Most "important topics" lists for INI-CET are the same broad chapters copied from site to site, with no sign of how often anything was actually asked. This checklist starts from data instead: each subject's chapters are ranked by how many recalled INI-CET and AIIMS PG questions they produced, and under them is a short list of concepts worth revising before Sunday 1 November 2026.
Key Takeaways
- ✓Chapter counts from 3,251 recalled INI-CET / AIIMS PG questions (2018–2026) in the Kinase bank
- ✓Subjects are ordered by INI-CET questions: Medicine, Surgery, Pharmacology, Pathology and Microbiology lead
- ✓The concept lists are an editorial checklist for those chapters, not counts. Tick a concept only after revising it and solving its PYQs.
- ✓AIIMS publishes no official topic list or subject weightage for INI-CET
1How to read this checklist
- Top chapters are the three chapters with the most recalled INI-CET questions in that subject. The number in brackets is the question count; an arrow shows a chapter whose share is rising or falling.
- The tick-boxes are concepts that chapter is commonly built around. Revise the concept, solve its PYQs, then tick it.
- Chapters are broad. A high count means many questions from that area, not one fact repeating. See the guide to using most-repeated topics for the limits.
2Subject-wise important topics
1. Medicine
319 recalled INI-CET / AIIMS PG questions (2018–2026)
Top chapters: Nervous System (61) · Cardiovascular System (57 ↘ falling) · Renal System (40 ↗ rising)
- ☐ Stroke localisation, thrombolysis criteria and secondary prevention
- ☐ Epilepsy types and drug choice; Guillain-Barré vs myasthenia
- ☐ ECG reading: blocks, ischaemia patterns, electrolyte changes
- ☐ Heart failure staging and valvular lesions with their murmurs
- ☐ AKI vs CKD, nephrotic vs nephritic syndrome, acid-base
- ☐ Diabetes complications, thyroid and adrenal disorders
2. Surgery
279 recalled INI-CET / AIIMS PG questions (2018–2026)
Top chapters: Gastrointestinal and Abdominal Surgery (90) · General Surgery (74) · Breast Surgery (24)
- ☐ Acute abdomen: appendicitis, intestinal obstruction, perforation
- ☐ Gallstones, obstructive jaundice and pancreatitis
- ☐ Hernia anatomy and types
- ☐ Trauma primary survey, shock and burns fluid resuscitation
- ☐ Breast lump work-up and breast cancer staging
- ☐ Urinary stones, BPH and renal cell carcinoma
3. Pharmacology
268 recalled INI-CET / AIIMS PG questions (2018–2026)
Top chapters: General Pharmacology (59) · Antimicrobials (47 ↘ falling) · Central and Peripheral Nervous System Drugs (44 ↗ rising)
- ☐ Pharmacokinetics: half-life, clearance, loading and maintenance dose
- ☐ Receptors, dose-response curves, agonists and antagonists
- ☐ Antimicrobial mechanisms, resistance and drugs of choice
- ☐ Antiepileptics, antiparkinsonian drugs and their adverse effects
- ☐ Autonomic drugs and their antidotes
- ☐ Antihypertensives, antiarrhythmics and heart-failure drugs
4. Pathology
264 recalled INI-CET / AIIMS PG questions (2018–2026)
Top chapters: General Pathology (107 ↘ falling) · Hematopathology (82) · Gastrointestinal System (18)
- ☐ Cell injury, necrosis types and apoptosis
- ☐ Inflammation mediators and wound healing
- ☐ Neoplasia: oncogenes, tumour suppressors, tumour markers
- ☐ Anaemias: iron deficiency, megaloblastic, haemolytic
- ☐ Leukaemias and lymphomas with their markers and translocations
- ☐ Haemostasis and coagulation disorders
5. Microbiology
250 recalled INI-CET / AIIMS PG questions (2018–2026)
Top chapters: Bacteriology (65) · Parasitology (47) · Virology (44 ↘ falling)
- ☐ Gram-positive vs Gram-negative cell wall, capsule and spores
- ☐ Sterilisation and disinfection methods
- ☐ Culture media and staining techniques
- ☐ Malaria, amoebiasis and helminths: life cycles and diagnosis
- ☐ Hepatitis B serology, HIV diagnosis and herpesviruses
- ☐ Dimorphic fungi and opportunistic fungal infections
6. Obstetrics & Gynecology
231 recalled INI-CET / AIIMS PG questions (2018–2026)
Top chapters: High-Risk Pregnancy and Medical Disorders in Pregnancy (47 ↘ falling) · General Gynaecology (36 ↗ rising) · Gynaecologic Oncology (35 ↘ falling)
- ☐ Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and eclampsia management
- ☐ Gestational diabetes and anaemia in pregnancy
- ☐ Antepartum and postpartum haemorrhage
- ☐ Abnormal uterine bleeding, fibroids and endometriosis
- ☐ Cervical and ovarian cancer: screening and staging
- ☐ Contraception methods and their failure rates
7. Community Medicine
204 recalled INI-CET / AIIMS PG questions (2018–2026)
Top chapters: Epidemiology (64) · Epidemiology of Communicable Diseases (41 ↘ falling) · Indian Health Programmes (32)
- ☐ Study designs and measures of association
- ☐ Screening test validity: sensitivity, specificity, predictive values
- ☐ Epidemiology of TB, malaria, dengue and vaccine-preventable diseases
- ☐ National health programmes and their key indicators
- ☐ Immunisation schedule and cold chain
- ☐ Biostatistics: tests of significance and sampling
8. Physiology
192 recalled INI-CET / AIIMS PG questions (2018–2026)
Top chapters: General Physiology (39 ↘ falling) · Cardiovascular System (27 ↗ rising) · Renal Physiology (Kidney) (26 ↘ falling)
- ☐ Membrane transport and resting membrane potential
- ☐ Cardiac cycle, cardiac output and its regulation
- ☐ Renal clearance, GFR and tubular transport
- ☐ Synapse, reflexes and sensory pathways
- ☐ Respiratory mechanics and oxygen-haemoglobin curve
- ☐ Endocrine feedback loops
9. Anatomy
190 recalled INI-CET / AIIMS PG questions (2018–2026)
Top chapters: Head and Neck (38) · Neuroanatomy (36 ↘ falling) · Abdomen and Pelvis (22 ↗ rising)
- ☐ Cranial nerves: nuclei, course and lesions
- ☐ Pharyngeal arches and their derivatives
- ☐ Blood supply of the brain; spinal cord tracts
- ☐ Inguinal canal and pelvic anatomy
- ☐ Brachial plexus and upper-limb nerve injuries
- ☐ Applied embryology of common congenital anomalies
10. Biochemistry
168 recalled INI-CET / AIIMS PG questions (2018–2026)
Top chapters: Molecular Biology & Genetics (54) · Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition (30 ↘ falling) · Carbohydrates (27 ↗ rising)
- ☐ DNA replication, transcription and translation
- ☐ PCR, blotting techniques and genetic disorders
- ☐ Vitamins: deficiency features and coenzyme roles
- ☐ Glycolysis, gluconeogenesis and glycogen storage disorders
- ☐ Lipoprotein metabolism and lipid storage disorders
- ☐ Enzyme kinetics and inborn errors of metabolism
11. Forensic Medicine
140 recalled INI-CET / AIIMS PG questions (2018–2026)
Top chapters: Medical Jurisprudence, Death and Postmortem Changes (42 ↘ falling) · Injuries (37 ↗ rising) · Forensic Medicine Identification (25)
- ☐ Postmortem changes and estimating time since death
- ☐ Types of wounds and firearm injuries
- ☐ Identification: age estimation, dactylography, DNA
- ☐ Asphyxial deaths: hanging, strangulation, drowning
- ☐ Sexual offences and related legal sections
- ☐ Medical negligence and consent
12. Pediatrics
139 recalled INI-CET / AIIMS PG questions (2018–2026)
Top chapters: Neonatology (39 ↘ falling) · Neurology (13 ↘ falling) · Growth and Development (13)
- ☐ Neonatal resuscitation, jaundice and respiratory distress
- ☐ Developmental milestones
- ☐ Growth assessment and malnutrition
- ☐ Congenital heart disease: cyanotic vs acyanotic
- ☐ Febrile seizures and paediatric epilepsy syndromes
- ☐ Immunisation schedule
13. Ophthalmology
117 recalled INI-CET / AIIMS PG questions (2018–2026)
Top chapters: Specific Disorders of the Eye (33 ↘ falling) · Retina and Vitreous (17 ↗ rising) · Cornea (11)
- ☐ Glaucoma types and drug treatment
- ☐ Diabetic and hypertensive retinopathy
- ☐ Retinal detachment and vascular occlusions
- ☐ Keratitis and corneal ulcers
- ☐ Cataract types and surgery complications
- ☐ Ocular signs of systemic disease
14. Orthopedics
109 recalled INI-CET / AIIMS PG questions (2018–2026)
Top chapters: Orthopedic Fractures and Their Complications (22 ↗ rising) · Upper Limb Disorders (12 ↘ falling) · Metabolic Bone Diseases (12)
- ☐ Fracture eponyms and their complications
- ☐ Nerve injuries with upper-limb fractures
- ☐ Osteoporosis, rickets and osteomalacia
- ☐ Bone tumours: age, site and X-ray signs
- ☐ Bone and joint infections, including TB spine
- ☐ Developmental dysplasia of the hip and clubfoot
15. ENT
91 recalled INI-CET / AIIMS PG questions (2018–2026)
Top chapters: Ear (43 ↗ rising) · Nose (27) · Pharynx (11 ↘ falling)
- ☐ Chronic otitis media, cholesteatoma and their complications
- ☐ Hearing tests and otosclerosis
- ☐ Epistaxis and nasal polyps
- ☐ Sinusitis and its complications
- ☐ Tonsillitis, adenoids and peritonsillar abscess
- ☐ Laryngeal carcinoma and vocal cord palsy
16. Dermatology
91 recalled INI-CET / AIIMS PG questions (2018–2026)
Top chapters: Skin Infections & Infestations (20 ↘ falling) · Clinical Dermatology (15 ↘ falling) · Papulosquamous Disorders (8 ↗ rising)
- ☐ Leprosy classification and treatment
- ☐ Scabies and fungal skin infections
- ☐ Psoriasis and lichen planus
- ☐ Pemphigus vs pemphigoid
- ☐ Drug reactions: SJS/TEN
- ☐ Classic skin signs and their diseases
17. Psychiatry
70 recalled INI-CET / AIIMS PG questions (2018–2026)
Top chapters: Mood Disorders (17) · Clinical Psychiatry (10) · Neurosis (8 ↘ falling)
- ☐ Depression and bipolar disorder with their drugs
- ☐ Schizophrenia symptoms and antipsychotic side effects
- ☐ Anxiety disorders and OCD
- ☐ Alcohol withdrawal and other substance use
- ☐ Defence mechanisms
- ☐ Psychiatric emergencies
18. Radiology
69 recalled INI-CET / AIIMS PG questions (2018–2026)
Top chapters: Systemic Radiology (52 ↗ rising) · Fundamentals of Radiology (14 ↘ falling) · Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine (3)
- ☐ Classic chest X-ray signs
- ☐ CT appearances of haemorrhage and stroke
- ☐ Abdominal X-ray and CT signs
- ☐ Choosing the right imaging investigation
- ☐ Radiation units and protection
- ☐ Radioisotopes and their uses
19. Anesthesia
60 recalled INI-CET / AIIMS PG questions (2018–2026)
Top chapters: Airway Assessment and Resuscitation (23 ↗ rising) · General Anaesthesia (10 ↘ falling) · Local and Regional Anaesthesia (9 ↗ rising)
- ☐ Airway assessment and difficult airway
- ☐ CPR algorithm and defibrillation
- ☐ Inhalational and intravenous anaesthetic agents
- ☐ Muscle relaxants and their reversal
- ☐ Local anaesthetics: toxicity and maximum doses
- ☐ Spinal vs epidural anaesthesia
Kinase Tip: Revise in this order: the five subjects at the top, then the short subjects in compact blocks. Pair the list with the 4-week revision plan and practise each chapter on the INI-CET PYQ pages.
Watch out: Recall coverage differs by year, and newer guidelines or recent advances will not show up as repeated the first time they are asked. Keep some time for those.
?Frequently Asked Questions
Which are the most important topics for INI-CET November 2026?
AIIMS does not publish a topic list. In Kinase's recall bank of 3,251 INI-CET / AIIMS PG questions (2018–2026), the chapters with the most questions are General Pathology (Pathology), Gastrointestinal and Abdominal Surgery (Surgery), Hematopathology (Pathology), General Surgery (Surgery). This post gives every subject's top chapters and a checklist of key concepts to revise in that subject.
Are these topics official?
No. The chapter counts come from memory-based recalls in the Kinase question bank, and the concept checklists are an editorial revision list. Use them to decide what to revise first, not as the full syllabus.
How should I use this checklist in the last month?
Tick each concept only after you have revised it and solved its PYQs. Start with the subjects that have the most INI-CET questions, and keep the exam date (1 November 2026) in view: the final week is for revisiting ticked items, not starting new chapters.
Why do some chapters show rising or falling?
The trend compares a chapter’s share of its subject’s recalled questions year by year. Rising means it has taken a growing share recently; falling means a shrinking share. A falling chapter can still be asked, so do not skip it.
Sources
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