NEST 2026 Application Form (Out) Live Updates: Get Direct Link, Eligibility, Documents and Process

The last date to apply for NEST 2026 is April 6, till 11.30 PM. 

The table below brings the NEST 2026 Application fee for each category and gender.

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

The following information have to be put under the NEST application form Qualification Details section. 

Class 10 Board Exam or Equivalent Details:

• Name of the Board/Council
• Year of Passing
• Percentage of Marks

Class 12 Board Exam or Equivalent Details:

• Name of the Board/Council
• Year of Passing
• Percentage of Marks.

The NEST 2026 Application Form Present Address section includes the following fields:

• Address
• City Name
• State
• District
• Pin Code
• Mobile Number
• Email Address
• Telephone Number
• Alternate Mobile Number
• If Present Address is Same as Permanent Address

Following details have to be filled in the Personal Details section of the NEST 2026 application form.

• Applicant Name
• Date of Birth
• Gender
• Class 10 Roll Number/Registration Number
• Parents/Spouse Name
• Status of J&K or Ladakh Domicile
• Disability Status
• In case candidates belong to PWD category, they need to enter Disability Category or Type and Scribe requirement
• Guardian details

The NEST 2026 application form is divided into the following sections.

• Personal Details
• Present Address
• Qualification Details
• Exam City Preference
• Document Upload
• Fee Payment

To be eligible for NEST exam, candidates should study the Science stream in Class 11 and Class 12. They must study at least three subjects among Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics. 

Yes, you will be eligible to appear for the NEST 2026 application form if you are slated to appear for your Class 12 Board exam in 2026. In that case, you need to score at least 60 per cent marks in aggregate (55 per cent for Reserved category candidates).  

According to the NEST 2026 officials, the photo should have white background and not be older than six months from the date of application and the signature must be done on a blank paper with no other lines or marks.

Candidates have to upload the following documents on the NEST 2026 application form. 

• Recent passport size photograph
• Scanned signature
• J&K Domicile Certificate (if applicable).

After the NEST 2026 registration form is filled, candidates will receive a verification code or OTP on their registered email address and mobile number via SMS. They need to enter that to validate the registration process and move towards filling the application form. 

The following information have to be filled in the NEST 2026 registration form. Fields marking with * are mandatory to be filled.

The NEST 2026 application fee has to be paid in online mode only, through Credit Card, Debit Card, Netbanking and UPI. 

The NEST 2026 application correction window will be open from April 13 to April 14, 2026. Only those candidates who will complete the application process by paying the fee will be eligible to avail the application correction facility.

The last date to pay the NEST 2026 application fee is April 12, 2026, 11.30 PM. 

The NEST 2026 application process has begun after 12 noon of January 5. There has been a delay of approximately two hours. 

The NEST 2026 application process has been delayed. The schedule for releasing the application form was January 5, 2026, 10 AM, which has now been delayed. 

Two institutes will accept the NEST scores, which include the following:

• NISER Bhubaneswar
• UM DAE CEBS

NEST 2026 exam conducting authority is NISER Bhubaneswar. The institute's responsibility is with conducting the exam right from the registration to the declaration of result. The NEST 2026 counselling or admission process will be conducted separately for the NISER and UM DAE CEBS institutes. 

No, there is no age limit to apply for NEST 2026 exam. However, candidates should appear for their Class 12 Board exam not before 2024.

In case of any difficulty, candidates can contact NEST exam officials at the following contact details.

Helpline Number - 0674-2494017

Email - nest-exam@niser.ac.in

The timing to contact is Monday to Friday, 10 AM to 1 PM and 3 PM to 5 PM, except public holidays.

The registration process for NEST 2026 will take maximum 30 minutes duration.

Following information need to be entered while filling the NEET 2026 registration form.

• Name
• Date of birth
• Email ID
• Mobile Number
• Class 10 Roll Number

The name and date of birth should be as per the certificate as these information cannot be modified. 

The NEST 2026 registration process is yet to begin at www.nestexam.in. The New Registration tab is yet to be made active. 

Candidates need to keep the following documents ready before filling the NEST 2026 application form.

• 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.

The NEST 2026 exam will be conducted from 2 PM to 5 PM. Test takers will be allowed to enter the exam centre latest by 3 PM, and leave at the earliest by 4 PM.

The total duration of the NEST 2026 exam is three hours. However, PWD category candidates will get a compensatory 20 minutes for each hour. 

The structure of the NEST 2026 exam is explained in the table below.

NEST 2026 exam will be conducted in 140 cities across India. Applicants will be able to enter three city choices in order of preference. The final decision will be taken by the exam authorities. 

The NEST 2026 exam will be conducted in 140 cities across India. 

Before applying for the NEST 2026, candidates need to keep the following details ready.

• 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.  

The NEST 2026 application fee for different categories of candidates is given in the table below.

The process to fill the NEST 2026 application form 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 with necessary details 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. 

The following table brings the important details related to the NEST 2026 exam.

The NEST 2026 exam is scheduled to be conducted on Saturday, June 6, 2026, from 2 PM to 5 PM.

The NEST 2026 eligibility criteria are given below.

• Candidates should have passed Class 12 Board exam or equivalent in 2024 or 2025.

• Those who will be appearing for the Class 12 Board exam or equivalent in 2026 are also eligible.

• They must have studied at least three subjects among 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), and Persons with Disability (PWD) category candidates, the minimum requirement is 55 per cent.

• There is no age limit.

The last date of the NEST 2026 application process is April 6, 2026, till 11.30 PM.

The NEST entrance exam stands for National Entrance Screening Test. It is conducted once a year for admission to Integrated MSc programmes offered at the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Bhubaneswar and Mumbai University - Department of Atomic Energy Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences (UM-DAE CEBS). 

The table below brings the important dates of NEST 2026.

The exam authorities have not yet released the dates for mock test, answer key and result.

Candidates have to apply for NEST 2026 in online mode on the official website, www.nestexam.in.

The NEST 2026 application form will be released at 10 AM of January 5, 2026. The actual timing has been announced by the exam officials at the time of announcing the important dates for the exam. 

The NEST 2026 application process is scheduled to begin today, January 5, 2026. The application form will be released online on the official website of the NEST exam.