Do I need Science at 10+2 to do GNM?

No. The Indian Nursing Council asks for 10+2 with English and at least 40%, from any recognised board. Science is preferable but it is not a requirement, so students from arts and commerce streams are eligible. B.Sc. Nursing is different. That one does require Physics, Chemistry and Biology.

I passed 10+2 through NIOS or a state open school. Can I do GNM?

Yes. INC accepts candidates from the National Institute of Open Schooling and from state open schools recognised by the state government, on the same terms.

How is the 40% calculated?

On your three core elective subjects. English marks are left out of that calculation, but you still have to pass English individually.

Three years. It was three and a half years until the 2015-16 session, which is why older websites still say 3.5.

Can a college keep my original certificates or make me sign a service bond?

The Indian Nursing Council calls that an unethical practice and says it will act against the institution under Section 14 of the INC Act, 1947. If a college asks you to hand over your originals or sign a bond tying you to future service, that is your signal to call us before you sign anything.

Is there an age limit for GNM?

You must be 17 by 31 December of the year you take admission, and the upper limit is 35. If you are already a registered ANM or LHV there is no age bar at all.

I am SC or ST. Is the 40% lower for me?

Yes. INC relaxes it by 5%, so the requirement is 35%. Note that this particular relaxation names SC and ST only. For B.Sc. Nursing the equivalent relaxation also covers OBC candidates.

GNM nursing admission

Duration: 3 years. It was 3½ years before the 2015-16 session.
Who can apply: 10+2 with English, 40% (35% SC/ST) · Science preferred, not required · age 17–35
Full rules
10+2 with English from any recognised board, with at least 40% and a pass in English. SC and ST candidates get a 5% relaxation, so 35%. Science is preferred but not required. NIOS and state open-school candidates are eligible. A vocational ANM course, Vocational Health Care Science, or being a registered ANM are also routes in. You must be 17 by 31 December of the year you take admission and not over 35, though there is no age bar at all for a registered ANM or LHV. You must be medically fit.
Entrance exam: None set by INC · the state sets the route
Full rules
None prescribed by the Indian Nursing Council. Its admission terms for GNM contain no entrance-test clause, where the parallel B.Sc. Nursing document sets one out in detail. Selection therefore rests with the state nursing council or counselling authority, so we confirm the route for your destination state before you apply.
Where we place students: Karnataka, Bihar, Jharkhand, Delhi NCR

Verified against: Indian Nursing Council (checked on 10 Sept 2026)

GNM is a diploma in general nursing and midwifery. It covers much of the same clinical ground as the degree and leads to registered nursing work, and students usually choose it to start working sooner.

If you later want the degree, P.B. B.Sc. Nursing is the route: two years, once you are registered and working. That is worth knowing now, because it means choosing GNM is a decision about timing rather than a ceiling.

As with B.Sc. Nursing, the duration and eligibility rules must come from the Indian Nursing Council and your state nursing council rather than from a coaching website. We check them before advising you.

The four ways in

INC accepts any one of these:

10+2 with English, at least 40% at the qualifying examination and a pass in English, from any recognised board. Science is preferable but not required. The percentage is worked out on your three core elective subjects, and English marks are left out of that calculation, but you still have to pass English.
10+2 with English and 40% in a vocational ANM course from a school recognised by the Indian Nursing Council.
10+2 with English and 40% in Vocational Stream (Health Care Science), from a recognised CBSE, state or central board.
A registered ANM with pass marks.

If you studied outside India, the Association of Indian Universities in New Delhi issues the 12th-standard equivalency, and the institution and state nursing registration council confirm it meets what INC prescribes.

One thing to check before you sign

The Indian Nursing Council states that taking service bonds from students, and forcefully retaining their original certificates, is an unethical practice, and that it will act against the institution under Section 14 of the INC Act, 1947.

Some colleges still ask. If yours does, that is the moment to stop and call us, not after the originals have been handed over.

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GNM: General Nursing and Midwifery

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