NEST 2024 Exam – Application, Dates, Eligibility, Fees, Syllabus

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Overview

The National Entrance Screening Test (NEST) is a Computer-Based Test for admission to the 5-year Integrated MSc programme in basic sciences – Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics – at NISER, Bhubaneswar and UM-DAE CEBS, Mumbai.

Exam NameNational Entrance Screening Test
Also Known AsNEST
Exam CategoryUndergraduate
Exam LevelNational
Exam ModeOnline (Computer based test)
Conducted byNISER, UM-DAE CEBS

NEW: NEST 2024 will not have a separate “General” section. There will be only 4 sections of 50 marks each.

UPDATE (Mar 10, 2024): NEST 2024 Applications will open on March 20. Subscribe to receive all updates on your mobile for free.

UPDATE (Dec 16, 2023): NEST 2024 Applications are expected to start in March. Subscribe to receive all updates on your mobile for free.

NEST 2024: Check Eligibility | Check Syllabus

Candidates are suggested to go through the rules for inclusion in Merit List here.


About

Pattern

  • It is a Computer Based Test (CBT) of 3 hours 30 minutes duration.
  • There will be 4 subject sections of 60 marks each containing subject-specific questions from Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics.
  • Each subject section will have MCQs and there will be negative marking for incorrect answers.
  • Only the best 3 section scores will be counted for evaluation and merit list preparation. Check rules for inclusion in Merit List here.
  • The medium of the question paper will be Hindi and English.

Schedule

Date

June 30, 2024

Slots

  • Session 1: 09:00 am to 12:30 pm
  • Session 2: 02:30 pm to 06:00 pm

Note

The exam will be conducted in two sessions on the same day. The candidates will be allotted the examination session at random and no requests for a choice of a session would be entertained.

The allotted examination session will be mentioned in the candidate’s Admit Card.

Eligibility

For NEST exam

There is no restriction on appearing for NEST.

For admission in NISER/CEBS

  • Basic: Candidate should be from regular science stream and preferably should have any combination of three subjects among Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics in classes XI and XII.
  • Exam: Candidate must secure a rank in the NEST merit list.
  • Qualifying Examination: Candidate should have passed Class XII qualifying examination either in 2022 or 2023. Candidates appearing in 2024 are also eligible.
  • Marks in Qualifying Examination: Candidate must obtain a minimum of 60% marks in aggregate in Class XII (or equivalent) examination from any recognized Board in India (for SC/ST/PD, the minimum requirement is 55%).


Syllabus

Mock Test

  • Practice sessions for the computer-based test will be available for all applicants on the application portal after online registration and complete submission of online application.
  • The mock test is for practice purpose only.

Past Question Papers

See previous year Question Papers and Answers here.

Fees

NEST 2024 Application Fee is ₹1400 (₹700 for SC/ST/PD categories and female candidates).

Registration

  • The registrations for NEST examination will begin from March 20, 2024.
  • The last date to apply is May 31, 2024.
  • NEW: Check detailed steps for filling Application Form here.

Application Procedure

NEW: Check detailed steps for filling Application Form here.

  1. Candidates must fill-up the online application form through NEST website.
  2. Register and log in to fill the personal details and educational qualifications.
  3. Upload passport-sized image and signature.
  4. Pay the application fee through Online Payment.
  5. Save application summary page for future reference.

 

Note: Candidates need not to send any document to the NEST office in the entire application process.

Application Correction

  • Candidates will be provided a facility to make corrections in their application form particulars.
  • It is a one-time facility and is extended to the candidates to avoid any hardship to them.
  • The correction window will be open for a few days after the last date of registration.

Test Centres

Test Cities

Test Centres

    StateCity
    ANPort Blair
    APGuntur
    APKurnool
    APRajahmundry
    APTirupathi
    APVijayawada
    APVisakhapatnam
    APVizianagaram
    ARNaharlagun-Itanagar
    ASDibrugarh
    ASGuwahati
    ASTezpur
    BRBhagalpur
    BRPatna
    CGBhilai Nagar
    CGRaipur
    DLNew Delhi
    GAPanaji
    GJAhmedabad
    GJBhuj
    GJRajkot
    GJSurat
    HPBilaspur
    HPHamirpur
    HPMandi
    HRAmbal
    HRHisar
    JHBokaro Steel City
    JHDhanbad
    JHJamshedpur
    JHRanchi
    JKJammu
    JKSrinagar
    KABengaluru
    KAHubballi (Hubli)
    KAMangaluru (Mangalore)
    KAMysuru (Mysore)
    KLAlappuzha
    KLErnakulam
    KLIdukki
    KLKannur
    KLKasaragod
    KLKollam
    KLKottayam
    KLKozhikode
    KLMalappuram
    KLPalakkad
    KLPathanamthitta
    KLThiruvananthapuram
    KLThrissur
    LALeh
    MHAurangabad
    MHJalgaon
    MHKolhapur
    MHMumbai
    MHNagpur
    MHNanded
    MHPune
    MHRatnagiri
    MHSolapur
    MLShillong
    MNImphal
    MPBhopal
    MPGwalior
    MPIndore
    MPJabalpur
    MZAizawl
    NLDimapur
    NLKohima
    ODAngul
    ODBalangir
    ODBalasore
    ODBargarh
    ODBaripada
    ODBerhampur-Ganjam
    ODBhawanipatna
    ODBhubaneswar
    ODCuttack
    ODDhenkanal
    ODJharsuguda
    ODRayagada
    ODRourkela
    ODSambalpur
    PBBhatinda
    PBJalandhar
    PBMohali
    PYPuducherry
    RJBikaner
    RJJaipur
    RJJodhpur
    RJKota
    RJUdaipur
    SKGangtok
    TNChennai
    TNCoimbatore
    TNMadurai
    TNSalem
    TNTiruchirappalli
    TNTirunelveli
    TRAgartala
    TSHyderabad
    TSKarimnagar
    TSWarangal
    UKDehradun
    UKHaldwani
    UKRoorkee
    UPAgra
    UPAligarh
    UPGorakhpur
    UPKanpur
    UPLucknow
    UPNoida
    UPPrayagraj (Allahabad)
    UPVaranasi
    WBAsansol
    WBBerhampur
    WBBurdwan
    WBDurgapur
    WBHooghly
    WBKalyani
    WBKolkata
    WBSiliguri

Note

  • Candidates must choose 5 centres in order of their preference while filling-up the application form.
  • Every effort will be made to allot the candidate’s first preference.
  • The address of the test venue allotted to the applicant will be mentioned on the NEST admit card.

Admit Card

  • Admit Card can be downloaded from NEST website after it’s notified.
  • Candidates are required to produce the Admit Card along with an Identity Card at the test centre.
  • Address of the NEST test centre allotted to an applicant will be printed in the admit card.
  • Admit Card should be kept safely as the successful candidates have to produce it in original during admission.

Answer Keys

  • The answer keys of Computer-based examination will be made available on the NEST website.
  • If a candidate is unsatisfied with an answer, he/she can challenge the answer keys.

Merit List

Overview

  • A merit list will be prepared based on the total of three best scores from the four sections.
  • For normalization of the two sessions of the exam, percentile scores will be considered. It will be calculated on the basis of the relative performance of all the candidates in the respective session. The highest score in each session will be 100 percentile.

Section-wise Cutoff

  • 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).
  • A candidate must clear the cutoff (SMAS) in any three subject sections for inclusion in the merit list.
  • SMAS for OBC students would be 90% of the respective SMAS of General category students.
  • SMAS for SC/ST/PwD students would be 50% of the respective SMAS of General category students.
  • Check NEST Cutoff Scores.

Overall Cutoff

  • In addition to Subject-wise cutoff, a candidate is required to score equal to or above a total Minimum Admissible Percentile (MAP) in order to be included in the merit list.
  • Overall Cutoff (MAP) for NEST is 95 percentile for General category, 90 percentile for OBC category and 75 percentile for SC/ST/PwD category.
  • Check NEST Cutoff Scores.

Result

  • The result for NEST will be announced as per schedule.
  • Candidates will be allotted a General Rank and a Category Rank based on their performance in NEST exam.
  • Check the rules for inclusion in Merit List here.

Counselling

  • Admissions to 5-year Integrated MSc programme in basic sciences – Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics – at NISER, Bhubaneswar and UM-DAE CEBS, Mumbai will be done on the basis of NEST Merit rank.

Important Information

  • Candidates must provide a correct e-mail address in the online application as the NEST office communicates with candidates through this e-mail id.
  • Candidates must reach the test venue at least 90 minutes before the examination commences.
  • Use of log tables and calculators in the examination hall is not allowed.
  • Candidates must bring their Admit Card and a photo Identity Card to the examination hall.

Important Dates

Start of Online applicationMarch 20, 2024
Closing of Online applicationMay 31, 2024
Application Correction windowTBA
Download of Admit Card beginsJune 15, 2024
NEST examinationJune 30, 2024
Release of Answer KeysTBA
Answer Keys Objection windowTBA
Announcement of resultsJuly 10, 2024

Contact Information

Candidates can contact NEST authorities through written communication, phone or email.

CBS Contact Information
AddressChief Coordinator, NEST 2024,
UM-DAE Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences,
“Nalanda”, Opposite Nano Sciences Building,
University of Mumbai, Vidyanagari, Mumbai – 400098, Maharashtra (India)
Helpline
Email[email protected]