NEST 2026: Application Form, Exam Dates, Eligibility, Syllabus

NEST 2026 Exam will be conducted in fourth week of June 2026 via online mode. National Eligibility Screening Test (NEST) is conducted for applicants interested for admission into a 5 Years Integrated MSc. programme in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics & Physics.

Seeking admission to NISER and CEBS?…Qualify NEST 2026. Know details below.

NEST 2026 Registration | NEST Syllabus | NEST Exam Date

This entrance exam is regulated at national level once a year by the NISER, Bhubaneswar and University of Mumbai – Department of Atomic Energy Center for Excellence in Basic Sciences (UM-DAE-CEBS).

All You Need To Know About NEST 2026 Exam:

• What is the procedure to apply for NEST 2026?…Get Instructions to Apply here.
• Stay updated on the NEST 2026 important dates. Go through the Tentative schedule.
• How to prepare for the NEST 2026 exam?… Check NEST 2026 Preparation Tips.
• Ensure you meet the NEST 2026 Eligibility requirements before applying. Explore eligibility norms here.

Still doubts? Leave your comments here.

In this article, we have provided complete details related to NEST 2026 such as application form, dates, eligibility, exam pattern, syllabus and more.

NEST 2026 Overview

NEST 2026 Exam Dates

From the below table, students must check the NEST Exam Dates 2026:

NEST 2026 Application Form

Here are some necessary instructions to fill out the NEST Application Form 2026:

• NEST 2026 Registration Form will be filled by the applicants via online mode.
• Registration form will be made available to applicants in third week of February 2026.
• Candidates must meet all eligibility criteria before completing the application form.
• The application form will require personal, address, communication and qualification information.
• While filling out the application form, students must choose any 3 centers in order of their preferences.
• Upload scanned copy of recent Photographs and Signatures in the specified format.
• Last date to register for NEST 2026 exam will be till second week of May 2026.
• Candidates must retain a printed copy of their completed application form for future references.

Application Fee:

• NEST 2026 Application Fee 2026 will be remitted via online mode.
• Students should use credit card, debit card, net-banking, UPI for online payment.
• Registration fee for Male-General/ OBC candidates will be Rs. 1400/-.
• For SC/ST/Divyangjan & female candidates, application fee will be Rs. 700/-.

How to Apply for NEST 2026 

Below, students can check the steps to apply for NEST 2026 exam:

• Step-1: Go through the NEST website (link will be provided above).
• Step-2: Press on the “Online Application” link from the homepage.
• Step-3: Register to the portal with name, email ID, phone number and other details.
• Step-4: Login and fill the application form with personal & qualifications details.
• Step-5: Upload scanned passport size photograph and signature in given format.
• Step-6: Pay the application fee to finalize the application process.
• Step-7: At last, print a hard copy of the application form for future records.

NEST 2026 Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must satisfy the following NEST Eligibility Criteria 2026 prior to registration:

• Qualification: Candidates must pass 12th standard or equivalent in 2024 or 2025 from a recognized board.
• Age Limit: There will be no age bar for appearing in the NEST 2026 exam.
• Subjects: One must have passed with Physics, Chemistry, Biology and/or as compulsory subjects in their qualifying exam.
• Marks: Students must have obtained at least 60% marks in aggregate (55% for reserved category candidates) to be eligible.
• Appearing: Candidates appearing for their Class 12th exams will also be eligible to apply.

NEST 2026 Exam Pattern

Students can go through the below section for NEST Exam Pattern 2026 details:

• Mode of Exam: NEST 2026 exam will be conducted via online (CBT) mode only.
• Duration: Students will get 3 hours and 30 minutes to solve the paper.
• Sections: Question paper will be divided into 4 sections.
• Types of Questions: In the exam, Objective Type-Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) will be asked.
• Total Questions: Each section will have 20 questions (i.e. 80 questions in total).
• Total Marks: Exam Paper will comprise of a total 240 marks (i.e. 60 marks in each section).
• Marking Scheme: Each correct answer will get 3 marks and every incorrect answer will lead to a deduction of 1 mark.

NEST 2026 Syllabus

Students can check the section-wise NEST Syllabus 2026 from the below section:

• Physics: Units and dimensions, Interpretation of data, Conservation of angular momentum, Design of some experience, Graphical representation etc.
• Chemistry: Measurement in chemistry, Chemical kinetics, Mole concept, Thermodynamics, Amines, Chemical Equilibrium, Solid state, Atomic Structure and Chemical bonding etc.
• Biology: Development biology, Genetics and Evolution, Digestive system, Ecology, Cell Biology, Systematics, Human and Environment, Immunology etc.
• Mathematics: Logarithms, Algebra, Vectors, Trigonometry, Integral calculus, Analytical geometry etc.

NEST 2026 Preparation Tips

Here, we have provided some NEST Preparation Tips 2026 to score well:

• Students must create an effective study schedule.
• Focus on the syllabus and exam format.
• Evaluate performance by reviewing past exam papers.
• Create concise notes and emphasize key details.
• Regularly revise topics to reinforce memory.

NEST Books 

Go through the below list of some helpful books for NEST 2026 preparation:

• Problems in General Physics by I.E. Irodov
• Understanding Physics Series by D.C Pandey
• Concise Inorganic Chemistry by J.D. Lee
• Objective NCERT at your Fingertips Chemistry by MTG
• Objective Mathematics by R.D. Sharma
• Higher Algebra by Hall and Knight

NEST 2026 Exam Centre

NEST 2026 exam will be conducted at multiple centres within various states/cities all over India. Some of the NEST Exam Centre 2026 will be located in cities such as Port Blair, Guntur, Kurnool, Rajahmundry, Tirupathi, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Naharlagun, Dibrugarh, Guwahati, Tezpur, Bhagalpur, Patna, Bhilai Nagar, Raipur, New Delhi, Panaji, Ahmedabad, Bhuj, Rajkot, Surat, Hisar, Kurukshetra, Hamirpur, Shimla, Jammu, Srinagar etc.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

NEST 2026 Admit Card

NEST Admit Card 2026 will be issued via online mode a few weeks before the exam date. It will be issued for all the successfully registered candidates in first week of June 2026. Applicants must bring their admit card along with photo ID proof on the exam day to be permitted inside the exam hall.

Candidates will be required to download their admit cards from the website through login, as it will not be sent by post. The admit card will contain essential details such as candidate’s name, exam venue, date of birth and important guidelines for examination.

NEST 2026 Answer Key

After the completion of exam, the authority will release the NEST Answer Key 2026 via online mode. The answer key will include correct answers to the questions asked in the entrance exam. It will help students to estimate their tentative score before declaration of final result.

If students find discrepancies in answer Key, they must raise their objections by submitting a required processing fee. The objections raised will be reviewed by the expert committee, after which NEST 2026 final answer key will be published. 

NEST 2026 Result

After the exam completion, NEST Result 2026 will be announced via online mode. Students will be able to download the result in month of June/ July 2026 by using their login credentials. The result will contain total marks, scaled score for each section, and percentile ranking.

Based on the candidate’s scores in entrance exam, NEST 2026 merit list will be prepared inviting eligible candidates to participate in counseling process. The final ranking will be based on percentile scores calculated from the best three section scores. 

NEST 2026 Cut Off

NEST Cut Off 2026 will be released via online mode after the declaration of results. These cut off marks will serve as the minimum qualifying criteria that candidates must achieve to be eligible for admission.

Candidates who fail to meet the cut off score will not be considered for further admission processes. The  overall cut off marks used to prepare a merit list will be as follow:

• 95th percentile for general category candidates.
• 90th percentile for OBC candidates.
• 75th percentile for SC/ST/Divyangjan candidates.

NEST 2026 Reservation Criteria

Students can check the NEST Reservation Criteria 2026 from the table below:

NEST 2026 Counselling

NEST counselling 2026 will be conducted via offline mode separately by NISER and UM-DAE-CEBS. The authority will conduct the counselling procedures in month of July 2026 in three rounds. Shortlisted applicants must participate in the counselling procedure for seat allocation. 

Students must report at the allotted center, with their original documents such as Class 10th & 12th marksheets and certificates, NEST 2026 admit card & result, caste certificate, valid ID proof, provisional call letter and passport-size photographs for verification and confirmation of seats.

If there are any other queries related to NEST 2026, candidates can feel free to ask us by leaving their queries in the given comment box.