NEST 2025: Counselling, Result, Cutoff, Merit List, & Exam Date

Q: What steps are to be followed for taking NEST Computer-Based Test?

The NEST examination is a Computer Based Test (CBT). The candidate will enter all the requisite details at the given computer terminal. The questions will be displayed on the monitor. The answers to each question are to be provided at the computer terminal using the given electronic equipment. Details of how to answer at the terminal will be provided before the examination.

Q: What is the amount of scholarship after selection through NEST?

The candidates admitted to the programme are eligible to receive an annual scholarship of INR 60,000 through the DISHA program of the Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India. In addition, the scholarship recipients receive a grant of INR 20,000 per annum for summer internships. Candidates selected by DST for the INSPIRE-SHE program are endorsed for the INSPIRE scholarship by NISER and UM-DAE CEBS. Alumni of the programme are presently pursuing PhD at reputed universities and institutes in India & abroad.

Q: What is the best way to prepare for NEST 2025 exam?

Applicants are encouraged to practise by using a mock test link that will be made available on the NEST 2025 website several days before the exam date. Practice sessions on the computer-based test will be available for all applicants on the application portal after online registration and complete submission of the online application. The application portal will be accessible with the correct login credentials only.

Q: What are good books for NEST preparation?

Students who want to qualify the NEST exam first they must complete the books of class 11th and 12th. Applicants can follow the below-mentioned books for the NEST preparation. For chemistry, Wiley, KL CHUGH & Dinesh publication books are good For Physics, DC Pandey & HC Verma's books. For Mathematics, R D Sharma, SN DEY books For Biology subject, Objective Biology by Dinesh Along with these books NCERT & NCERT EXEMPLAR is a must for applicants for all individual subjects.

Q: Can I skip math section in NEST exam?

Ideally applicants should not skip any pericular section before appearing in the NEST exam. As authority will consider the marks from top 3 sections to prepare the merit list. Hence even if one paper from any section except math if don't go well then by securing good marks in math section you can increase your chances of qualifying the exam. Along with this if there are easy questions in math section then there is high probability to secure good marks in it. Hence it is advised not to skip any section while preparing for the NEST exam.

Q: What is "Section-wise" Minimum Admissible Score (SMAS) or section wise cutoff marks in NEST exam?

Candidates must read the following points to understand about the ‘section-wise’ Minimum Admissible Score (SMAS) or section-wise cut-off marks. 1. The total score of each candidate will be the sum of his/her best three scores out of the four sections. 2. For each section, “20% of the average of the best 100 scores in that section” will be considered as the Section–wise Minimum Admissible Score (SMAS). For example, if the average of the best 100 scores in the Chemistry section is 48 out of 60, then SMAS for the Chemistry section would be 48*0.20 = 9.6 marks, similar to other sections. 3. SMAS for different sections can be of different numerical values. 4. SMAS for the two sessions, for any particular section, can be of different numerical value. 5. SMAS for OBC students would be 90% of the respective SMAS for the general category Students. For example, if in the Chemistry section, the SMAS is 9.6 for general category students, then the SMAS for OBC students would be 8.64 (90% of 9.6). 6. SMAS for SC/ST/Divyangjan students would be 50% of respective SMAS for general category students. For example, if in the Chemistry section, the SMAS is 9.6 for general category students, then the SMAS for SC/ST/Divyangjan students would be 4.8 (50% of 9.6).

Q: Is NEST exam difficulty level higher than NEET?

The National Entrance Screening Test (nest) is generally tougher than NEET but some sections in NEET, like Biology, are more challenging due to vast syllabus coverage and competition.

Q: Can I change my exam centre after submitting NEST application form?

Candidates must know that the allotment of an examination centre by the NEST Committee has to be regarded as final, and the request for a change of centre will, in general, not be entertained. The address of the test venue allotted to the applicant will be mentioned on the NEST admit card.

Q: What will happen if there is any tie between two students in terms of percentile scores in NEST exam?

If two applicants will score the same percentile marks in the NEST 2024 exam then autority will consider marks of class 12th exam for tie breaking. In case of tie between the marks of class 12th exam then candidate who will be younger given preference over other who will be older. Though in most other exams, the older candidates get preference but in case of NEST exam, it is different.

Q: What are the important things candidates must remember while filling online application for NEST exam?

Important things to remember for online application are mentioned below: ? Correct email address should be provided. The NEST office communicates with candidates through this e-mail ID only. ? The phone number that is provided during the application should be accessible by the candidate. The NEST office uses this phone number to reach a candidate or to send SMS messages whenever necessary. ? A properly scanned and cropped recent passport-sized photograph should be uploaded. A properly scanned and cropped signature should be uploaded. ? The photograph and signature files must be not more than 80 KB each and must be in. JPG or JPEG format only. ? Applications incomplete in any respect will not be accepted. ? Any dispute arising out of or related to the NEST 2024 examination shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the Bombay High Court.

387 Students Q&A

Updated on Sep 10, 2025 12:08 IST

By Ishita Chauhan, Retainer

NEST CEBS 2025 Counselling Process end date to register was July 20, 2025, and the last date for all the selected students who appeared for the NEST exam was August 4, 2025. The admission list was out on the official website on July 22, 2025.

The NEST Scorecard was out on the official website of the NEST exam, where all the participating students can get all the important details. Also, there was a small correction in the selected percentage. This correction in the selected percentile did not impact the AIR students and marks. But, all the students were advised through the official notification to download the revised scorecard with the new date of July 17, 2025, for complete validity.

The result for the NEST entrance exam was also published online on the official website like all the other important events, and updated for both the institutes, such as UM-DAE CEBS and NISER. The exam date was June 22, 2025, for NEST, which is a national-level exam.

Latest Updates:

Table of content

What is NEST?
NEST 2025 Exam Dates & Schedule
NEST 2025 Highlights
NEST NISER Counselling Schedule for Round 1
NEST 2025 Result
NEST 2025 Syllabus
NEST 2025 Participating Colleges and Seat Intake
NEST Contact Details 2025
NEST 2025 Eligibility Criteria
NEST 2025 Answer Key
NEST 2025 Admit Card
NEST 2025 Application Form and Process
FAQs Regarding NEST 2025

What is NEST?

The NEST entrance exam, whose full form is National Entrance Screening Test, is conducted every year for all those students who want to get admission to Integrated MSc programmes. There are two institutions where NEST students want to get admission, one is the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) , Bhubaneswar, and the second institution is Mumbai University - Department of Atomic Energy Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences (UM-DAE CEBS) , Mumbai.

By doing self-studies, using mock tests for practising, and previous year question papers of NEST, students can improve their chances of passing the NESTexam and getting into their preferred institutes to make their future in research.

Commonly asked questions

Q: Is it possible to appear directly for the interview for admission to Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) training school?

Q: What are the dates for NEST 2024 Examination?

NEST 2025 Exam Dates & Schedule

Take a look at the table below for the complete schedule of NEST 2024 exam

Dates	Past Exam Dates
Aug ' 25	NEST NISER commencement of classes
18 Aug ' 25	NEST CEBS 2025 Counselling: Classes for Semester 1 begin
14 Aug ' 25	NEST CEBS 2025 Campus Reporting Round 3 (If needed)
View More Past Events (22)

NEST 2025 Highlights

Check out this table to know important details related to the NEST exam.

Particulars	Details
Exam Name	National Entrance Screening Test
Conducting Body	NISER Bhubaneswar and UM-DAE CEBS Mumbai
Exam Level	Undergraduate Exam at the National Level
Exam Frequency	Once a Year
Mode of Exam	Online or Computer-Based Test (CBT)
Courses Offered Through Entrance Exam	Integrated MSc
Exam Fees	INR 1,200 (Male candidates of General and OBC categories) INR 600 (Female candidates of all categories and male candidates of SC, ST and PwD categories)
Exam Duration	3 hours and 30 minutes
Total Marks	200
Total Number of Questions	68
Marking Scheme	+2.5 for each correct answer (MCQs) +4 for each correct answer (MSQs) -1 for each incorrect answer (MCQs) 0 for incorrect answer in MSQs and unattempted questions
Language/Medium of Questions	English
Colleges Accepting NEST Score	3 colleges
Total Number of Seats	257
Number of Exam Cities	120
Official Website	https://www.nestexam.in/#
Contact Details	Helpline Number - 022- 61087510 Email - nest2022cebs@gmail.com

NEST NISER Counselling Schedule for Round 1

The NEST 2025 Counselling round 1 starting date was July 11, 2025. The last date for candidates to submit an expression of interest was July 16, 2025. The document verification process will take place on July 25, 2025. The classes started on August 18, 2025. The session is over for 2025-26.

NEST CEBS Counselling Process 2025: Important Dates

Candidates must go through the following dates to know more details related to the NEST CEBS.

NEST CEBS 2025	Dates
NEST CEBS 2025 Registration Opens	July 17, 2025
NEST CEBS 2025 Registration Closes	July 20, 2025 (11:00 pm IST)
NEST CEBS 2025 Declaration of Admission Queue	July 22, 2025 (6:00 pm IST)
NEST CEBS 2025 Offline Admissions at CEBS Campus	July 28, 2025
NEST CEBS 2025 Second Merit List (If required)	August 4, 2025 (6:00 pm IST)
NEST CEBS 2025 Payment Portal Opens - Round 2	August 5, 2025 (6:00 pm IST)
NEST CEBS 2025 Payment Portal Closes - Round 2	August 6, 2025 (11:00 pm IST)
Seat Matrix after 2nd round	August 7, 2025 (4:00 pm IST)
Third Merit List (If required)	August 11, 2025 (6:00 pm IST)
Payment Portal Opens - Round 3	August 12, 2025 (6:00 pm IST)
Payment Portal Closes - Round 3	August 13, 2025 (11:00 pm IST)
Report to CEBS Campus	August 14, 2025
Starting of classes for Semester 1	August 18, 2025
Spot Admissions (If required)	August 25, 2025

NEST 2025 Result

NEST 2025 Results are out on July 10, 2025. The NEST merit list/ result includes the candidates' roll numbers and those who qualify for the integrated MSc entrance exam. Candidates need to fill in their login credentials to download their NEST 2025 Scorecards. The NEST scorecard consists of information on sectional and overall scores, percentile, and All India Rank (AIR). Candidates should secure their scorecards until the NEST 2025 admission process ends.

NEST 2025 Cutoff

CEBS Mumbai and NISER Bhubaneswar have published the NEST 2025 cut-off marks according to the sessions, subjects, and category-wise on the official website of NEST. The NEST 2025 cutoff is out in two categories: Section-wise Minimum Admissible Score (SMAS), which refers to the sectional cutoff, and Minimum Acceptable Percentile (MAP), or overall percentile.

SMAS Scores 2025: NEST Result OUT

Go through the following table to check out the category-wise SMAS Scores.

Subject Category	Gen/EWS/JK	OBC	SC/ST/PwD
Biology	8.652	7.7868	4.326
Chemistry	9.646	8.6814	4.832
Mathematics	9.83794	8.854146	4.91897
Physics	9.81	8.829	4.905

Seat allocation status for NEST NISER 2025

Category	Number of Seats	Remaining
UR	101	101
OBC-NCL	54	54
SC	30	30
ST	15	15
J&K (Supernumerary)	02	02

NEST 2025 Cutoff: MAP

Check out the details mentioned in this table for category-wise, for MAP.

	Gen/EWS/JK	OBC	SC/ST/PwD
Percentile	95	90	75

Commonly asked questions

Q: What are the eligibility criteria for candidates seeking admission to NISER and UM-DAE CEBS?

NEST 2025 Syllabus

Candidates who registered for the NEST Exam should know that they will receive the NEST 2025 syllabus via email. The NEST exam questions are asked from topics from the class 11 and 12 books of the Science stream. The subjects include Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics. The exam officials have stated that questions in the NEST exam are mainly from the science syllabus of Classes 11 and 12, which is present in NCERT/ CBSE books. Candidates must go through the NEST 2025 syllabus on this page.

NEST 2025: Subject-wise syllabus PDF Link

Subject	PDF File
Physics	Download Here
Chemistry	Download Here
Mathematics	Download Here
Biology	Download Here

NEST Subject Wise Syllabus PDF

Subject	PDF file
Physics	Download Here
Chemistry	Download Here
Mathematics	Download Here
Biology	Download Here

The PDF of the class 6 to 12 booklet is mentioned in the table below, which will help the students to prepare for the exam with good marks.

Class	NCERT Book Link
Class 6	Download Here
Class 7	Download Here
Class 8	Download Here
Class 9	Download Here
Class 10	Download Here
Class 11	Download Here
Class 12	Download Here

NEST 2025 Preparation Tips

Candidates who wish to pursue their integrated MSc programmes at NISER, Bhubaneshwar and UM-DAE CEBS Mumbai jointly, for them, NEST is a crucial exam. So, here are some tips to prepare for the NEST Exam for candidates who wish to appear for the NEST 2025 Exam.

Comprehend NEST Syllabus and Pattern: Candidates must know what needs to be studied. The syllabus of NEST 2025 is vast and includes classes 11 and 12 important topics of Biology, Physics, Chemistry, and Maths. Students must also keep the NEST exam pattern in mind while preparing for it to know what type of questions will be asked and the time available to complete the paper.
Direct to previous year's NEST question papers: Previous year's papers are an excellent start to preparing for any exam. They will help students understand the subject-wise weightage of topics and the difficulty level of exams.
Organise a timetable for study: Studying as per the timetable can help in covering the syllabus in a planned manner. It is highly advised that students make a NEST preparation timetable with at least two to three hours for all three subjects and one hour for revision.
Stay Consistent while studying: As the syllabus of NEST is vast, all chapters will only be covered if studied regularly daily. Regularity is very important in clearing the NEST 2025.
Use NCERT textbooks: Students must know that the NCERT textbooks are the foundation for the NEST syllabus. NEST candidates must learn from the NCERT textbook and create a solid foundation of ideas and theories. They may also refer to other books to understand the concepts better.
Choosing the Best Reference Books: NEST students must use the best reference books that cover topics from the basics to the advanced level.
Revision: Revision is an important part of preparation. If a candidate does not revise what they study, there are possibilities that they will not be able to recall it at the time of examinations.
Mock Test Paper: Solve mock test papers regularly. It is advised that students solve chapter-wise mock papers on completion of a chapter and full-length mock test papers after the completion of the entire syllabus.

NEST Exam Pattern 2025

Candidates must go through the following details for the NEST 2025 Exam Pattern:

Mode Of Examination: The NEST 2025 examination was a Computer-Based Test (CBT/online exam).

Type of Questions: The question paper consisted of Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) and Multiple Select Questions (MSQ).

Exam Duration: 3 hours and 30 minutes were provided to applicants for completing the examination.

Total Scores: The questions consisted of a total of 200 marks.

Total Sections: There were a total of four sections, which included subjects i.e.physics, chemistry, mathematics and biology.

Below we have provided the complete section-wise pattern for the NEST 2025 Exam:

Section	Subject	Marking
1	Biology	50
2	Physics	50
3	Chemistry	50
4	Mathematics	50
Total		200 Marks

Commonly asked questions

Q: Where can I get NEST 2024 exam syllabus?

View Syllabus

NEST 2025 Participating Colleges and Seat Intake

NEST 2025 will be conducted for candidates to pursue a five-year integrated MSc programme in Basic Sciences (Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Mathematics) offered at both NISER and UM-DAE CEBS. Candidates must go through the following table to learn about the NEST exam colleges and seat availability.

Here is the information details at both institutes, which are mentioned below which are tentative and can be changed when the NEST 2025 brochure is released:

Category	Seats at NISER	Seats at UM-DAE CEBS
General	101	23
General-EWS	0	6
OBC (Non-Creamy Layer)	54	15
SC	30	9
ST	15	4
Divyangjan/PWD	Five % of seats in each category	Five % of seats in each category
Total	200	57

Commonly asked questions

Q: Is it okay to get less marks in the NEST Mock Test?

Q: What are the details mentioned in the NEST 2024 result pdf?

View accepting colleges

NEST Contact Details 2025

Candidates who wish to appear in the NEST exam can go through the contact details mentioned below, which will help the candidates during the admission process.

Helpdesk for raising queries/complaints regarding Registration, Application, Payment, etc.:

Use the grievance portal (click 'Helpdesk') after Registration/Login.

Helpdesk Contact: To be updated soon. [Mon-Sat 09:00-18.00]

For queries regarding Information Brochure & Syllabus and general information about NEST 2025:

Email-ID: nest-exam@niser.ac.in

Helpdesk Contact: To be updated soon. [Mon-Fri 10:00-13:00 and 15:00-17.00]

Commonly asked questions

Q: What steps are to be followed for taking NEST Computer-Based Test?

NEST 2025 Eligibility Criteria

Candidates who wish to take the NEST Exam must go through the NEST Eligibility criteria before filling out the application form. Students must also fulfil the eligibility criteria mentioned below:

The candidates who have cleared the class 12 examination or equivalent in 2023, 2024 or those who will be appearing for the 12th Standard examination or equivalent in 2025, irrespective of category and age, will be eligible for admission to the Integrated M.Sc. programme of NISER/CEBS in 2025.
Applicants must secure at least 60 per cent marks in aggregate (or equivalent grade) in the Class 12 examination from any recognised Board in India. For Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) candidates and Divyangjan candidates, the minimum requirement is 55 per cent.

Note: If any applicants fail to qualify for the eligibility criteria mentioned above, then their candidature may be rejected at any stage of the admission process.

NEST 2025 Dates

Here are some important dates related to the NEST 2025 Exam.

NEST 2025 Exam	Important Dates
NEST 2025 Exam Date	June 22, 2025 (Sunday)
NEST Online Application Opens	February 17, 2025
NEST Online Application Closes	May 9, 2025
NEST Correction & Update window	May 10, 2025, to May 14, 2025
NEST Mock Test Opens	May 19, 2025
NEST Download of Admit Card	June 5, 2025
NEST 2025 Answer Key	June 23, 2025, to June 25, 2025
NEST 2025 Result	July 10, 2025

NEST 2025 Question Paper

The NEST 2025 question paper will be out on the official site after the commencement of the examination in June, in online mode. To prepare well candidates should download the NEST question paper for the previous year's exam.

Question paper structure

Here is the table with the basic structure of the NEST exam:

Section	Subject	Marks
I - Biology	17 questions (12 MCQs + 5 MSQs)	50 marks
II - Chemistry	17 questions (12 MCQs + 5 MSQs)	50 marks
III - Mathematics	17 questions (12 MCQs + 5 MSQs)	50 marks
IV - Physics	17 questions (12 MCQs + 5 MSQs)	50 marks
Total	68 questions	200 marks

Commonly asked questions

Q: When did NEST 2024 notification release?

NEST 2025 Answer Key

The NEST 2025 Answer Key was released on the official website on June 23, 2025. The end date for students to download the Answer key PDF and to object to the answer key was June 25, 2025. Candidates need to visit the official website to raise objections and to evaluate their scores before the results are out.

Commonly asked questions

Q: What factors are considered to prepare the merit list for NEST exam?

Q: What is the deadline to raise objection against NEST 2025 Response sheet?

Q: What is the application fee for NEST exam?

View answer key

NEST 2025 Admit Card

The NEST 2025 Admit card was released on the official website a few days before the exam date for all the students who completed their Application process and submitted the application fee. This admit card is a mandatory document for all students, which was out on the official website on June 4, 2025. Therefore, students should have their admit card when they visit the exmaination hall, so that are able to appear for the exam.

Commonly asked questions

Q: What details will be printed in NEST 2024 Admit Card?

Q: What login credentials are required to download NEST Admit Card 2024?

Q: What documents will be valid as photo ID for NEST exam 2024?

NEST 2025 Application Form and Process

The NEST 2025 Exam dates are out on the official website for those students who want to get admission to NISER and UM-DAE CEBS. The starting date of registration was February 17, 2025.

NEST Application fee

Check out the information in the table below related to the NEST Fee to submit the application form.

Category	Fees (in INR)
Male candidates of the Unreserved/ EWS/OBC category	For Centers in India - 1,200
Female candidates in the Unreserved/EWS/OBC category	For Centers in India - 600
SC/ST/PwD/Transgender category candidates	For Centers in India - 600

Commonly asked questions

Q: What are the important things candidates must remember while filling online application for NEST exam?

FAQs Regarding NEST 2025

Here are some important FAQs related to the NEST 2025 Examination

Commonly asked questions

Q: What is the amount of scholarship after selection through NEST?

Q: What is the best way to prepare for NEST 2025 exam?

Q: What are good books for NEST preparation?

Q: Can I skip math section in NEST exam?

Q: What is "Section-wise" Minimum Admissible Score (SMAS) or section wise cutoff marks in NEST exam?

Q: Is NEST exam difficulty level higher than NEET?

Q: Can I change my exam centre after submitting NEST application form?

Q: What will happen if there is any tie between two students in terms of percentile scores in NEST exam?

NEST Exam

Student Forum

Anything you would want to ask experts?

Write here...

How are seats allocated during LPU NEST counselling?

Answered Yesterday

Dear reader,

Taking admission at LPU is a great choice. LPUNEST is their own entrance and scholarship exam.

The candidate's merit rank on the test and the courses and specializations they selected during the online preference submission are the main factors used to assign seats for LPU NEST counselin

Aston Martin

Contributor-Level 10

How are seats allocated during LPU NEST counselling?

Answered 2 weeks ago

hi,

Seats during LPU NEST counselling are allocated based on the candidate's rank, choices filled, and seat availability. After qualifying the exam, candidates must register for counselling, fill in their preferred courses and specializations, and lock their choices. Allocation is done in order of m

Vidushi Sharma

Contributor-Level 10

What should candidates do after downloading the revised NEST 2025 scorecard?

Answered 2 months ago

After re-downloading the revised version by visiting the official website of NEST, candidates must ensure that the revised scorecard consists of the correct information related to their qualifying percentile and the issue date, which is July 17, 2025.

Ishita Chauhan

Contributor-Level 10

Why is the issue date on the NEST revised scorecard important?

Answered 2 months ago

All the selected candidates must know that it is important for them to download the revised NEST 2025 scorecard issued on July 17, 2025. Only the revised NEST Scorecard will be considered valid for all future admission processes and the previous versions will not be valid during verification.

Ishita Chauhan

Contributor-Level 10

How to download the revised NEST 2025 scorecard?

Answered 2 months ago

All the selected candidates are advised to visit the official website to be able to download their revised scorecards. Candidates need to use their login credentials and click on the login link provided on the NEST Official website to ensure the scorecard they download has the issue date of July 17,

Ishita Chauhan

Contributor-Level 10

Will the revised NEST Scorecard affect the candidates NEST 2025 score or AIR?

Answered 2 months ago

For most of the candidates who appeared for the NEST Entrance Exam, the revised scorecard will not affect their total score or All India Rank (AIR). But as per the official notice released by NEST, all candidates are advised to download the revised scorecard to ensure accuracy for future admission s

Ishita Chauhan

Contributor-Level 10

What is the update regarding the NEST 2025 scorecard?

Answered 2 months ago

A small error related to the qualifying percentile was found in the previous NEST 2025 scorecards and the error was resolved later on but now candidates are advised to download the revised NEST Scorecard from the login link available on the official website because only those scorecards with the iss

Ishita Chauhan

Contributor-Level 10

What is the release date for NEST 2025 Result?

Answered 2 months ago

The NEST 2025 Result will be declared on the official website of NEST on July 10, 2025. Candidates who appeared for the NEST Entrance Exam need to visit the officilal website to check out their NEST result and to download their scorecards.

Ishita Chauhan

Contributor-Level 10

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