Friday, March 6, 2026
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| National Entrance Screening Test (NEST) 2026 |
| Category : Science/ IT Admissions 2026 |
| Published : On February 26, 2026 By Webindia123 Editor |
Important Dates
| Online Application Opens | 5th January,2026 |
| Online Application Closes | 6th April, 2026 |
| Correction & Update window | 13th to 14th April,2026 |
| Mock Test Opens | To be announced |
| Download of Admit Card | 15th May,2026 |
| National Entrance Screening Test- Nest 2026 | 6th June,2026 (Saturday) |
The National Entrance Screening Test (NEST) is a compulsory computer-based test for admission to the five-year Integrated MSc programme in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics, at National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Bhubaneswar and University of Mumbai Department of Atomic Energy Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences (UM DAE CEBS), Mumbai.
NEST 2026 Examination
The NEST 2026 examination will be conducted at multiple centres (major towns or cities) all over India in a single session, on June 06, 2026 (Saturday). The timing of the session will be 02:00 PM - 05:00 PM. Divyangjan category candidates are eligible for a compensatory time of 20 minutes per hour of examination duration as per GOI guidelines. Based on the performance in NEST 2026, a merit list of the candidates will be prepared (see merit list preparation section on page 9 - 12) and posted on the NEST 2026 website (www.nestexam.in) by June 25, 2026.
NEST 2026 examination will be a Computer-Based Test (CBT/online exam)
National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Bhubaneswar
NISER, established by the Department of Atomic Energy, strives to become a citadel for basic sciences and allied subjects in terms of teaching and research. Its vision includes imparting high-quality science education in a vibrant academic ambience to the bright, motivated students, by a faculty of distinguished scientists and teachers. The curriculum is amply supported by a strong visitor's programme by accomplished scientists from India and abroad.There will be 60 seats with reservations for SC/ST and Physically Disabled (PD) candidates as per Govt. of India norms.
NISER offers a 5 year integrated M.Sc. programme in Biological, Chemical, Mathematical and Physical sciences. Along with the major subject, a student can have minor in Biology, Chemistry, Computer science, Mathematics or, Physics. NISER functions from its campus at Jatni. Degrees at NISER will be awarded by the Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI), a deemed-to-be University within the Department of Atomic Energy.
UM-DAE Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences (UM-DAE CBS), Mumbai
The Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India, has an autonomous Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences in Mumbai. CEBS offers high quality teaching embedded in a vibrant post-graduate and research environment with some of the best teachers and scientists from major institutions in the city (TIFR, BARC, IIT) and the University of Mumbai and its colleges, as its faculty. The Centre is located in the Vidyanagari campus of the University of Mumbai. CEBS offers a 5 year integrated M.Sc. programme in Biological, Chemical, Mathematical and Physical sciences. The degrees at CEBS are awarded by the 150-year old University of Mumbai.
Tentatively, there are 57 seats this year with reservations as per government norms. 02 supernumerary seats are reserved for eligible candidates from J&K and Ladakh. Further details including maximum number of seats in any stream and allotment procedure are on the CEBS website www.cbs.ac.in.
Eligibility for admission:
(i) Qualification: Candidates must qualify all three eligibility criteria listed below:
(ii) Age Limit: There is no upper age limit for appearing in the NEST 2026 examination and admission to either NISER or UM-DAE CEBS.
Question type :
The question paper will consist of 4 (four) sections with subject-specific
questions from Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics. Each section
corresponds to a subject and will have 20 questions of objective type, i.e.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) having four options to choose from, with ONLY
one of them being the correct answer. Each section is of 60 marks. Marking a
correct answer will fetch 3 marks, choosing an incorrect answer will lead to a
deduction of 1 mark and no marks will be deducted for not answering a question.
The merit list for both institutes will be prepared as described under the
section NEST 2026 Merit List Preparation (pages 9 - 12 of this document). For
NEST question papers of the last few years, refer to the NEST 2026 website
(www.nestexam.in). The
language of the question paper will be Hindi and
English. In the case of any confusion/discrepancy due to language, the question
paper in English will be considered to be the standard one and final.
Answering questions:
The examination is a Computer-Based Test (CBT). The candidate will enter all the requisite details at the given computer terminal. The questions and the answer options will be displayed on the monitor. Answers to each question are to be provided by choosing the desired option using the peripheral input device provided with the computer terminal. Details of how to answer at the terminal will be provided before the examination. Applicants are encouraged to practise by using a mock test link that will be made available on the NEST 2026 web page several days before the exam date. Practice sessions on the computer-based test will be available for all applicants on the application portal after online registration and completion of the submission of online applications. The application portal will be accessible with the correct login credentials only.
Exam Centers:
A proposed list of about 140 centres (cities and towns of India) for the NEST examination is given in the table below. Candidates must choose 3 (three) centres in order of their preference while filling out the application form. Every effort will be made to allot the centre of first preference. Please note that the allotment of an examination centre by the NEST Committee will be deemed final, and any request for a change of centre will, in general, not be entertained. The address of the test venue allotted to the applicant will be mentioned on the NEST admit card. Admit cards will be available for download from the online application portal from 15 May 2026.
How to Apply:
To apply for NEST 2026, candidates must fill out the online application form through www.nestexam.in. Candidates are strongly advised to read through the detailed online application procedure available on the website by clicking on How to Apply online. The online application process closes on April 06, 2026 (11:30 PM), and any pending payments must be completed by April 12, 2026 (11:30 PM).
Applications can be submitted only through the NEST 2026 website. There is no other mode of submission of application. Login credentials for filling-up the application form and payment of fees will be provided upon online registration.
Application Fee:
Admit card:
The admit card for NEST 2026 can be downloaded by the candidates starting 15 May, 2026 from the NEST website using their respective login credentials. Admit cards will NOT be dispatched to any applicant. The download link will be available only till the day of the examination.
Detailed instructions for payment of fees are available at : https://www.nestexam.in/
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