NEST Exam Eligibility 2026: The NISAR and UMDAE-CBS have released the NEST 2026 eligibility criteria at nestexam.in. Candidates who are going to appear in the exam must check the NEST eligibility criteria 2026. The NEST eligibility criteria 2026 contain the age limit and academic qualification.
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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 exam eligibility criteria, read the article thoroughly.
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-
Students should complete their 10+2 education from any recognized institution.
They must have completed their 12th in the science stream with Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Biology.
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.
Candidates who fulfill the eligibility requirements for the NEST 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.
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.
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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.
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)
There is no specific age limit to appear in the exam but students have to complete their 12th standard from an recognised institution.
Minimum percentage required differs from category. It is 60% for General and OBC category and 55% for SC/ST/PWD category.
The 5% of the total seats will be reserved for candidates who belong to the PwD category.
There are 6 courses offered by the NEST viz., M.Sc Mathematical Science, Physical Science, Computer Science, Biological Sciences, Chemical Sciences and Environmental Sciences.
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.
seats reserved for candidates of OBC-NCL category is 27%, while for SC/ST category candidates the 22.5% seats will be reserved.
The eligibility for NISER exam 2026 contains the candidates minimum qualification, NISER age limit and minimum percentage requirement
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.
https://www.nestexam.in/qnsans/NEST-25.pdf
HELLO,
Yes , the NEST exam is generally considered tougher than NEET as it requires more focus towards conceptual understanding and thinking , while NEET generally tests NCERT based knowledge where as in NEST it requires you to have deeper clarity in Physics , Chemistry , Biology and Mathematics.
NEET
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