The NISER Bhubaneswar and UMDAE - CEBS have extended the NEST 2026 application form submission deadline to April 8. The NEST 2026 registration form was released on January 5 at nestexam.in. The last date to pay the NEST application fee 2026 is April 12. Students are required to go through the NEST eligibility criteria 2026 before applying for admission. The NEST admit card 2026 will be issued on May 15 at nestexam.in. Candidates can download NEST 2026 admit card by using their login credentials. The NEST 2026 exam will be held on June 6.
Latest Updates: NEST 2026 application link
The total number of seats have been increased from 259 to 261. UMDAE-CEBS has added 2 seats for J&K and Ladakh candidates. There are a total of 140 exam centres for NEST exam 2026. The conducting body will release the NEST answer key 2026 on June 10. Applicants facing any issues/mistakes in the answer key can raise objections during the NEST objection window 2026. The NEST result 2026 will be declared on June 24. NISER Bhubaneswar will publish the NEST 2026 scorecard on June 25 at nestexam.in. The NEST merit list 2026 will be released by the respective institutes. Candidates should meet the NEST 2026 cut off to qualify for admission in the participating universities. Students can know all about the NEST exam 2026 in this article.
NEST stands for National Entrance Screening Test, conducted by the National Institute of Science Education and Research NISER Bhubaneswar and Mumbai University - Department of Atomic Energy Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences (UM-DAE CEBS), Mumbai.
National Entrance Screening Test (NEST) is a national-level compulsory entrance exam for admission in the Integrated MSc programme at NISER, Bhubaneswar, and UM-DAE CEBS, Mumbai. NEST is conducted jointly by the (NISER), Bhubaneswar and Mumbai University - Department of Atomic Energy Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences (UM-DAE CEBS), Mumbai. Candidates who are curious to learn about the NEST exam is for which course; a list is provided below. The NISER exam will be conducted annually in online mode for Integrated MSc programme:
The participating institutions of NEST 2026, the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Bhubaneswar and University of Mumbai- Department of Atomic Energy Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences (UM-DAE CEBS) Mumbai will conduct the counselling separately for admissions to their programmes.
The NEST exam 2026 will be held to offer admissions for M.Sc programmes at the participating universities. Students must score above the minimum marks to be eligible for admission in NEST 2026. Candidates will be admitted in the participating universities based on the number of available seats for the NEST examination 2026. Students can check the participating colleges and the number of seats for NEST entrance exam in the table given below.
| Category | NISER Bhubaneswar | UM-DAE CEBS |
| General | 101 | 23 |
| General - EWS | 0 | 6 |
| OBC - NCL | 54 | 15 |
| SC | 30 | 9 |
| ST | 15 | 4 |
| J&K (Supernumerary) | 2 | 2 |
| Divyangjan | 5% seats in each category | 5% seats in each category |
| Total | 200 | 57 |
The NEST 2026 admission process involves five steps. To begin, applicants must apply for the NEST examination 2026. The second step is to qualify for the NEST exam. After passing the NEST entrance exam, candidates will participate in the NEST counselling, conducted by universities. Finally, they must pay the requisite fee to take admission. This summarises the NEST examination process for 2026. The NEST admission process varies for different NEST exam colleges.
Contact details -
Email ID - nest-exam@niser.ac.in
Helpline - 0674-2494044
| Full Exam Name | National Entrance Screening Test |
| Short Exam Name | NEST |
| Conducting Body | National Institute of Science Education and Research |
| Frequency Of Conduct | Once a year |
| Exam Level | National Level Exam |
| Languages | English |
| Mode Of Application | online |
| Application Fee | Online : 1400 |
| Mode Of Exam | online |
| Mode Of Counselling | online +1 more |
| Exam Duration | 3 Hours 30 Minutes |
NEST National Entrance Screening Test (session 2026)
Candidates who meet the NEST eligibility criteria 2026, set by NISER Bhubaneswar and UM-DAE CEBS, will appear for the National Entrance Screening Test (NEST). If a candidate fails to meet the NEST 2026 eligibility criteria, their candidacy will be cancelled by the authorities. Students can check the eligibility criteria to know the NEST exam is for which course. Those who qualify for the NEST and fulfill the NEST eligibility criteria 2026 will be offered admission to five-year integrated MSc programmes provided by NISER Bhubaneswar and UM-DAE CEBS. Check the courses offered by NISER through NEST 2026 here.
Qualifying Exam: To be eligible to appear for NEST entrance exam aspirants must have qualified Class 12th exam form Science stream or have been appearing in Class 12th exam, from a recognized board by the Indian government. Furthermore, candidates are required to have passed Class 12th in the years 2025/2026 or must be appearing for the exam in 2026.
Qualifying Exam Marks: Every applicant must fulfil the marks required for NEST exam 2026. Candidates who belong to the general category are required to have a minimum aggregate of 60% in the Class 12th examination, whereas candidates belonging to reserved categories such as SC/ST/PwD only need to score 55% aggregate in Class 12th.
Lower Age Limit: The authorities will laid out the lower age limit NEST which candidates have to satisfy to attempt the entrance exam. The lower age limit set by the authorities varies for candidates as per the category they belong to. Candidates belonging to the General and OBC category must have been born on or after August 1, 2002, while candidates of SC/ST/PwD categories are given a relaxation of 5 years such that they must have been born on or after August 1, 1997.
The NEST 2026 application form was released on January 5 at nestexam.in. Aspirants are required to fill and submit NEST application form 2026 before April 8. Applicants will be able to make changes during the NEST correction window 2026 from April 17 to 18. Candidates will need to complete the entire NEST 2026 application process in an online format, from registration through submitting personal information, uploading necessary documents, and paying the application fee. Before submitting the NEST application form, candidates must double-check that all details included are accurate. Students must submit all the NEST exam details 2026 during the registration process. For guidance on how to fill out the NEST 2026 application form, please follow the steps outlined below.
Valid email ID and mobile number
Class 10th mark sheet and certificate
Class 12th mark sheet and certificate
Valid ID proof such as Aadhar Card/Pan Card/Ration Card/Voter ID/Driving License/Passport
Scanned copy of recent passport size photograph
Scanned copy of candidate’s signature
Step 1: Go to the official website - nestexam.in.
Step 2: Click on the 'Apply Online' button, followed by 'New Registration' for the NEST examination 2026.
Step 3: Now register yourself by submitting the required information.
Step 4: After entering all the NEST exam details 2026, click on 'Register'.
Step 5: The login credentials will be sent to the registered mobile number and email-Id of the candidate.
Step 6: Candidates can login using their login credentials and fill the NEST application form by filling information and uploading the necessary documents.
Step 7: Now, candidates can proceed on to pay the application fee through credit card/debit card/net banking and then submit the application fee.
Candidates can download NEST Question/Sample Papers from here.
Download Now| State | City |
| Andhra Pradesh | Guntur Kakinada Kurnool Nellore Rajahmundry Tirupati Vijayawada Visakhapatnam Vizianagaram |
| Assam | Guwahati |
| Bihar | Patna |
| Chandigarh | Chandigarh |
| Chhattisgarh | Bhilai Raipur |
| Delhi | New Delhi |
| Uttar Pradesh | Noida Allahabad Kanpur Lucknow Varanasi |
| Gujarat | Ahmedabad |
| Himachal Pradesh | Hamirpur Shimla |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Jammu Samba Srinagar |
| Jharkhand | Bokaro Dhanbad Jamshedpur Ranchi |
| Karnataka | Bangalore Hubballi Mangalore Mysore |
| Kerala | Alappuzha Ernakulam Idukki Kannur Kasaragod Kollam Kottayam Kozhikode Malappuram Palakkad Pathanamthitta Thiruvananthapuram Thrissur |
| Madhya Pradesh | Bhopal Gwalior Indore Jabalpur |
| Maharashtra | Mumbai Nagpur Pune |
| Manipur | Imphal |
| Meghalaya | Shillong |
| Odisha | Angul Balasore Bargarh Baripada Berhampur Bhubaneswar Cuttack Dhenkanal Jharsuguda Khurda Rayagada Rourkela Sambalpur |
| Punjab | Bathinda Jalandhar Mohali |
| Rajasthan | Jaipur Udaipur Jodhpur |
| Tamil Nadu | Chennai Coimbatore Madurai Salem Tiruchirappalli Tirunelveli |
| Telangana | Hyderabad Karimnagar Warangal |
| Tripura | Agartala |
| Uttarakhand | Dehradun Haldwani Roorkee |
| West Bengal | Asansol Burdwan Durgapur Hooghly Kolkata Siliguri |
The National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) sets the NEST exam pattern every year, and all the details can be found on the official website. In 2026, the NEST entrance exam will be held in approximately ninety exam centers. It is important that candidates go through the NEST exam pattern 2026 to gain an understanding of the question paper's structure and format. The NEST exam pattern consists of various important NEST exam details 2026 briefs about the entrance exam such as its duration, mode, number of sections, medium, total marks, and marking scheme.
The NEST 2026 question paper consists of four sections, four subject sections with single or multiple MCQ-type questions. According to the NEST exam pattern, candidates can attempt as many subject sections as they desire (beyond the compulsory three). To determine the final result of NEST 2026, the best of the three subject sections scores and general section scores are taken into account. Therefore, it is highly recommended that candidates check the NEST exam pattern 2026 to gain a better understanding of the question paper.
Particulars | Details |
Exam duration | 3.5 hours |
Type of questions | Multiple type questions |
No. of sections | 4 |
Total marks | 150 |
Marking scheme | 1/4 marks for every incorrect responses |
Section | Number of MCQ |
Biology* | 50 (Single or multiple correct answers) |
Chemistry* | 50 (Single or multiple correct answers) |
Physics* | 50 (Single or multiple correct answers) |
Mathematics* | 50 (Single or multiple correct answers) |
Note: At least three of these subject sections need to be attempted.
Biology: Unit 01
Biology: Unit 02
Biology: Unit 03
Biology: Unit 04
Biology: Unit 06
Biology: Unit 07
Biology: Unit 08
Biology: Unit 09
Biology: Unit 10
Chemistry: Unit 01
Chemistry: Unit 02
Chemistry: Unit 03
Mathematics: Unit 01
Mathematics: Unit 02
Mathematics: Unit 03
Mathematics: Unit 04
Mathematics: Unit 05
Mathematics: Unit 06
Physics: Unit 01
Physics: Unit 02
Physics: Unit 03
Physics: Unit 04
Physics: Unit 05
Physics: Unit 06
Physics: Unit 07
Physics: Unit 08
Physics: Unit 09
The conducting body will activate the NEST mock test 2026 window on April 14. Candidates must go through the NEST 2026 mock tests to perform well in the NEST examination. Students can appear for the mock tests for free by visiting the official website. The NEST mock tests help the candidates to understand the exam pattern and the types of questions asked in the examination. NEST mock tests is made available for free on the official website and help the candidates to understand the exam pattern and the types of questions asked in the examination.
The NEST mock tests provide the candidates with a real-time experience of the exam and help them familiarise themselves with the exam. Additionally, the candidates can analyse their performance and identify the areas where they need to focus more on. Taking NEST mock tests is essential for the candidates to understand the exam pattern, familiarise themselves with the type of questions and the marking scheme.
According to the official exam pattern for NEST 2026, the question paper will be created based on the science stream syllabus of Class 11 and 12 of NCERT/CBSE. Students are advised to know all about NEST exam from this article. For successful preparation, it is suggested that aspirants study from the CBSE/NCERT syllabus along with taking mock tests and referring to the previous year question papers of the NEST, which can be found on the official NEST exam website.
Go through the whole syllabus and the exam pattern of the NEST 2026
Do regular practice exams.
Create your study format and stick to it religiously.
Try to avoid last minutes preparations.
Work through the previous year’s questions and sample papers.
Stay focused on your studies by avoiding all the distractions.
To help students get a hang of the computer-based examination, various video tutorials and practice sessions will also be organised for candidates who have filled and submitted the NEST application form 2026, which will be accessible for these candidates through their NEST accounts.
NISER Bhubaneswar, in collaboration with UM DAE CEBS will issue the NEST 2026 admit card on May 15 at the official website of NEST - nestexam.in. All those candidates who have submitted the NEST 2026 application form can download their admit card by using their login credentials. It is important for the candidates to carry the NEST admit card 2026, along with valid ID proofs, to the exam centre as it is a mandatory document. Candidates must check the details mentioned on the NEST hall ticket carefully to make sure that all the information is correct. The NEST admit card 2026 consists of the candidate's roll number, allotted exam center and reporting time. It must be noted that the varsity will not send the NEST admit card 2026 via post or courier. To avoid any issues, candidates must make multiple copies of the NEST admit card 2026.
Visit the official website - nestexam.in
Click on the "NEST Admit Card 2026 Download" section
Enter application number and password in the login window
Click on the "Login" tab
The NEST 2026 admit card will be displayed on the screen
Download the admit card for future reference
NISER Bhubaneswar will release the NEST 2026 answer key on June 10 at. Applicants can raise objections/challenge the NEST 2026 provisional answer key during the objection window. Candidates should cross-check their answers with the provided NEST exam answer key. If the objections raised by candidates are found to be valid, the conducting bodies will release the final answer key of NEST. The NEST answer key 2026 contains the answers to all the questions asked in the entrance exam. Candidates who have appeared for the exam can check the NEST answer key 2026 to calculate their probable marks.
NISER Bhubaneswar, along with UM-DAE CEBS will declare the NEST 2026 results on June 24 at nestexam.in. The conducting body will publish the NCET 2026 scorecard on June 25. Students can download the NEST revised scorecard 2026 by using their login details. To access their results, candidates must log in to the official website using their valid user ID and password. The NEST scorecard 2026 contains details such as their name and photograph, roll number, category, category rank, merit rank, percentile, and marks attained. The NEST result 2026 will be determined based on the marks obtained by candidates in the entrance exam.
The NEST 2026 cutoff is determined by NISER and UM-DAE CEBS in online mode. The NEST 2026 cutoff is based on the marks obtained by candidates in each section of the exam and overall. Candidates who score equal to or more than the NEST cutoff will be invited to the counselling process. If a candidate does not meet the minimum score in the NEST cutoff, their application for admission will be rejected.
Section-wise Minimum Admissible Score (SMAS): SMAS is a section-wise minimum score required to be obtained by the aspirants in each section of NEST exam. SMAS is the 20% of the score which comes after taking the average of best 100 scores in that section. For instance, if the best 100 scores of General section is 20 marks out of 30, then 20% of 20 marks, i.e. 4 marks will become the SMAS for General section (for general category). The same method will be adopted for all other sections. SMAS for OBC candidates will be 90% of the SMAS obtained for general category, and for SC/ST candidates, it will be 50% of that obtained for general candidates. Candidates will be required to obtain SMAS in the general section and at least three of the subject-sections to become eligible for further admission process.
Minimum Admissible Score (MAS): The MAS is the overall score candidate is required to obtain in order to become eligible for further admission process of NEST 2026. It can vary from year to year, for instance, MAS for NEST 2026 will be 90 (50% of the total 180 marks paper). The overall score of a candidate will include the scores obtained in the General and best-of-three subject sections. However, it will be important for a candidate to obtain SMAS in each of the sections whose scores are considered for MAS. Similar to SMAS, the MAS for OBC category candidates will be 90% of the MAS determined for general category and in case of SC/ST candidates, it will be 50% of the MAS determined for general category.
The NISER Bhubaneswar will begin the NEST 2026 counselling process in July. The NEST merit list 2026 will be published in July. Candidates who have successfully qualified the National Entrance Screening Test (NEST) 2026 for admission to five year Integrated MSc programme in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics at NISER and UM-DAE-CBS must attend the online counselling session in order to secure a seat in their desired programme. The NEST counselling process will be based on the rankings and performances of the candidates in the entrance test. It is mandatory for all eligible candidates to present the necessary verified documents while attending the NEST counselling 2026.
Birth Certificate (10th/Matric certificate is also used as a proof of date of birth)
12th Marksheet (if available)
Caste certificate (if applicable)
Valid OBC-NCL certificate (if applicable)
Disability Certificate (if applicable)
Proof of Indian Citizenship (if born outside India)
Original School leaving certificate/ Transfer Certificate.
NEST 2026 score card.
Candidates can go through the NEST previous year question papers to score more marks in the NEST exam 2026.
| Session | Question Paper and Answer Key Link |
| NEST Question Paper Session 1 | NEST-2024-Session-1.pdf |
| NEST Question Paper Session 2 | NEST-2024-Session-2.pdf |
Session | Question paper and answer key Link |
NEST Question Paper Session 1 | NEST 2023 Session 1 Question Paper with Answer Key_1747140807894.pdf |
NEST Question Paper Session 2 | NEST 2023 Session 2 Question Paper with Answer Key_1747141361096.pdf |
Session | Question paper and answer key Link |
NEST Question Paper Session 1 | NEST 2022 Question Paper With Answer Key (Season 1)_1747143645502.pdf |
NEST Question Paper Session 2 | NEST 2022 Question Paper With Answer Key (Season 2)_1747143652669.pdf |
Session | Question paper and answer key Link |
NEST Question Paper Session 1 | NEST 2021 Session 1 Question Paper with Answer Key_1747197560248.pdf |
NEST Question Paper Session 2 | NEST 2021 Session 2 Question Paper with Answer Key_1747197573907.pdf |
Session | Question paper and answer key Link |
NEST Question Paper Session 1 | NEST 2020 Session I Question Paper with Answer Key_1747197628971.pdf |
NEST Question Paper Session 2 | NEST 2020 Session II Question Paper with Answer Key_1747197635426.pdf |
Session | Question paper and answer key Link |
NEST Question Paper Session 1 | NEST 2019 Session 1 Question Paper with Answer Key_1747197841625.pdf |
NEST Question Paper Session 2 | NEST 2019 Session 2 Question Paper with Answer Key_1747197847548.pdf |
Year | Link |
2019 | |
2018 | |
2017 | |
2016 | |
2015 | |
2014 | |
2013 | |
2012 | |
2011 | |
2010 | |
2009 | |
2008 | |
2007 |
Contact Number:
06742494360
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The NEST 2026 result will be declared on June 24 at the official website at nestexam.in.
The NEST scorecard 2026 will be issued on June 25 at nestexam.in.
The main benefit of the NEST 2026 exam is providing admission to 5-year Integrated MSc programmes at NISER and UM-DAE-CEBS.
NEST entrance exam will be conducted for admission to the five-year Integrated M.Sc. programme in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics at the NISER, Bhubaneswar and UM-DAE CEBS, Mumbai.
The NISER Bhubaneswar and UMDAE-CEBS Mumbai has released the NEST application form 2026 on January 5.
The NEST admit card 2026 will be issued on May 15 at nestexam.in.
Students should qualify in the Class 12 with minimum of 50% to be eligible for admissions in the NEST 2026.
To prepare for NEST, candidates can refer to the official study material, practice sample papers, and previous year question papers.
Candidates qualified in Class 12 can be eligible to apply for admissions in NEST 2026 exam.
The NISER Bhubaneswar will release the NEST 2026 first merit list in July.
Counselling Date
27 Mar, 2026 - 15 Apr, 2026
Application Correction Date
11 Apr, 2026 - 13 Apr, 2026
On Question asked by student community
Hello,
CEBS has started the NEST 2026 registration process on January 5 at nestexam.in. Candidates can fill and submit the NEST 2026 application form till April 6. The last date to pay the NEST application fee 2026 is April 12.
For NEST Exam Eligibility 2026, Age Limit, Qualification, Marks Required,
Hi, the exact data for 2025 is not available. However, in 2024, over 45,000 students registered for the exam and more than 27,000 appeared. The NEST 2026 exam is scheduled to be held on June 6.
If any candidate has lost their NEST exam certificate, they can visit the official website, nestexam.in to request another copy of the certificate.
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