ESIC Nursing Officer Recruitment 2026: Selection Process & Result Guide

news18 Sept 20265 min read

Key Takeaways

What you'll learn from this article

1The recruitment exam NORCET is conducted by AIIMS for ESIC Nursing Officers.
2ESIC rules will be applicable for ESIC-specific Stage II openings.
3NORCET has Prelims and Mains.
4“Stage-II” decides merit & distribution.
5Check AIIMS & ESIC for latest updates.

Nursing positions in the central government are among the top and highest-paying healthcare professions in India. Not only is there employment security, but the cash advantages are also substantial.
The base salary scale for a newly hired nurse is ₹44,900 to ₹1,42,400.

If you are interested in grabbing this high-paying government job or going through the NORCET selection roadmap, then this complete guide will take you through all the necessary details, including eligibility requirements, exam patterns, results and final seat allocations.

ESIC Nursing Officer Recruitment 2026

Authority	Role Looking for Healthcare Opportunities? Browse top-paying jobs in hospitals and clinics worldwide. Explore Jobs
ESIC	Recruiting organisation and employer
AIIMS, New Delhi	Conducts NORCET
NORCET	Common Nursing Officer examination
ESIC notice	ESIC vacancies and service rules
AIIMS portal	Applications and results

ESIC uses the common AIIMS examination, while its own Recruitment Rules continue to govern the ESIC post. Under ESIC Notice No. 17/2026, recruitment for ESIC Nursing Officer posts for the 2026 cycle is being conducted through the NORCET-10 examination administered by AIIMS, New Delhi, while ESIC serves as the appointing authority.

ESIC Nursing Officer Vacancy 2026

219 ESIC Nursing Officer vacancies, with an 80:20 female-to-male bifurcation.

Category	Female	Male	Total
SC	26	5	32
ST	12	3	15
OBC	46	11	57
EWS	18	5	23
UR	74	18	92
Total	176	43	219

PwBD Reservation

PwBD sub-category	Vacancies
Category C	3
Category D & E	2
Total PwBD vacancies	5

The number of vacancies may increase or decrease depending on actual requirements. Unfilled PwBD vacancies will be carried forward according to the applicable reservation rules.

ESIC Nursing Officer Eligibility 2026

Route	Educational qualification	Registration	Experience
Route A	B.Sc. (Hons.) Nursing from a recognised university/institute OR regular B.Sc. Nursing OR Post Basic B.Sc. Nursing	Must be registered as a Nurse or Nurse & Midwife with a State Nursing Council	Not specified for this route
Route B	Diploma in General Nursing Midwifery (GNM) from a recognised Board/Council	Must be registered as a Nurse or Nurse & Midwife with a State Nursing Council	1 year experience in a minimum 50-bedded hospital after obtaining the required qualification

Age Limit

Particular	Requirement
Maximum age	30 years
Age calculation date	Last date of online application
Application closing date	16 March 2026
ESIC employees/Government servants	Up to 5 years relaxation, as applicable under Central Government rules

Category wise Age Relaxation

Category	Relaxation beyond upper age limit
SC/ST	5 years
OBC	3 years
PwBD	10 years, subject to maximum age of 56 years
PwBD + OBC	13 years, subject to maximum age of 56 years
PwBD + SC/ST	15 years, subject to maximum age of 56 years
Ex-Servicemen/Commissioned Officers including ECO/SSCOs	Length of military service + 3 years
Central Government Civilian Employees – General/UR	5 years, subject to the service condition
Central Government Civilian Employees – OBC	8 years
Central Government Civilian Employees – SC/ST	10 years
Regular/Permanent ESIC employees	Relaxation as permitted under applicable Government instructions

ESIC Nursing Officer Application Fee

Candidate category	Application fee
General/OBC	₹3,000
SC/ST	₹2,400
EWS	₹2,400
PwBD	Exempted

Application Fee Related Rules

Fee-related rule	Details
Payment modes	Debit card, credit card or net banking
Processing charges	Applicable bank/transaction charges to be paid by candidate
Refund	Application fee is generally non-refundable
SC/ST refund	SC/ST candidates who appear in the examination are eligible for refund after result declaration, subject to verification of the SC/ST certificate
Application without prescribed fee	Rejected

ESIC Nursing Officer Exam Pattern

Stage-I: NORCET Preliminary

Stage-I is qualifying: 100 MCQs, 100 marks, 90 minutes; 80 are nursing and 20 are General Knowledge/Aptitude. One-third negative marking applies.

Stage-II: NORCET Mains

Stage-II has 160 MCQs, 160 marks, 180 minutes and uses case-scenario nursing questions. One-third negative marking applies.

Stage	Questions	Marks	Duration	Role
Preliminary	100	100	90 min	Qualifying
Mains	160	160	180 min	Merit and allocation

ESIC Nursing Officer Selection Process

→Online Application

→ Stage-I

→ Stage-II

→ Merit

→ Choice & Preference

→ Seat Allocation

→ Document Verification

→ ESIC Appointment

AIIMS prepares merit from Stage-II.

ESIC Nursing Officer Salary 2026

The post carries Level 7, with basic pay of ₹44,900–₹1,42,400; allowances depend on rules and posting.

Component	Details
Pay level	Level 7
Basic pay	₹44,900–₹1,42,400
Allowances	As applicable
Take-home	Depends on allowances and deductions

ESIC Nursing Officer 2026- Current Status

Stage	NORCET-10 status
Application	✅ Completed
Stage I / Preliminary exam	✅ Held on 11 April 2026
Stage I result	✅ Released on 16 April 2026
Stage II / Mains exam	✅ Held on 30 April 2026
Stage II result	✅ Released in May 2026
Seat allocation / choice filling	✅ Next stage after the Mains result
Document verification & joining	Subsequent recruitment process

To all the candidates who appeared for the ESIC Nursing Officer examination, take a deep breath, give yourself a big round of applause. You worked hard, and you’ve done tremendous work to get here .

If things don’t go as planned, understand that it is perfectly okay. One exam or one result does not define your potential, your abilities, your future in healthcare. India’s healthcare ecosystem is growing at an unparalleled pace and one missed recruitment drive only means your route is leading you to something better. There are a plethora of chances for qualified and passionate healthcare professionals in major multi-specialty hospitals, clinical research organizations, home-care and health-tech industries.

When you’re ready to begin searching for your next big professional milestone, give Jobslly a try.

Unlike general employment sites where medical opportunities get buried, Jobslly is designed particularly for healthcare, medical, nursing and pharmaceutical hiring.

You get immediate access to verified listings from top hospitals, research centers and corporate health networks.

Keep your chin up and keep moving; your dream job is just around the corner!

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Dr Aditi is a dentist with over four years of clinical and healthcare experience, combining expertise in dentistry, healthcare management, medical communication, and content development. Beyond clinical practice, she has experience creating evidence-based healthcare content, designing patient education materials, and producing digital health communications, with a strong focus on translating complex medical information into clear, accessible, and engaging content for diverse audiences. She is also skilled in healthcare marketing, workflow optimisation, and strategic communication. Currently, Dr Aditi serves as a Medical Content Creator Intern at Academically Global, where she develops educational content for healthcare professionals, students, and international licensing aspirants, committed to delivering accurate, up-to-date, and research-backed information that empowers readers to make informed educational and career decisions.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is ESIC Nursing Officer recruitment conducted through AIIMS NORCET?

Yes, ESIC has released a Nursing Officer Notification for the ESIC Recruitment Cycle 2026, using AIIMS NORCET-10 (Notice No. 17/2026). The common examination conducting body and recruiting body are AIIMS New Delhi and ESIC. The eligibility, verification of documents, allotment of vacancies and employment following the examination would be governed as per the ESIC Special Recruitment Rules.

2. What is the selection process for ESIC Nursing Officer?

The selection procedure is in two stages of examination. Stage-I NORCET Preliminary is qualifying in nature, while Stage-II NORCET Mains is for merit and allocation. After Stage-II, the eligible candidates fill in the choices and preferences of the participating organisations. Candidates to be allotted ESIC shall have to qualify document verification and satisfy all applicable eligibility conditions of ESIC before appointment.

3. ESIC Nursing Officer Vacancy 2026: How many vacancies are there?

ESIC NORCET-10 219 Nursing Officer Vacancies Official Notification Released. The notification also separately specifies five PwBD positions and category-wise distribution of female and male. So I would recommend checking any later corrigendum or revised vacancy announcement before posting an updated figure or relying on a third-party vacancy list, as ESIC says vacancy requirements may change.

4. What is the qualification required for ESIC Nursing Officer?

B.Sc. Nursing, B.Sc. (Hons.) Nursing or Post Basic B.Sc. Nursing or any other degree in Nursing with relevant State Nursing Council registration. For the GNM route, one should have a recognised GNM diploma, nursing registration and one year of experience in a minimum of a 50-bedded hospital. The experience should be as per the criteria mentioned in the ESIC notification.

5. What is the ESIC Nursing Officer admit card process?

Because AIIMS conducts NORCET, the admit card is issued through the AIIMS examination system. For NORCET-10, the scheduled upload date was 8 April 2026. After downloading, check your name, roll number, photograph, centre and reporting instructions. Keep a printed admit card and valid government photo ID ready, and follow every instruction printed on the admit card.

6. When will the result of ESIC Nursing Officer be released?

AIIMS declared the result of Stage-I for NORCET-10 on 16 April 2026 and the result of Stage-II on 12 May 2026. Candidates qualified at Stage-II then proceeded to institute choice and allocation. The result itself will not lead to an ESIC appointment automatically. Eligibility, choices, vacancy availability & document verification continue to apply before final joining.

7. Is Stage-I counted in the final ESIC Nursing Officer merit?

No. Stage-I is a qualifying examination and is not used to decide final merit or rank. Stage-II is the merit-bearing examination. AIIMS prepares the merit list based on Stage-II performance, and allocation is made according to merit, candidate preferences, available seats and the applicable eligibility rules of the participating organisation, including ESIC.

8. What is the ESIC Nursing Officer salary?

The ESIC Nursing Officer post is placed at Level 7 in the Pay Matrix, with basic pay of ₹44,900 to ₹1,42,400. Applicable allowances are provided under the relevant government rules and posting conditions. Your actual take-home amount will differ after allowances and deductions, so unofficial “in-hand” salary figures should not be treated as fixed.

9. Where should I apply for ESIC Nursing Officer recruitment?

For the 2026 ESIC cycle covered by NORCET-10, candidates apply through the AIIMS examinations portal because AIIMS conducts the common examination. ESIC publishes the organisation-specific recruitment notice and conditions separately. I recommend saving the submitted application, payment proof, admit card and later choice or verification records for your personal reference.

10. Is ESIC job guaranteed after NORCET qualifying?

No. Qualifying NORCET is a big thing, but it does not guarantee an ESIC appointment by itself. Candidate should be eligible as per ESIC rules, should exercise choice when invited, get allocated against a vacancy available and complete document verification. In case of a document, for example, verification, qualification, registration, experience, reservation or any other as the case may be, if not verified satisfactorily, the candidacy shall be entitled to cancellation by ESIC.

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