NEST 2026 Eligibility Criteria Explained: Academic, Age Limit and Category Criteria
National Entrance Screening Test 2026 ( NEST )
NEST 2026 Exam Date
6 Jun '26
The NEST 2026 eligibility criteria have been announced by the exam authorities. It mainly pertains to academic background, nationality and age limit. This article of Shiksha discusses in details about every aspect of the NEST 2026 eligibility criteria.
NEST 2026 Eligibility Criteria
NEST 2026 eligibility criteria are available online. Candidates can check the NEST eligibility criteria 2026 to know the minimum conditions to appear for entrance test. Those who fulfilled the eligibility criteria of NEST 2026 were able to apply for the National Entrance Screening Test. The application form for NEST 2026 was available online from January 5 to April 8, 2026. Candidates who have passed 10+2 from a recognised board with Biology, Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics were able to apply online. Check the page for detailed NEST 2026 eligibility criteria.
Also Read: NEST admit card 2026 live update
- NEST 2026 Overview
- NEST 2026 Eligibility Criteria
- NEST Eligibility Criteria 2026 – Additional Guidelines
- NEST Reservation Criteria
- Seat Intake through NEST 2026
- NEST 2026 Exam Pattern
NEST 2026 Overview
NEST is an undergraduate-level entrance exam for Integrated MSc courses offered at NISER Bhubaneswar and UM DAE CEBS.
| Particulars |
Details |
|---|---|
| Exam Name |
National Entrance Screening Test |
| Conducting Body |
NISER Bhubaneswar and UM-DAE CEBS Mumbai |
| Exam Level |
Undergraduate Exam at the National Level |
| Exam Frequency |
Once a Year |
| Mode of Exam |
Online or Computer-Based Test |
| Courses Offered Through Entrance Exam |
Integrated MSc |
| Exam Fees |
INR 1,400 (Male candidates of General and OBC categories) INR 700 (Female candidates of all categories and male candidates of SC, ST and PwD categories) |
| Exam Duration |
3 hours |
| Total Marks |
240 |
| Total Number of Questions |
60 |
| Marking Scheme |
+3 for each correct answer -1 for each wrong answer 0 for unanswered questions |
| Language/Medium of Questions |
English and Hindi |
| Colleges Accepting NEST Score |
2 colleges |
| Total Number of Seats |
261 |
| Number of Exam Cities |
140 |
| Official Website |
https://www.nestexam.in/# |
| Contact Details |
Helpline Number - 0674-2494017 Email - nest-exam@niser.ac.in |
Also Read: NEST application form 2026
Commonly asked questions
For entrance exam since marks from three section are considered hence it can be said that it not compulsory. In the NEST exam your marks will be considered from any of 3 subjects out of Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Mathematics. but if you know basics it will help you to secure marks and for further study during campus classes.
In first year after joining NISER you would be taught basic biology. In fact many students who did not have biology in class 12 and did fairly well in the biology exams during first year.
The NEST 2026 eligibility criteria are defined on both basis age wise as well education wise.
Admissions in NISER, Bhubaneswar and UM-DAE CEBS, Mumbai are done based on a candidate's score in the NEST exam. Candidates who have passed Class 12 from the Science stream are eligible to apply for the NEST exam.
Candidates should pass Class 12 in Science stream from a recognised board in India with at least 60% aggregate marks (55% for SC/ ST/ PWD category candidates). Candidates should have passed Class XII either last year or will pass this year.
There is no age limit to appear for NEST.
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.
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.
NEST 2026 Eligibility Criteria
The NEST 2026 eligibility criteria can be segregated into the following categories.
- Academic Background
- Age Limit
- Candidate Category
Let us check the NEST eligibility criteria in detail for each of the factors.
NEST Eligibility Criteria 2026 – Academic Details
Candidates can check the NEST 2026 eligibility criteria in terms of their academic background.
- Students must have passed Class 12 Board exam or equivalent in 2024, 2025, or are slated to appear in 2026, in the Science stream.
- They should have studied at least three subjects among Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics as core subjects in Class 11 and Class 12.
- The minimum aggregate percentage to be secured in Class 12 Board exam or equivalent is 60 per cent (Unreserved category) or 55 per cent (Reserved category).
NEST Eligibility Criteria 2026 – Age Limit
There is no age limit, either upper or lower, for the NEST 2026 applicants. Even though there is no upper age limit, candidates must not have appeared for their Class 12 Board exam or equivalent before 2024.
Also Read: NEST 2026 exam syllabus
NEST Eligibility Criteria 2026 – Candidate Category
NEST 2026 applicants’ candidate category is important in terms of the aggregate percentage scoring, and for being eligible for compensatory time per hour during the exam.
As mentioned by NISER Bhubaneswar, the category-wise aggregate score of the Class 12 qualifying should be as follows.
| Candidate Category |
Aggregate percentage required for Class 12 |
|---|---|
| General, OBC-NCL, EWS |
60 |
| Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), Persons with Disabilities (PWD) |
55 |
Candidates belonging to PWD or Divyangjan category will be eligible for 20 minutes compensatory time for each hour, as per the Government of India guidelines. Candidates have to enter the disability percentage in order to be eligible for an additional duration during the exam.
NEST Eligibility Criteria 2026 – Additional Guidelines
Here are some additional guidelines regarding the NEST 2026 eligibility criteria, as stated by NISER Bhubaneswar, the exam conducting body.
- The certificate/ provisional certificate declaring the aggregate should be from a single board.
- Boards where only letter grades are available, a certificate from the concerned Board specifying an equivalent percentage of marks is required to be submitted. In the absence of such a certificate, the decision of the admissions committee of the concerned institution will be final.
- Necessary certificates supporting the eligibility criteria have to be furnished only at the time of admission. Admission is subject to verification of all original certificates at the time of admission/counselling. Certificates in support of the eligibility criteria need not be produced for appearing in the NEST 2026 examination.
Also Read: NEST 2026 preparation tips
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.
Candidates seeking admission to NISER and UM–DAE CEBS for the Integrated MSc programme 2026–31 should be from the regular science stream in classes 11 and 12. All aspiring candidates must write the NEST 2026 examination. Candidates must have passed the Class 12 examination from any recognised Board in India in the years 2024 or 2025, or should be appearing for the same in 2026. Candidates who are appearing for the board examination in 2026 must pass it by the time of admission into the programme.
The examination conducting body, NISER and UM-DAE CEBS, will release NEST cutoff marks for the applicants who want to take admission in participating institutes. The cutoff marks for NEST will be released along with the declaration of the result. Applicants securing the cutoff marks of NEST will be eligible to participate in the counselling held by the authorities. Applicants need to secure the passing marks in both the overall and individual categories.
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.
Explore colleges based on NEST
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- Get your personalised list of colleges & exams matching your preferences
NEST Reservation Criteria
The NEST participating institutes follow the reservation criteria for the seats, as per the Government of India guidelines.
| Candidate Category |
Reservation Percentage |
|---|---|
| OBC-NCL |
27% |
| SC |
15% |
| ST |
7.5% |
| PWD/Divyangjan |
5% |
Seat Intake through NEST 2026
The proposed seat intake through NEST 2026 scores at both the participating institutes is given below.
| Category |
NISER Bhubaneswar |
UM DAE CEBS |
|---|---|---|
| Unreserved (UR) |
101 |
23 |
| UR-EWS |
0 |
06 |
| OBC-NCL |
54 |
15 |
| SC |
30 |
09 |
| ST |
15 |
04 |
| PWD |
5% seats in each category (UR)-05; (OBC-NCL)-03; (SC)-02; (ST)-01 |
5% seats in each category |
| Total |
200 |
57 |
| Supernumerary Seats (J&K, Ladakh) |
02 |
02 |
| Total Intake |
202 |
59 |
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NEST 2026 Exam Pattern
The NEST 2026 exam pattern, or structure, is explained in the table below.
| Section |
Number of Questions |
Marks |
|---|---|---|
| I - Biology |
20 |
60 marks |
| II - Chemistry |
20 |
60 marks |
| III - Mathematics |
20 |
60 marks |
| IV - Physics |
20 |
60 marks |
| Total |
80 |
240 |
Each question carries three marks, and there is negative marking for each wrong answer. No marks will be awarded or deducted for unanswered questions. Candidates have to attempt at least three sections or subjects to be eligible for the scoring system.
Only those candidates who will qualify for the NEST 2026 exam will be considered eligible for admission or the NEST counselling process. The participating institutes will conduct their admission process separately.
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered a month 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
Answered a month ago
The process to retrieve the NEST password is mentioned below
- Go to NEST 2026 website.
- Click on the Login link.
- Then click on forget password.
- Provide the user id and click on "Get Password".
- Enter new password.
- Click on the Change Password button.
- Use your new password to log in.
V
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
The following candidates are eligible to apply for NISER 2026.
- Candidates who have completed class 10+2 from a recognised board with at least three out of four disciplines - Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Biology.
- Obtained 60% marks (55% for SC, ST and Divyangjan categories) in aggregate.
V
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
There is no option to get NISER with 60 marks. The safe marks in NEST for NISER admission are 120+ marks.
V
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
The NEST question paper comprises 4 sections, including Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics. Each section carries 20 questions. Each question carries three marks. NEST 2026 total marks are 240.
V
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
The authority releases the NEST answer key online. The answer key is released in pdf formation. The process to download the answer key for NEST 2026 is mentioned below.
- Visit NEST website, nestexam.in.
- Click on the Answer key link
- NEST answer key pdf will appear
V
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
NEST question paper comprises 4 sections. Each section has 20 multiple-choice questions. The questions are based on Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Biology. Each question will comprise 3 marks. Negative marking is done for wrong answers.
V
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
Based on exam analysis, NEST is of a moderate difficulty level. Students whose conceptual knowledge is good can easily crack the exam. To prepare for the test candidates must follow the exam syllabus.
V
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
NEST exam is for admission to 5-year Integrated M.Sc. programme in Biological, Chemical, Mathematical and Physical sciences offered at National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) and the University of Mumbai - Department of Atomic Energy Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences (UM-
V
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
NEST 2026 result date will be announed on the official website. The result is expected to release in the last week of June 2026. NEST result link will be updated on online.
V
Contributor-Level 10