NEST 2026 Admission Process: Exam Date, Registration (Out), Syllabus, Admit Card & More

NEST 2026 Application Process has started on January 5, 2026. The NEST 2026 Exam date is  June 6, 2026, for candidates who want admission to the five-year Integrated MSc programmes in Mathematics, Biology, Physics, and Chemistry. Know the detailed procedure for application, exam pattern, syllabus, admission process, and more here on this page.

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

The NEST 2026 Application Form has been released by the exam conducting body on January 5, at 10 AM. The last date of application is April 6, 2026, 11.30 AM. The application fee has to be paid by April 12, 2026. The NEST 2026 application correction window will be open from April 13 to April 14, 2026. The exam is scheduled to be held on June 6, 2026, from 2 PM to 5 PM. NEST or National Entrance Screening Test is conducted for admission to the five-year Integrated MSc programmes offered at NISER Bhubaneswar and UM-DAE CEBS, Mumbai. NEST is one of the most coveted undergraduate entrance exams for Science stream students.

Those who wish to appear for the NEST 2026 Entrance Exam must go through the eligibility criteria first before applying for the exam. In case the eligibility criteria are not fulfilled for certain students, their candidature will be cancelled. For more details, candidates should go through this page to check out details related to the NEST application process, eligibility criteria, admit card release, and exam pattern. 

Also Read: NEST 2026 Application Form Live Updates

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 NEST Application Process began on January 5, 2026. The detailed procedure is given below.

1. Visit the official website, https://www.nestexam.in/ 
2. Click on 'Register Now' or directly enter the link https://cdn3.digialm.com/EForms/configuredHtml/1834/97119/Registration.html 
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

The NEST 2026 application correction process will be conducted from April 13 to April 14, 2026. Only the registered candidates will be able to edit the application form of NEST 2026 in the selected fields. The fields which will be editable are given below:

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

NEST 2026 Exam Pattern

The exam pattern for the NEST states that it is a computer-based test (CBT) held for three hours. The detailed structure is given below.

NEST 2026 Marking Scheme

The NEST 2026 marking scheme is given below.

• Each question carries three marks
• One mark will be deducted for each wrong answer
• No mark will be 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. Candidates will not be allowed entry or exit to the exam centre after 3 PM and before 4 PM. 

NEST 2026 Syllabus

The NEST 2026 syllabus consists of the NCERT Class 11 and 12 syllabi.

Biology

• Diversity in the Living World
• Cell Structure and Function
• Plant and Human Physiology
• Structural Organisation in Animals & Plants

Physics

• Laws of Motion, Gravitation, Thermodynamics
• Work, Energy, Power, Oscillations, Waves
• Kinematics, Properties of Matter, Kinetic Theory

Chemistry

• Mole Concept, Structure of Atom, Periodic Table
• Chemical Bonding, Thermodynamics, Equilibrium
• Organic Chemistry Basics, Hydrocarbons, Redox Reactions

Mathematics

Class 11

• Sets, Functions, Trigonometry
• Algebra, Binomial Theorem, 3D Geometry
• Calculus, Statistics, Probability

Class 12

• Relations, Matrices, Determinants
• Continuity, Differentiability, Integration
• Vectors, Linear Programming, Differential Equations

Note: Students should know that the changes in the NEST Syllabus are not common, so they must start their preparation for the NEST 2026 Exam based on the syllabus provided here.

Best Books for NEST 2026 Preparation

Here are the best books for NEST 2026 Preparation.

NEST Previous Year Question Papers

Students must focus on solving previous year papers for the NEST Exam for better preparation.

NEST 2026 Admit Card

The NEST 2026 admit card will be out on May 15, 2026, for candidates who successfully filled the NEST 2026 Application form along with the NEST Application fee. Candidates should also carry their admit card along with a valid ID proof to their NEST 2026 exam centre. The process to download the NEST hall ticket is given below.

• Visit the official website of NEST
• Click on the "Download Admit Card" link
• By using the registered user ID and Password, log in.
• Confirm all the information filled in the admit card
• Download the admit card and take a printout for future reference.
• Candidates must contact the exam helpline in case there are any mistakes in their admit card.

NEST 2026 Exam Centres 

NEST exam centres will be located in 140 cities across India. Some of the major cities are given below.

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

NEST 2026 Exam Day Instructions

The NEST 2026 exam day instructions as stated by the conducting body, are given below. 

• Candidates have to report to the NEST exam centre at least an hour before the exam, which is by 1 PM. 
• They must carry the NEST 2026 Admit Card, along with a valid photo identity card issued by the Government of India, inside a transparent folder or pouch. 
• Books, notebooks or stationery items, electronic items, or any other personal belongings such as bags, wallets, keys, food or beverages, etc. will not be allowed inside the exam hall.
• Candidates will be allowed to carry transparent water bottles.

NEST 2026 Answer Key

The NEST 2026 Answer key will be out tentatively in the second week of June. Candidates can challenge the answer key with valid reasoning and an objection fee of INR 200 per question within the given timeline. Based on the objections received on the provisional answer keys, 

NEST 2026 Result

The NEST 2026 Result will be out in the fourth week of June 2026. Students need to use their login credentials to access their scorecards. Here is the procedure to check the NEST 2026 result. 

• Visit the official website of the NEST
• 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.