NEST 2026 exam notification has been released recently. The exam officials are all set to conduct the NEST 2026 examination on June 6, 2026, at 140 exam centres across the country in online (CBT) mode for admission to the five-year Integrated BSc–MSc degree programmes.

It is important for aspirants to have a clear understanding of the exam pattern, question trends, and difficulty level for effective NEST 2026 preparation. One of the most reliable and proven ways to achieve the desired score is by practising the NEST previous year question papers.

Along with this, having a thorough understanding of the NEST 2026 syllabus also plays a crucial role, as it helps candidates identify the topics they need to study and correlate them with questions asked in previous years. These NEST previous years’ question papers serve as an authentic resource for aspirants aiming for admission to the prestigious five-year Integrated MSc programmes offered by NISER Bhubaneswar and UM–DAE CEBS, Mumbai.

By solving the NEST last 10 years’ question papers, candidates can align their preparation strategy with the actual demands of the examination. Read this SciAstra blog to gain complete insight into the NEST past 10 years’ question papers, solution PDFs, steps to access the question papers, and other important details.

NEST 2026 Exam Highlights

The NEST 2026 examination is a national-level entrance test that will be conducted to provide admissions to the prestigious five-year Integrated BSc–MSc programmes offered by NISER Bhubaneswar and UM–DAE CEBS, Mumbai. It is important for the test takers to understand the key highlights of the NEST 2026 exam, which is essential for aspirants to plan their preparation strategically and stay aligned with official guidelines:

Particulars

Details

Exam Name

National Entrance Screening Test, NEST Exam

Exam Conducting Body

NISER Bhubaneswar and UM-DAE CEBS Mumbai

Exam Level

Undergraduate ( National-Level Exam)

Exam Frequency

Once a year

Mode of Exam

Computer-Based Test (CBT)

Courses Offered

Integrated MSc/ BSc-MSc

Exam Fee

  • INR 1400- GEN/OBC

  • INR 700 - SC/ST/Divyangjan/ Females/Unreserved EWS

Duration of Exam

3 hours

Total Marks

240 marks. Result/cutoff will be prepared from 180 marks. (Best of three subject score will be calculated)

Total Number of Questions

80

Marking Scheme

+3 for correct answers and -1 for incorrect answers.

Medium of the Question Paper

Bilingual (Hindi or English)

Colleges Accepting NEST Scores

NISER Bhubaneswar, UM-DAE CEBS Mumbai

Number of Seats

257 (200 seats in NISER and 57 seat in UM-DAE-CEBS)

Exam Cities

140

Official Website

nestexam.in

Also Read: NCET 2026 Eligibility Criteria

NEST Previous Year Question Papers

The NEST exam will assess the candidate’s domain knowledge, conceptual clarity, analytical thinking, and problem-solving abilities in the subjects of Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Biology. By going through the NEST previous year question papers, candidates will get insight into the distribution of questions across subjects, the weightage of important topics, and the recurring concepts that frequently appear in the exam.

It will also help the aspirants to understand the level of numerical complexity and conceptual depth expected in NEST, which is supposed to be often higher than standard board-level examinations. Check out the NEST previous year question papers from here:

NEST 2025 Question Paper

Check out the NEST 2025 question paper from here:


Year

Question Paper DF

NEST 2025 Question Paper

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NEST Past 10 Years Question Papers

Assimilating the NEST past 10 years’ question papers into the candidate’s regular study routine will not only boost confidence but will also reduce exam anxiety in the last minutes. This will help the candidates to get familiarised with the real exam environment. For serious NEST aspirants, understand that the previous year's question papers will act as a roadmap to structured preparation and significantly increase the chances of success in the competitive entrance examination.


Year

Session 1

Session 2

2024

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2023

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2022

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2021

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2020

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2019

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2018

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2017

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2016

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2015

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How to Download NEST Previous Year Question Papers

Check out the steps below to download the NEST previous year question papers:

Step 1: First, candidates are required to visit the official NEST 2026 website, i.e., www.nestexam.in, using their web browser.

Step 2: Next, candidates should scroll down the homepage and look for the section titled “Previous NEST Questions with Answers/Keys.”

Step 3: In this section, links for multiple years, such as 2025, 2024, 2023, and others, will be available.
Click on the year for which you want to download the question paper.

Step 4: After selecting the year, the PDF of the question paper (and, in some cases, the answer key) will open in a new tab.
For example, The NEST 2021 Session 1 question paper opens directly as a PDF.

Step 5: Download the question paper to your device.

  • On mobile: Tap the Download option.

  • On a computer: Click the download icon and save the file.

NEST Exam 2026 Test Series Launched

The SciaAstra team has recently launched a FOCUS test series, which will emphasise Full Online Controlled Understanding and Simulation, helping candidates experience the real-time environment of the NEST 2026.

The NEST 2026 FOCUS mock test is designed based on the official exam pattern, and the difficulty level is determined through an in-depth analysis of previous years’ question papers. Candidates will get Unit-wise, Half-length, and Full-length test series, covering all chapters to assess their domain understanding, cognitive skills, and analytical abilities as per the NEST 2026 syllabus.

Attempt the NEST Exam 2026 Test Series to check your exam preparation level to get admissions to the participating institutes here:

NEST 2026 FOCUS Test Series

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