NEST Result 2026: Download Scorecard, Merit List, Rank Card & Percentile Score
National Entrance Screening Test 2026 ( NEST )
NEST 2026 Exam Result
24 Jun '26
NEST 2026 result will be declared on June 24, 2026. The link to check the result of NEST 2026 will be updated online. Candidates have to use their login details to check the NEST result 2026. The authority will release the NEST scorecard for the qualifying candidates On June 25, 2026. NEST exam 2026 was conducted on June 6, 2026.
Candidates can check the result to know their rank and marks obtained. The qualifying candidates will have to participate in the counselling process for admission. NEST merit list 2026 will be prepared based on marks secured. Check the page for more information on NEST result 2026.
- 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.
NEST 2026 Exam Dates & Schedule
Take a look at the table below for the complete schedule of NEST 2026 exam
| Dates | Upcoming Exam Dates |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| Dates | Past Exam Dates |
|---|---|
| 10 Jun ' 26 - 12 Jun ' 26 | NEST 2026 Answer Key Objection |
| 08 Jun ' 26 - 12 Jun ' 26 | NEST 2026 Answer Key |
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.
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.
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.
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.
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