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The NEST 2025 Exam Pattern will be prescribed by the exam conducting authority. The (National Entrance Screening Test) or NEST is a compulsory test for admission to the 5-year Integrated M.Sc Programme in basic sciences – Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics – at the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Bhubaneswar and the University of Mumbai – Department of Atomic Energy Center for Excellence in Basic Sciences (UM-DAE CBS), Mumbai.
Both NISER and CBS are autonomous institutions established by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Government of India, in 2007.
The National Entrance Screening Test or NEST is a compulsory test for admission to the 5-year Integrated M.Sc program in basic sciences – Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics at the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Bhubaneswar and the University of Mumbai.
NEST 2025 Exam
The NEST 2025 Exam will be conducted on 22nd June 2025. Based on the performance in NEST 2025, a common Merit List of the applicants will be prepared and posted on the NEST 2025 website.
The successful applicants will be called for counselling, and admission will be strictly according to the Merit List until all the seats are filled. A separate merit list for different category applicants will be made available before counselling.
NEST 2025 Exam Centres
NEST 2025 will be conducted at 60 centres across the country in more than 100 venues. Candidates have to mention their choice of NEST 2025 Exam centre in order of their preference while filling out the NEST 2025 Application Form. Every candidate is allowed to select 2 centres at the time of filling out the application form.
They can also pick 2 centres from the same city, such as Delhi-East and Delhi-North. The exam conducting authority would allocate the NEST 2025 Exam Center as per the choice of the candidate.
NEST 2025 Exam Pattern
NEST 2025 will be conducted in Online mode (Computer-based Test). There are 5 Sections in total in the NEST Exam – one General section compulsory for all the candidates and four subject sections, namely Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Biology.
All the questions will be in the Multiple Choice Questions format. The syllabus for NEST 2025 is based on the syllabus of Class XI and XII as prescribed by CBSE.
Candidates can check below the important highlights of the NEST 2025 Exam Pattern.
| Mode of paper | Online CBT (Computer Based Test) |
| No. of Sections | 5 |
| Type of questions | Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) |
| Subjects | General, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Biology |
| Exam Hours | 3 Hrs 30 min |
| Section-wise marking scheme | Section 1 – 30 marks; Section 2 to 5 – 50 Marks each |
| Total No. of Questions | 230 Questions |
| Negative Marking | For specific questions in Subject Sections |
| The medium of question paper | English |
Scores secured in the best three subjects, along with the score in the general section, are considered for evaluation and merit list preparation. However, candidates can attempt all four subject sections.
The questions are aimed at comprehending candidates’ grasp of the subjects and their analytic abilities.
The NEST exam pattern is mentioned below
| Section | Marks |
| General | 30 |
| Physics | 50 |
| Chemistry | 50 |
| Biology | 50 |
| Mathematics | 50 |
Exam Rules
- The NEST 2025 Examination will be conducted at multiple centres (major towns or cities) all over India on 22nd June 2025.
- The examination is of 3 hours and 30 minutes in duration. It will start at 9:00 AM for the first session and 2 PM for the second session.
- Candidates will not be allowed to enter the examination hall after 9:30 AM and 2:30 PM for the respective sessions.
- The earliest a candidate can leave the examination hall is 11 AM and 4 PM for the respective sessions; it becomes necessary to leave before on medical grounds.
- The earliest one can carry the question paper out is 11:00 a.m.; the use of log tables and calculators in the exam hall is not allowed.
- Applicants must bring their pen, pencils (HB), eraser, and sharpener; exchange/ sharing of these items with other applicants is strictly prohibited.
- Applicants must bring their Admit Card and their school photo Identity Card or any photo ID issued by Govt. agencies to the examination hall.
- Any applicant found adopting unfair means will be expelled from the examination hall without warning; mobile phones and other similar electronic gadgets are strictly not allowed inside the exam hall.
If you have any queries regarding the NEST 2025 Exam Pattern, you can ask your query in the comments section below.
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