NEST
National Entrance Screening Test
About this exam — pattern, marking, syllabus and where it leadsShowHide
NEST is the entrance to NISER Bhubaneswar and UM-DAE CEBS Mumbai, two Department of Atomic Energy institutions running five-year integrated M.Sc. programmes. Its scoring is the most distinctive on this list. There are four subject sections; your total is the best THREE of them — but only sections that clear a section-wise minimum count, and if fewer than three clear it you get no total at all. So a candidate must be competent in at least three sciences, not brilliant in one.
- Duration
- 3 hours, single session.
- Papers
- One paper, four subject sections. There is no general or aptitude section.
- Mode
- Computer-based test, in around 387 cities.
Question formats
- Biology — 20 single-correct MCQs, 60 marks
- Chemistry — 20 single-correct MCQs, 60 marks
- Mathematics — 20 single-correct MCQs, 60 marks
- Physics — 20 single-correct MCQs, 60 marksThe paper totals 240, but the maximum merit score is 180 — only three sections count.
Marking
| Question type | Correct | Partial | Incorrect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Every question | +3 | — | −1 |
| How the total is formed | The sum of the best three section scores, when all four clear the section minimum | The sum of exactly those sections that clear it, when three do | — |
| The section minimum (SMAS) | 20% of the average of the best 100 scores in that section — so it is set by the cohort, not fixed in advance | 90% of the general value for OBC, 50% for SC and ST | — |
Physics syllabus
General
- Units, Dimensions & Measurements
- Experimental Physics
Mechanics
- Kinematics
- Laws of Motion & Friction
- Circular Motion
- Work, Energy & Power
- Centre of Mass, Momentum & Collision
- Rotational Motion
- Gravitation
- Property of Solids
- Properties of Fluids
Thermal Physics
- Thermal Properties of Matter
- Thermodynamics
- Kinetic Theory of Gases
Oscillations & Waves
- Simple Harmonic Motion
- Waves
Electrodynamics
- Electrostatics
- Capacitors
- Current Electricity
- Magnetic Effects of Current
- Magnetism
- Electromagnetic Induction
- Alternating Current
- Electromagnetic Waves
Optics
- Ray Optics
- Wave Optics
Modern Physics
- Dual Nature of Matter and Radiation
- Atoms
- Nuclei
- Semiconductors / Electronic Devices
Eligibility and admissions
These change from year to year. Always confirm against the current information brochure before acting on anything here.
- Conducted by:
- NISER Bhubaneswar and UM-DAE CEBS Mumbai jointly.
- Merit percentile:
- A minimum admissible percentile is also required for a rank — 80 for General, EWS and OBC and 75 for SC and ST in the most recent cycle.
- Tie-break:
- The sum of the two best sections, then the best single section, then Class 12 aggregate at counselling.
- Eligibility:
- At least three of Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics in classes XI and XII; Class 12 passed in one of the last two years or appearing this year; about 60% aggregate (55% for SC, ST and Divyangjan). No upper age limit.
- Scholarship:
- The DISHA / INSPIRE-linked scholarship is available to admitted students — check the current value.
Where this exam leads
The two institutes
Around 200 seats at NISER and around 57 at CEBS. EWS reservation applies at CEBS only.
NISER Bhubaneswar — degrees awarded through the Homi Bhabha National Institute · UM-DAE CEBS Mumbai — degrees awarded by the University of Mumbai
Grouped by band rather than ranked one by one, because the ordering changes yearly and a branch at one institute is often worth more than a seat at a higher-ranked one. Check NIRF and the official counselling data before setting your preferences.
We do not publish closing ranks for this exam. Its counselling data is not released in a form we can verify institute by institute, and a plausible-looking invented number is worse than none — take the cut-offs from the conducting body's own counselling reports.
Courses offered
- • Five-year integrated M.Sc. in Physics
- • Five-year integrated M.Sc. in Chemistry
- • Five-year integrated M.Sc. in Mathematics
- • Five-year integrated M.Sc. in Biological Sciences