Men apply with the same eligibility, fee and exam as women. At participating AIIMS, 20% of Nursing Officer seats are reserved for men and 80% for women, per Notice 103/2026.

Does the 80:20 rule apply to all NORCET institutes?

Notice 103/2026 states it for participating AIIMS. Institutes such as JIPMER, ESIC New Delhi, CIP Ranchi, NITRD and the Delhi central government hospitals recruit through NORCET under their own notices, so check each one.

Is the NORCET cut-off different for men and women?

No. AIIMS publishes category-wise cut-offs only, and men and women are ranked on one merit list. The gender split applies when seats are allotted, not when the exam is scored.

How many male candidates qualified NORCET 11?

3,152 men and 7,461 women qualified NORCET 11 Stage II, out of 10,613, according to AIIMS Result Notification 287/2026 dated 9 October 2026.

Why are most NORCET qualifiers women?

Most applicants are women: 86,399 of 1,22,099 NORCET 11 applications, about 71%. The qualifier split follows the applicant split, and the 80:20 rule then shapes how AIIMS seats are allotted.

What to read next

• Up: AIIMS NORCET eligibility criteria
• Across: Is NORCET only for AIIMS? Participating institutes and Is NORCET tough?
• Practice: free NORCET sample tests on NPrep courses