Blog | INICET May 2025 Recall Analysis – 200 Questions, Subject-Wise Trends & November Strategy

Introduction

The INICET May 2025, conducted by AIIMS for postgraduate medical admissions, reinforced its reputation as a rigorous, application-driven examination. With 200 single-best-answer MCQs spanning all 19 subjects, this session not only tested factual recall but demanded diagnostic acumen and integrated clinical reasoning.

This comprehensive analysis breaks down each subject systematically — highlighting key question trends, dominant topics, and essential takeaways. Whether you’re preparing for INICET November 2025 or beyond, this resource serves as both a strategic roadmap and a performance reflection tool.

Overview of Exam Pattern and Trends

Difficulty Level: Moderate to Difficult

Question Format Distribution:

Clinical vignettes: ~60–65%

One-liners: ~25%

Image-based MCQs: ~10%

Overall Trend: Strong emphasis on vertical and horizontal integration of basic sciences and clinical medicine

The exam rewarded those who could interlink pathology, pharmacology, physiology, and medicine — often in a single question stem.

Subject-Wise Analysis

1. Pharmacology

Dominant Areas:

Mechanisms of action (e.g., phenoldopam, bempedoic acid)
Antimicrobials, cardiovascular drugs
Adverse effects (QT prolongation, cholestasis)
Drug interactions and safety profiles

Trend:

The focus was on conceptual pharmacology, moving beyond mere recall. Integration with microbiology and medicine was evident. For instance, case-based drug choices in infections and CNS disorders were highlighted.

Difficulty: Moderate to High

High-Yield Tip: Master drug mechanisms and their clinical implications rather than memorizing drug lists.

2. Biochemistry

Dominant Areas:

Genetic diagnostics (Next-Generation Sequencing, surface plasmon resonance)
Inborn errors of metabolism
BRCA mutation profiling and Warburg effect
Lysosomal storage diseases

Trend:

Biochemistry questions were heavily applied, especially in the context of cancer biology and diagnostics. Multiple MCQs required knowledge of diagnostic technologies and their appropriate use.

Difficulty: High

High-Yield Tip: Focus on molecular diagnostics and cancer genetics; these are increasingly recurrent themes.

3. General Medicine

Dominant Areas:

Cardiology (pulsus alternans, HFpEF)
Neurology (seizure workup, GBS)
Infectious diseases (cryptococcal infections, TB)
Respiratory and renal integration

Trend:

Medicine questions emphasized case-based reasoning. Concepts like preserved EF heart failure, cardiac tamponade recognition, and interpretation of PFTs appeared in realistic clinical settings.

Difficulty: Moderate

High-Yield Tip: Strengthen your understanding of core clinical decision-making, especially for high-burden conditions.

4. Preventive and Social Medicine (PSM)

Dominant Areas:

Biostatistics (t-tests, dispersion)
RMNCH+A strategy
Epidemiological surveillance (e.g., Kumbh Mela)
National programs (NACO, RNTCP)

Trend:

The questions leaned toward applied public health, combining statistics with real-world programmatic knowledge. Definitions (e.g., dependency ratio, blindness) and case scenarios were common.

Difficulty: Moderate

High-Yield Tip: Don’t neglect numerical epidemiology and program-based questions. They offer high scoring potential with consistent patterns.

5. Forensic Medicine

Dominant Areas:

Indian BNS Act (Section 116)
MTP consent rules
Tests for poisoning (e.g., silver nitrate)
Grievous vs. simple injury classification

Trend:

This session’s forensic section focused on legal interpretation and new law updates, like BNS replacing IPC. Questions demanded clarity on consent, age of marriage, and grievous hurt classification.

Difficulty: Moderate

High-Yield Tip: Be thorough with BNS updates and real-life legal applications in medicolegal contexts.

6. Psychiatry

Dominant Areas:

Depression and psychosis (e.g., autistic thinking)
Ketamine as a rapid-acting antidepressant
Valproate teratogenicity
Withdrawal syndromes

Trend:

Psychiatry MCQs tested clinical therapeutics and DSM-based symptomatology. Integration with pharmacology and obstetrics (e.g., drug safety in pregnancy) was prominent.

Difficulty: Low to Moderate

High-Yield Tip: Focus on clinical decision-making and drug contraindications, especially in special populations.

7. Pediatrics

Dominant Areas:

Neonatal RDS and GERD
Pediatric nephritis (SLE-related)
Developmental milestones
Thrombocytopenia and ITP

Trend:

This section featured clinical scenarios, especially for neonates and infants. Candidates were tested on decision-making in conditions like GERD, SLE-induced nephritis, and inborn errors such as Niemann-Pick disease.

Difficulty: Moderate

High-Yield Tip: Focus on practical pediatrics — neonatal care, growth, and emergency management.

8. Radiology

Dominant Areas:

Hallervorden-Spatz (Eye of the tiger sign)
Sacral fractures (Honda sign)
Neurocysticercosis (Scolex dot sign)
Urolithiasis imaging modalities

Trend:

Although image-based questions were fewer this time, the exam still prioritized pattern recognition and diagnostic tool selection. Functional imaging like SPECT and Sestamibi were highlighted.

Difficulty: Moderate

High-Yield Tip: Memorize radiologic signs and know when to choose CT, MRI, or functional imaging in clinical cases.

9. Surgery

Dominant Areas:

Breast cancer staging (T4 lesion)
Surgical procedures (Z-plasty, duodenal switch)
Scoring systems (MANTRELS for appendicitis)
Bone fixation (PFN)

Trend:

Surgery was rich in application-based questions. Concepts such as Calot’s triangle anatomy, definitive management of fractures, and breast tumor classification featured prominently.

Difficulty: High

High-Yield Tip: Understand anatomical correlations and surgical principles, not just procedural names.

10. Microbiology

Dominant Areas:

Enterobius (D-shaped ova)
Satellite phenomenon (Haemophilus influenzae)
Dimorphic fungi, Kanagawa phenomenon
Stains for diagnostic clarity

Trend:

There was a noticeable tilt toward infection-focused MCQs, with strong emphasis on diagnostic microbiology and pathogen identification, especially parasitology and fungal markers.

Difficulty: Easy to Moderate

High-Yield Tip: Revise PYQs and laboratory diagnostic techniques, especially for rare pathogens and characteristic signs.

11. Orthopedics

Dominant Areas:

Bone tumors (Codman’s triangle, sunburst)
Fracture management
Pediatric skeletal trauma
Immobilization principles

Trend:

Orthopedic questions required visual interpretation and decision-making. The exam tested empirical treatment (e.g., scaphoid cast even with normal X-ray) and understanding of age-related fracture types.

Difficulty: High

High-Yield Tip: Know radiographic signs of tumors and the principles of splinting and emergency orthopedics.

12. Ophthalmology

Dominant Areas:

INO diagnosis
Retinal layers on OCT
Cranial nerve supply of orbit
Amblyopia and occlusion therapy

Trend:

This subject focused on neuro-ophthalmologic correlation and the use of imaging (like OCT) in diagnostics. Functional vision preservation and interpretation of visual pathways were central.

Difficulty: Moderate

High-Yield Tip: Revise cranial nerve functions and layers of retina as they frequently appear in integrated MCQs.

13. Dermatology

Dominant Areas:

STDs (secondary syphilis, herpes)
Scabies in infants
Topical steroid side effects
Skin histology

Trend:

MCQs demanded clinical recognition of skin lesions, and the diagnostic tool was often VDRL or Gram stain. Histological aspects like acellular layers were tested.

Difficulty: Low to Moderate

High-Yield Tip: Focus on infectious dermatoses, histopath clues, and adverse effects of treatment.

14. Anatomy

Dominant Areas:

Cross-sectional and surgical anatomy
Nerve supply of head & neck
Ulnar nerve exceptions
Piriform fossa, piriformis action

Trend:

Anatomy was visually demanding and clinically relevant. The exam tested high-yield surgical landmarks and neurovascular pathways, including questions on imaging and nerve supply exceptions.

Difficulty: High

High-Yield Tip: Focus on 3D visualization, nerve innervations, and image-based anatomy, especially in relation to surgery and ENT.

15. Physiology

Dominant Areas:

Bezold-Jarisch reflex
Tight junctions and transport proteins
ADH actions and apical membrane transport
Hippocampal memory roles

Trend:

Physiology questions focused on clinical integration, with many linking regulatory mechanisms to disease states. There was emphasis on endocrine physiology and homeostatic feedback systems.

Difficulty: Moderate

High-Yield Tip: Master regulatory loops and hormone action pathways, especially where they connect to medicine (e.g., SIADH, diabetes insipidus).

16. Pathology

Dominant Areas:

Tumor markers (e.g., Call-Exner bodies)
Pyroptosis (Caspase 1)
Inherited bleeding disorders (von Willebrand)
Cancer histology and apoptosis pathways

Trend:

Pathology leaned toward molecular pathogenesis, requiring understanding of mechanisms behind cell death and tumor marker significance.

Difficulty: Moderate to High

High-Yield Tip: Focus on morphological hallmarks and immuno-pathological markers, especially for ovarian and hematologic tumors.

17. Obstetrics & Gynecology

Dominant Areas:

MTP Act amendments
Pap smear procedural steps
Coffee bean nuclei (Granulosa cell tumors)
Uterotonics and PPH management

Trend:

Fewer questions than usual, but challenging and practical. The legal framework of termination and choice of appropriate therapy (e.g., oxytocics) were key focus points.

Difficulty: High

High-Yield Tip: Keep updated with legislative changes and WHO guidelines, especially concerning MTP, contraceptives, and labor emergencies.

18. ENT

Dominant Areas:

BPPV and vestibular signs
Cochlear implants
Contraindicated biopsies in JNA
Congenital hearing loss

Trend:

ENT tested clinical red flags and procedural knowledge. Most MCQs had a practical slant — e.g., avoiding biopsy in vascular tumors.

Difficulty: Moderate

High-Yield Tip: Know nerve pathways, hearing devices, and classic ENT emergencies and contraindications.

19. Anesthesia

Dominant Areas:

Thiopentone redistribution
Neostigmine use for vecuronium reversal
Lumbar puncture complications
Spinal anesthesia contraindications

Trend:

Focused on perioperative decision-making, with emphasis on mechanisms and complications. Candidates needed to differentiate between similar-acting drugs and interpret effects based on pharmacokinetics.

Difficulty: Moderate

High-Yield Tip: Be confident in drug usage protocols and safety profiles, especially for commonly used agents in surgical settings.

Strategy Guide for INICET November 2025

The May 2025 session clearly demonstrated that INICET is no longer a factual recall exam — it is a clinical reasoning battleground. To excel, aspirants must shift their preparation style accordingly.

Here’s a step-by-step strategy: