NBE DCH Pediatrics Dec 2025 session exam analysis

Overall Exam Pattern

The examination follows a highly standardized format across all three papers:

• Total Marks: 100 marks per paper.
• Duration: 180 minutes (3 hours).
• Structure: 10 questions per paper, each worth 10 marks.
• Question Style: Subjective/Long-form questions, typically broken down into sub-parts (e.g., a, b, c) with specific mark distributions.
• Answer Format: Allocated specific pages in the answer booklet (roughly 5 pages per 10-mark question).

Paper-Specific Domain Distribution

Paper 1: Foundational Sciences & Emergencies

This paper focuses heavily on acute care, neonatology, and fundamental medical sciences.

• Emergency & Intensive Care: Covers OP poisoning, septic shock, and ARDS.
• Neonatology: Focuses on KMC and late-onset sepsis.
• Biochemistry & Physiology: Includes hypernatremia management, calcium metabolism, and the coagulation cascade.
• Social & Research: Includes nutrition (complementary feeding) and research methodology (meta-analysis/study designs).

Paper 2: Systemic Pediatrics & Public Health

This paper shifts toward chronic conditions, systemic diseases, and national health initiatives.

• National Programs: Heavy emphasis on “Anemia Mukt Bharat” and “Poshan Abhiyan”.
• Preventive Medicine: Detailed questions on Pneumococcal and IPV vaccine schedules.
• Systemic Diseases: Covers Nephrology (AGN, HUS), Hematology (Aplastic Anemia), Oncology (Hodgkin’s), and Neurology (Meningitis, SSPE).
• Development: Includes milestones of a 3-year-old and Down phenotype evaluation.

Paper 3: Specialty Systems & Adolescent Health

This paper covers specialized sub-systems, behavioral health, and diagnostic approaches.

• Sub-specialties: Includes Rheumatology (SOJIA, Rheumatic fever), Gastroenterology (Celiac), and Endocrinology (Polyuria/DI).
• Adolescent & Behavioral Health: Focuses on substance abuse (CRAFFT) and Anorexia nervosa.
• Infectious Disease: Focuses on Malaria and Vector-Borne Disease Control Programs.
• Specialty Organs: Covers Pediatric Ophthalmology (Squint, Leucocoria) and Dermatology (SJS).

Key Preparation Clusters

Strategic preparation Tips

• Focus on Sub-parts: Since questions are divided (e.g., $2+4+4$), you must prepare definitions, etiopathogenesis, and management separately to secure full marks in each subsection.
• Master the “Approach”: Several questions ask “How will you approach/manage” or “Diagnostic evaluation,” requiring a structured clinical algorithm rather than just factual recall.
• Incorporate Diagrams: Certain questions explicitly ask for diagrams, such as the coagulation cascade. Preparing flowcharts for pathogenesis (e.g., Septic shock or SSPE) is essential.
• National Programs & Tools: Memorize specific screening tools (like CRAFFT) and the salient points of current Indian national health initiatives.

Answers to DCH Dec 2025 session coming soon on Pediatrics PYQ app. Stay tuned.

Disclaimer: These question papers are publicly available on the National Board of Examinations (NBE) website. They are not owned by us, nor are they suggested or endorsed by us for any specific purpose.