nest

NEST

What is NEST?

NEST is a mandatory test for 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), Mumbai. Established in 2007 by the Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India, both institutions aim to train scientific professionals for advanced research and contribute to the scientific initiatives of the Department of Atomic Energy and other applied science institutions in India.

NEST Eligibility Criteria 2022

The following eligibility criteria must be met by all the candidates to be eligible for the NEST entrance exam:

  • Applicants should pass Class 12 in the Science stream from a recognised board in India with a minimum of 60 percent aggregate (55 per cent for SC/PwD category candidates)
  • Applicants should have passed Class 12. Candidates who have appeared for their Class 1210+2 exams in 2022 are also eligible to apply for the NEST exam.
  • Applicants should have studied a combination of three subjects – Biology, Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics in Classes 11 and 12. 
  • Age limit: Applicants belonging to the General and OBC categories should be born on or after August 1, 2002, in order to meet the NEST eligibility criteria. The institution will provide an age limit relaxation of five years to candidates belonging to SC/ST/Divyangjan category.
  • Candidates must secure a position in the NEST Merit List.

NEST 2022 Admission Process

The admission process at the NID comprises 5 stages. Each stage of the admission process has been briefly explained down below:

  • Apply for the NEST entrance examination: Enrollment for the exam is the first step in the admission. The candidates will have to register on the official website of the institution. 
  • Get your NEST admit card: If the candidates fulfill all the eligibility criteria, an admit card will be issued to the applicant. The admit card will enable the candidate to appear for the exam. 
  • Appear for the NEST exam: After downloading the admit card, the candidates will be allotted the exam center venue where the exam will be held. The candidates have to reach their designated exam center and attempt the NEST exam.
  • Download the NEST scorecard: The result and the scorecard will be available to download after the declaration. The candidates can download their respective scorecards from the official website of NID. 
  • Counseling round: The counseling session will be held for the candidates who have scored more than the cut off marks as mentioned further in this article.

NEST Exam Pattern 2022

The marking scheme for the NEST entrance exam is follows: 

  • The exam will contain two types of questions: MCQs and MSQs. 
  • The NEST exam can be attempted in English only. 
  • The total sum of all questions will be 2022 marks. 
  • There shall be no negative marking for MSQs. 
  • One mark will be deducted for the MCQs. 
  • Every correct answer will help the candidate to gain 4 marks.
  • The NEST 2022 will comprice 68 questions in total.

NEST Eligibility Criteria

Following is complete NEST eligibility norms candidates must satisfy to be eligible for the exam:

  • Qualifying: Candidates should have passed 10+2 Intermediate or its equivalent examination from any recognized board or university.
  • Subject: Candidates should have Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics as mandatory subject in the qualifying examination.
  • Percentage: Candidates should have obtained minimum 60% marks (55% for reserved category) candidates to be eligible.
  • Age Limit: Category must be born on or after 1st August 2002 to be eligible for NEST 5 years of relaxation will be given to SC/ ST category candidates.

Syllabus

The syllabus for NEST 2022 follows the rationalised science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics) syllabus of Class XI–XII as per NCERT.

NEST 2022 Admission Cut Off

The section-wise NEST 2022 cut-off for NISER Bhubaneswar and CEBS Mumbai for each section according to sections and categories are mentioned below:

NEST 2022 Cutoff for NISER Bhubaneswar – Session I

Take a look at the category-wise and subject-wise NEST 2022 cut off for Session I.

NEST 2022 Cutoff for NISER Bhubaneswar – Session II

The following table brings the NEST 2022 cutoff for Session II as stated by NISER.

NEST 2022 Cutoff for CEBS Mumbai – Session I

Check out the NEST 2022 cutoff for the first session for CEBS Mumbai.

NEST 2022 Cutoff for CEBS Mumbai – Session II

The following table brings the NEST 2022 cutoff for Session II as stated by CEBS Mumbai.

NEST 2022: Qualifying Cut Off vs. Admission Cut Off

NEST 2022 Qualifying Cut Off refers to the minimum percentile required by candidates to qualify for the selection process. Scoring the marks as per the qualifying Cut Off will not guarantee admission. The university uploads the Cut Off before conducting the exam. The candidates who do not secure a rank as per the Cut Off will not be considered for merit list preparation. 

The NEST 2022 Admission Cut-Off is the minimum mark candidates should meet to seek admission in the NEST participating institutes. Scoring the marks as per the admission Cut Off can guarantee admission. 

Factors Affecting the NEST 2022 Cut Off

The aspirants should know that the Cut Offs for NEST vary each year. There are many factors that influence the NEST Cut Offs. Some of the key factors that influence the NEST Cut Off 2022 are stated below:

  • Reservation Criteria: Candidates belonging to reserved categories such as SC, ST, PwD, and EWS tend to have a lower Cut Off as compared to the General/Open category candidates.
  • Number of candidates appeared for the exam: The more candidates in the NEST exam, the higher the Cut Off for the exam and vice versa. 
  • Number of seats: The number of seats offered by the institutes directly influences the Cut Offs and is interlinked with the number of candidates appearing for the examination. If the number of candidates sitting for the NEST is greater than the availability of seats, the Cut Offs are likely to be high and vice versa.
  • Difficulty level of the question paper: Tough question paper may lead to a lower cut-off, and an easy or moderate question paper may result in a higher cut-off.