Is Biology compulsory for NEST exam?

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.

Is there any negative marking in NEST?

Yes, according to the NEST exam pattern, there will be negative marking. For each wrong answer, one mark will be deducted. The marks per question are three. Full marks in the exam are 240.

What is good score in NEST exam?

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.

is there any sectional weightage to any section in NEST exam?

There is equal weightage for each section of the NEST exam. There are four sections, each carrying 60 marks. There is negative marking of one mark for wrong answers.

How many questions will be in NEST exam?

The NEST exam has 20 questions from four sections. The total number of questions is 80. There are three marks for each question. The total marks is 240.

NEST Exam Pattern 2025: Dress Code, Marking Scheme, Subjects & No. of Questions

365 Students Q&A

Registration - 5 Jan '26 - 6 Apr '26

Updated on Nov 6, 2025 13:30 IST

By Sreetama Datta Roy, Manager Content

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).

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