The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, commonly referred to as NEET, is an annual examination for medical admissions, organized by the National Testing Agency (NTA). In contrast, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is a prominent medical institution located in New Delhi. Before 2019, AIIMS conducted its distinct entrance examinations for admission to its various campuses situated in different cities.
As of the academic year 2020, the entrance examinations conducted by AIIMS and JIPMER have been discontinued. As a result, admissions to undergraduate medical programs at AIIMS will now rely solely on the scores obtained in the NEET examination. NEET has become the singular national entrance test for medical program admissions throughout India.
Students who successfully meet the minimum NEET cut-off established for their respective categories in a given year are eligible to register for subsequent counseling rounds via online platforms. Candidates who are shortlisted will be invited to participate in counseling sessions, where they will be allocated seats based on their merit. Admissions can be pursued through the All India Quota (AIQ), which reserves 15% of seats, or through state quota seats, which account for the remaining 85%.
Comparing NEET and AIIMS
Although the entrance examination administered by AIIMS has been discontinued since 2020, for those interested, we have compiled several significant distinctions between the NEET and AIIMS assessments that students encountered during their participation in these examinations.
Difference In Assessing
The NEET examination evaluates students on their speed, time management abilities, conceptual understanding, and presence of mind. This comprehensive assessment aims to extract the highest level of knowledge that students have acquired.
Conversely, the AIIMS examination focuses on assessing students’ conceptual comprehension and their ability to apply this knowledge. The questions in this examination may be comparatively more extensive.
AIIMS is conducted as a computer-based examination in an online format, in contrast to NEET, which is administered as a traditional offline test. A summary of the differences in their examination patterns is presented below.
| Pattern | NEET | AIIMS |
| Exam mode | Offline | Online |
| Duration | 3 hours 20 min | 3½ hours |
| Subjects | Physics, Chemistry, Botany & Zoology | Physics, Chemistry, Biology, GK & Aptitude |
| Type of Questions | Objective type | Multiple choice and reason-assertion |
| Total No. of Questions | 180 | 200 |
| Distribution of questions | Physics – 45 Chemistry – 45 Botany – 45 Zoology – 45 | Physics – 60 Chemistry – 60 Biology (Botany & Zoology) – 60 GK – 10 Aptitude & Logical Thinking – 10 |
| Marking Scheme | Correct Answer: +4 marks Incorrect Answer: -1 mark | Correct Answer: +1 marks Incorrect Answer: -1/3rd mark |
Syllabus Difference
The syllabi for NEET and AIIMS are identical in the subjects of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. However, distinctions arise in the additional sections, specifically Aptitude and General Knowledge. AIIMS incorporates assertion-reasoning questions, while the General Knowledge section typically focuses on current affairs.
The preparation process for core subjects in both examinations is largely similar due to the alignment of their syllabi. However, AIIMS necessitates additional time for the preparation of supplementary subjects, specifically General Knowledge and Aptitude.
Mastery of the NCERT curriculum is essential for both tests.
While solving past question papers is a fundamental resource for NEET preparation, AIIMS does not provide access to previous years’ questions, prompting students to engage in mock tests instead.
Furthermore, the level of difficulty in AIIMS Physics is significantly higher than that of NEET.