NEST Eligibility Criteria 2026, Age Limit, Qualification, Percentage, Seats, Courses

NEST Eligibility Criteria 2026, Age Limit, Qualification, Percentage, Seats, Courses

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Anurag ReddyUpdated on 29 Oct 2025, 12:56 PM IST

NEST Eligibility Criteria 2026: Candidates who are going to appear in the NEST 2026 must check the eligibility criteria. Candidates can check the NEST 2026 eligibility criteria by visiting the official NEST website at nestexam. The NEST eligibility criteria 2026 contain the age limit and academic qualification.

This Story also Contains

  1. NEST Eligibility Criteria 2026
  2. Who Is Eligible For the NEST Entrance Exam?
  3. NEST Reservation Criteria 2026
  4. NEST Courses 2026
NEST Eligibility Criteria 2026, Age Limit, Qualification, Percentage, Seats, Courses
NEST Eligibility Criteria

The National Entrance Screening Test is a computer-based entrance exam for admission to the five-year Integrated MSc programme in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics at the National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar, and the University of Mumbai – Department of Atomic Energy Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences, Mumbai. To know more about the NEST eligibility criteria, read the article thoroughly.

NEST Eligibility Criteria 2026

There are two important factors on which the eligibility criteria of NEST 2026 depend. First is the educational qualification, and the other is the age limit.

  • Educational Qualification-

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  1. Students should complete their 10+2 education from any recognized institution.

  2. They must have completed their 12th in the science stream with Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Biology.

NEST Question/Sample Papers
Candidates can download NEST Question/Sample Papers from here.
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  • NEST Age Limit- There is no upper age limit to appear for the NEST 2026 exam.

  • Minimum Marks Required- The minimum mark required for NEST is 60% in the class 12 or its equivalent examination. There is a relaxation of 5% for the candidates belonging reserved category.

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Who Is Eligible For the NEST Entrance Exam?

Candidates who fulfill the eligibility requirements for the NEST exam 2026 are eligible to appear in the entrance exam. Only such candidates can able to take the entrance examination. The non-eligible candidates will not be allowed to take admission in the participating institutions even/they qualify the exam. Students must pass class 12 with a minimum of marks to be eligible for the NEST 2026 exam.

NEST Reservation Criteria 2026

Seats will be reserved for categories like OBC-NCL, SC/ ST, PwD, and Supernumerary Quota seats for candidates who are from Jammu and Kashmir. The percentage for seat reservation differs from one another.

Other Backward Class- Non-Creamy Layer (OBC-NCL)

  • 27% seats are reserved for this category.

  • It is to be noted that students belonging to Other Backward Class (OBC) are not considered under any reservation category. They are grouped under the General category of students.

  • Only the OBC NCL students are considered eligible for the reservation, as stated by the state government.

Schedule Caste (SC)/ Schedule Tribe (ST)

  • 15% of the total seats are reserved for candidates of the SC category.

  • 7.5% of seats will be reserved for candidates of the ST category.

Person with Disabilities (PWD)

  • 5% of the total seats are reserved for candidates of the PWD category.

Supernumerary Quota seats for students from Jammu and Kashmir

  • Two seats at both NISER Bhubaneswar and UMDAE-CBS will be reserved for these candidates.

  • Students should complete their 12th from the State Board of Jammu and Kashmir or from CBSE-affiliated schools that are located in Jammu and Kashmir.

NOTE: Students must present their category certificate during the final NEST admission to avail these benefits.

NEST Courses 2026

There are a total of 6 courses offered at different schools of NISAR and UMDAE-CBS. Here is the list of courses.

School

Programmes

School of Mathematical Sciences

M.Sc. Mathematical Science

School of Physical Sciences

M.Sc.c Physical Science

School of Chemical Sciences

M.Sc. Chemical Sciences

School of Computer Sciences

M.Sc. Computer Science

School of Biological Sciences

M.Sc. Biological Sciences

School of Environmental Sciences

M.Sc. Environmental Sciences

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What is the age limit to appear in the NEST exam 2026?
A:

There is no specific age limit to appear in the exam but students have to complete their 12th standard from an recognised institution.

Q: What is the minimum percentage required in class 12 to be eligible for the NEST 2026 exam?
A:

Minimum percentage required differs from category. It is 60% for General and OBC category and 55% for SC/ST/PWD category.

Q: What percentage of total seats is reserved for candidates of PwD category?
A:

The 5% of the total seats will be reserved for candidates who belong to the PwD category.

Q: What are the courses offered through the NEST?
A:

There are 6 courses offered by the NEST viz., M.Sc Mathematical Science, Physical Science, Computer Science, Biological Sciences, Chemical Sciences and Environmental Sciences.

Q: What is the age limit for the NEST Exam?
A:

The NEST exam eligibility age limit are as follows. Students who fulfill these criteria are eligible for admission to NISER/CEBS's Integrated MSc programme.

  • Candidates of General and OBC category born on or after August 1, 2004.
  • SC/ST/Divyangjan candidates born on or after August 1, 2010. 
Q: What percentage of seats is reserved for OBC-NCL and SC/ST category?
A:

seats reserved for candidates of OBC-NCL category is 27%, while for SC/ST category candidates the 22.5% seats will be reserved.

Q: What is NEST exam eligibility?
A:

The eligibility for NISER exam 2026 contains the candidates minimum qualification, NISER age limit and minimum percentage requirement

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Questions related to NEST

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to NEST ?

Hello,

Hereby, you can access the syllabus in PDF format by clicking on the syllabus for the concerned subject, previous year questions for preparation

https://www.nestexam.in/#syllabus

Mark Allotment for the NEST exam

Mark allotment for NEST Exam (https://www.nestexam.in/docs/25/NEST2025_Brochure_Syllabus_v2.pdf) 2025

Hope it clarifies your query. Good luck.


Hello,

Yes, after the clearing of the NEST eligibility test, you can directly join the integrated course at institutes like NISER or CEBS  , which most probably lead you to the field you wanted to work in.

https://www.careers360.com/courses/bsc-msc-dual-degree

After the integration course, it's smart to join a PhD. programme in the field that you want to major in. And after that, passing in entrance exams like CSIR, DRDO, DAE Labs, or any research labs to your choosing.

You should at least maintain a good track record of a CGPA close to 7.5 (minimum)  along with good projects, internships, and recommendations.

After the PhD and entrance exams, you shall filter, scrutinize, and apply for the desired scientist posts.

Hope it clarifies your query. Good luck.


Hello,

Yes, as a PCB (physics, chemistry, biology) student you can appear for the NEST (National Screening Test) exam, as it is open to all science students, and they can appear for any three of the four sections (biology, physics, chemistry, and mathematics). With the NEST exam, you can get admission to institutes like NISER and CEBS.

I hope it will clear your query!!

Hey:)

Thanks for reaching out!

You can attempt the NEST exam multiple times since there's no fixed limit on the number of attempts, as long as you meet the eligibility criteria for that particular year. On the other hand, the IISER Aptitude test (IAT) allows a maximum of three attempts in consecutive years after your class 12th. Both exams are conducted once a year,so, stay updated on eligibility rules and make the best use of the opportunity.

Hope this helps!


Yes, your NEST 2025 rank of 470 is quite competitive for getting admission into CEBS Mumbai. In previous years, CEBS has admitted students with ranks even beyond 500 in later rounds, depending on the availability of seats and withdrawals. So with your rank, you definitely stand a good chance, especially in Round 1 itself.

Also, keep in mind:

  • You must fill out the CEBS-specific admission form after your NEST result.

  • Be ready with your documents like Class 12 marksheet, NEST scorecard, ID proof, etc.

  • Fee structure is also subsidized due to DAE support and scholarships are available for meritorious students.

So yes, you are in a good position for CEBS Mumbai admission. Just follow the official admission updates and don’t miss the deadlines.