NEST 2026: Application (Started), Eligibility, Pattern, Syllabus & Exam Dates

NEST 2026 notification has been released for candidates seeking admission to the five-year Integrated BSc–MSc degree programme offered by NISER and UM-DAE-CEBS (University of Mumbai). The NEST 2026 application form released online on January 5, 2026, on the official website, i.e., nestexam.in. Candidates who meet the NEST 2026 eligibility criteria, including educational qualifications, nationality, and other requirements, will be able to fill out the NEST 2026 registration form until April 6, 2026.

Successfully registered candidates will be able to download the NEST 2026 admit card from their registered accounts starting May 15, 2026. The NEST 2026 exam will be conducted on June 6, 2026, in online (CBT) mode to assess candidates’ domain knowledge. The exam duration will be 180 minutes, conducted in a single shift from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM.

As per the NEST 2026 exam pattern, the exam authorities will test candidates’ knowledge based on the prescribed NEST 2026 syllabus through multiple-choice questions (MCQs). The question paper will consist of four sections: Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. For merit list preparation, only the best three subject scores will be considered.

Check out the complete details of the admission process, including the application form, exam dates, exam pattern, syllabus, admit card, result, cutoff, counselling, and other important information on the NEST exam in this SciAstra article.

Latest Updates:

• NEST 2026 Registration Begins @nestexam.in; Know Eligibility, Fees and Steps to Apply

What is NEST exam?

National Entrance Screening Test, also known as NEST, is a computer-based examination held at various exam centres across the nation to provide admissions to the five-year Integrated MSc programme in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics.

What are the participating Institutes in NEST exam?

As per the previous year's trend, candidates wishing to take the NEST exam will get admission to the integrated BSc-MSc programme at

1. NISER, Bhubaneswar (National Institute of Science Education and Research); NISER is off off-campus centre of the Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI)

2. UM-DAE-CEBS (University of Mumbai- Department of Atomic Energy Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences.

Why give NEST Exam?

Candidates must know a few features of the NISER, UM-DAE-CEBS before taking the NEST exam:

1. NISER and UM-DAE CEBS are equipped with one of the best teaching and research laboratories, modern computational facilities, and excellent libraries.

2. Students are accommodated in hostels on campus and are provided with a conducive environment.

3. Admitted candidates will be eligible to receive an annual scholarship.

4. Summer Internship grant.

5. Besides, top performers at NISER and UM-DAE CEBS securing overall grades above a certain threshold at the end of the programme, are eligible to appear directly for the interview for admission to the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) training school.

Scholarships at NEST

Candidates who are enrolled in the courses offered through the NEST exam will be offered an annual scholarship and summer internship grants. Check out the details from here:

1. DISHA Programme: Students will be eligible to receive an annual scholarship of INR 60,000 through the DISHA program of the Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India.

2. Scholarship recipients receive a grant of INR 20,000/- per annum for summer internships.

3. Candidates selected by DST for the INSPIRE-SHE program are endorsed for the INSPIRE

Scholarship by NISER and UM-DAE CEBS.

NEST 2026 Highlights

Check out the overview of NEST exam 2026 from the below mentioned table:

What is NEST 2026 Exam Date?

NEST exam date 2026 is announced by the exam officials and the exam will be held on June 6, 2026 in an online/CBT mode at various exam centres across the nation. Check out the complete list of important dates of the events from here:

Who can appear for NEST 2026?

Only the candidates meeting the minimal NEST 2026 eligibility criteria will be able to appear for the examination. NEST eligibility criteria 2026 stipulate the educational, national and age limit criteria that a candidate needs to satisfy. Check out the NEST eligibility in the section below:

• Educational Requirement:

1. Candidates must have passed the class XII examination from any recognised Board in India in the year 2024 or 2025 or should be appearing for the same in 2026.

2. Unreserved Candidates need to secure at least 60% in aggregate in the XII standard board examination. For SC/ST/Divyangjan candidates, this requirement is 55%.

3. Candidates seeking admission to NISER and UM–DAE CEBS for the Integrated MSc programme 2026–31 should have at least three out of the four disciplines of basic sciences, namely, Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics, in classes XI and XII.

4. Where only letter grades are available, a certificate from the concerned Board specifying an equivalent percentage of marks is required to be submitted. In the absence of such a certificate, the decision of the admissions committee of the concerned institution will be final.

• Age limit:

There is no upper age limit for appearing in the NEST 2026 examination and admission to either NISER or UM-DAE CEBS provided all the above eligibility criteria are fulfilled.

• Subject Combination:

In Class 11, Students need to choose the Science stream and must have studied Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Mathematics.

NEST 2026 Seat Intake

Candidates securing the NEST 2026 cutoff will be getting admissions to the courses offered at NISER and UM-DAE-CEBS. Check out the category and institute-wise seat intake from the section below:

NEST 2026 Admission Process

In order to get admission to the NISERs and UM-DAE, one needs to appear for the NEST entrance exam. Before appearing for the exam, candidates are required to understand the complete admission process thoroughly to have a hassle-free admission process.

NEST admission process 2026 is extensive and includes many events like the application process, satisfying the eligibility criteria, pattern, syllabus, admit card, appearing for the exam, result, counselling, cut off details. Know the step-by-step process here:

Step 1: Release of Notification – NISER Bhubaneswar and UM-DAE CEBS Mumbai release the official NEST 2026 notification on the exam portal.

Step 2: Online Registration – Candidates must register on the official NEST website and fill out the application form with personal, academic, and contact details.

Step 3: Uploading Documents – Upload scanned images of the photograph, signature, and other required documents as per the specified format.

Step 4: Application Fee Payment – Pay the application fee online via debit/credit card, UPI, or net banking.

Step 5: Download Admit Card – After successful registration, candidates can download the NEST 2026 admit card from the official website.

Step 6: Appear for NEST 2026 Exam – Candidates must appear for the computer-based test (CBT) at their allotted exam centre.

Step 7: Answer Key Release – Provisional answer key will be released; candidates can raise objections if needed.

Step 8: Declaration of Result – Results and scorecards are released on the official NEST portal.

Step 9: Merit List Preparation – A merit list is prepared based on candidates’ performance in NEST.

Step 10: Counselling Process – Qualified candidates are invited to participate in online/offline counselling at NISER and UM-DAE CEBS.

Step 11: Seat Allotment & Admission – Seats are allotted based on rank, preference, and availability. Candidates must confirm admission by verifying documents and paying fees.

NEST 2026 Registration Process

Candidates will be able to fill out the NEST application form 2026 from January 5, 2026. At first, candidates need to create a registered account and username and password will be generated. From the registered account, candidates need to fill out the registration form by adding personal, educational, and address information, exam city preference, and document upload.

The exam authorities will accept the form only when the applicants pay the NEST 2026 Registration fee online via credit/debit card or UPI payment. The last date to fill out the NEST 2026 registration form will be April 6, 2026.

Also Read:

• How to fill NEST 2026 Application Form

• Documents Required to fill NEST 2026 Application Form

Candidates can check out the complete NEST 2026 Application Process from here:

All About NEST 2026 Registration

Document Upload and Dimensions

After filling out the basic details about the candidates, they need to upload the required documents asked by the exam officials. Below are the documents required by the candidates to upload;

• Class 10 mark sheet/ report card

• Class 12 mark sheet/ certificate

• Candidate’s photograph

• Candidate’s signature

Check out the dimensions in which the documents are required to be uploaded from here;

NEST Exam Pattern 2026

NEST 2026 Pattern depicts the type of questions asked in the examination from the sections mentioned in the NEST syllabus 2026. Check out the section-wise exam pattern and NEST 2026 marking scheme from here:

NEST 2026 Negative Marking Scheme

Check out the marking scheme of the exam below:

NEST Syllabus 2026

Candidate’s domain knowledge in Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Biology will be tested by the exam officials from the specified NEST syllabus 2026. The exam officials will ask questions from the Science stream subjects of NCERT Class 11 and 12.

Check out the subject-wise headers of the NEST 2026 syllabus from here:

NEST Previous Year Questions

While preparing for the exam, one must go through the NEST previous year question papers, as this will help the candidates in analyzing the question paper difficulty, trend of the topics and other details.

Check out the NEST previous year question paper from here:

Conclusion

By understanding the NEST 2026 eligibility criteria, exam pattern, syllabus, and admission process, candidates can plan their preparation effectively and increase their chances of success. The exam not only tests conceptual understanding but also evaluates analytical and problem-solving skills—qualities essential for a career in scientific research. With a transparent result and counselling process, NEST ensures that deserving candidates secure admission to integrated MSc programmes. For science enthusiasts aiming to build a strong foundation and contribute to advanced research, excelling in NEST 2026 is the first step towards achieving their academic and career goals.

Start Your NEST 2026 Preparation

Every year, the difficulty level and competition for the NEST exam continue to rise, making early and strategic preparation essential for success. With expert guidance from dedicated mentors at SciAstra, you can strengthen your preparation and secure admission to prestigious BSc-MSc degree programme at NISER Institute and UM-DAE-CEBS (University of Mumbai).

Explore the NEST 2026 preparation batches offered by SciAstra and choose the one that best fits your goals — start your journey today!

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Read More: NEST 2026 Selection Process