NEST 2019: Know all about Exam Dates, Application Form, Eligibility

National Entrance Screening Test (NEST) is a compulsory test for students seeking admission to National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) Bhubaneswar and University of Mumbai – Department of Atomic Energy Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences (UM-DAE CEBS), Mumbai.

Both NISER and UM-DAE CEBS were set up by Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India in 2007. Their mandate is to train scientific manpower for carrying out cutting-edge scientific research and for providing input to scientific programmes of Department of Atomic Energy and other applied science institutions in the country. NEST 2019 will be conducted in around 91 cities across India. The Registration / Online application will start from January 07, 2019.

Eligibility criteria for admission

• Candidates in General and OBC category should be born on or after August 01, 1999. The age limit is relaxed by 5 years for SC/ ST/ Physically Disabled (PD) candidates.
• Class XII qualifying examination should be passed in either 2017 or 2018. Candidates appearing in 2019 are also eligible. (Where only Letter Grade is given by the Board, a certificate from the Board specifying equivalent percentage marks will be required. In the absence of such a certificate the decision of the respective Admission Committees will be final.)
• At least 60% marks in aggregate (or equivalent grade) in Class XII (or equivalent) examination from any recognized Board in India. For Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) candidates and for Persons with Disability (PD), the minimum requirement is 55%.
• Candidate should be from regular science stream with only combination of at least three subjects among Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics in classes XI and XII.

NEST 2019 Important Dates 

• Registration / Online application opens: January 07, 2019 (10:00 am)
• Online application closes: March 11, 2019
• Download of admit card starts: April 24, 2019, 10:00 am
• Date of examination: June 01, 2019 (Saturday)
  Session-I: 9:00 am – 12:30 pm, Session-II: 2:30 pm – 6:00 pm
• Announcement of results on NEST website: June 17, 2019

The 4 step process for filling the application form is as follows:

Step1:Registration: Once you click ‘Apply Online’ button on http://www.nestexam.in you will see an intermediate page asking for ‘New Registration’ and ‘Login’. This registration form will appear in a new tab when you click ‘Get Registered’.

Step 2: login credentials: username and password, are sent to the e-mail that you provided during registration (in step 1). Click on the link provided in the e-mail or ‘Login’ button in NEST website (after ‘Apply Online’).

Step 3: Upload the scanned copy of your signature and photograph as per the dimensions defined.

Step 4: Payment of application fees