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About
NEST is a national-level entrance exam conducted for students seeking admission to a 5-year Integrated MSc Program in Basic Sciences – Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics. National-level entrance exam merit will be calculated on the basis of the three highest scored sections including the first one.
Table Of Content
- What is NEST 2023?
- NEST 2023 Dates
- Application Form 2023
- Registration 2023
- Application Fee 2023
- Eligibility Criteria 2023
- Exam Pattern 2023
- Syllabus 2023
- Counselling 2023
- Latest Articles 2023
- Admission Alerts 2023
What is NEST 2023?
NEST 2023 Application Form has been released on 27th February 2023. National Entrance Screening Test (NEST) is a national-level entrance exam conducted by the NISER, Bhubaneswar and UMDAE-CEBS Mumbai jointly. National-level entrance exam is a compulsory entrance exam for candidates seeking admission in the Integrated M.Sc program at NISER, Bhubaneswar, and UM-DAE CEBS, Mumbai. Through this exam, the qualified candidates will get admission in the Integrated M.Sc. program of both participating institutes. In this article, we have provided the complete details candidates need to know about National-level entrance exam 2023 i.e. exam dates, application form, eligibility etc.
NEST 2023 Dates
| Events | Dates 2023 (official) |
| Notification Release date | 21st February 2023 |
| Online application form starts | 27th February 2023 |
| Last date to apply | 17th May 2023 |
| Admit card date availability | 12th June 2023 |
| NEST Exam date 2023 | 24th June 2023 |
| Answer Key releases | 4th week of June 2023 |
| Result Declaration | 10th July 2023 |
NEST Application Form 2023
- National-level entrance exam 2023 Application Form has been released by the authority through online mode. No other mode is entertained.
- Candidates are advised to use valid and working Email ID and Phone numbers to register.
- Candidates are able to fill out the application form from 27th February 2023 to 17th May 2023.
- Application forms has been released for eligible candidates only, so candidates are advised to confirm their eligibility before applying.
- Correction facility may of may not be provided by the authority. Candidates should fill out the application form carefully before the last date.
- Upload required documents i.e. photograph & signature in the specific format.
- Candidates must keep the printout of the filled application form and fee receipt for future reference.
Registration
- Visit the official website of NEST i.e. nestexam.in.
- Click on the link ‘Apply Online’ link on NEST 2023 website to reach the online application page.
- Enter the required credentials i.e. name, valid email id and a password of their choice in a window.
- Candidates will then receive an email containing a link to confirm the registration.
- After confirmation, provide the same email id & password, enter the secret code and click on ‘Login’ in the window.
- NEST 2022 Application Process allows multi-session data entry.
- If the candidate forgets their password then click ‘forgot password’ link.
- For safety reasons, candidates are allowed to retrieve the password only twice.
Eligibility Criteria
NEST Eligibility Criteria comprises several norms and rules that all candidates must satisfy before applying for the entrance test. Some of the important Eligibility Criteria for NEST 2023 are discussed below:-
Age Criteria
- Candidate’s date of birth must not be before August 2000.
- This holds true for general and OBC candidates.
- There are a total of five years of relaxation for SC/ ST candidates.
Educational Qualification
- Candidates need to complete 10+2 exam from a recognized board.
- Final year students are also eligible.
Academic Qualification
- Candidates must have Mathematics as the mandatory subject in 10+2 exam.
- Other mandatory subjects are physics, chemistry, biology or life science subjects.
Minimum Marks Required
- A minimum of 60% marks is required in aggregate in 10+2 final exam for general category students.
- The same is 55% marks in aggregate for SC, ST students.
State-wise Quota
- Candidates from J & K, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana state have a quota of 15%.
Application Fee
| Category | NEST Application Fee |
|---|---|
| General/ OBC/ EWS | INR 1200 |
| SC/ ST/ PWD/ Female | INR 600 |
Exam Pattern
NEST Exam Pattern describes the complete paper pattern, subject-wise marking scheme, distribution of marks, time duration and alike. On June, 2023, NEST will be conducted in two sessions: 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM (first session) and 2:00 PM – 5:30 PM (second session). Candidates will be assigned to either of the sessions.
NEST 2023 will be conducted in Computer-Based Test mode.
- The question paper will be published in English language only.
- Questions will be in the form of MCQs.
- The total exam duration will be of 3 hours.
- There will 5 sections, each of 50 marks but the general section will carry 30 marks.
- The whole question paper will consist of 230 marks.
- There is no negative marking in General section. However, a negative marking is applied in the subject section.
Reservation
The Indian Nationals belonging to certain categories get reservations of the seats for the exams according to the rules of the Indian Government. The applicants can check below to know the reservation percentage of their caste category for the NEST 2023 exam:
- Other Backward Classes belonging to the Non–Creamy Layer (OBC–NCL)- 27% of the seats are reserved for the OBC-NCL. The candidates belonging to the Creamy layer will be treated as of General Category, hence will not get any reservation.
- Scheduled Caste (SC) / Scheduled Tribe (ST)- 15% of seats are reserved for the SC applicants & 7.5% of seats are reserved for the ST category candidates for NEST 2021 exam.
- The person with Disabilities (PwD)- The competent authority has reserved 5% of seats for the PWD candidates of all the caste categories. The benefit will be given to those who have at least 40% impairment irrespective of the type of disability.
- Supernumerary Quota for students from Jammu and Kashmir (JK)- Two seats in both the institutions are reserved for the J&K candidates. The J&K candidates are eligible for the seat quota only when he/she has qualified the XII examination from State Board of Jammu & Kashmir and from Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) affiliated schools located in Jammu & Kashmir.
Counselling
NEST 2023 counselling will be conducted in July, 2023. The selected aspirants will be allotted dates and venues for the counselling. This is the final step to get admission to the five years integrated program. The final merit list is uploaded on the official website. Candidates are requested to check the official website for NEST 2023 for the list. Based on the list and location of the candidate, a venue will be suggested along with the date and time. Candidates need to appear on the mentioned date and time on that venue for NEST Counselling.
Syllabus
The content of the exam will depend broadly on the syllabus that candidates studied in their class 11 and 12. The exam has five sections.
| General Section | There is no specific syllabus for this section. The questions are designed in a way to test a candidate’s hold over General Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, Astronomy, Computer Science and Environmental Studies.) There may be certain questions that will test a candidate’s grasp over basic mathematics. |
| Biology |
|
| Chemistry | Physical Chemistry:
Organic Chemistry:
|
| Mathematics |
|
| Physics |
|
Exam
The National Entrance Screening Test (NEST) is a national-level entrance exam conducted for admission to five-year integrated MSc programs in Biological, Mathematical, Chemical, and Physical Sciences 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.
Here are some of the highlights of the NEST exam:
- Exam Pattern: NEST is a computer-based test conducted in two sections. Section 1 consists of multiple-choice questions from Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. Section 2 consists of subjective questions from Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Biology. The exam is conducted for a duration of three hours.
- Eligibility Criteria: Candidates who have passed 10+2 or equivalent examination from a recognized board with Science stream are eligible to apply. Candidates appearing for the 10+2 or equivalent examination in the current year can also apply.
- Application Process: The NEST application form is available online on the official website. Candidates need to fill in the required details, upload scanned documents, and pay the application fee to complete the application process.
- Admit Card: The NEST admit card is released on the official website, and candidates need to download and take a printout of the same to appear for the exam.
- Result and Counseling: The NEST result is declared on the official website, and candidates who qualify for the exam are called for counseling. The counseling process is conducted separately by NISER and UM-DAE CEBS, and candidates need to attend the counseling as per the schedule to secure admission to the MSc programs.
- Reservation: NEST follows the reservation policy as per the government of India guidelines. Candidates belonging to SC, ST, OBC, EWS, and PwD categories are eligible for reservation as per the norms.
Eligibilty Criteria
NEST Eligibility Criteria comprises several norms and rules that all candidates must satisfy before applying for the entrance test. Some of the important Eligibility Criteria for NEST 2023 are discussed below:-
Age Criteria
- Candidate’s date of birth must not be before August 2000.
- This holds true for general and OBC candidates.
- There are a total of five years of relaxation for SC/ ST candidates.
Educational Qualification
- Candidates need to complete 10+2 exam from a recognized board.
- Final year students are also eligible.
Academic Qualification
- Candidates must have Mathematics as the mandatory subject in 10+2 exam.
- Other mandatory subjects are physics, chemistry, biology or life science subjects.
Minimum Marks Required
- A minimum of 60% marks is required in aggregate in 10+2 final exam for general category students.
- The same is 55% marks in aggregate for SC, ST students.
State-wise Quota
- Candidates from J & K, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana state have a quota of 15%.
Exam Pattern
NEST Exam Pattern describes the complete paper pattern, subject-wise marking scheme, distribution of marks, time duration and alike. On June, 2023, NEST will be conducted in two sessions: 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM (first session) and 2:00 PM – 5:30 PM (second session). Candidates will be assigned to either of the sessions.
NEST 2023 will be conducted in Computer-Based Test mode.
- The question paper will be published in English language only.
- Questions will be in the form of MCQs.
- The total exam duration will be of 3 hours.
- There will 5 sections, each of 50 marks but the general section will carry 30 marks.
- The whole question paper will consist of 230 marks.
- There is no negative marking in General section. However, a negative marking is applied in the subject section.
Syllabus
The content of the exam will depend broadly on the syllabus that candidates studied in their class 11 and 12. The exam has five sections.
| General Section | There is no specific syllabus for this section. The questions are designed in a way to test a candidate’s hold over General Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, Astronomy, Computer Science and Environmental Studies.) There may be certain questions that will test a candidate’s grasp over basic mathematics. |
| Biology |
|
| Chemistry | Physical Chemistry:
Organic Chemistry:
|
| Mathematics |
|
| Physics |
|
Counselling
NEST 2023 counselling will be conducted in July, 2023. The selected aspirants will be allotted dates and venues for the counselling. This is the final step to get admission to the five years integrated program. The final merit list is uploaded on the official website. Candidates are requested to check the official website for NEST 2023 for the list. Based on the list and location of the candidate, a venue will be suggested along with the date and time. Candidates need to appear on the mentioned date and time on that venue for NEST Counselling.
Old Question Papers
You can visit the official website of National Entrance Screening Test (NEST) at https://www.nestexam.in/ to check if they have released any previous years' question papers on their website. If the old question papers are available, you can download them and use them for practice and preparation.
Additionally, there are many educational websites and platforms that provide NEST previous year's question papers for practice. You can search for them on Google and download them for practice. Solving previous years' question papers can help you understand the exam pattern, types of questions asked, and difficulty level of the exam. It can also help you identify your strengths and weaknesses and focus on improving them.
It is important to note that the exam pattern and syllabus of NEST may change from year to year, and hence, it is recommended to also refer to the latest exam pattern and syllabus provided on the official website for better preparation.
Prep Materials
To prepare for the National Entrance Screening Test (NEST), you can refer to various preparation materials such as books, online courses, and practice tests. Here are a few tips on how to prepare for the NEST exam:
- Understand the exam pattern: Start by understanding the exam pattern and syllabus of NEST. Visit the official website of NEST to get the latest exam pattern and syllabus.
- Refer to good study material: Get hold of good study material such as books, online courses, and video lectures. There are several books available in the market that cover the entire syllabus of NEST. You can also consider taking online courses, watching video lectures or attending coaching classes for better preparation.
- Practice mock tests: Solving mock tests and previous year's question papers is an effective way to prepare for the NEST exam. It helps you get familiar with the exam pattern, types of questions asked, and time management skills.
- Time management: Time management is crucial in the NEST exam. Practice solving questions within the given time limit to improve your speed and accuracy.
- Stay updated: Stay updated with the latest news and developments related to the exam. Keep visiting the official website of NEST for the latest updates and notifications.
Admit card
To download the National Entrance Screening Test (NEST) admit card, follow the below steps:
- Visit the official website of NEST at https://www.nestexam.in/.
- Click on the "Download Admit Card" link available on the home page.
- Enter your login credentials such as user ID and password.
- Click on the "Submit" button.
- Your NEST admit card will be displayed on the screen.
- Verify all the details mentioned on the admit card such as your name, photograph, exam center, and exam date and time.
- Download and take a printout of the admit card.
It is mandatory to carry the NEST admit card to the exam center along with a valid ID proof such as Aadhaar card, PAN card, or Passport. Make sure to carry a hard copy of the admit card as the soft copy will not be accepted. In case of any discrepancies in the admit card, contact the NEST authorities immediately for correction.
