National Entrance Screening Test – NEST 2026

About

Schedule

Eligiblity

Syllabus

Fee

Procedure

Result

Dates

Counselling

OVERVIEW

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The National Entrance Screening Test (NEST) is a compulsory online Computer-Based Test for admission to the 5-year Integrated MSc programme in basic sciences – Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics – at NISER, Bhubaneswar and UM-DAE CEBS, Mumbai.

Exam NameNational Entrance Screening Test
Also Known AsNEST
Exam CategoryUndergraduate
Exam LevelNational
Exam ModeOnline (Computer-Based Test)
Conducted byNISER Bhubaneswar


UPDATE (Dec 12, 2025): NEST 2026 exam dates have been announced. The application process begins on January 5, 2026. – Read all

 

What’s New in NEST 2026?

  • Duration Reduced: The exam duration has been reduced from 3 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours.
  • Single Session: The exam will be conducted in a single session, unlike the two-session format followed in 2024.
  • Pattern Comparison:
ParameterOld PatternNew Pattern (2026)
Duration3 Hours 30 Minutes3 Hours
SessionsTwo SessionsSingle Session

ABOUT

Exam Pattern

  • The exam is a Computer-Based Test (CBT) with a duration of 3 hours.
  • There will be 4 sections, each worth 60 marks, containing subject-specific questions from Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics.
  • All questions will be Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs), where each question has four options, with only one correct answer.
  • For each correct answer, 3 marks will be awarded, while 1 mark will be deducted for each incorrect answer (-1 mark penalty).
  • Only the best scores from 3 sections will be considered for evaluation and Merit List preparation. Check the rules for inclusion in the Merit List here.
  • The question paper will be available in both Hindi and English.

 

The number of questions from each subject is as follows:

SectionNumber of QuestionsMarks
Physics2060
Chemistry2060
Mathematics2060
Biology2060
Total80240
Note: Only the best 3 section scores will be considered for evaluation.

Schedule

DATE

June 6, 2026 (Saturday)

 

Time

    • 02:00 PM to 05:00 PM

Eligiblity

For NEST Exam

There are no restrictions on appearing for NEST.

 

For Admission to NISER/CEBS

  • Basic: The candidate should have at least three out of the four disciplines of basic sciences, namely, Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics, in classes XI and XII.
  • Exam: The candidate must secure a rank in the NEST 2026 Merit List.
  • Qualifying Examination: The candidate should have passed the Class 12 examination in 2024 or 2025 or should be appearing for the same in 2026.
  • Marks in Qualifying Examination: The candidate must obtain at least 60% marks in aggregate in the Class 12 (or equivalent) examination from any recognized board in India (for SC/ST/Divyangjan candidates, the minimum requirement is 55%).
  • Age Limit: There is no age limit for admission to either NISER or UM-DAE CEBS.

 

Syllabus

Syllabus – Click

Mock Test

  • Practice sessions for the computer-based test will be available for all applicants on the application portal after online registration and complete submission of the online application.
  • The mock test is for practice purposes only.

 

 

Past Question Papers

See previous year question papers and answers here.

 

fees

The NEST 2026 application fee is as follows:

Male candidates of UR/OBC categories₹1400
Unreserved-EWS (UR-EWS)₹700
SC/ST/Divyangjan categories₹700
Female candidates (all categories)₹700

Procedure

Registration

  • Registration for the NEST examination begins on January 5, 2026.
  • The last date to apply is April 6, 2026 (11:30 PM).
  • Any pending payments must be completed by April 12, 2026 (11:30 PM).

 

Application Procedure

NEW: Check the step-by-step procedure for filling the Application Form.

  1. Candidates must fill out the online application form through the NEST website.
  2. Register by providing basic details like Name, Date of Birth, Email ID, and Mobile Number.
  3. Log in using the credentials sent to your email to access the application form.
  4. Fill in the required personal and educational details, and upload the scanned images of your photograph and signature.
  5. Pay the application fee via the available online payment modes.
  6. Submit the form and save the application summary page for future reference.

 

Note: Candidates are not required to send any documents to the NEST office during the entire application process.

Application Correction

  • Candidates will be provided with a facility to make corrections to their application form details.
  • It is a one-time facility extended to candidates to avoid any inconvenience.
  • The correction window will be open from April 13, 2026 to April 14, 2026.

 

Note

  • Candidates must choose 3 test cities in order of preference while filling out the application form.
  • Every effort will be made to allot the candidate’s first preference.
  • The address of the test venue allotted to the candidate will be mentioned on the NEST Admit Card.

 

 

Admit Card

  • The Admit Card can be downloaded from the NEST website starting May 15, 2026.
  • Candidates are required to present the Admit Card along with a valid Photo Identity Card at the test centre.
  • The address of the NEST test centre allotted to a candidate will be printed on the Admit Card.
  • The Admit Card should be kept safely, as candidates who qualify will need to present the original during admission.

 

 

Answer Keys

  • The answer keys for the Computer-Based examination will be made available on the NEST website.
  • If a candidate is dissatisfied with an answer, they can challenge the answer key.

Result

Merit List

 

Overview

  • A Merit List will be prepared based on the total of the best three scores from the four sections.
  • If candidates score above SMAS in all four sections, the total score is calculated as the sum of the three best section scores.

 

Section-wise Cutoff

  • For each section, 20% of the average of the best 100 scores in that section will be considered as the Section-wise Minimum Admissible Score (SMAS).
  • A candidate must clear the cutoff (SMAS) in at least three subject sections to be included in the Merit List.
  • The SMAS for OBC candidates will be 90% of the respective SMAS for General category candidates.
  • The SMAS for SC/ST candidates will be 50% of the respective SMAS for General category candidates.
  • For Divyangjan candidates, a relaxation of 5% in SMAS would be applicable in their respective categories.

 

Overall Cutoff

  • In addition to the subject-wise cutoff, a candidate is required to score equal to or above a total Minimum Admissible Percentile (MAP) to be included in the Merit List.
  • The Category-wise MAP for NEST 2026 will be announced along with the declaration of results.

 

Result

  • The results for NEST 2026 will be declared by June 25, 2026.
  • Candidates will be allotted a Merit Rank based on their performance in the NEST exam.

Dates

Start of online applicationJanuary 5, 2026
Closing of online applicationApril 6, 2026
Closing of payment portalApril 12, 2026
Application correction windowApril 13 – 14, 2026
Mock test opensTo be notified
Download of admit card beginsMay 15, 2026
NEST examinationJune 6, 2026
Release of answer keysTo be notified
Answer keys objection windowTo be notified
Announcement of resultsBy June 25, 2026

 

 

 

CONTACT INFORMATION

Candidates can contact NEST authorities through written communication, phone or email.

NISER Contact Information
AddressChief Coordinator, NEST 2023,
National Institute of Science Education and Research Bhubaneswar,
P.O. Jatni, Khurda – 752050, Odisha (India)
Helpline+91-7996065888, 0674-2494360
Emailnest-exam@niser.ac.in, nestcc@niser.ac.in

APPLY NOW

Visit NEST Exam Website

Counselling

Admission & Scholarship

  • Admission to the 5-year Integrated MSc programme in basic sciences at NISER, Bhubaneswar and UM-DAE CEBS, Mumbai will be based on the NEST Merit Rank.
  • Scholarship: Candidates admitted to the program are eligible to receive an annual scholarship of ₹60,000 through the DISHA program of the Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India.
  • Summer Internship Grant: Scholarship recipients receive an additional grant of ₹20,000 per annum for summer internships.
  • Job Opportunity: Students graduating with grades above a certain threshold are eligible to appear directly for the interview for appointment as Trainee Scientific Officer in Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC).

 

Important Information

  • Candidates must provide a correct email address in the online application, as the NEST office communicates with candidates through this email ID.
  • Candidates must reach the test venue at least 60 minutes before the examination begins.
  • The use of log tables and calculators in the examination hall is not allowed.
  • Candidates must bring their Admit Card and a photo ID to the examination hall.

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