NEST 2026 Admission Process: Answer Key (OUT), Result (June 24), Score Card & Counselling

NISER & CEBS have successfully conducted the NEST 2026 exam. The authority declared NEST 2026 result on June 24, 2026. Candidates can check the page for information regarding NEST results, counselling dates, and more.

NEST 2026 Admission Process: Application, Exam Date, Syllabus, Admit Card & More

NEST 2026 exam: NISER and CEBS declared NEST 2026 result on June 24, 2026. The link to check result is updated online. Candidates can check their result through the login portal. Moreover, the NEST scorecard will be released on June 25, 2026. The authority conducted NEST exam 2026 on June 6, 2026. Candidates can check the page for information regarding the National Eligibility Screening Test (NEST), result, and counselling.

Also Read: NEST 2026 result Live Updates

NEST 2026 Result

The authority has activated the NEST result link on the website, nestexam.in. Candidates need to keep their login details handy to check the result. The process to check NEST result 2026 is mentioned below. 

• Go to the NEST website.
• Click on the NEST 2026 Scorecard tab.
• Enter NEST 2026 Roll Number or Application Number and password.
• Check and download the NEST 2026 scorecard in PDF format and take prints.

Candidates who qualify the NEST exam 2026 will be considered for the counselling process.

NEST 2026 Exam Highlights

Here we present the highlights of the information related to the NEST Entrance Exam 2026.

NEST 2026 Important Dates

Here are some of the NEST 2026 important dates related to the admission process for the NEST academic session 2026-27.

NEST 2026 Eligibility Criteria

Candidates should go through the NEST Eligibility Criteria before they appear for the NEST 2026 Exam.

• Educational Qualification: Candidates who passed their Class 12 Board exam in 2024 or 2025 are eligible to appear for the exam. Those who are slated to take the exam in 2026 are also eligible.
• Minimum Marks: Candidates who belong to the General/OBC category should get 60 per cent marks aggregate, and candidates who belong to the SC/ST/PwD category must get 55 per cent marks.
• Subjects: Students must have studied at least three out of four subjects among Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics in their Classes 11 and 12.
• Age Limit: There is no age limit to appear for the NEST 2026 exam.

 NEST 2026 Application Process

The authority has closed the NEST registration portal. The application form was available online at nestexam.in. Those who have passed 10+2 from a recognised board were able to apply for the entrance. NEST application process is registration, form filling, uploading documents and payment of application fees. The process to fill the application form of NEST is mentioned below.

1. Go to NEST 2026 website, nestexam.in
2. Click on 'Register Now' or directly enter the link
3. Candidates have to register using a valid email ID and mobile number.
4. Students need to fill out their academic and personal details. 
5. Students need to upload their scanned photo and signature. 
6. Submit the NEST application fee in online mode. 
7. Candidates need to select three exam cities for NEST 2026.
8. Students need to submit and save a copy of the application form for future use. 

NEST 2026 Application Fees

The NEST 2026 application fee for each category and gender is given below.

NEST 2026 Application Correction Window

NISER and UM-DAE CEBS closed the NEST form correction window. Registered candidates could make the necessary changes in the form from April 18 to 16. The correction was allowed for selected fields only. Below is the list of editable fields.

• Name
• Gender
• Date of Birth
• Exam City Choice
• Question Paper Medium

NEST 2026 Exam Pattern

The authority released the NEST 2026 exam pattern online. Candidates can check the NEST exam pattern 2026 to know the marking scheme, mode of exam, duration of exam, types of question, total questions, total marks, etc. Check the table for the NEST exam pattern 2026.

NEST 2026 Marking Scheme

The NEST 2026 marking scheme is given below.

• Each question carries three marks.
• One mark is deducted for each wrong answer.
• No mark is deducted for questions left unattempted.

Students have to attempt at least three sections out of four to be eligible for the scoring system. PWD category candidates will be provided a compensatory duration of 20 minutes per hour, as per the Government of India guidelines.

NEST 2026 Syllabus

The authority has released the NEST exam syllabus 2026 online. Candidates can check the NEST syllabus pdf to know the list of topics for exam preparation. The syllabus of NEST is based on Class 11 & 12 Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Biology. Check the table for NEST 2026 exam syllabus.

Best Books for NEST 2026 Preparation

Books are a good resource for conceptual knowledge. Candidates preparing for the NEST 2026 exam must focus on NCERT Class 11 & 12 books for exam preparation. It is most recommended books by the toppers. Other than the NCERT test book for NEST preparation, here we have mentioned a list of books.

NEST 2026 Answer Key

The final answer key of NEST 2026 is available now. Candidates can download the answer key PDF online. They can use the answer key to cross-check their responses using the response sheet. NEST response sheet was released on June 10, 2026. Candidates were allowed to challenge the answer key with valid reasoning and an objection fee of INR 200 per question within the given timeline.

NEST Previous Year Question Papers

Candidates can find the link to the NEST question paper pdf here. These are previous-year question papers. Students can use them for exam preparation and self-assessment. Solving the previous year NEST question paper help to get familiar with the exam difficulty level, identify high-weightage topics, and most repeated topics. 

NEST 2026 Exam Centres 

NEST exam centre 2026 list is available online. Candidates can check the NEST 2026 exam centre list to know the names of cities where the entrance test will be held. NEST 2026 exam will be held in 387 cities across India. Here we have mentioned some major cities' names.

• Delhi
• Mumbai
• Pune
• Chennai
• Guntur
• Shillong
• Shimla
• Udaipur
• Chandigarh
• Bhopal
• Agra
• Patna
• Jabalpur
• Surat
• Rajkot
• Hamirpur
• Aligarh
• Tirupati
• Bhatinda
• Gwalior

NEST 2026 Admit Card

Candidates were able to download NEST admit card 2026 online. The link to download the admit card was available on the website, nestexam.in. Candidates had to provide their login credentials to download the admit card. After downloading the admit card, check all printed details on it. The process to download the NEST 2026 admit card is mentioned below.

• Go to NEST website. 
• Click on the "Download Admit Card" link
• By using the registered user ID and Password, log in.
• Confirm all the information mentioned in the admit card
• Download the admit card and take a printout for future reference.
• Candidates must contact the exam helpline if there are any errors in their admit card.

NEST 2026 Exam Day Instructions

Candidates who are appearing for the NEST exam 2026 need to follow the exam day guidelines. The authority has mentioned the NEST important guidelines 2026 on the admit card. Candidates must follow the guidelines to avoid any unwanted issues on exam day. Here we have mentioned a few important NEST 2026 exam day instructions.

• Report to the exam centre an hour before the exam.
• Carry NEST admit card 2026 and a valid photo id to the exam centre.
• Avoid carry prohibited items.
• Avoid carrying mobile, electronic gadgets, smart watch, Bluetooth devices.
• Follow the instructions of the invigilator.
• Do not engage in any kind of malpractice.

NEST 2026 Result

The authority will release the NEST 2026 Result on June 24, 2026. Students need to use their login credentials to access their scorecards. Here is the procedure to check the NEST 2026 result. 

• Go to the NEST website.
• Click on the NEST 2026 Scorecard tab.
• Enter NEST 2026 Roll Number or Application Number and password.
• Check and download the NEST 2026 scorecard in PDF format and take prints.

Only those who qualify for the NEST Result will be eligible for the NEST 2026 Counselling process.

NEST 2026 Counselling

The counselling process will likely begin in July, after the results and cutoff for NEST 2026 are declared. All the selected candidates need to visit the official website to register themselves because only those who qualified for the NEST Entrance Exam will be eligible for the NEST 2026 Counselling Process.

• Candidates must register online by visiting the official website. 
• Then they need to fill in their choice.
• Then, candidates need to provide documents for verification
• At last, the candidates will get their seats for their preferred courses based on their NEST Rank and seat availability.

Scholarship Opportunities at NISER and CEBS

Candidates who wish to get admission to NISER or UM-DAE CEBS must go for the DISHA Programme by the Department of Atomic Energy. Candidates who get selected for this scholarship will receive up to INR 60,000 annually. Also, those students who are exceptional can get direct interviews at BARC.