How to prepare for IAT & NEST: Preparation Tips, Marking Scheme, Syllabus
Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research Entrance Exam 2026 ( IISER Entrance Exam )
IISER Aptitude Test 2026 Hall Ticket
24 May '26 - 7 Jun '26
IISER and NEST are two entrance tests conducted for admission to the integrated programs. Both of them share the same exam syllabus, which makes it easy for students to prepare for them. All they need is a well-planned preparation strategy to study simultaneously. Here we have provided preparation tips, a marking scheme and syllabus for IAT and NEST.
How to prepare for IAT & NEST?
Students appearing for the IISER Aptitude Test (IAT) often appear for the National Entrance Screening Test (NEST). IAT is conducted for BS-MS, BS, and B.Tech programs, while NEST is held for 5 year integrated courses in Biological, Chemical, Mathematical, and Physical Sciences. Those appearing for both exam gets confused in planning a preparation strategy. A planned preparation strategy will help to score marks. Students who wish to know how to prepare for IAT & NEST can refer to this page.
- How to prepare for IAT & NEST: Key Highlights
- How to prepare for IAT & NEST: Preparation Tips
- How to prepare for IAT & NEST: Marking Scheme
- How to prepare for IAT & NEST: Exam Syllabus
How to prepare for IAT & NEST: Key Highlights
| Particulars | Details | |
| IAT | NEST | |
| Exam Name | IISER Aptitude Test | National Entrance Screening Test |
| Mode of exam | Computer-Based Test | Computer-Based Test |
| Exam Duration | Three hours | Three hours |
| Exam Date | June 7, 2026 | June 6, 2026 |
| Frequency of conduct | Once a year | Once a year |
| Official website | iiseradmission.in | nestexam.in |
Commonly asked questions
220+ marks are a good score in IISER. Students must have a proper strategy to score high. They can plan their preparation according to the IISER exam syllabus. Practising previous year question paper and mock test will help in scoring good marks.
Stepwise Preparation for the IISER Entrance Exam
Step 1: Understand the Exam Pattern and Marking Scheme.
Step 2: Get the prescribed Exam syllabus for the applied course.
Step 3: Get all the study material you can to prepare better for the IISER Entrance Exam.
Step 4: Create a day-to-day and weekly timetable on how much material you can study on a daily basis.
How to prepare for IAT & NEST: Preparation Tips
Preparation plays a major role in scoring good marks in the entrance exam. The competition level for both exams is high. Both are conceptually based exams. In a few year the exam level will become similar to the JEE Advanced. The questions asked in the exam are more conceptual based. So it is important for the students to keep their concepts strong. Here are a few preparation tips for IAT & NEST.
- Know the syllabus: A student needs to know what they have to study. To prepare for IAT and NEST simultaneously, compare the syllabi of both exams. Make a list of similar topics and non-similar topics. Then prepare a study timetable.
- Marking Scheme: It is important to know the marking scheme of both exams. In IAT students have to attempt four sections, while in NEST, they have to attempt any three sections PCB or PCM. Also, IISER is conducted for 240 marks, while NEST total mark is 180. This shows that students have to give a little extra effort to IISER. However, NEST is considered tough compared to IAT.
- Gather resources: It is important to have right study material for exam preparation. Class notes, books, previous year questions and mock test are important in the preparation for the exam. Refer to the books mentioned by the toppers. The NCERT textbook is considered the best for preparation.
- Prepare notes: While studying, make notes of formulas, definitions, and concepts. This note will be useful for quick revision. You can carry this note anywhere and make revision when ever required.
- Clear doubts: Students must clear each and every doubt that they have while studying. Seek the help of faculty, coaching teachers, but get your doubts cleared instantly. Don't move further until the doubt is clear.
- Practice Previous Year Question: After preparation, it is important to test knowledge. For this, solving the past year question paper is important. They are helpful in self-assessment and identifying the weak sections. After solving the paper cross-check the answers and then focus on the weaker sections. Regular practice will help in improving the score.
Also Read: NEST 2026 preparation tips
How to prepare for IAT & NEST: Marking Scheme
The marking scheme for the IISER and NEST exam is provided here.
| Particulars | IISER Pattern | NEST Pattern |
| Mode of exam | Computer Based Test | Computer Based Test |
| Types of Questions | Multiple Choice Questions | Multiple Choice Questions |
| Total Sections | 4 sections
|
4 sections
|
| Number of Sections to Attempt | All sections | Any three (PCB or PCM) |
| Total Questions | 60 questions (15 questions in each section) | 60 Questions (each section 20 questions) |
| Total Marks | 240 | 180 |
| Marking Scheme | 4 marks for each question | 3 marks each question |
| Negative Marking | -1 mark for wrong answers | -1 mark for wrong answers |
Also Read:
Commonly asked questions
IISER exam is considered of moderate difficulty level. Majority of students finds Physics, and Mathematics challenging. PCM students may find biology tough while PCB students might find Mathematics tough. However, the difficulty level of IISER compared to JEE Main and Advanced is moderate to easy.
Based on previous year analysis, IAT exam is moderately difficult. It requires strong conceptual knowledge. Students who have prepared properly for exam can easily score good marks.
IISER score 200 or above is a good marks. It can help to get admission to IISER Pune and IISc Bangalore. Candidates must have a good conceptual knowledge, give priority to all four subjects. Prepare for the exam according to the exam syllabus and take mock test to score above 200.
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How to prepare for IAT & NEST: Exam Syllabus
The syllabus for IAT and NEST are similar. There might be a few changes, but the rest are similar. IISER entrance exam and NEST syllabus are available online. Here we have mentioned the topics for exam preparation. The detailed syllabus is available online through the official website of the respective exam.
| Subject | IISER | NEST |
| Biology |
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| Chemistry |
|
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| Mathematics |
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| Physics |
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered a month ago
IISER answer key will be released on June 7, 2026. Candidates can download the answer key online. The answer key challenge window will open on June 9, 2026.
V
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
The IISER exam date is June 7, 2026. The exam will commence at 9 AM and continue till 12 PM. It is a computer-based test.
V
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
IISER score 200 or above is a good marks. It can help to get admission to IISER Pune and IISc Bangalore. Candidates must have a good conceptual knowledge, give priority to all four subjects. Prepare for the exam according to the exam syllabus and take mock test to score above 200.
V
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
Based on previous year analysis, IAT exam is moderately difficult. It requires strong conceptual knowledge. Students who have prepared properly for exam can easily score good marks.
V
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
It is quite difficult for the GEN / OBC category to get admission to IISER with 50 marks. Even the reserved category students have less chance in the later counelling round for admission. To secure admission, students must score above 150 marks.
V
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
IISER exam is considered of moderate difficulty level. Majority of students finds Physics, and Mathematics challenging. PCM students may find biology tough while PCB students might find Mathematics tough. However, the difficulty level of IISER compared to JEE Main and Advanced is moderate to easy.
V
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
The last date to apply for IISER 2026 was April 13, 2026. IAT application form was available on the website, iiseradmission.in.
V
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
IISER 2026 application is available from March 5 to April 13. Eligible candidates can fill the application form online at iiseradmission.in. The process to fill the application form is registration, form filling, and payment of fees.
V
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
IISER Berhampur released the application form for IISER 2026 on March 5, 2026. The registration link is updated on the website, iiseradmission.in.
V
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
IISER 2026 application fee is updated online. The application fee for IISER 2026 is Rs. 2000 (General, EWS, OBC, and OBC-NCL). For other categories, the fee is Rs. 1000.
V
Contributor-Level 10