JEST 2026: Application Form (Released), Exam Date (May 12), Syllabus & Pattern

What is the JEST Exam?

The Joint Entrance Screening Test, which is a national-level entrance test for admission to 31 top institutions in India for PG and integrated PG courses in Physics and Theoretical Computer Science. The JEST 2026 is being conducted by the Bose Institute, Kolkata. Some of the top institutions under JEST are Bose Institute, NISER Bhubaneswar, Homi Bhabha National Institute, International Centre for Theoretical Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and more.

JEST Exam Full Form

The JEST stands for the Joint Entrance Screening Test. This entrance is a national-level entrance exam, which is conducted by one of the 31 JEST participating institutions. The Indian Institute Of Science Edication And Research, Tirupati will conduct the JEST 2026.

JEST 2026 Exam Mode

The JEST 2026 will be conducted in CBT mode (Computer Based Test). Students must remember that they can appear in JEST exam 2026 only from the designated exam centre and not from anywhere else. Candiadtes will be assigned a particular computer system in the exam centre where they will have to choose the answers. There will be multiple choice questions in JEST.

JEST 2026 Exam Highlights

JEST Dates 2026

Courses Offered by JEST 2026

The Joint Entrance Screening Test is held to offer admissions for various programmes at the JEST 2026 participating universities. Students can check the list of programmes offered below:

• Ph.D. Programme in Physics

• Theoretical Computer Science

• Ph.D. in Neuroscience

• PhD in Computational Biology

• Integrated M.Sc/M.Tech - PhD Programme (Physics)

• Integrated PhD Programme in Theoretical Computer Science

• Integrated M.Tech - PhD Programme at IIA

• Integrated PhD Programme at IISER Kolkata and IISER Thiruvananthapuram

• M.Sc Programme at HRI

• Joint SPPU-IUCAA MSc Physics (Astrophysics)

JEST Eligibility Criteria 2026

Aspirants are required to fulfil the JEST 2026 eligibility criteria to be able to take admission to the participating institutions. It is important to note that JEST eligibility varies in different participating institutions. Students are advised to check the JEST 2026 eligibility criteria in the table below to get a better idea of the minimum requirements they need to fulfil for admission into their desired courses.

What is the Eligibility for JEST 2026?

JEST Application Form 2026

IISER Tirupati has started the JEST 2026 registration process from February 26. The JEST application form 2026 wiil be only available in online mode at jest.org.in. Students must complete their application process before the JEST 2026 registration last date. Those who fail to pay the JEST application fees within the scheduled dates will have their application cancelled. The JEST application fees are non-refundable. Applicants are advised to check the JEST form fees in the table below.

JEST Application Fees 2026

Steps to Fill Out JEST Application Form 2026

Step 1: Visit the JEST official website at jest.org.in

Step 2: Click on the “JEST 2026 Registration” link

Step 3: Enter your contact details and complete the registration

Step 4: You will receive your login credentials

Step 5: Log in and enter all the remaining details

Step 6: Upload all the documents

Step 7: Pay the application fees

Step 8: Click on the “Submit” option

JEST Exam Pattern 2026

Students appearing for the exam are required to be aware of the JEST 2026 exam pattern. The exam pattern for JEST 2026 consists of various important details such as exam duration, what type of questions that appear in the test, the duration of the entrance and many other details. Checking the JEST exam pattern 2026 helps the students understand the exam, which improves the exam preparation immensely.

What is the Exam Pattern of JEST 2026?

JEST Questions

JEST Admit Card 2026

IISER Tirupati will release the JEST 2026 admit card on April 6. Candidates are advised to download the JEST admit card 2026 by visiting the official website. Students who have successfully submitted the application form can download the JEST hall ticket 2026 by entering their login details that were provided to them at the time of registration. Students are advised to check the steps below to get an understanding of how to download the JEST ticket.

Steps to Download JEST Admit Card 2026

Step 1: Visit the JEST official website at jest.org.in

Step 2: Click on the “JEST admit card 2026” link

Step 3: Enter your login details

Step 4: Then, click on “Submit”

Step 5: The JEST hall ticket 2026 will be displayed on your screen

Step 6: Download and take printed copies of the JEST 2026 admit card for future use

Things to carry to the JEST Exam Centre

• JEST admit card

• Valid photo ID

How is JEST Admission Conducted?

Check the stages below to get a better idea about the JEST 2026 admission process:

• JEST Registration: The online application form was available from May 16 to June 1 at jest.org.in.

• Payment of JEST application fee: Candidates are required to pay the JEST form fee by the scheduled deadline

• Exam centre selection: Applicants are required to select their preferred JEST centre.

• JEST 2026 admit card: The JEST admit card 2026 will be released on the official website.

• JEST 2026 exam date: The Bose Institute, Kolkata, will conduct the JEST 2026 exam on June 22.

• JEST counselling: Shortlisted candidates are required to attend the JEST counselling at their allotted centres. The JEST 2026 counselling consists of various steps like screening test, document verification and the payment of counselling fees.

JEST Syllabus 2026

As a part of the exam preparation, students are advised to check the JEST syllabus. Candidates can check the syllabus of the JEST entrance exam to get a general idea about the topics to be covered. Also, the JEST exam syllabus 2026 acts as a guide towards the preparation for the entrance.

JEST 2026 Syllabus PDF

JEST Question Papers

Practising JEST sample papers is a great way to be prepared for the exam. Checking the JEST questions will allow the students a deep understanding of the exam pattern, time management and question type. This helps them understand the exam better and come up with a strategy to crack the JEST exam. Candidates are advised to find the JEST sample papers in the table below.

JEST Sample Papers PDF

JEST 2026 Preparation Tips

Aspirants preparing for the JEST 2026 exam should follow some preparation tips to ace the exam. The following are some of the JEST exam preparation tips:

• The first step in the exam preparation journey is to familiarise yourself with the JEST exam syllabus.

• Candidates should be familiar with the syllabus and JEST exam pattern. Aspirants should also create a JEST study schedule to allot time for each subject and to cover all the topics.

• One of the best ways to prepare for JEST is to practice previous years' question papers. This will help them to know the JEST exam pattern and the types of questions asked.

JEST 2026 Books

Choosing the JEST best books for exam preparation will be helpful to get more marks in the examination. The following are some of the JEST books to prepare for the exam:

• Digital Principles and Applications by Leach and Malvino

• Fundamentals of Molecular Spectroscopy by C.B. Banwell

• Modern Quantum Mechanics by J.J. Sakurai

• Classical Mechanics by H. Goldstein

• Introductory Quantum Mechanics by Granier

JEST Exam Centres 2026

Here is a list of JEST exam centres 2026. Students can choose their preferred centre for JEST 2026 as on their preferred location.

JEST 2026 Exam Centres List

• Ahmedabad

• Aligarh

• Allahabad

• Amritsar

• Bangalore

• Bardhaman

• Bhopal

• Bhubaneswar

• Chandigarh

• Chennai

• Delhi

• Goa

• Guwhati

• Hyderabad

• Indore

• Jaipur

• Kanpur

• Kharagpur

• Kochi

• Kolkata

• Kozhikode

• Madurai

• Mangalore

• Mumbai

• Nagpur

• Nainital

• Patna

• Pune

• Raipur

• Rajkot

• Ranchi

• Roorkee

• Sambalpur

• Silchar

• Siliguri

• Srinagar

• Trivandrum

• Udaipur

• Vijayawada

• Vishakhapatnam

Are there any negative markings in JEST 2026?

Yes, as per the JEST 2026 marking scheme, candidates will be penalised for every incorrect response in the exam. Though the JEST exam has negative markings, the penalty varies depending on the section students are attempting. In Section A of the JEST exam, the negative marking is -1/3, whereas the negative marking in Section C is -1. There is no negative marking in the JEST exam for Section C.

JEST Marking Scheme 2026

JEST Answer Key 2026

The answer key of JEST 2026 will be released after the exam is conducted. Applicants can download the JEST answer key 2026 by visiting the official website at jest.org.in. Students can estimate their probable score by comparing their responses with the JEST answer sheet 2026.

JEST Previous Year Answer Key

JEST Result 2026

Students who appear in the exam will be able to check the JEST result 2026 by using their login credentials. To check the JEST results 2026, students can visit the official website at jest.org.in. Candidates are required to enter their login credentials, such as JEST registration number and date of birth, to download the result. Follow the steps below to know how to check JEST result.

Steps to Check JEST 2026 Result

Step 1: Visit the JEST result website at jest.org.in

Step 2: Click on the “JEST Scorecard” option

Step 3: You will be redirected to a new window

Step 4: Enter your JEST login details

Step 5: The JEST scores will be displayed

Step 6: Save and print the JEST results

JEST Counselling 2026

Students who have qualified in the JEST exam are required to attend the counselling session to complete the admission process. The JEST counselling 2026 consists of various stages such as screening tests, interview rounds and document verification. After that, students are required to pay the admission fees to confirm their seats.

Documents Required for JEST 2026 Counselling

• Class 10 marksheet

• Class 12 marksheet

• Graduation marksheet

• Postgraduate marksheet

• JEST scorecard

• Valid photo ID proof

• Fees payment slip

• Passport-sized photograph

• Photocopies of all the documents, along with the originals

Note: The JEST participating institutions 2026 only confirm the allotted seats after the payment of the admission fees.

JEST Participating Institutions 2026

JEST Previous Year's Cut Off

Candidates can check the JEST 2024 cut-off in the table given below:

JEST Cut Off 2024

JEST 2024 Statistics

Note: Statistics mentioned above were taken from the official release by the authority.