NEST Exam Pattern 2025: Dress Code, Marking Scheme, Subjects & No. of Questions
National Entrance Screening Test 2026 ( NEST )
Registration - 5 Jan '26 - 6 Apr '26
NEST 2025 Exam Pattern 2025 is published by the exam conducting authority on the official website along with the release of the notification. The exam pattern helps candidates know the information related to the question paper of the NEST Exam they are preparing for.
There are a total of four sections on the NEST Exam, and the pattern mostly remains the same. The NEST Admit card was out on the official website on June 4, 2025, in online mode by the exam officials. Students are permitted to wear something comfortable, as there is no one specific dress code.
The NEST exam is conducted for those who wish to get admission to NEST NISER or UM-DAE CEBS. The exam is conducted by the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Bhubaneswar, with the Department of Atomic Energy Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences, University of Mumbai (UM-DAE CEBS).
- NEST 2025 Exam Pattern Highlights
- NEST 2025 Sectional Weightage
- NEST 2025 Exam Pattern FAQs
NEST 2025 Exam Pattern Highlights
Students who are preparing for the NEST exam should be aware of some of the important details related to the exam.
| NEST Exam | Information |
|---|---|
| Mode of exam | Online mode - CBT |
| Level of exam | National level - Undergraduate exam |
| Language of NEST Exam | English only |
| Type of questions | Objective-type of questions - Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) Multiple Selection Questions (MSQs) |
| Total Questions | 68 questions |
| Total marks | 200 marks |
Commonly asked questions
The NEST 2024 exam will have 17 questions in each section or subject. All these four section will be 12 will be MCQ type and five will be MSQ type questions. Each section has 50 marks each. For all four section the total number of questions will be 68 and total marks will be 200.
Applicants are advised to check the previous year questions as well to prepare for the exam and accordingly increase their chances of qualifying the exam.
NEST 2025 Sectional Weightage
Look at the section-wise questions and marks in the points below. The question paper is of 200 marks in total and 68 questions.
- In Biology, there are 17 questions of 50 marks each. There are 12 MCQs and 5 MSQs.
- In the chemistry subject, there are 17 questions in total. There are 12 MCQs and 5 MSQs, and the section is of 50 marks.
- Both Physics and Mathematics is of 50 marks. The MCQs and MSQs are the same like the other sections, 12 and 5 respectively. There are 17 questions in total.
NEST 2025 Exam Pattern FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions about NEST 2025 Exam Pattern
Commonly asked questions
For entrance exam since marks from three section are considered hence it can be said that it not compulsory. In the NEST exam your marks will be considered from any of 3 subjects out of Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Mathematics. but if you know basics it will help you to secure marks and for further study during campus classes.
In first year after joining NISER you would be taught basic biology. In fact many students who did not have biology in class 12 and did fairly well in the biology exams during first year.
Yes, according to the NEST previous year exam pattern, there will be differential marking scheme for MCQs and MSQs.
Candidates can expect a negative marking in the MCQ-type questions. For each wrong answer, there will be a negative marking of one mark. For each correct answer 2.5 marks will be awarded.
No marks will be deducted for wrong or unattempted MSQ questions, though 4 marks will be awarded for each correct answer. The latest update on the negative marking will be updated soon after the release of the NEST 2024 notification.
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 43 out of 50, then SMAS for the Chemistry section would be 43*0.20 = 8.6 marks. It will be same for other section too.
SMAS for the two sessions, for any particular section, can be of different numerical values. The value of SMAS will be different for different category students i.e if it 100 for General candidates then it will be 90 for OBC and 50 for SC/ST and Divyangjan applicants.
Applicants who are planning to appear in NEST exam must note that there is no sectional weightage to any perticular section in the exam. All the sections carry same marks 50-50 each.
The total marks for which exam will be conducted is 200 marks and total there will 17-17 questions in each four section.
Applicants must note that the authorities will consider the marks secured in 3 best section to prepare the merit list and for the section which have less marks will be ommitted and will not be taken into consideration.
NEST Exam
Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered Yesterday
Hey, for LPU NEST counselling, you'll need to carry these docs to make things smooth—LPU keeps it straightforward so you can focus on joining their awesome campus life.
Class 10th marksheet and certificate for basic ID and birth proof. Class 12th marksheet and certificate to verify your scores. LPUNE
S
Beginner-Level 3
Answered Yesterday
Yeah, LPU totally releases the LPU NEST counselling dates on their official site—it's super organized and student-friendly. For 2026, they've got it starting February 8th onwards for B.Tech, with online seat preferences from Feb 8-10, results on 12th, and admissions up to late Feb. Results drop quic
S
Beginner-Level 3
Answered Yesterday
Hey, so from what I've checked on LPU's official site, the NEST counselling is mainly done online, which is super convenient for us students anywhere in India. You just log in after your results, pick your preferred courses and seats based on your rank, and lock it all in digitally—no need to travel
S
Beginner-Level 3
Answered 5 hours ago
Hey, as a fellow student checking out B.Tech options, LPU's pretty solid for engineering. The campus is massive with top-notch labs, modern hostels, and all the facilities you need to actually learn stuff hands-on.
Faculty-wise, many are from IITs/NITs, super qualified, and they focus on practical s
S
Beginner-Level 3
Answered 5 hours ago
Yeah, for LPU NEST counselling, you pretty much need your Class 10 and 12 certificates or at least the marksheets handy. They're super important to verify your age from 10th and check eligibility via 12th before they lock in your seat or scholarship—LPU's process is smooth like that, making sure eve
S
Beginner-Level 3
Answered 3 days ago
The Mumbai University NEST Cutoff was released for admissions to the Intergrated MSc courses. The cutoff ranged from 14 to 81 rank according to the first and last round closing ranks for NEST Cutoff 2024. The hardest MSc specialisations was Integrated M.Sc. in Physics and the easiest specialisation
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 5 days ago
Practising LPU NEST sample papers is extremely important in exam preparation. Sample Papers will help candidate understand the exam pattern. Practising sample papers regularly helps in time management. It helps the candidates understand the weakest topics. Candidates will also get to know the most f
M
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 6 days ago
The candidates who qualify in the LPU NEST 2026 examination can participate in the counselling process. The candidates must enter their seat preferences during the counselling process. After entering the course preference, they should complete the admission process by paying the admission fee and up
S
Contributor-Level 6
Answered a month ago
The NEST Syllabus is available on the official portal for those students who wish to appear for the exam. One needs to visit the official portal to be able to download the syllabus for all subjects. They need to click on the syllabus and information brochure link in the top right corner of the homep
I
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
The NEST 2026 exam will be conducted on June 6, 2026. The exam result was declared tentatively in the second week of July 2026, after a few days, when the NEST answer Key objection window is over.
I
Contributor-Level 10
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