How to Fill NEST 2026 Application Form: Process, Fees and Documents

National Entrance Screening Test 2026 ( NEST )

DeskCalelnderRegistration - 5 Jan '26 - 6 Apr '26

Sreetama Datta
Sreetama Datta Roy
Manager Content
Updated on Feb 1, 2026 13:54 IST
The NEST 2026 application process is underway from January 5, and the last date is April 6. The NEST application process is completely online. Students who are yet to fill up the form should read this article on Shiksha brings the step by step process on how to fill NEST 2026 application form.

The NEST 2026 application process is underway from January 5, and the last date is April 6. The NEST application process is completely online. Students who are yet to fill up the form should read this article on Shiksha brings the step by step process on how to fill NEST 2026 application form.

How to Fill NEST 2026 Application Form

How to Fill NEST 2026 Application Form

The NEST 2026 application process is underway from January 5, and the last date is April 6. Conducted for the admission to NISER Bhubaneswar and University of Mumbai, Department of Atomic Energy, Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences (UM-DAE CEBS). Students planning to apply for the NEST 2026 exam must not wait till the last moment to complete the process.

The NEST application process is completely online. Students who are yet to fill up the form should read this article on Shiksha brings the step by step process on how to fill NEST 2026 application form. Along with that, students can also know about the other important elements of the exam.

Table of contents
  • NEST 2026 Overview
  • Pre-requisites to Fill NEST 2026 Application Form
  • How to Fill NEST 2026 Application Form
  • NEST 2026 Application Form Instructions
  • NEST 2026 Registration Process
  • Details to be Filled in NEST 2026 Application Form
  • NEST 2026 Application Fee Payment
View More

NEST 2026 Overview

The following table brings the key details about the NEST 2026 exam.

Particulars

Details

Exam Name

National Entrance Screening Test

Conducting Body

NISER Bhubaneswar and UM-DAE CEBS Mumbai

Exam Level

Undergraduate Exam at the National Level

Exam Frequency

Once a Year

Mode of Exam

Online or Computer-Based Test

Courses Offered Through Entrance Exam

Integrated MSc

Exam Fees

INR 1,400 (Male candidates of General and OBC categories)

INR 700 (Female candidates of all categories and male candidates of SC, ST and PwD categories)

Exam Duration

3 hours 

Total Marks

240

Total Number of Questions

60

Marking Scheme

+3 for each correct answer

-1 for each wrong answer

0 for unanswered questions

Language/Medium of Questions

English and Hindi

Colleges Accepting NEST Score

2 colleges

Total Number of Seats

261

Number of Exam Cities

140

Official Website

https://www.nestexam.in/# 

Contact Details

Helpline Number - 0674-2494017

Email - nest-exam@niser.ac.in

Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   How many exam centres need to be filled while filling the NEST application form?
A: 

Applicants are allowed to fill the three exam city choices while filling the application form of NEST exam. NEST 2026 will be conducted in 140 cities. Candidates have to enter the city names as per their preferential order, near their present address.

Q:   How many exam cities can be chosen while filling the NEST 2026 application form?
A: 

NEST 2026 exam will be conducted in 140 cities across India. Applicants have to select 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.

 

Q:   When will the NEST application form 2026 release?
A: 

The NEST 2026 application form has been released on January 5. The last date is April 6. The application process is completely online. The application correction facility will be provided from April 13 to April 14.

Pre-requisites to Fill NEST 2026 Application Form

Before starting the NEST registration and application process, candidates have to keep the following resources and information ready.

  • A properly functioning desktop or laptop computer system
  • Stable internet connection
  • Compatible internet browsers - Mozilla Firefox (94 to 113), Chrome (88 to 113), Microsoft Edge (88 to 113)
  • The NEST 2026 application form is compatible to mobile operating systems – Android (version 4.0 and above), and iOS (version 9 and above)
  • Active mobile number and email address
  • Class 10 Board Exam Roll Number or Registration Number
  • Scanned copy of photograph and signature
  • Payment mode details and credentials
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How to Fill NEST 2026 Application Form

Now we come to the important section of the article, how to fill the NEST 2026 application form.

  • Visit the official website, i.e. nestexam.in
  • Click on the tab Register Now or directly click on the link - https://cdn3.digialm.com/EForms/configuredHtml/1834/97119/Registration.html
  • Read the instructions carefully
  • 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.
Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   How can I get seat in CEBS Mumbai?
A: 

Department of Atomic Energy Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences, Mumbai University offers seats to the candidates based on their entrance exam score. The college shortlists candidates for integrated MSc programme based on NEST score. Besides, candidates who have qualified GATE, UGC NET, CSIR NET or ICMR JRF can get admission in the PhD course. Once the candidates are selected, they need to pay a course fee to confirm their seat in the institute.

Q:   How can I get admission in NISER Bhubaneswar?
A: 

Candidates must first register for NISER Bhubaneshar admission. Aspirants must apply with an application fee for NEST. There is no application fee for PhD programme. The institute selects candidates for Integrated BSc + MSc course based on NEST score. National Entrance Screening Test (NEST) is conducted jointly by 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). For PhD programme, admission is based on GATE, JEST, GPAT, CSIR NET,  ICMR JRF score.

Q:   What is the application fee for NEST exam?
A: 

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.

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NEST 2026 Application Form Instructions

Prior to starting the NEST 2026 registration process, candidates should go through the instructions carefully.

  1. Fields marked with * are mandatory
  2. Fill in the details and click on Register to proceed
  3. Please read the Prospectus carefully before registering
  4. After successful registration you will receive User ID and Password to the registered Mobile number and Email ID.
  5. Mobile Number and Email ID can be used only once.
  6. Login link will be sent to the registered Email ID.
  7. Click on the login link to fill the application.

NEST 2026 Registration Process

The first step of the NEST 2026 application process is to register for the exam. To register, candidates have to fill in the following information.

  • Applicant Full Name, as mentioned in Class 10 Board exam admit card
  • Date of Birth (in DD/MM/YY format)
  • Class 10 Roll Number or Registration Number
  • Year of Passing Class 10 (select from dropdown menu)
  • Gender
  • Mobile Number
  • Email ID
  • Enter the OTP sent on the registered email address
  • Read the declaration and click on ‘I Agree’ checkbox
  • Enter the captcha
  • Click on Reverify

The registration credentials will be sent to candidates’ email addresses. This also acts as the registration confirmation.

Details to be Filled in NEST 2026 Application Form

After completing the registration process, candidates have to log in with their Application Number and password. After that, the application form will open. The basic personal information will be auto-filled, which were entered during the registration process.

The NEST 2026 application form will be divided into the following sections:

  • Personal Details
  • Qualification Details
  • Document Upload and
  • Fee Payment

Now, we will see the information to be entered in each of these sections.

Personal Details

The following information are to be entered in this section of the NEST application form 2026.

  • Father’s/Mother’/Spouse’s Name
  • Category
  • Are you from J&K Domicile?
  • Have you appeared/appearing 12th Standard in J & K/Ladakh?
  • Status of Physical Disability, if yes, then category and scribe requirement
  • Details of guardian – Name, relationship, and mobile number
  • Present and Permanent Address

Qualification Details

In this section, applicants have to enter Class 10 and Class 12 Board exam details. The information to be entered are as follows:

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

Document Upload

This section includes two sub-sections, exam city selection and document upload. Candidates have to select three exam cities in preferred order. The NEST 2026 exam centre will be allotted based on the preferences. “Students will be allotted as per their 1st preference as far as possible. However in case of unavailability of nodes in the City of 1st Preference, 2nd and then 3rd choices will be considered. In extreme cases, candidates will be allotted to the nearby available centres. The centres printed on the admit card will be final,” authorities have stated.

Documents to be uploaded

The following table brings the list of documents to be uploaded along with the format and sizes.

Document Type

File Size

File Format

Photograph

Up to 200 KB

JPG or JPEG

Signature

Up to 200 KB

JPF or JPEG

J&K Domicile Certificate (if applicable)

Up to 80 KB

PDF

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NEST 2026 Application Fee Payment

The final step is to pay the NEST 2026 application fee. The category-wise fee is given below.

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/ category candidates

700

The fee has to be paid through online mode only, which is Credit Card, Debit Card, Net Banking and UPI modes.

After successful payment of fees, candidates will get confirmation through email. They are advised to save a take printout of the same till the admission process is over. The NEST 2026 exam will be conducted on June 6, 2026.

Read More:

NEST 2026 Documents Required
NEST 2026 Application Fee

NEST 2026 Eligibility Criteria

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About the Author
author-image
Sreetama Datta Roy
Manager Content
Sreetama Datta Roy is a journalist working in the Education beat, with over 15 years of work experience. A postgraduate in English Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi. At Shiksha, s
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Student Forum

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Write here...

Answered a week ago

The authority releases the NEST answer key online. The answer key is released in pdf formation. The process to download the answer key for NEST 2026 is mentioned below.

  • Visit NEST website, nestexam.in.
  • Click on the Answer key link
  • NEST answer key pdf will appear

V

Vikash Kumar Vishwakarma

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a week ago

NEST question paper comprises 4 sections. Each section has 20 multiple-choice questions. The questions are based on Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Biology. Each question will comprise 3 marks. Negative marking is done for wrong answers.

V

Vikash Kumar Vishwakarma

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a week ago

Based on exam analysis, NEST is of a moderate difficulty level. Students whose conceptual knowledge is good can easily crack the exam. To prepare for the test candidates must follow the exam syllabus.

V

Vikash Kumar Vishwakarma

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a week ago

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-

...Read more

V

Vikash Kumar Vishwakarma

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a week ago

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.

V

Vikash Kumar Vishwakarma

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a week ago

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.

V

Vikash Kumar Vishwakarma

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a week ago

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. 

V

Vikash Kumar Vishwakarma

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a week ago

Candidates can appear three times in a consecutive year for NEST. If you passed Class 12 in 2024, you are eligible to appear for NEST in 2024, 2025, and 2026.

V

Vikash Kumar Vishwakarma

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a week ago

NEST exam is conducted for three hours. The exam time is 2 PM to 5 PM. National Entrance Screeing Test is computer based.

V

Vikash Kumar Vishwakarma

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a week ago

Candidates appearing for NEST exam need to carry admit card and a valid photo id on the exam day. Rest items are prohibited. Check the NEST admit card for prohibited items.

V

Vikash Kumar Vishwakarma

Contributor-Level 10