AIIMS BOT Entrance Exam Guide
Bachelor of Occupational Therapy at AIIMS Campuses
Exam at a glance
Conducting body
AIIMS New Delhi (Allied Health Sciences)
Total marks
200 (Biology 80 + Physics 40 + Chemistry 40 + GK 20 + Allied Health Aptitude 20)
Duration
2 hours (CBT)
Mode
Online CBT at AIIMS examination centres
Frequency
Annual (June exam; admissions August–September)
Eligibility
10+2 PCB, minimum 55% aggregate (50% SC/ST/OBC-NCL), 17+ years by December 31
Total applicants
20,000–30,000 (across all AIIMS Allied Health Sciences programmes)
Accepting institutions
AIIMS New Delhi, AIIMS Bhopal, AIIMS Jodhpur, AIIMS Patna (~30–40 BOT seats total)
Exam sections — what each tests
Biology
MCQ80 questions80 marksPhysics
MCQ40 questions40 marksChemistry
MCQ40 questions40 marksGeneral Knowledge
Objective20 questions20 marksAllied Health Aptitude
Aptitude20 questions20 marksTop occupational therapy colleges and admission patterns
AIIMS New Delhi — Department of Occupational Therapy
New Delhi
BOT (4.5 years including 6-month internship)
AIIMS Allied Health Sciences entrance; India's most competitive BOT programme. Clinical training through AIIMS hospital with 10,000+ daily OPD patients across neurology, orthopaedics, psychiatry, and paediatrics. Graduates have near-100% placement in AIIMS affiliated hospitals and private rehabilitation centres.
AIIMS Bhopal
Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
BOT
AIIMS common entrance; growing clinical exposure through AIIMS Bhopal hospital. State of the art simulation lab for OT students. Lower competition than AIIMS Delhi for the same AIIMS brand advantage.
NIMHANS — National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences
Bengaluru, Karnataka
BOT (psychiatric and neurological focus)
NIMHANS entrance exam (separate from AIIMS); highly specialised in mental health and neurology OT. India's premier psychiatric hospital — BOT interns work with acute psychiatric patients, neuro-rehabilitation, and addiction recovery programmes. Extremely prestigious for neuro-OT career track.
Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore
Vellore, Tamil Nadu
BOT
CMC Vellore Allied Health entrance; one of India's finest clinical training environments. Exposure to complex multi-system disability, leprosy rehabilitation, community OT, and international health programmes. Strong Christian minority quota; highly competitive for general category.
Preparation timeline
Foundation Phase
Months 1–5NCERT Biology mastery — the 40% of marks in this exam
- ✓NCERT Biology Class 11+12: complete two readings with focus on nervous and musculoskeletal systems
- ✓Physics Class 12: mechanics and thermodynamics fully revised with NCERT exercises
- ✓Chemistry: biomolecules chapter (NCERT Class 12) memorised completely
- ✓OT awareness: WFOT definition and ICF framework read and understood
Practice Phase
Months 6–9Chapter-wise MCQ practice and AIIMS PYQ analysis
- ✓5,000+ Biology MCQs solved with error analysis
- ✓AIIMS Allied Health PYQ (2019–2024) fully solved and reviewed
- ✓Allied Health Aptitude: Willard and Spackman Chapters 1–5 read
- ✓Health policy current affairs: daily 30-minute news digest habit established
Mock Test Phase
Months 10–11Full-length AIIMS Allied Health mock tests (2 hours, 200M format)
- ✓20+ full-length mock tests completed with Biology section score 65+/80
- ✓Time management: all 200 questions attempted within 1h 50 minutes
- ✓GK current affairs: last 12 months health news reviewed
- ✓Rank safety: AIIMS BOT requires approximately top 500 ranks across all Allied Health programmes
Counselling Phase
Post-exam (August–September)AIIMS Allied Health seat allotment and document verification
- ✓Programme preference order finalised: BOT vs other Allied Health Sciences
- ✓Original documents prepared: 10+2 certificate, AIIMS scorecard, category certificate
- ✓NIMHANS entrance prepared separately (if NIMHANS OT in preference list)
- ✓Waiting list and upgrade rounds monitored
Career paths in occupational therapy and rehabilitation
Hospital-Based OT (Neuro/Orthopaedic)
Rs 40,000–1,00,000/month
AIIMS BOT graduates placed in Tier-1 hospital neuro-rehabilitation departments earn Rs 80,000+ starting. Senior OT in neurology wards at private hospitals (Apollo, Fortis) reach Rs 2–3 lakh/month with 8–10 years experience and MoT qualification.
Paediatric OT (Developmental Disabilities)
Rs 35,000–80,000/month
Autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, and developmental delay intervention is the fastest-growing OT sub-sector. Sensory integration and Early Intervention specialists (with additional certification) earn Rs 1.5–2.5 lakh/month running independent OT clinics.
Mental Health OT
Rs 35,000–70,000/month
NIMHANS BOT graduates are almost exclusively placed in psychiatric hospitals, NGOs, and mental health research. Psychosocial rehabilitation and vocational training programme design roles exist in NIMHANS, TISS, and government psychiatric hospitals. Growing with India's expanding mental health services.
Community and Disability Rehabilitation
Rs 30,000–60,000/month
Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) programmes under RPWD Act 2016 and government disability welfare are expanding. NGO-based OT roles, district disability rehabilitation centres, and WHO-funded CBR projects employ BOT graduates. Less commercially oriented but high social impact.
Common mistakes that cost you a seat
Underestimating Biology — scoring below 55/80 in Biology alone drops you below AIIMS BOT safe rank; Biology is the exam's differentiator and requires the same NCERT depth as NEET
Ignoring Allied Health Aptitude — 20 marks of contextual clinical reasoning cannot be scored without reading OT-specific material; exam takers who read only PCB and skip OT awareness lose these marks entirely
Applying only to AIIMS and missing NIMHANS and CMC deadlines — NIMHANS and CMC Vellore have separate entrance exams with different timelines; apply to all simultaneously
Not researching OT as a career before the exam — the Allied Health Aptitude section tests genuine interest in OT; surface-level preparation is identifiable to examiners
Missing AIIMS Allied Health vs NEET distinction — AIIMS Allied Health is a separate exam from NEET; registration happens on the AIIMS portal, not NTA, with different dates and pattern
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy?
Physiotherapy focuses on restoring physical movement and function — muscle strength, joint mobility, pain management. Occupational Therapy focuses on restoring ability to perform daily activities (occupations) — dressing, cooking, writing, working — after injury, disability, or illness. OT works across physical, cognitive, and psychosocial domains. OT addresses the "doing" of life; PT addresses the physical capacity to do.
What NEET score is needed for BOT admission?
AIIMS BOT uses its own Allied Health Sciences entrance exam — NEET is not the admission criterion. However, NEET Biology preparation (NCERT line-by-line) is directly applicable. For state BOT programmes and private deemed university BOT (Manipal, MAHE), NEET score is used as the admission criterion — typically qualifying score (50th percentile) suffices for most private BOT programmes.
How many BOT seats are available in India?
India has approximately 200+ BOT programmes with ~5,000–8,000 seats across government and private institutions. Government seats (AIIMS, CMC, NIMHANS, state medical college OT departments) total ~500–700 seats. Private deemed universities and standalone OT colleges account for the remaining majority. The profession is regulated by AIIPMR and the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI).
What is the MoT (Master of Occupational Therapy) career path?
MoT is a 2-year postgraduate specialisation after BOT. Specialisations include Neuro-rehabilitation, Paediatrics, Mental Health, Hand Rehabilitation, Community Rehabilitation, and Geriatric OT. AIIMS New Delhi, CMC Vellore, and NIMHANS offer MoT. MoT enables senior clinical positions, academic roles, and research — required for clinical lead positions at major hospitals. Entrance: AIIMS PG Allied Health exam.
Can Indian OTs work abroad?
Yes — occupational therapy has significant international demand. WFOT-approved BOT programmes (AIIMS, CMC Vellore, NIMHANS qualify) enable registration in the UK (HCPC), Australia (AHPRA), Canada (CAOT), and the Gulf countries. UK and Australia are largest destinations — NHS BOT roles start at £28,000–40,000/year. Additional language/registration requirements apply by country. AIIMS and CMC BOT credentials are strongly recognised internationally.
Get coached by someone who has cleared AIIMS Allied Health BOT and practises at a hospital or rehabilitation centre
Class 12 PCB students targeting India's most rigorous occupational therapy programme. Ideal for students who want hospital-based OT with AIIMS clinical training, government job eligibility, and MoT (Master of Occupational Therapy) preparation from a premier institution.