NEST 2026 expected cut off: Check SMAS, MAP, & Marks vs Rank
National Entrance Screening Test 2026 ( NEST )
CEBS Counselling: Second Round Merit List
21 Jul '26
Candidates can check the NEST 2026 expected cutoff here. This will help them to understand what marks are required to secure admission to the participating institutes. Obtaining marks is not enough; students will also have to score SMAS and MAP.
NEST expected cutoff 2026
NEST 2026 expected cutoff: Candidates who have appeared for NEST exam can check the expected cutoff for NISER and CEBS on this page. NEST expected cutoff will help to understand what marks a student needs to obtain to be eligible for the admission process. Every year, NISER and CEBS are increasing the difficulty level of National Entrance Screening Test (NEST). Students have to focus more on scoring higher marks to increase their chance of admission.
Also Check: NEST 2026 Result LIVE UPDATES
Moreover, students also have to score minimum marks in each section (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics / Biology. They also have to score above admissible percentile.
NEST 2026 exam was held on June 6, 2026. Candidates must focus on their NEST preparation to score higher marks. In this article, we will check the NEST expected cutoff 2026, marks vs rank and minimum section score and admissible percentile.
Also Read: NEST 2026 question paper with answer key
NEST Cutoff
Check NEST 2026 expected cutoff to know the minimum marks for NISER and CEBS.
Also Read: NEST 2026 Exam Live: Exam Day Guidelines, Analysis and Marks vs Rank
- NEST 2026 Expected Cutoff
- Factors Determining NEST Cutoff 2026
- NEST 2026 SMAS and MAP Marks
- NEST 2026 Marks vs Rank (Expected)
NEST 2026 Expected Cutoff
Candidates can check here NEST cutoff 2026 for various categories. These are the expected cutoff marks and will vary for each category. We have considered previous year cutoff trends to prepare the NEST expected cutoff marks.
| Category | NISER | CEBS |
| GEN | 95+ | 98+ |
| OBC | 80+ | 90+ |
| SC | 55+ | 65+ |
| ST | 45+ | 50+ |
| JK | 85+ | 90+ |
Also Read: NEST 2026 important topics
Commonly asked questions
Applicants who want to take admission in NISER and are from General category need to secure the passing marks in their category.
Since general category cut off marks are higher than other categories hence applicants who belong to this category need to put more effort to take admission.
This year NEST cut off marks for general category for NISER are in between 80 to 90 marks. Though final marks will be decided after the conlusion of the exam.
Applicants who want to take admission in NISER needs to secure the passing marks decided by the authorities for this. The NISER cut off marks can be less than or equall to cut off marks for CEBS.
Since last year passing criteria has been changed hence applicants need to just secure passing marks in any of three subjects. Candidates scoring equal to and above the MAP and in SMAS in three sections will qualify for NISER through NEST exam.
The examination conducting body, NISER and UM-DAE CEBS, released NEST cutoff marks for the applicants who want to take admission in participating institutes. The cutoff marks for NEST are released along with the declaration of the result. Candidates whose score in NEST exam is equal or above the cutoff marks will be considered for the counselling process.
The MAP is the overall cut off percentile obtained by the candidates in the NEST exam. The highest MAP is 100th percentile. It is different for different categories. As 95 percentile for the General category, 90 percentile for OBC category and 75 percentile for SC/ ST/ Divyangjan category students.
Applicants need to secure the cutoff marks from the category they belong to; otherwise, they won't be able to pass the exam.
Factors Determining NEST Cutoff 2026
The following factors are considered while preparing the NEST cutoff marks.
- Number of applicant appeared for the NEST exam 2026.
- Number of qualifying students.
- Total number of seats available in the participating institutes.
- Exam difficulty level.
NEST 2026 SMAS and MAP Marks
Candidates appearing for the NEST 2026 exam will have to score SMAS and MAP marks to qualify the test. They will have to obtain a minimum section-wise score and admissible score to be considered for the NEST 2026 counselling process. The complete details on SMAS and MAP marks are mentioned below.
Also Read: NEST exam analysis 2026
Section-Wise Minimum Admissible Score (SMAS) for NEST
In the NEST question paper, there are 4 sections, and each section has 20 questions. For every section, a minimum admissible score will be decided. This score varies for all sections. Candidates will have to score above the minimum admissible score in each section. The authority will consider the score of the best three sections. SAMS 2026 score is mentioned below.
| Subject Category | UR/UR-Divyang | OBC/OBC-Divyang |
SCST/SCST-Divyang
|
| Biology | 8.83/8.39 | 7.95/7.50 | 4.41/3.97 |
| Chemistry | 11.26/10.70 | 10.14/9.57 | 5.63/5.07 |
| Mathematics | 9.63/9.15 | 8.67/8.19 | 4.82/4.33 |
| Physics | 9.44/8.97 | 8.49/8.02 | 4.72/4.25 |
Minimum Admissible Percentile (MAP) for NEST
To be considered in the NEST merit list, candidates will have to score equal or above the minimum admissible percentile (MAP). This percentile score will vary for each category. Candidates can check the MAP for NEST 2026 below.
| Category | MAP for NEST 2026 |
| GEN | 95 percentile |
| OBC | 90 percentile |
| SC/ST/Divyangjan | 75 percentile |
Also Read: NEST 2026 question paper
Commonly asked questions
A candidate is required to score equal to or above a total Minimum Admissible Percentile (MAP) to get a merit rank. The minimum admissible percentile score varies for different category candidates. For general category applicants need to score 95 percentile marks in NEST exam.
The category wise MAP is mentioned below:
| Category | MAP Marks (in Percentile) |
|---|---|
| General | 95 |
| OBC | 90 |
| SC/ST and Divyangjan | 75 |
Students who score less than the MAP would neither be allotted any merit rank nor be eligible for admission even though he/she secure SMAS in all sections.
Besides, top performers at NISER and UM-DAE CEBS, securing overall grades above a certain threshold at the end of the programme, are eligible to appear directly for the interview for admission to the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) training school.
The MAP is the cutoff percentile overall obtained by the candidates in NEST. The highest MAP is 100th percentile, and for each category, it is 95 percentile for the General category, 90 percentile for OBC category and 75 percentile for SC/ ST/ Divyangjan categories. Applicants are advised to secure the qualifying marks as well as the overall marks to pass the NEST exam.
The NEST cutoff marks for session I, for NISER Bhubaneswar are mentioned below:
| Subject Category | UR/UR-Divyang | OBC/OBC-Divyang | SCST/SCST-Divyang |
| Biology | 8.83/8.39 | 7.95/7.50 | 4.41/3.97 |
| Chemistry | 11.26/10.70 | 10.14/9.57 | 5.63/5.07 |
| Mathematics | 9.63/9.15 | 8.67/8.19 | 4.82/4.33 |
| Physics | 9.44/8.97 | 8.49/8.02 | 4.72/4.25 |
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NEST 2026 Marks vs Rank (Expected)
Candidates can check the NEST marks vs rank to know the probable rank based on marks obtained in the exam. Knowing marks vs rank, students can know the chance of getting admission in their preferred institute. They will have to obtain 155+ marks for a higher rank. Here we have provided the NEST 2026 expected marks vs rank.
NEST 2026 marks vs rank for GEN category
| Marks | Rank |
| 180-160 | 1-10 |
| 160-140 | 1-50 |
| 140-120 | 51-100 |
| 120-100 | 101-200 |
| 100-90 | 201-350 |
| 90-80 | 351-550 |
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 3 weeks ago
NEST 2026 result was declared on June 24, 2026. The result applies only to the current academic year 2026-27.
V
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 4 weeks ago
No, NEST exam is conducted once a year. NEST 2026 exam was conducted on June 6, 2026. The exam timing was 2 PM to 5 PM.
V
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
In such a situation, you have to prioritise which exam you want to appear for. You might have prepared for months for the exam. Based on your preparation, you have to decide which exam you can easily qualify for and get admission to the desired course and college.
V
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
The rank needed to get a seat at this institution would depend on the category you belong to and the round you are applying in.
According to the NISER Bhubaneshwar NEST cutoff 2025 for the General AI category, the maximum cutoff accepted was 1972. Students can see the table below to know the maximum
N
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
The total marks for NEST exam is 240 marks. However, the exam authority will consider marks out of 180 to prepare the merit list.
V
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
Candidates can calculate their NEST scoring based on marking scheme. NEST questions will carry 3 marks per answer. Negative marking is done for wrong answers.
Total Marks = 3 * Correct Answers - Wrong Answers
V
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
The process for downloading the NEST response sheet PDF is mentioned below.
- Go to NEST 2026 website, nestexam.in
- Click on Login button
- Enter the application no./login Id and password
- Click on the NEST response sheet
V
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
Students can check the NEST answer key through login portal. They will have to provide their application number / login ID, and password to download NEST 2026 answer key.
V
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
Yes, the NEST response sheet was released on June 10, 2026, alongwith the answer key. Students can check their NEST response sheet through the login portal.
V
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
Yes, Nest Academy of Sports Management (NASM) is a good college. The flagship programmes available at the college are Masters in Sports Management & Bachelor / Bachelor (Hons.) of Sports Management. The college provides good placements to students.
L
Contributor-Level 10