BSc Nursing Course: Eligibility, Entrance Exams, Duration and Career

The BSc nursing course is a four-year undergraduate degree, eight semesters including internship, that prepares you to work as a registered nurse. You can apply after Class 12 with Physics, Chemistry, Biology and English and at least 45% marks in the science subjects, and most colleges admit through a common entrance test run by a state or a university. The syllabus is set by the Indian Nursing Council (INC).

B.Sc Nursing is the short form of Bachelor of Science in Nursing. This guide covers who can apply, how the entrance works, what you study, what happens after the degree and the question many working families ask: can any of it be done online?

BSc nursing course at a glance

B.Sc nursing full form and what the degree covers

Nursing here means patient care in a clinical setting: assessing a patient, giving medicines and procedures safely, caring for mothers and newborns, supporting recovery and teaching families. The degree builds this in layers. Early semesters give you the science and the basics of nursing practice, and later ones move to medical and surgical nursing, child health, mental health, community health and midwifery.

If you are still weighing science options after Class 12, our list of BSc courses shows where nursing sits next to other science degrees, and the B.Sc Nursing course page lists colleges and programme details.

BSc nursing eligibility

The Indian Nursing Council's eligibility page asks for 10+2 with Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) and English core or elective from a recognised board, with 45% aggregate. Students who passed the Science stream through NIOS are also eligible. Candidates must be medically fit, and the minimum age is 17 on 31 December of the admission year.

The INC guidelines for nursing colleges add details worth knowing: English must be a subject at 10+2, the 45% is counted on Physics, Chemistry and Biology combined, SC, ST and OBC candidates need 40%, and the upper age limit is 35 years. Colour-blind candidates can apply if they use colour-corrective lenses, and married candidates are eligible.

BSc nursing entrance exam: how admission works

There is no single national exam for every nursing seat. INC's notice dated 24 December 2025 says B.Sc (Nursing) admissions are made through a Common Entrance Examination conducted by state government cells or universities. So the exam you write depends on the state and college you apply to, and each one publishes its own notice and dates.

INC's guidelines describe the paper as five sections of 20 marks each: aptitude for nursing, Physics, Chemistry, Biology and English, 100 marks in all. The qualifying percentile in the guidelines is 50th for the general category, 45th for general candidates with disability and 40th for SC, ST and OBC. Qualifying does not guarantee a seat, because counselling ranks you against others.

AIIMS is the exception students hear about most. It holds its own entrance for its B.Sc (Hons) Nursing programme, and its notice for the August 2025 session opened registration from 8 April to 7 May 2025. Read the current cycle on aiimsexams.ac.in because dates move each year.

Practical tip: write down your own state's nursing entrance body now, check its registration month, and keep two or three college options in other states as a backup. Nursing seats are limited by each college's sanctioned intake and admission closes once a year.

BSc nursing duration and syllabus

INC's modules document describes the programme as eight semesters including internship, which makes four years. You are allowed a maximum of eight years to complete it. Colleges can add units but cannot change the syllabus INC prescribes.

The subjects fall into two groups. The supporting sciences and humanities include Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Nutrition and Dietetics, Microbiology, Pharmacology, Pathology and Genetics, Psychology, Sociology and English. The nursing departments cover foundations of nursing, adult health, child health, mental health, community health and midwifery.

INC also builds short skill modules into the semesters. The first semester carries a First Aid module, the second a Health Assessment module, the third a Basic Life Support module and the fourth a Fundamentals of Prescribing module. Later modules include palliative care, newborn care and safe delivery.

Attendance is strict. INC's FAQ says you need at least 80% in both theory and practical for each course to sit the exam, and 100% in every practical area before the degree is awarded. Plan to be in the hospital, not in a hostel room, for a large part of the four years.

Can you do BSc nursing online?

The regular four-year course cannot be done online, because clinical practice in a hospital is a core part of the degree. Post Basic B.Sc (Nursing) is a different programme for those who already hold a GNM diploma. INC's FAQ describes it as two years regular or three years by distance.

For IGNOU's post-basic programme, INC's FAQ says students who joined after 2012 must have studied at an INC-approved IGNOU study centre. If you are looking at any online or distance nursing offer, confirm that it carries INC approval and the usual UGC-DEB entitlement. Our guide to checking whether an online university is UGC-DEB approved shows the steps, and the IGNOU page lists its programmes.

BSc nursing fees

There is no one fee for this degree. Government and state college seats cost far less than private colleges, and each college and university sets its own amount. Do not rely on a round figure from a listing. Ask the college for the full four-year fee schedule in writing, including hostel, uniform, clinical and exam charges, and compare it with what the state notification states for its own seats.

Careers and next steps after BSc nursing

Once you finish the degree and register with your State Nursing Registration Council, you can work as a nurse in hospitals, clinics, community health programmes and nursing education. INC says registration, renewal and transfer are handled only by the state council, so keep your marksheets and internship records safe.

The usual next steps are an M.Sc in Nursing for teaching, specialist clinical roles and research, or hospital administration. INC's M.Sc syllabus asks for a B.Sc Nursing degree with at least 55% marks, so your undergraduate marks matter. See the M.Sc Nursing course page, and for the management side read our post on MBA in healthcare and hospital management. Pay depends on the employer, state and city, so ask for the salary band in any offer instead of trusting a single national figure.

Is BSc nursing right for you?

Choose it if you are comfortable with long clinical hours, shift work and direct patient contact, and you have PCB with English. Look at other science degrees if your main interest is laboratory work or research rather than patient care.

Frequently asked questions

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