NEST 2023 Prep Tips: How to Prepare for NEST in 3 Months
National Entrance Screening Test 2024 ( NEST )
The tentative date of NEST 2023 is June 18, and the time is coming close so here we bring preparation tips which students should follow in the last three months before the test.
The National Entrance Screening Test (NEST) is conducted by is conducted jointly by 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), Mumbai, and over 70,000 applicants appear for the national-level entrance exam. Through NEST, candidates can get admission to integrated MSc programmes offered at the two renowned institutes, however, only a handful of students are able to clear the entrance exam, get the desired result and secure admission in the programme applied for.
Know how to prepare for NEST 2023 for the last coming months before the exam, what all points one must cover, the prep books one must purchase, the details one must keep in mind in order to prepare well for NEST 2023.
Explore colleges based on NEST
- Chat with our counselor
- Get your personalised list of colleges & exams matching your preferences
The NEST Exam Highlights are as follows:
| Exam Name |
National Entrance Screening Test |
| Exam Frequency |
Once a year |
| Exam Mode |
Online |
| Exam Duration |
3 hours 30 minutes |
| Test Takers |
Approx. 70,000 |
| Accepting Colleges |
|
| Official Website |
www.nestexam.in |
Step Wise Preparation for NEST 2023
Step 1: Know the NEST syllabus thoroughly.
Step 2: Understand the NEST exam pattern and marking scheme and prepare accordingly.
For each section, "20% 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 Chemistry section is 43 out of 50, then SMAS for the Chemistry section would be 43*0.20 = 8.6 marks. It will be same for other section too.
SMAS for the two sessions, for any particular section, can be of different numerical values. The value of SMAS will be different for different category students i.e if it 100 for General candidates then it will be 90 for OBC and 50 for SC/ST and Divyangjan applicants.
Step 3: Get all the study material for NEST such as prep books and previous years question papers to help better understand what to expect in the exam.
Step 4: Create a monthly time-table on how much material to cover on a daily basis.
Explore more Science exams with upcoming dates
1 Jan '26
1 Dec '25 - 14 Jan '26
5 Jan '26 - 31 Jan '26
28 Feb '26
1 Mar '26 - 24 Mar '26
30 Apr '26 - 18 Jun '26
2 Dec '24 - 19 Aug '26
1 Dec '25
24 Mar '26
Step 5: Solve question papers, sample papers and mock tests.
Know the NEST Course Syllabus
To perform well in NEST, one has to thoroughly go through the syllabus. Aspirants need to strategize their plans on a monthly, weekly and daily basis. There is no success without hard work and in order to qualify for the entrance exam, candidates can prepare better by knowing which topics to cover in-depth and which require superficial knowledge.
Go through Prep books
In order to perform well in NEST, make a list of books which you can study from for the entrance exam. Candidates are advised to purchase at least two to three prep books, depending on the course applied for. The books can help aspirants determine which topics to cover and study along with what to expect for the entrance exam.
Prepare a Time Table
With three months in hand, one needs to make a time table on what topics to cover when, which subjects requires high priority and how much to cover on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. Revise the syllabus and content, attempt as many question papers, mock papers and previous years question papers to better help prepare. Through this, a candidate can have a fair idea of what to expect in the entrance exam.
Solve sample papers and Mock tests
The best way for a candidate to know their strengths and weakness is by solving question papers, sample papers and mock tests. Through this, candidates can also figure out the best approach to be followed when they head out to attempt the actual NEST question paper. From formulating time management to understanding the format of the paper, solving sample papers can help candidates prepare better for the entrance exam.
Refer to Past Year’s Question Papers
A great way to know the exam pattern and marking scheme is by solving the last five years question papers. Through the previous questions, candidates can understand which subjects are given high importance and topics which can help the aspirant score better in the exam.
Books for NEST Preparation
Candidates must refer the best study material to prepare for each section of NEST 2023. Listed below are some books considered best for NEST 2023 that cover the entire syllabus and, will be helpful to prepare the examination in last months:
| Subject |
Books for NEST 2023 preparation |
|---|---|
| Section A - General section |
NEST Exam Guide by SURABOOKS experts |
| Section B - Biology |
Objective Biology by Dinesh |
| Section C - Chemistry |
Objective Chemistry by RPH Editorial |
| Section D - Mathematics |
Objective Mathematics by RD Sharma |
| Section E - Physics |
Objective Physics by DC Pandey |
Read More:
News & Updates
Explore Other Exams
16 Aug '25 - 19 Aug '25 | IISER 2025 Round 4 Seat Allotm... |
8 Aug '25 - 12 Aug '25 | IISER 2025 Round 3 Seat Allotm... |
5 Jan '26 | IIT JAM 2026 Admit Card |
15 Feb '26 | IIT JAM 2026 Exam Day |
Jul '25 | ITM NEST 2025 Result Date |
Jun '25 | ITM NEST 2025 Exam date |
14 Dec '25 | TIFR GS 2026 Exam |
Jan '26 | TIFR GS Final Answer |
21 Nov '25 | ICAR AIEEA PG 2025 Final Round... |
21 Nov '25 | ICAR AIEEA PG 2025 Final Round... |
14 Nov '25 - 14 Dec '25 | PU CET (UG) 2026 Application F... |
16 Dec '25 | PU CET (UG) 2026 Registration ... |
21 May '23 - 8 Jun '23 | BHU CUET 2023 exam days |
18 May '23 - 3 Jun '23 | BHU CUET 2023 admit card |
Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 2 weeks 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 2 weeks ago
The NEST exam was conducted on July 10, 2025, on the official portal of NEST. The National level exam, NEST, was held on June 22, 2025. This exam is conducted once a year. The exam result was declared after a few days, when the NEST answer Key objection window was 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
Answered a month ago
The NEST 2025 Counselling for round 1 started on July 11, 2025, for those students who qualified the NEST Entrance exam. The last date for all the selected students to submit their expression of interest (EoI) was July 16, 2025.
I
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
Dear reader,
Taking admission at LPU is a great choice. LPUNEST is their own entrance and scholarship exam.
The candidate's merit rank on the test and the courses and specializations they selected during the online preference submission are the main factors used to assign seats for LPU NEST counselin
A
Contributor-Level 9
The NEST merit list will be prepared by taking into account the best scores from three subjects. The total marks for which NEST 2024 exam will be conducted is 200.
Since each section carries 50 maximum marks, hence the final merit list be prepared out of 150 marks. The NEST cutoff marks will be prepared from this 150 marks only.