NEST Result 2026: Download Scorecard, Merit List, Rank Card & Percentile Score
National Entrance Screening Test 2026 ( NEST )
NEST 2026 Exam Date
6 Jun '26
NEST 2026 result date is June 24, 2026. The authority will update NEST result link on the website, nextexam.in. Candidates can check the result using their NEST login. They have to provide their application no. and password to check the result. Marks obtained and NEST rank will be mentioned in the result. NEST 2026 will be conducted on June 6, 2026.
The qualifying students have to participate in the counselling process for admission. The authority will prepare a merit list based on the marks secured. Candidates whose names appear on the merit list need to report to the institute as per the schedule.
- How to Check NEST Result 2026?
- NEST 2026 Exam Dates & Schedule
- NEST 2026 Scorecard Details
- NEST 2026 Scoring System
- NEST Section–wise Minimum Admissible Score 2026
- Calculation of Percentile Score for NEST 2026
- NEST 2026 Result FAQs
How to Check NEST Result 2026?
The authority will activate the NEST 2026 result link online. Candidates need to know their login credentials handy before checking the result. The process to check the NEST result 2026 is mentioned below.
- Visit the official website of the NEST, nestexam.in.
- Candidates will have to click on the NISER and CEBS Score links, respectively.
- Enter NEST 2026 Roll Number and Application Number.
- Click on the 'Show Scorecard' tab.
- Check and download the NEST 2026 scorecard in PDF format and save the file.
Commonly asked questions
If two applicants will score the same percentile marks in the NEST exam, then authority will consider the marks of the class 12th exam for tie-breaking. In case of a tie between the marks of the class 12th exam, then the 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.
SMAS is used frequently in preparing the result of NEST exam.
The full-form of SMAS is the Section-wise Minimum Admissible Score. It is the cut off marks which applicants need to secure for each section of NEST paper.
Since there are different category candidates who appear in the exam hence they have seperate SMAS.
The NEST 2026 result will be announced on June 24, 2026. The result link will be updated online. Candidates can download their scorecard on June 25.
NEST 2026 Exam Dates & Schedule
Take a look at the table below for the complete schedule of NEST 2026 exam
| Dates | Upcoming Exam Dates |
|---|---|
| 10 Jun ' 26 - 12 Jun ' 26 | NEST 2026 Answer Key Objection Window |
| 10 Jun ' 26 - 12 Jun ' 26 | NEST 2026 Answer Key |
| 24 Jun ' 26 | NEST 2026 Exam Result |
| 25 Jun ' 26 - 25 Dec ' 26 | NEST 2026 Exam Result |
| Jul ' 26 - Sep ' 26 | NEST NISER 2026 Counselling TENTATIVE |
NEST 2026 Scorecard Details
The NEST result will be available as a scorecard. Students have to provide the login credentials to download the NEST scorecard. The scorecard will consist of the overall marks, percentile scores and merit rank. The authority will prepare the NEST merit list based on the marks scored. Also, the best of three section marks is considered to prepare the merit list.
While the merit lists mention overall scores and ranks obtained by the candidates in NEST 2026, the individual scorecards will mention the following details:
- Candidate details, including name and roll number
- Scores obtained by candidates in the General section
- Scores obtained by the candidates in each section they attempted
- Total scores obtained by the candidates out of 180 (General section 30 marks+ 50 marks each of the best three subjects)
- Percentile scores of the candidates
- Merit rank obtained by the candidates
From 2023 onwards the SMAS score of the best three subject scores from four subjects is considered for the merit list preparation for NEST 2026 (for both NISER and CEBS). It was different in NEST 2022, where the SMAS of all four subjects were considered for preparing the NISER merit list.
Commonly asked questions
A good score in NEST is considered to be 150+ marks. However, NEST safe score varies for each categories. To secure admission to the top programs offered at NISER and UM-DAE CEBS candidates belonging to GEN category must obtain 150+ marks, while SC/ST need to obatin 90+ marks.
Yes, candidates who have passed class 12 with PCM or BiPC can appear for NEST. They alos need to obtain 60% marks (55% for SC/ST/ Divyangjan) in aggregate.
The exam authority releases the NEST scorecard online. Students have to provide the application number and password to check the scorecard. The NEST scorecard contains total marks and merit rank.
NEST 2026 Scoring System
Here are the points for NEST Scoring system:
- There are four subjects, and each subject is of 20 marks.
- The exam is held in one session.
- Student's percentile depends on their performance.
- The maximum score is 100.
- Only the top 3 subjects are counted for the merit list.
- 150 is the total mark for the merit list.
- NEST cutoff is based on 150 marks.
Commonly asked questions
NEST 2026 result date will be announed on the official website. The result is expected to release in the last week of June 2026. NEST result link will be updated on online.
NEST exam is for admission to 5-year Integrated M.Sc. programme in Biological, Chemical, Mathematical and Physical sciences offered at National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) and the University of Mumbai - Department of Atomic Energy Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences (UM-DAE CEBS).
NEST Section–wise Minimum Admissible Score 2026
Candidates can read the following points to understand SMAS for the NEST 2026 exam:
- For every section, "20 per cent 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 Physics section is 41 out of 50, then SMAS for the Chemistry section would be 41*0.20 = 8.2 marks. Similarly, for other sections.
- SMAS for different sections can be of different numerical values.
- SMAS for the two sessions, for any particular section, can be of different numerical values.
- SMAS for OBC students would be 90 per cent of the respective SMAS for general category students. For example, if the SMAS is 8.6 for general category students in the Chemistry section, then the SMAS for OBC students would be 7.38 (90 per cent of 8.2).
- SMAS for SC/ST/Divyangjan students would be 50% of the respective SMAS for general category students. For example, if the SMAS is 8.2 for general category students in the Chemistry section, then the SMAS for SC/ST/Divyangjan students would be 4.1 (50 per cent of 8.2).
- A candidate is required to score equal to or above the NEST SMAS in at least three subject sections to qualify for percentile calculation.
Commonly asked questions
The MAP is the overall cut off percentile obtained by the candidates in the NEST exam. The highest MAP is 100th percentile. It is different for different categories. As 95 percentile for the General category, 90 percentile for OBC category and 75 percentile for SC/ ST/ Divyangjan category students.
Applicants need to secure the cutoff marks from the category they belong to; otherwise, they won't be able to pass the exam.
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Calculation of Percentile Score for NEST 2026
The following process is expected to be followed by the exam officials to calculate the NEST 2026 per cent scores:
- There were two sessions of the NEST exam on the same day, i.e. morning session from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm and the evening session from 2 pm to 5:30 pm.
- The percentile score will be calculated based on the relative performance of all the qualified candidates in each session of the NEST 2026 exam.
- The highest score for each session will be 100th per cent
The final merit list of NISER and CEBS will be based on Section-wise Minimum Admissible Score (SMAS), which is the section-wise cut-off mark and Minimum Admissible per cent (MAP) as under:
| Merit List Parameters | Selection Criteria |
|---|---|
| SMAS |
|
| MAP | MAP is applied in addition to SMAS wherein candidates from each category should score equal to or above to rank in the merit list. The MAP decided for each category is as under:
|
NEST 2026 Result FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions on NEST Results
The NEST Scoring system is based on the following factors.
- There are four sections of 60 marks each
- Each question carries three marks
- One mark will be removed for each wrong answer
- Candidates have to attempt at least three sections
- Best of the three scores out of four sections will be considered.
NISER and UM-DAE CEBS release the exam results within three weeks from the day of the exam. The links are activated on the NEST website. Students have to provide the required credentials to check the result.
Candidates seeking admission to NISER and UM–DAE CEBS for the Integrated MSc programme 2026–31 should be from the regular science stream in classes 11 and 12. All aspiring candidates must write the NEST 2026 examination. Candidates must have passed the Class 12 examination from any recognised Board in India in the years 2024 or 2025, or should be appearing for the same in 2026. Candidates who are appearing for the board examination in 2026 must pass it by the time of admission into the programme.
NEST marks vs rank helps students know what rank they may score based on their marks. The marks in NEST are converted into percentiles, and then a merit list is prepared. Students with a higher rank have a high chance of admission.
Merit list rank preparation or the final ranking of the candidates will be based on percentile scores calculated from the best three-section scores. The merit list will be published based on the following criteria:
1. A candidate is required to score more than SMAS in at least three subject sections. Then we say that the candidate is SMAS-qualified.
2. The total score of an SMAS-qualified candidate is the sum of the scores of her/his three best scores from the SMAS securing sections.
3. A candidate is required to score equal to or above a total Minimum Admissible Percentile (MAP) to get a merit rank.
4. If the percentiles of two or more candidates become equal (i.e., in the case of a tie), then the best scores in the sections of the two students would be compared. The student with the higher score would get a better rank.
5. If the tie persists, the students would be given the same provisional rank at the time of declaration of the result, and the tie would be broken by comparing class 12th marks during admission/counselling.
6. If the tie still persists, then the younger student will get a higher rank.
A candidate is required to score equal to or above a total Minimum Admissible Percentile (MAP) to get a merit rank. The minimum admissible percentile score varies for different category candidates. For general category applicants need to score 95 percentile marks in NEST exam.
The category wise MAP is mentioned below:
| Category | MAP Marks (in Percentile) |
|---|---|
| General | 95 |
| OBC | 90 |
| SC/ST and Divyangjan | 75 |
Students who score less than the MAP would neither be allotted any merit rank nor be eligible for admission even though he/she secure SMAS in all sections.
NEST Exam
Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 2 days ago
The total marks for NEST exam is 240 marks. However, the exam authority will consider marks out of 180 to prepare the merit list.
V
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 days ago
Candidates can calculate their NEST scoring based on marking scheme. NEST questions will carry 3 marks per answer. Negative marking is done for wrong answers.
Total Marks = 3 * Correct Answers - Wrong Answers
V
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
The process for downloading the NEST response sheet PDF is mentioned below.
- Go to NEST 2026 website, nestexam.in
- Click on Login button
- Enter the application no./login Id and password
- Click on the NEST response sheet
V
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
Students can check the NEST answer key through login portal. They will have to provide their application number / login ID, and password to download NEST 2026 answer key.
V
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a week ago
Yes, the NEST response sheet will be released alongwith the answer key. Students can check their NEST response sheet through the login portal.
V
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
Yes, Nest Academy of Sports Management (NASM) is a good college. The flagship programmes available at the college are Masters in Sports Management & Bachelor / Bachelor (Hons.) of Sports Management. The college provides good placements to students.
L
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
The process to retrieve the NEST password is mentioned below
- Go to NEST 2026 website.
- Click on the Login link.
- Then click on forget password.
- Provide the user id and click on "Get Password".
- Enter new password.
- Click on the Change Password button.
- Use your new password to log in.
V
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
The following candidates are eligible to apply for NISER 2026.
- Candidates who have completed class 10+2 from a recognised board with at least three out of four disciplines - Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Biology.
- Obtained 60% marks (55% for SC, ST and Divyangjan categories) in aggregate.
V
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
There is no option to get NISER with 60 marks. The safe marks in NEST for NISER admission are 120+ marks.
V
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
The NEST question paper comprises 4 sections, including Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics. Each section carries 20 questions. Each question carries three marks. NEST 2026 total marks are 240.
V
Contributor-Level 10
3 Institutes accepting NEST
4.6
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