National Entrance Screening Test, NEST 2025 registration begins; direct link, eligibility, important dates

These are the important dates candidates should remember:

Last date to apply: May 9

Application form correction/update window opens on: May 10

Application form correction/update window closes on: May 14

Mock test opens on: May 16

Admit card release date: June 2

Exam date: June 22 (Sunday)

Also read: Beyond IITs: Some other institutes and courses you can apply for with JEE Advanced score

NEST 2025 eligibility criteria

For admission, candidates must fulfil all three eligibility criteria listed below:

1. The candidate should have cleared the Class 12th or its examination or in 2023 or 2024. Those who are/will be appearing for the Class 12th final examination or equivalent in 2025, irrespective of category and age, will be considered eligible for admission to the integrated MSc programme of NISER/CEBS in 2025.
2. They must score at least 60 per marks in aggregate or its equivalent grade in the Class 12 final examination from any recognized board in India. For Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) candidates and for Divyangjan candidates, the minimum requirement is 55 per cent.
3. Candidate should secure a position in the NEST 2025 merit list.

There is no upper age limit for appearing in the NEST 2025 examination and admission to 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).

Also read: JEE Main 2025 paper 2 answer key out at jeemain.nta.nic.in, direct link

NEST 2025 application fee

These are the category-wise application fees for NEST 2025-

Female candidates (irrespective of category): ₹700

SC/ST/Divyangjan category candidates: ₹700

Male/other applicants of UR/OBC category: ₹1,400

Use of the NEST exam

NEST is a compulsory test for admission to the NISER and UM-DAE CEBS.

Set up by the centre’s Department of Atomic Energy, NISER and UM-DAE CEBS train “scientific manpower for carrying out cutting-edge scientific research” and provide input to the scientific programmes of the Department of Atomic Energy and other applied science institutions in the country.

The candidates admitted to the programme in NISER, CEBS, are eligible for an annual scholarship of ₹60,000 through the DISHA program of the Department of Atomic Energy. In addition, the scholarship recipients get a grant of RS 20,000 per annum for summer internships.

NEST 2025 will be conducted in around 140 cities across India. For more details, candidates can check the official website.

To apply for the exam and find more details, click here.