ICMR Nursing JRF 2026 — your stipend-funded gateway into nursing-PhD research
100 MCQs · 2 hours · +1 / -0.25 marking · ~₹31,000-35,000/month stipend + HRA. Our mocks are blueprint-mapped to the ICMR two-section pattern — and lean hard on the biostatistics and research-methods sub-section that decides most merit lists.
- Aligned with ICMR · icmr.gov.in
- PhD research pathway
- JRF stipend-funded · ~₹31K + HRA
Hero photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash
A nursing-stream fellowship into India's premier biomedical research council
The Indian Council of Medical Research recruits M.Sc. Nursing graduates as Junior Research Fellows attached to its 26 permanent institutes and regional centres. The fellowship funds your full Ph.D. timeline — stipend, HRA, contingency and conference travel.
- Conducting body: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi.
- Eligibility: M.Sc. Nursing (or ICMR-recognised equivalent) with min 55% aggregate · 50% for SC / ST / OBC / PwD.
- Age limit: 32 years on closing date · standard category relaxations apply.
- Mode: Computer-Based Test (CBT) at ICMR-approved test centres across India.
- Structure: Two sections — Section A (Aptitude · 50 MCQs) + Section B (Nursing-specific · 50 MCQs).
- Marking: +1 for correct, -0.25 for incorrect, 0 for unattempted. Maximum 100.
- Stipend: ~₹31,000/month (JRF) → ~₹35,000/month (SRF after 2 years) + HRA + contingency.
- Notification releaseJuly (historical)
- Application windowJuly-August
- Admit card download~10 days before exam
- CBT exam dayPer ICMR notification
- Provisional answer key~1 week after exam
- Final merit listOctober (historical)
Always confirm cycle dates against the official ICMR notification at icmr.gov.in.
Research-method-heavy · fellowship-funded · vanishingly few seats
Biostats + epidemiology heavy
Section B leans into research methods, biostatistics and epidemiology — a sharp pivot away from the clinical recall of state nursing exams. Most candidates underprepare here.
Fellowship-funded Ph.D.
Unlike state recruitment exams, JRF directly funds your Ph.D. — stipend, HRA, contingency and conference travel — for up to 5 years across the JRF + SRF tiers.
~15-20 seats per cycle
ICMR's nursing-stream JRF intake is intentionally tiny — typically 15-20 fellows nationally per cycle. Cut-offs sit firmly in the top decile of attempters.
Negative-marking aware
Unlike FMGE (+1/0), ICMR JRF deducts 0.25 per wrong answer. Our mock player projects expected score after risk-adjusting your attempt strategy.
What you get on PractiseExam.com
Two-section format
Every mock is exactly 100 MCQs — 50 Aptitude + 50 Nursing-specific — delivered in a 2-hour timed window with the same +1 / -0.25 scoring as the live CBT.
Biostats deep-dive bank
A dedicated MCQ bank for research methods, biostatistics and epidemiology — the single section that separates merit-list candidates from the rest.
ICMR-context explanations
Solution explanations cite ICMR guidelines, IndiaSPEND data and the NPCDCS / NHM frameworks that recur across the nursing-specific MCQ set.
Mock packs · pay-as-you-go
Stack as many packs as you need across the single annual ICMR cycle. No subscription.
Pricing is being updated — please check back shortly.
The most asked ICMR Nursing JRF questions
Who is eligible to apply for the ICMR Nursing JRF?+
Which institutes and labs absorb ICMR Nursing JRFs?+
How does JRF → SRF progression work?+
What exactly is the stipend, and is there HRA on top?+
What age relaxation can I claim?+
How is the 100-MCQ paper weighted between Aptitude and Nursing-specific?+
What happens after the fellowship ends?+
Find out if you can crack the ICMR Nursing JRF merit list
A full-length, blueprint-accurate ICMR Nursing JRF mock. Risk-adjusted score forecast within the hour.