NEST Application Form 2026 (Jan 5): Eligibility, Document, Fees & Steps to Apply Online
National Entrance Screening Test 2026 ( NEST )
Registration - 5 Jan '26 - 6 Apr '26
The NEST 2026 Application Form will be released on January 5, 2026, at 10 AM. The last date of application is April 6, 2026, till 11.30 PM. The NEST 2026 application fee has to be paid by April 12, 2026, by 11.30 PM. Candidates who will submit the form will be allowed to make corrections in the NEST application form between April 13 and April 14, 2026. The NEST Admit Card will be released on May 15, 2026.
NEST 2026 exam will be conducted on June 6, 2026, from 2 PM to 5 PM. The NEST 2026 important dates were announced on December 15, 2025. Check the eligibility criteria before filling NEST application form. The application process will be held online.
Also Read: NEST 2026 Exam Dates Out; Registration to Begin on January 5
- NEST 2026 Eligibility Criteria
- NEST 2026 Exam Dates & Schedule
- How to Fill NEST 2026 Application Form?
- What to Keep Ready Before Filling the NEST Application Form 2026?
- NEST 2026 Application Correction Window
- FAQs on NEST 2026 Application Form
NEST 2026 Eligibility Criteria
The NEST 2026 eligibility criteria are announced by the conducting body on the information bulletin, which is provided below.
-
The candidates who have cleared the Class 12 examination or equivalent in 2024, 2025 or those who will be appearing for the Class 12 Board exam or equivalent in 2026, irrespective of category and age, will be eligible for NEST 2026.
- Candidates must have studied at least three subjects between Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics in Class 11 and Class 12.
-
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.
- There is no age limit to appear for NEST 2026.
Commonly asked questions
The NEST 2026 eligibility criteria are defined on both basis age wise as well education wise.
Admissions in NISER, Bhubaneswar and UM-DAE CEBS, Mumbai are done based on a candidate's score in the NEST exam. Candidates who have passed Class 12 from the Science stream are eligible to apply for the NEST exam.
Candidates should pass Class 12 in Science stream from a recognised board in India with at least 60% aggregate marks (55% for SC/ ST/ PWD category candidates). Candidates should have passed Class XII either last year or will pass this year.
There is no age limit to appear for NEST.
NEST 2026 Exam Dates & Schedule
Take a look at the table below for the complete schedule of NEST 2026 exam
| Dates | Upcoming Exam Dates |
|---|---|
| 05 Jan ' 26 - 06 Apr ' 26 | NEST 2026 Application Process |
| 13 Apr ' 26 - 14 Apr ' 26 | NEST 2026 Application Form Correction Window |
| May ' 26 | NEST 2026 Mock Test Release TENTATIVE |
| 15 May ' 26 | NEST 2026 Admit Card |
| 06 Jun ' 26 | NEST 2026 Exam Date |
How to Fill NEST 2026 Application Form?
Registration: 05 Jan ' 26 - 06 Apr ' 26
The NEST 2026 Application process has to be completed in online mode by visiting the exam website. The detailed procedure is given below.
- Visit the official website, i.e. nestexam.in
- Click on the tab Register Now
- Fill up the mandatory fields
- Generate Username and Password
- Login with the registration details
- Fill up the application form and upload documents
- Pay the application fee through Credit Card, Debit Card, Net Banking and UPI modes
- Once the registration form is submitted then students must take a printout and save it for further usage.
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 |
1,400 |
| Female candidates in the Unreserved/EWS/OBC category |
700 |
| SC/ST/PwD/Transgender category candidates |
700 |
Commonly asked questions
NEST 2026 exam will be conducted in 140 cities across India. Applicants fill three cities in order of preference. Every effort will be made to allot the centre of first preference. The final decision lies with the authorities. The exam conducting authorities will release the NEST 2026 admit card on May 15, 2026, which will mention the allotted NEST exam centre to the applicants.
The Application fee for the NEST Exam for the upcoming academic session 2026 is notified. The NEST 2026 Application fee for male candidates of the General and OBC categories is INR 1,400. The application fee for candidates in the SC/ST/Divyangjan categories and for all female candidates is INR 700. Payments can be made using credit card/debit card/Netbanking, and UPI modes.
What to Keep Ready Before Filling the NEST Application Form 2026?
The exam authorities have suggested that candidates keep the following information or documents ready before filling the NEST Application Form 2026.
- An active email address and mobile number for the registration process. Since NEST officials will communicate on these, hence correct details should be provided.
- A recent passport-sized photograph and signature, scanned and cropped as mentioned in the application portal, should be uploaded.
- The photograph and signature files must not be more than 80 KB each and must be in .JPG or .JPEG format only.
Commonly asked questions
Important things to remember for the NEST 2026 online application are mentioned below:
- The 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 not be more than 80 KB each and must be in. JPG or JPEG format only.
- Applications incomplete in any respect will not be accepted.
Applications can be submitted only through the NEST 2026 website only. There is no other mode of application submission. Login credentials for logging into the application submission and fee payment portals will be provided upon online registration.
NEST 2026 Application Correction Window
Candidates must be aware of the registration date for the NEST Exam, along with the application correction window opening and closing dates to make any corrections, as per the official notification on the official site. The online correction window is scheduled from April 13, 2026, to April 14, 2026. Students have the liberty to correct or update the information on the NEST 2026 Application form. The process is given below.
- Visit the official website of NEST 2026
- Log in using the Application or User ID and Password
- In the application account, update the details
- Click on the Submit button and save the updated information
- No separate fee is needed.
Commonly asked questions
Applicants must have the following document to upload while filling NEST application form:
- Class 10 mark sheet/ report card/ certificate
- Class 12 mark sheet/ report card/ certificate
- Digital copy of the photograph
- Scanned signature
The size of photograph and signature will be mentioned in official notification. Applicants are advised to follow the same specifications otherwise their candidature/application form may be rejected by the authorities.
The NEST 2026 application form will be released on January 5, 2026. The last date to fill the form is April 6, 2026. The application process will be completely online, including the fee payment. A correction facility will be provided from April 13 to April 14, 2026.
FAQs on NEST 2026 Application Form
Check the NEST Application Form 2026 FAQs here.
Commonly asked questions
The NEST application process will be conducted from January 5, 2026, to April 6, 2026. The application fee has to be paid by April 12, 2026. The National Entrance Screening Test or NEST 2026 application form date has been announced on December 15, 2025. The NEST application process will be online. The fee has to be paid through Credit Card, Debit Card, Net Banking or UPI.
The test centres of NEST exam are allotted based on the number of applicants opting for a particular test. It is to be noted that NEST committee reserves the right to cancel or add any of the test cities without prior notice to applicants.
The final allocation of NEST Test Centres will be mentioned on the admit card, Applicants can not make any request to change the address or venue in it once it is decided.
While filling the NEST online form, candidates must ensure that they uploaded the photograph in the format prescribed by exam authorities. The digital photograph uploaded by candidates need to be in JPEG format and should not have exceeded 80 KB.
If all the image specifications are correct then also applicants need to check their internet failing which their registration process can be cancelled.
NEST Exam
Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 2 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 3 days ago
The candidates must upload these documents during the admission process.
- Recent Photograph
- Matriculation Marksheet
- Qualifying Exam Certificate.
- Address Proof
A
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 3 days ago
LPU NEST counselling is conducted in the online mode. The candidates must fill in the seat preference, upload documents, and pay the admission fee online.
A
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 3 days ago
LPU NEST counselling dates are published on the official website. Once the candidates receive the score for LPU NEST, they will be sent a form to fill the seat preference. Candidates can fill in their choice and complete the counselling process.
P
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 3 days ago
The candidates must upload the Class 10 and Class 12 certificates during the counselling. The list of documents that have to be submitted will be given on the admission form. Candidates must make sure that all the documents are uploaded.
P
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 3 days ago
Counselling form can be filled after the LPU NEST exam score is published. After which, candidates must enter seat preferences and proceed to the admission process. During the admission process, candidates must pay an admission fee and upload all the necessary documents.
M
Contributor-Level 6
Answered 3 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
Answered a month ago
If a students fails to submi the expression of interest, it will be considered as they are no longer interested to get admision to NEST NISER institute and there seat will be given to another deseving students. Therefore, it is manadatory for students to submit the Expresison of Interest (EoI) befor
I
Contributor-Level 10
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