NEST 2023

The National Entrance Screening Test (NEST) exam is conducted by the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) authorities in conjunction with Mumbai University – Department of Atomic Energy Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences (UM-DAE CEBS), Mumbai. The exam offers admission to various integrated MSc programmes in Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Biology. 

This article highlights all the important information regarding the NEST exam that candidates must know. Embibe offers in-depth analysis and practice questions to help candidates learn the exam concepts. As well as helping candidates prepare for the NEST exams, the 3D explanation videos are available here, which they can avail for. Keep reading this page to find out more.

NEST 2023 Exam Brochure

NISER-CEBS authorities released the NEST 2023 exam brochure on the official website; candidates can refer to the below link to access the brochure:

Download the NEST 2023 brochure.

• NEST 2023 answer key was released on June 26, 2023, and the last date to submit the objection against the same is June 28 to 30, 2023.

Check the table given below to get an idea of the NEST 2023 important dates:

Events	Dates
Release of the Online Application Form	February 27, 2023
Last Date to Fill Out the Application Form	May 17, 2023
Issuance of NEST Admit Card	June 12, 2023
NEST 2023 Exam Date	June 24, 2023
Release of Answer Key	June 26, 2023
Declaration of Results	July 10, 2023
Release of the Cut-off	July 2023
NISER Counselling	July 2023
UM-DAE CEBS Counselling	July 2023

Candidates who want to appear in the National Entrance Screening Test (NEST) must meet the NEST 2023 eligibility criteria set by NISER Bhubaneswar and UM-DAE CEBS.

Candidates who qualify for the NEST and match the NEST eligibility criteria are offered admission to five-year integrated MSc programs by NISER Bhubaneswar and UM-DAE CEBS. The NEST 2023 eligibility criteria are given below:

• Qualifying Exam: Candidates must have qualified Class 12th exam from the Science stream or appear in the class 12th exam from a recognised board by the Indian government. Furthermore, candidates must have passed Class 12th in 2022/23 or will appear for the exam in 2023. 
• Lower Age Limit: The lower age limit set by the authorities differs for candidates as per their category. Candidates from the General and OBC categories must have been born on or after August 1, 2003. Candidates from SC/ST/PwD category must have been born on or after August 1, 1997. 
• Qualifying Exam Marks: Candidates from the General category must have a minimum aggregate of 60% in the Class 12th examination, whereas candidates from reserved categories such as SC/ST/PwD only need to score 55% aggregate in Class 12th.

Note: The authorities will cancel their candidacy if an aspirant fails to meet the NEST eligibility criteria. Check more details on NEST eligibility criteria here.

The application form for NEST 2023 has to be filled out online. Candidates must be careful while filling out the NEST online application form and ensure everything runs smoothly while uploading the details. To fill out the NEST 2023 application form, candidates can follow the steps below:

• 1st Step: Visit the official website of NEST, i.e., nestexam.in.
• 2nd Step: Click on the link that reads the “Online Application” tab.
• 3rd Step: Now, candidates can fill in their personal and contact details to complete the registration process.
• 4th Step: Click on the “Register” button.
• 5th Step: Candidates will receive a registration ID on their registered mobile number or e-mail.
• 6th Step: Fill in the NEST application form by providing educational details.
• 7th Step: Then, candidates must upload a passport-sized photograph and signature to be eligible to complete the online payment.
• 8th Step: Once the application form is filled, candidates must pay the application fees via net banking, debit card or credit card. 
• 9th Step: Save and download the NEST application form for future reference.

Check more details on NEST 2023 application form here.

The entrance exam will be conducted online for three and a half hours in two sessions (morning and evening). As per the latest NEST exam pattern notification, the question paper will contain four sections covering four subject-wise sections, including multiple-choice questions.  Check the detailed exam pattern below:

Exam Particulars	Details
Exam Duration	3.5 hours
Type of Questions	Multiple-type Questions
No. of Sections	4
Total Marks	150
Marking Scheme	2.5 Marks for Single Answer MCQ and 4 Marks for Multiple Answers Is Awarded for Every Correct Answer, and 1 Mark Is Deducted for Every Incorrect Response

More details on NEST 2023 exam pattern can be found here.

Candidates interested in the NEST 2024 entrance exam should study the NEST syllabus to familiarise themselves with the important topics covered in the exam. The topics included in the parts of the NEST syllabus 2024 that students should review for their preparation are listed below:

NEST 2024 Physics Syllabus

Candidates can find the complete syllabus for Physics below:

• General: Significant figures, dimensional analysis, Units and dimensions, Methods of measurement (Direct, Indirect, Null), current and resistance. Design of some simple experiments. Interpretation of data and a graphical representation, Error analysis, and measurement errors. 

• Mechanics: Kinematics in one and two dimensions (Cartesian coordinates only), projectiles. Newton’s laws of motion. Uniform circular motion. Kinetic and potential energy. Conservation of linear momentum, Work and power and mechanical energy. Centre of mass and its motion. Gravitational potential and field. Centripetal acceleration and centrifugal force. Acceleration due to gravity. Centre of gravity. Moment of inertia of uniform bodies with simple geometrical shapes.

• Sound and mechanical waves: Longitudinal and transverse waves, Plane-wave motion, superposition of waves. Doppler effect. Progressive and stationary waves. 

• Thermal Physics: Thermal expansion of solids, liquids and gases. Heat conduction in one dimension. Elementary concepts of convection and radiation. Equivalence of heat and work. The first and second laws of thermodynamics and their applications. 

• Electricity and Magnetism: Electric field and potential. Coulomb’s law. Gauss’s law and its application in simple cases; The electrical potential energy of a system of point charges and dipoles in a uniform electrostatic field. 

• Electromagnetic Induction: Lenz’s law, Faraday’s law, Self and mutual inductance, RC, LR and LC circuits with A.C sources. 

• Optics: Reflection, Rectilinear propagation of light, refraction at plane and spherical surfaces, Deviation and dispersion of light by a prism. 

• Modern Physics: Alpha, beta and gamma radiations. Atomic nucleus. Law of radioactive decay, Characteristic and continuous X–rays, Bohr’s theory of hydrogen-like atoms, Photoelectric effect, and Moseley’s law.

• Capacitance: Capacitors in series and parallel. Calculation of capacitance with and without dielectrics. Energy is stored in a capacitor.

For more details, check out our article on the NEST syllabus.

Regarding NEST exam preparation, getting acquainted with the proper study materials is necessary for every candidate. Embibe Big Book for the NEST exam offers candidates e-books that come cooperatively with the practice questions for each chapter. For further reference, textbooks for the same are also available, which are presented in this section below. 

Below are the important books for each subject to prepare for NEST 2024:

Subjects	Books Recommended
Physics	Concepts of Physics by H.C. Verma Practise problems in Physics for Engineering Examinations by S.Mishra Concepts of Physics by HC Verma Objective Physics by Mahesh Jain Optics and Modern Physics by DC Pandey MCQ Question Bank by D Mukherjee
Chemistry	Organic Chemistry by NCERT IIT Chemistry by O.P Agarwal Chemistry Textbook for Class 11th and 12th by NCERT Entrance Chemistry by Bhakta A Textbook of Organic Chemistry for IIT JEE by R.K Gupta
Mathematics	Plane Trigonometry by S.L. Loney IIT Mathematics by R.D Sharma Higher Algebra by Hall and Knight Arihant Series by Dr SK Goyal Objective Mathematics by RD Sharma
Biology	A Class Book of Botany by A.C Dutta Biology Guide by Pradeep Elementary Biology for Class 12 by K.N Bhatia Textbook of Biology by S.C Verma Textbook of Biology by NCERT

As the exam approaches, it becomes very much important for all the candidates to practice the previous year question papers. Since the official notification for NEST 2024 is not yet released, candidates can check and practice the previous years’ papers given here in the table below:

Year	NEST Previous Year Question Papers
2022	Session 1 and Session 2
2021	Session 1 and Session 2
2020	Session 1 and Session 2
2019	Session 1 and Session 2
2018	Download Here
2017	Download Here
2016	Download Here
2015	Download Here
2014	Download Here
2013	Download Here
2012	Download Here

Check NEST question papers for more information.

At Embibe, candidates can solve the subject-wise NEST sample papers for. Solving the sample papers would help them provide an idea about the exam difficulty level, the pattern of questions asked through the exam, chapter-wise question weightage and more. 

Check NEST sample papers for more details.

Candidates can improve their marks with Embibe’s mock tests designed by experts. It is possible for them to improve their performance with the help of mock tests gradually. By knowing their mistakes, they will be able to perform perfectly in the exam. The test series is for candidates to take at any time. 

To take down the NEST mock tests for, follow the steps which are given below:

• 1st Step: Visit Embibe’s official website, i.e., embibe.com.
• 2nd Step: Login through your mobile number/email.
• 3rd Step: Select your ‘Goal’ as ‘NEST’ under Science.
• 4th Step: Click ‘Next’ and select your preferred language.
• 5th Step: Once done, click on the full test links which appear on the screen to take the TEST.

The questions, along with the timer, will appear on the screen.

Check NEST mock test here.

Here are some of the NEST exam preparation tips that candidates should know:

• Students can go through the important NEST chapters to obtain a good rank in the exam.
• Candidates must familiarise themselves with the syllabus and plan their studies accordingly.
• The science syllabus of NEST is similar to that of CBSE or NCERT, such as in Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics. None of these papers can be neglected.
• Candidates must keep regularly preparing as the exam will be conducted soon.
• The fundamental concepts of Class 12 Science must be understood properly to do well during the exam.
• Proper knowledge of multiple subjects can help candidates avoid negative marks.
• Solving past year’s question papers and mock tests is very helpful for advanced preparation.

NISER will release the NEST admit card 2024 on its official website. The admit card will only be issued via online mode. Candidates have to log in to the candidate portal using their login credentials.

The following steps must be followed while downloading the NEST 2024 admit card:

• 1st Step: Visit the official website: https://www.nestexam.in.
• 2nd Step: Click on the ‘Login’ option that appears on the screen. Enter the login details, such as the User ID and password.
• 3rd Step: Click on the prompt that says, “Download Admit Card”.
• 4th Step: Check all the details which are mentioned in the admit card. Then click on the download button.

Check NEST admit card details here.

Below given table highlights the expected NEST 2024 exam centres:

State	City
Assam	Guwahati
Himachal Pradesh	Hamirpur
	Shimla
Bihar	Patna
Chandigarh	Chandigarh
Chhattisgarh	Bhilai
	Raipur
Delhi	New Delhi
Uttar Pradesh	Noida
	Allahabad
	Kanpur
	Lucknow
	Varanasi
Gujarat	Ahmedabad
Jammu and Kashmir	Jammu
	Samba
	Srinagar
Jharkhand	Bokaro
	Dhanbad
	Jamshedpur
	Ranchi
Uttarakhand	Dehradun
	Haldwani
	Roorkee
Tripura	Agartala
Madhya Pradesh	Bhopal
	Gwalior
	Indore
	Jabalpur
Maharashtra	Mumbai
	Nagpur
	Pune
Manipur	Imphal
Meghalaya	Shillong
Odisha	Angul
	Balasore
	Bargarh
	Baripada
	Berhampur
	Bhubaneswar
	Cuttack
	Dhenkanal
	Jharsuguda
	Khurda
	Rayagada
	Rourkela
	Sambalpur
Rajasthan	Jaipur
	Udaipur
	Jodhpur
Punjab	Bathinda
	Jalandhar
	Mohali
West Bengal	Asansol
	Burdwan
	Durgapur
	Hooghly
	Kolkata
	Siliguri
Kerala	Alappuzha
	Ernakulam
	Idukki
	Kannur
	Kasaragod
	Kollam
	Kottayam
	Kozhikode
	Malappuram
	Palakkad
	Pathanamthitta
	Thiruvananthapuram
	Thrissur
Karnataka	Bengaluru
	Hubballi
	Mangalore
	Mysore
Tamil Nadu	Chennai
	Coimbatore
	Madurai
	Salem
	Tiruchirappalli
	Tirunelveli
Telangana	Hyderabad
	Karimnagar
	Warangal
Andhra Pradesh	Guntur
	Kakinada
	Kurnool
	Nellore
	Rajahmundry
	Tirupati
	Vijayawada
	Visakhapatnam
	Vizianagaram

The NEST answer key includes the answers to all the questions asked in NEST 2023 exam. If the candidates find any mistakes or discrepancies in the answer key, they can raise objections against it. The deadline will be notified by the exam authorities later. 

How To Download NEST Official Answer Key 2023?

Here are the steps to download the answer key:

• 1st Step: Go to the official website of NEST 2023.
• 2nd Step: Click on the login window.
• 3rd Step: Enter the login credentials and click the ‘Submit’ button.
• 4th Step: Find the NEST 2023 Answer Key of the subject candidates are interested in and click on it.
• 5th Step: The answer key will be displayed on the screen in PDF format.
• 6th Step: Download the NEST answer key and compare the responses with the correct options.

Note: The authorities will also mail the answer key and the answer scripts to the registered email ids of the candidates. You can also download the NEST answer key from the mail.

Check more details on the NEST answer key here.

The conducting authority will release the NEST result online. The NEST 2023 result contains details such as the candidate’s name, date of birth, address, marks obtained, ranks and more. Candidates can access the results on their website. They can access the exam result link on this website and check their scorecards.

Check details on NEST result 2023 here.

The conducting authorities—NISER and UM–DAE CEBS—will conduct the counselling separately. The NEST counselling will most likely be conducted offline, and the date and venue for the counselling procedure after declaring the NEST result will be released by both institutions. Candidates must carry all of the specified documents and certificates for the document verification that will take place during the counselling process.

Candidates should assess their weaknesses and core strengths before applying for any course. There is high pressure to pursue a rewarding profession after the 12th standard. Generally, a student gets plenty of advice from family and friends. 

Regardless, they should ascertain their strengths and weaknesses before making a final decision. To address these troubles, students can get career counselling to assess their skills, interests and weaknesses properly.

More details on NEST Counselling can be found here.

The conducting authority will release the cutoff of NEST separately on their official website. The NEST cutoff 2023 will be formulated based on section marks and overall marks secured by candidates in the exam. 

The NEST 2023 cutoff consists of the score that candidates must secure in the entrance test to be eligible for admission to the university. candidates who scored equal or more marks than the NEST cutoff 2023 will be called to the counselling process to secure a seat in their desired programme.

Cutoff scores for NISER Bhubaneshwar and CEBS Mumbai are given below.

NEST Cut-off for NISER Bhubaneswar: Session I

The table below highlights the NISER cut-off for Session I:

Category	Biology	Chemistry	Maths	Physics
General	4.2170	3.4805	3.6305	2.9345
OBC	3.7953	3.1325	3.2675	2.6411
SC/ST/PD/JK	2.1085	1.7403	1.8153	1.4673

NEST Cut-off for NISER Bhubaneswar: Session II

The table below highlights the NISER cut-off for Session II:

Category	Biology	Chemistry	Maths	Physics
General	3.4599	3.3875	2.7815	2.9620
OBC	3.1140	3.0488	2.5034	2.6658
SC/ST/PD/JK	1.7300	1.6938	1.3908	1.4810

NEST Cut-off for CEBS Mumbai: Session I

The table below highlights the CEBS Mumbai cut-off for Session I:

Category	Biology	Chemistry	Maths	Physics
General	8.43	6.96	7.26	5.87
OBC	7.59	6.26	6.53	5.28
SC/ST/PD/JK	4.22	3.48	3.63	2.93

NEST Cut-off for CEBS Mumbai: Session II

The table below highlights the CEBS Mumbai cut-off for Session II:

Category	Biology	Chemistry	Maths	Physics
General	6.92	6.78	5.56	5.92
OBC	6.23	6.10	5.01	5.33
SC/ST/PD/JK	3.46	3.39	2.78	2.96

More details on NEST Cut-off 2023 can be found here.

Following are some of the common questions concerning the NEST 2023 exam:

Q.1: What is the exam pattern for the NEST exam?

Ans. The NEST exam pattern is briefly divided into Biology, Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry and General Aptitude. 

Q.2: What is the NEST exam?

Ans. This exam is conducted to admit students into the 5-year integrated M.Sc courses in basic science. You can opt for the BSc or MSc in Physics, Biology and Chemistry. 

Q.3: When is the NEST 2024 exam?

Ans. NEST 2024 exam will be conducted in June 2024.

Q.4: What is the last date to apply for NEST 2023?

Ans. The last date to submit the NEST 2023 application form was May 17, 2023.

Q.5: When will the NEST 2024 admit card be released? 

Ans. The admit card for NEST 2024 will be released in June 2024.