NEST 2025: Exam Shift, Dress Code, Marking Scheme and Guidelines

NEST 2025 Exam is going to be held on June 22, 2025, between 9:00 am to 12:30 pm. Candidates who are going to appear for the exam must go through this Shiksha article to check details related to the NEST seat availability at NISER and CEBS, Dress Code, Exam Shift, important instructions, and marking scheme.

NEST 2025: Exam Shift, Dress Code, Marking Scheme and Guidelines

NEST 2025 Exam will be held on June 22, 2025, from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm. This exam is conducted for applicants across the country to be able to get admission to NISER Bhubaneswar and UM-DAE CEBS Mumbai. The NEST Entrance Exam is conducted for candidates who wish to get quality education in basic sciences at India's leading institutes. Students must go through the entire article to know details related to the seat availability at CEBS and NISER, dress code, exam shift, marking scheme and important instructions and more. 

NEST 2025 Exam Shift

According to the information available on the official website, the NEST Exam is going to be held in one shift. The NEST exam is going to be held between 9:00 am to 12:30 pm on June 22, 2025. If we go through the information available in the NEST 2025 Information Brochure, there is no information regarding another shift or exam timing. 

Download Now: NEST 2025 Information Brochure

Examination Guidelines for NEST 2025

Here are the NEST Important instructions candidates must remember to follow on the day of the exam and even afterwards during the NEST Admission process. 

• Students must visit the NEST Exam centre at least 60 minutes before the scheduled time, i.e. 9:30 am.
• The NEST 2025 Exam is going to start at 9:00, and the total exam duration is 3 hours and 30 minutes.
• Once the exam starts, no candidates will be allowed into the examination hall.
• Candidates can leave the examination hall till 11:00 am only if there is a medical emergency.
• Students should not carry log tables and calculators inside the examination hall.
• Students must bring their pens and pencils because sharing with other students is not allowed.
• Carrying the NEST 2025 Admit Card along with a valid school photo ID or a Government-issued photo ID is mandatory on the day of the NEST Exam.
• If a student is found using unfair means, he/she will be removed from the hall.
• Any electronic gadgets, such as a mobile phone, are not allowed inside the exam premises.

For Divyangjan Category Candidates

Go through the following guidelines as well to know instructions related to Divyangjan candidates.

• NEST will obey the Government of India’s guidelines related to the scribes for Divyangjan candidates. Candidates must visit https://disabilityaffairs.gov.in/ for all details.
• Applicants are allowed 20 minutes more per hour during the exam time as per the guidelines.
• Applicants who require a scribe are allowed to bring one with them; however, the scribe should fulfil the specified criteria mentioned in the official guidelines.

Seats Availability at NISER and CEBS (2025 to 2030)

Here is the category-wise seat intake for candidates who wish to get admission at NISER and CEBS. 

NEST 2025 Marking Scheme

Here are the details related ot the NEST 2025 Scoring scheme for those who are going to appear for the NEST Exam this year. 

Scoring System

1. The NEST 2025 exam consists of a total of four sections, and each section is 60 marks.
2. The NEST exam is going to be conducted in one shift as per the information available on the NEST 2025 Information brochure.
3. The NEST percentile score depends on the applicant's performance; those who score high will be awarded the 100th percentile.
4. Out of the four, only the top three sections are counted while preparing the NEST merit list. This means the section with the minimum marks will not be included.
5. The total marks for calculating the NEST merit list are 180, because only the top three sections are considered.
6. If a question is removed or dropped, the marks will be fairly adjusted for all candidates.

Section-wise Minimum Admissible Score (SMAS)

• A student's total marks will be the sum of their top three section.
• The minimum score needed for every section (SMAS) will be “20 per cent of the average of the top 100 scores” in that section.
• Based on the students' performance in each subject, the SMAS can vary from one section to another.
• OBC category students must score 90 per cent of the SMAS set for general category candidates.
• SC, ST, and Divyangjan (PwD) students need to achieve 50 per cent of the general category SMAS.

Overall Cut-off or Minimum Admissible Percentile (MAP)

1. Candidates must also meet the overall Minimum Admissible Percentile (MAP), along with SMAS in each section, to qualify for a merit rank.

• General category students must achieve a minimum of 95 per cent.
• OBC students must score a minimum of 90 per cent.
• SC, ST, and Divyangjan must score a minimum of 75 per cent.

2. If a student fails to meet the MAP, he/she will be eligible to be included in the NEST merit list, even if they clear all the section-wise cut-offs.

Dress Code

The exam authorities of NEST 2025 did not mention any specific NEST dress code for NEST Applicants. Even in the information brochure, there is no specification for the NEST exam dress code.

This article is created to provide a better understanding and clarity related to the NEST Admission Process for the academic session 2025-26. Candidates must follow the above-given guidelines and instructions during the exam. 

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