NESTNational Entrance Screening Test
About NEST
The National Entrance Screening Test is the sole admission route into the five-year Integrated M.Sc programmes at NISER Bhubaneswar and the UM-DAE Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences in Mumbai — two autonomous institutions of the Department of Atomic Energy created to bring talented students into basic-science research early.
The test is a three-hour computer-based examination with four sections — Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics — each carrying 20 multiple-choice questions. A correct answer earns +3, a wrong answer loses 1 and an unattempted question scores 0. Distinctively, the merit list is prepared from a candidate's best three of the four sections, so a weaker fourth subject can be dropped; question papers have been bilingual since 2024.
Beyond admission, the DAE institutes offer strong financial support: NISER and CEBS students are eligible for the DISHA scholarship (an annual scholarship plus a summer-internship grant) and are endorsed for the DST INSPIRE-SHE scholarship. For a research-minded Class 12 student, NEST is one of the most direct routes into a funded science pipeline.
Accepted by: The 5-year Integrated M.Sc programmes at NISER Bhubaneswar and UM-DAE CEBS Mumbai
Official websiteNEST eligibility
Class XII passed (in one of the recent eligible years) with at least 60% aggregate (55% for SC/ST/Divyangjan candidates), having studied at least three of Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics. No age limit and no cap on the number of attempts.
NEST exam pattern
Sections
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Mathematics
- Physics
Marking scheme: +3 for a correct answer, −1 for a wrong answer and 0 for an unattempted question (subject to any subject-wise scaling notified in the brochure)
NEST syllabus outline
- Four subject sections — Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics — at the 10+2 level
- Merit is prepared from the best three of the four section scores (weakest section dropped)
- A candidate must attempt at least three sections to be considered for the merit list
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