NEST 2025: Exam Dates, Registration, Preparation, Syllabus

NEST 2025 notifications will be released shortly. Moreover, the NEST exam 2025 is expected to be conducted in June 2025. The NEST 2025 application form will be released by NISER Bhubneshwar and UM DAE CEBS, tentatively in the third week of March 2025.

National Entrance Screening Test (NEST) is a national-level exam conducted for admission to the five-year integrated M.Sc program in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics at the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Bhubaneswar and the University of Mumbai - Department of Atomic Energy Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences (UM-DAE CEBS), Mumbai.

NEST Exam Dates 2025

NEST 2025 exam date will be announced by NISER on the official website. The exam will be conducted offline, as a pen and paper-based test in third week of June 2025 (tentatively). Candidates can check the important NEST 2025 exam dates in the table below.

NEST Exam 2025 Important Dates

Events	Dates (Tentative)
NEST Official Notification Date	March 2025
Availability of Application Form	March 2025
Last Date to Fill Out Online Application Form	May 2025
Application Form Correction Window	June 2025
Admit Card Download	Third week of June 2025
Date of NEST Examination	Fourth week of June 2025
Results Date	July 2025

Candidates can check on this page for further updates on the official schedule of NEST 2025 examination and other associated events.

About NEST Exam

National Entrance Screening Test, commonly known as NEST, is a national-level computer-based exam for admission to the five-year integrated M.Sc program in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics at the 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.

National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Bhubaneswar, and the University of Mumbai - Department of Atomic Energy Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences (UM-DAE CEBS), Mumbai jointly conduct the NEST exam once a year for admission to the five years integrated M.Sc program in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics.

NEST 2025 Notification

NEST 2025 notification will be released on the official website of the examination by the conducting body. The official notification includes NEST 2025 exam dates and result date. Candidates must regularly check this page for further information and updates about the examination.

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NEST 2025 Highlights

NEST 2025 is a computer-based test. The question paper will be available in English and Hindi language. The difficulty of the exam is perceived as moderate to difficult.

NEST Exam 2025 Highlights

Particulars	Details
Exam Name	NEST
Full Form	National Entrance Screening Test
Conducting Body	NISER Bhubaneshwar and UM-DAE CBS Mumbai
Timings	Session 1: 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM Session 2: 2:00 PM to 5:30 PM
Exam Mode	Online i.e. Computer-Based Test (CBT)
Course Offered	Master of Science (M.Sc)
Official Website	www.nestexam.in
Helpdesk	+91-674-2494002/4003/4005 nest-exam@niser.ac.in

NEST Eligibility Criteria 2025

Candidates are required to make sure that they clear or meet the NEET 2025 eligibility criteria prior to applying for the exam. The organizing body of the exam sets the NEST 2025 eligibility criteria. Failing to meet the eligibility criteria will result in the candidates being deemed ineligible for the exam, and their application forms will be invalid.

NEST 2025 eligibility includes educational qualification, class XII passing year, age limit, and nationality. Also, an advantage is there for the candidates belonging to certain states. The various eligibility conditions to attend NEST exam are as given below.

• Educational Qualification: All test-takers should have passed 10+2 or its equivalent examination in the Science domain, i.e. Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics/ Biology, as their mandatory subjects from a recognised board or university.
• Passing Year: Aspirants must have passed the class XII board examination or its equivalent in 2022 or 2025 from any recognized Higher Secondary Education Board in India. Candidates who will attend the 10+2 board exam in 2025 are also eligible to attend NEST exam.
• Minimum Marks: Candidates must have a minimum aggregate mark of 60% in the qualifying exam (+2). For SC/ ST and Divyangjan candidates, the minimum qualifying mark is 55%.
• Age Limit: Candidates should be born on or after Aug 1, 2003, to be eligible to write this exam. For students belonging to SC/ ST/ PWD category, age relaxation of 5 years is allowed.
• Nationality: Only Indian citizens are allowed to give this exam. NRIs and PIOs cannot appear for this exam.
• State Quota: Candidates from J&K, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana states have 15%.

NEST 2025 Eligibility

Particulars	Details
Nationality	Indian Nationals only (NRI PIO/ OCI Candidates Not Eligible)
Education	10+2 or Equivalent
Minimum Marks	General Category: 60% Aggregate SC/ST Category: 55% Aggregate
Passing Year	Should have passed 12th in 2021 & 2021 or 2025
Age Limit	Born After Aug 1, 2003 (5 Years Relaxation for SC/ ST Candidates)
State Quota	15% Reservation for Candidates from J&K, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana

The candidates are advised to regularly check in with this page for further updates and information regarding NEST 2025 to not miss out on any vital information.

NEST Application Form 2025

The NEST application form 2025 was released by UM-DAE CEBS and NISER. According to the notification, the online application form was released on Apr 3, 2025 and closed on May 31, 2025. On the official website, nestexam.in, candidates could obtain all the information they needed about the NEST 2025 and its entire process. 

Candidates can edit their application form through this facility if they make any mistakes while filling out the form or want to update any information.

After filling in the personal details and academic details, candidates should upload their scanned copies of photographs and signatures and submit an application fee to end NEST 2025 application process.

NEST 2025 Application Fee

NEST 2025 application fee for different categories is mentioned below.

Category-Wise Application Fee for NEST 2025

Category	Application Form Fee
General/ OBC	INR 1200
Female Candidates	INR 600
SC/ ST/ PwD	INR 600

Mode of Payment of NEST 2025 Application Fee

Candidates can pay the application form fee for NEST 2025 through the below-mentioned modes.

• Credit Card
• Debit Card
• Net Banking

Documents Required for NEST 2025 Application Form

Candidates should have the following documents while filling up NEST 2025 application form.

• SSC Marksheet
• HSC Marksheet
• Scanned copy of candidate's photograph
• Scanned copy of candidate's signature
• Category Certificate (if applicable)
• Jammu and Kashmir Resident Certificate (if applicable)

Candidates should upload the scanned copies of their photograph and signature in NEST 2025 exam form as per the following specifications.

Documents Specifications for NEST 2025 Application Form

Image	Size	Format
Photograph	Up to 80 KB	.Jpeg or.Jpg
Signature	Up to 80 KB	.Jpeg or.Jpg

NEST 2025 Application Process

NEST 2025 exam will have mainly four stages, i.e., registration, application form filling, uploading documents, and, finally, the payment of the application fee. After that, the candidates have to print out the application form. Therefore, it is required that the candidates read the instructions carefully and fill in the details during NEST 2025 application process.

How to Apply for NEST 2025 Exam?

The details related to applying for NEST 2025 are stated below.

• Step 1: Visit the official site and register by providing the candidate's name, mobile number and email ID details.
• Step 2: Completing the registration process will generate a username and password.
• Step 3: Enter the candidate's login credentials and fill out the basic form containing the candidate's information.
• Step 4: Upload the candidate's photo and signature in .jpg format.
• Step 5: Pay the application fees through debit/ credit card or net banking.
• Step 6: Verify all the filled-up information, click on submit and take a printout of the application form.

NEST Admit Card 2025

NEST 2025 admit card is expected to be released in the third week of June 2025 on nestexam.in. Candidates who have registered can download it by providing their login details. Exam day policies and instructions, exam date, exam time, exam centre address, and personal information are all contained in the NEST 2025 Admit Card.

Candidates can download the admit card through NEST login 2025 using their registration ID and password. Applicants must take a printout of the admit card and carry it with a valid photo ID card issued to the allotted exam centres.

All the necessary details related to the exam centre like the address of the venue, and exam timings will be mentioned in the admit card. It will only be available online, and no hard copy will be sent through post or any other offline mode.

How to Download NEST 2025 Admit Card?

The steps involved in downloading NEST 2025 admit card are mentioned below.

• Step 1: Candidates must visit the official website of NEST 2025 examination.
• Step 2: NEST admit card 2025 link can be found highlighted on the main page itself. Click on the link to be redirected.
• Step 3: Provide the necessary credentials like login details on this newly redirected page.
• Step 4: Click on admit card and download the same after verifying the details given.

Note: Candidates should make sure to possess NEST 2025 admit card at the time of the exam, without which they will be denied entry. It is also important for the candidates to keep their admit cards in good condition.

NEST Exam Pattern 2025

NEST 2025 exam pattern has been set by the organizing and coordinating bodies of the exam. Candidates should thoroughly go through NEST 2025 Exam Pattern before starting the preparation for the same. Knowing the exam pattern will allow the candidates to overview the types of questions asked in the exam and their distribution throughout the question paper. Hence they will be able to prepare accordingly and score very high in the exam.

NISER and UM-DAE CEBS conduct NEST exams in the computer-based test pattern once a year. The question paper will have multiple-choice questions (MCQs) from the five different subjects, which are as follows.

• General Ability
• Physics
• Chemistry
• Mathematic 
• Biology

NEST exam will be conducted for 3 hours and 30 minutes for 180 marks. Negative marking will be there for certain sections of the question paper only. Candidates should note that some questions may have one or more correct answers. Hence, marks can only be earned for such questions by marking all the correct answers.

The question paper will be available only in the English language. A merit list for both the institutes will be prepared with the best 3 subject sections (in addition to the general section). Therefore, a section with the worst score will be omitted. Details highlighting NEST 2025 exam pattern specifications are in the following table below.

NEST 2025 Exam Pattern

Components	Details
Exam Type	Online i.e. Computer-Based Test (CBT)
Type of Questions	Objective/ Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
Language	English
Duration	210 Minutes
Total Marks	180
Marking Scheme	+1 Mark for the Correct Answer Negative Marking Only in Subject Sections

NEST Syllabus 2025

Candidates must go through the NEST 2025 syllabus prior to starting preparation for the examination. This will be essential since the NEST 2025 syllabus consists of 5 sections: one general section and four core sections. The general section aims to test the candidate's aptitude for a career in Science. Questions are designed to test the candidate's familiarity with major historical milestones in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Astronomy, Computer Science, and the environment.

The core section syllabus and question paper will include Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Biology of 11th and 12th grades. Candidates choose to attempt any three subjects out of the given four. Candidates must focus on books from the NCERT and CBSE syllabus of the 11th and 12th grades. Questions will have a moderate to easy level of difficulty. Some questions might appear tricky, but most are based on the fundamentals.

How to Prepare for NEST 2025?

Before starting exam preparation, go through the entire syllabus and NEST 2025 reference books to get familiar with the topics and understand the depth and difficulty level of NEST. Accordingly, make a well-planned and attainable timetable. Give the utmost priority to following this self-made study plan. Also, make sure you give higher preference and more time to topics that have appeared repeatedly in the past years. Moreover, for difficult topics, this will help the candidate score well.

For revision, solve NEST's previous year's question paper within a fixed time and in a real exam-like environment, refer to NEST 2025 reference books. This will bring the best in you and make you more confident about the preparation. Attempting NEST 2025 mock tests regularly is the best strategy for mastering objective-type papers like NEST.

The main aspects that the students need to focus on to prepare well for NEST 2025 exam has been elaborated below.

• Plan Properly: Candidates should make sure to plan very well before the exam. They can create a timetable or a schedule chart for them to follow, and that way, they will be able to stay on course and not deviate from the track. Hence proper planning is very important.
• Know the Topics: Candidates needs to focus on the topics in each subject. Topic-wise learning will help you understand the concepts well and help them remember the answers to the questions during the main exam. You can prepare by going through every topic in all the subjects by learning and going through them.
• Time Optimization: Time optimization or efficiently utilizing the time for writing the answers during the exam is very important. You can efficiently utilize time by practicing answering questions with a stopwatch. When you practice with a stopwatch, you can eventually improve the candidate's time management skills and will not miss out on answering any questions in the exam.
• Attempt all the Known Questions First: Candidates should attempt all the known and familiar questions before attending to the unknown and doubtful ones. This way, they will attend to all the questions quicker than the allotted time. Then, the rest of the questions can be attended in the remaining time. This can minimize time being wasted.
• Mock Test: With a stopwatch, you can also practice by answering questions from NEST mock test papers and even perform a candidate's practice exam, replicating the exact scenario in which you will be attending the actual NEST 2025 exam. This way, you will be able to manage time and get an overview of the questions and the ways of answering them in the exam.

NEST Exam Centres 2025

NEST 2025 will be conducted in 120 exam centres across the country. When filling the application form, candidates must select the exam centres according to their preferences. Candidates can select up to 5 different exam centres from the given list depending upon their convenience or priority.

Aspirants will be allotted any exam centres among the selected centres. Candidates must report to NEST 2025 exam centre before the reporting time given on the admit card. Documents that must be carried to the exam centre are as given below.

• NEST Admit Card Printout.
• Photo ID such as Aadhar, Driving License, etc.

Candidates can choose from the various available exam centres based on their comfort and vicinity. NEST 2025 exam centres and the states where they are located are as follows.

NEST 2025 Exam Centres

NEST 2025 Exam Centres
Guntur (AP)	New Delhi (DL)	Mangaluru (KA)	Pathanamthitta (KL)	Angul (OD)	Sambalpur (OD)	Tirunelveli (TN)
Kurnool (AP)	Ahmedabad (GJ)	Mysore (KA)	Thiruvananthapuram (KL)	Balasore (OD)	Bhatinda (PB)	Hyderabad (TS)
Rajahmundry (AP)	Hamirpur (HP)	Alappuzha (KL)	Thrissur (KL)	Bargarh (OD)	Jalandhar (PB)	Karimnagar (TS)
Tirupathi (AP)	Shimla (HP)	Ernakulam (KL)	Bhopal (MP)	Baripada (OD)	Mohali (PB)	Warangal (TS)
Vijayawada (AP)	Jammu (JK)	Idukki (KL)	Gwalior (MP)	Berhampur-Ganjam (OD)	Jaipur (RJ)	Agartala (TR)
Visakhapatnam (AP)	Srinagar (JK)	Kannur (KL)	Indore (MP)	Bhubaneswar (OD)	Jodhpur (RJ)	Allahabad (UP)
Vizianagaram (AP)	Bokaro Steel City (JH)	Kasaragod (KL)	Jabalpur (MP)	Cuttack (OD)	Udaipur (RJ)	Kanpur (UP)
Guwahati (AS)	Dhanbad (JH)	Kollam (KL)	Mumbai (MH)	Dhenkanal (OD)	Chennai (TN)	Lucknow (UP)
Patna (BR)	Jamshedpur (JH)	Kottayam (KL)	Nagpur (MH)	Jharsuguda (OD)	Coimbatore (TN)	Noida (UP)
Chandigarh (CH)	Ranchi (JH)	Kozhikode (KL)	Pune (MH)	Khurda (OD)	Madurai (TN)	Varanasi (UP)
Bhilai Nagar (CG)	Bengaluru (KA)	Malappuram (KL)	Imphal (MN)	Rayagada (OD)	Salem (TN)	Dehradun (UK)
Raipur (CG)	Hubli (KA)	Palakkad (KL)	Shillong (ML)	Rourkela (OD)	Tiruchirappalli (TN)	Haldwani (UK)
Roorkee (UK)	Asansol (WB)	Burdwan (WB)	Durgapur (WB)	Hughli (WB)	Kolkata (WB)	Siliguri (WB)

NEST Paper Analysis 2025

This national-level entrance exam will be held in two shifts in morning (9:00 AM to 12:30 PM) and afternoon (2 PM to 5:30 PM). NEST 2025 Shift 1 exam will be concluded and paper analysis will be released.

The difficulty level of previous year NEST exam is projected to be easy to moderate. Physics will be the most difficult section, followed by Mathematics. Chemistry and biology are two of the easiest subjects. The exam schedule and question types were similar to the previous year's. 

NEST Answer Key 2025

The NEST 2025 answer key is expected to be released in Jul 2025. Along with the answer scripts, candidates' registered email addresses will receive the NEST 2025 answer keys. Through email, candidates can assess their chances of admission to the NEST participating institutes by verifying the correct answer, calculating their predicted score, and so on.

Moreover, test takers have the option to protest to one or more NEST 2025 answer keys. The submission of objections against answer keys is free of cost. NEST answer key 2025 is contained in a single PDF file and includes the right answers for each area, which includes Physics, Biology, Chemistry, and Mathematics.

Candidates can raise objections only within the given bracket of dates, along with solid proofs to support their challenges. No challenges will be entertained after those dates have passed. Candidates can merge their responses with the final NEST answer key and derive an estimated score until they are announced.  

Steps to Check NEST Exam 2025 Answer Key

Candidates can follow the steps mentioned below to check 

• Step 1: Candidates must visit the official website at nestexam.in.
• Step 2: Click on the 'NEST Answer Key 2025' link on the homepage.
• Step 3: Subject and shift-wise answer key links will be displayed on the screen.
• Step 4: Candidates can click on the link and download the NEST 2025 answer keys as PDF file.

NEST Results 2025

NEST result 2025 will be annouced in July 2025. Roll numbers and/or names of candidates who qualified for the integrated MSc entrance exam will be listed in the NEST merit list or result. NEST scorecards for each candidate have to be downloaded via the candidates' portal.

All India Rank (AIR), percentile, and sectional and aggregate scores are all listed on the scorecard. Additionally, the scorecards ought to be kept up till the conclusion of the NEST 2025 admissions process.

Qualified candidates will be called for counselling process. NEST 2025 counselling schedule will also be released soon. A merit list will be prepared based on the general section and the best of three scores from the core subjects.

Steps to Download NEST 2025 Results

The stepwise process of obtaining NEST 2025 result is given below. Candidates can follow the steps provided below.

• Step 1: Candidates must navigate to the official website at nestexam.in.
• Step 2: Click on the 'Results' link.
• Step 3: Enter the application number click on the 'Submit' button.
• Step 4: Download and print NEST exam results.

NEST Cut Off 2025

NISER Bhubaneswar and CEBS Mumbai will expectedly release in July  2025. NEST 2025 cutoff has been made available in two categories: the overall percentile, or Minimum Admissible Percentile (MAP), and the sectional cutoff, or Section-wise Minimum Admissible Score (SMAS).

Twenty percent of the average of the top 100 scores in each section will be deemed SMAS, according to the officials. SMAS might have varying numerical values for distinct sections. Candidates must pass both the sectional cut off and the overall  NEST 2025 cut off percentile.

NEST 2025 cutoff will be 75 percentile for candidates in the reserved category, 90 percentile for OBC candidates, and 95 percentile for general category candidates. This information is based on an analysis of the NEST cutoff from the prior year. The detailed cut off information is depicted below. Candidates can check their cut off based on the information provided.

Section-Wise Minimum Admissible Score (SMAS) or Section-Wise NEST 2025 Cut Off Marks

• According to the official website, for each section, 20% of the average of the best 100 scores in that section will be considered as Section-wise Minimum Admissible Score (SMAS). For instance, if the average of the best 100 scores in the Physics section is 40 out of 50, then SMAS for the Physics section would be 20% of 40, which is 8.
• SMAS for OBC students will be 90% of respective SMAS for general category students. For instance, if the SMAS is 8 for general category students in the Physics section, then SMAS for OBC category students would be 7(approximately 90% of 8).
• SMAS for SC/ ST/ Divyangjan students will be 50% of respective SMAS for general category students. For example, if the SMAS is 8 for general category students in the Physics section, then SMAS for SC/ ST/ Divyangjan students would be 4(50% of 8).

Overall NEST 2025 Cut Off or Minimum Admissible Percentile (MAP)

In addition to SMAS, a candidate must score equal to or above a total Minimum Admissible Percentile (MAP) to get a merit rank.

• MAP is 95 percentile for General category candidates.
• MAP is 90 percentile for OBC candidates.
• MAP is 75 percentile for SC/ST/Divyangjan candidates.

NEST Counselling 2025

NEST 2025 counselling schedule will be released on the official website. It is the final step to admission to the five-year integrated program. Only the candidates who qualify for the NEST exam will be called for the counselling round. Candidates can choose either NISER or CEBS as their NEST counselling 2025 location.

A merit list will be uploaded to the official website. Candidates will be allotted a venue and counselling based on the merit list. Attendance for all the candidates present at NEST counselling 2025 venues will be taken. Based on the student's attendance at NISER and CEBS, a modified merit list will be prepared. Seats will be allotted to the candidates based on the modified merit list and not the original merit list.

Documents Required for NEST 2025 Counselling

Candidates must carry the original and a photocopy of the documents mentioned below.

• Class 10th and 12th Marksheets
• Passport size photographs (2)
• Government-issued ID Proof
• Certificate (if applicable)
• PWD Certificate (if applicable).

NEST Coaching Centres 2025

To secure admission into the institutes that accept NEST examination, the aspirants must prepare hard and be thorough with the examination pattern and sample test papers. Consequently, the candidates can join coaching centres that offer crash courses to prepare their students for NEST 2025 examination. The candidates can enrol themselves in several NEST coaching centres. However, there are only a few institutes in Delhi, which are as follows.

• Target Tutorials
• The Pathshala
• The Study
• The Wise Study Circle
• AMITY
• Narayana IIT Academy.

NEST Contact Details 2025

In case of questions or queries candidates can reach out to the concerned authorities through the following contact details. 

Address: 
National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER),
Jatni post, Khurda,
Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. 
Pincode - 752050.

Official Website: www.nestexam.in

Email: nest-exam@niser.ac.in

NEST Exam Contact Number: +91-674-2494002/4003/4005