NEST Exam Date 2025, Registration (Open), Eligibility, Syllabus, Pattern

NEST 2025 Highlights

Here are some of the most crucial details related to the NEST 2025 Exam that the candidates must know if they are preparing for the exam.

NEST 2025 Important dates

Here is a table summarizing the tentative schedule for NEST 2025:

Who is Eligible for NEST  Exam 2025?

To meet NEST 2025 Exam Eligibility, candidates must have qualified Class 12 or equivalent in 2023 or 2024 from a recognized board. There is no age limit for the exam. Applicants should have studied Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Mathematics, securing at least 60% aggregate marks (55% for SC/ST/PwD). Those appearing in Class 12 in 2025 are also eligible to apply, provided they meet the required criteria.

NEST 2025 Application Process

The NEST 2025 exam is scheduled for June 22, 2025 (Sunday). The online application process for NEST 2025 will open on February 17, 2025, and close on May 9, 2025. There will be a correction and update window available from May 10, 2025, to May 14, 2025. A mock test for candidates will be available starting from May 16, 2025. Candidates can download their admit cards from June 2, 2025. Applicants need to stay updated with these dates and complete their applications within the given timeline.

How To Apply for NEST 2025?

Here are the procedures for filling in the NEST 2025 Application for students preparing for the NEST Exam 2025. 

• The process of application would begin through the official website for the UM DAE CEBS and NISER.
• Application fees for NEST 2025 can be paid by students using online payment modes like net banking, debit card, and credit card.
• Also, you are required to submit the NEST Exam 2025 registration fee online because it is not accepted offline.
• As applicants, they could choose any one of the five most favorable Examination centers for themselves in 2025.
• Candidates should make sure that the email address and phone number are correct while filling out the application form because the organizing body will use these credentials to contact you.

NEST 2025 Admit Card

NEST 2025 Admit card will be available on 2nd June 2025. The NEST admit card is issued both by the participating universities through an online platform. Even the NEST Exam 2025 Centres are found on the admit card as well based on their preference and saved locations.

The candidates who filled out the NEST 2025 Application Form are the ones who will be getting the admit card to download. The admit card of the students can be downloaded by visiting the official website. Then, by using their logging credentials like Email ID and Password, they can log in and download their admit card. The important details on the admit card are roll number, exam date, signature, name of the student, photograph, exam time, center, and many more.

Note: No students are allowed in the examination hall without the admit card. Hence, students should carry a clear printout hard copy of their NEST 2025 Admit card/ hall ticket along with their original ID on the day of the exam.

The details printed on the admit card should be double-checked by students, and any mistake should be reported to the helpline number or contact detail provided in the admit card. Correction must be done.

How to download the NEST 2025 Admit Card?

Candidates can easily download the NEST 2025 Admit card according to the following steps:

• Step 1: Students have to log in on the official website of NEST- nestexam.in.
• Step 2: Now Click on the Download Admit Card and then the login page will appear on the screen
• Step 3: Students have to fill out the User ID and Password
• Step 4: After getting logged in, then click on the admit card tab.
• Step 5: Re-check all the details mentioned on the admit card, then click the download tab. 
• Step 6: Ensure it is printed on the A4 sheet and carry extra photocopies of the admit card, as it will be required at the time of counseling for NEST and NEST Seat Allotment 2025.

NEST 2025 Exam Pattern

Knowing the pattern of the competitive exam you are preparing for will be really helpful at the time of preparation for the exam and proper preparation. Therefore, here are some important details related to the NEST 2025 Exam pattern.

Check out the section-wise pattern for the NEST Exam 2025:

NEST 2025 Syllabus

The syllabus of NEST 2025 is from the rationalized science syllabus of class 11 and 12 of the CBSE/ NCERT. To know each and every aspect, candidates may visit the subject-wise syllabus for NEST Exam and prepare according to that of NEST 2025.

Note: The frequency of changes in the NEST 2025 Exam Syllabus is very low and therefore, the students appearing for the NEST 2025 Exam have to go through the table so that they get a clue about which are the significant topics that are needed to prepare.

Is NEST Tougher Than NEET?

Both NEST and NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) are competitive exams, but their difficulty levels vary across subjects, syllabus, and exam structure. Let's break it down.

Differences Between NEST 2025 and NEET 2025

NEST (National Entrance Screening Test)

• Conducted for admission to the 5-year Integrated MSc programs at NISER (Bhubaneswar) and UM-DAE CEBS (Mumbai).
• Held in June as a computer-based test (CBT) at designated centers.
• Covers subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Biology.
• Candidates can attempt all four sections, but only the best three are considered for the final score.
• NEST has sectional cut-offs which means candidates must score above the minimum in at least three sections to qualify.

NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test)

• Conducted for admission into medical colleges across India.
• A pen-and-paper-based exam is held in offline mode.
• Focuses on Physics, Chemistry, and Biology.
• All subjects are mandatory; no option to choose preferred sections.
• Emphasizes rote learning and applying concepts to medical scenarios.
• No sectional cut-offs—only the overall score matters.

NEST 2025 Vs. NEET 2025

NEST 2025 is Considered Tougher than NEET 2025: Reasons

Conceptual Depth

• NEST 2025 questions require a deep understanding of scientific principles beyond simple memorization.
• NEET 2025, while challenging, has a significant portion of questions based on rote learning.

Problem-Solving Requirement

• NEST tests multi-step analytical skills and logical reasoning.
• NEET, although lengthy, mostly focuses on the direct application of concepts.

Mathematics Inclusion

• NEST includes Mathematics, which is not required for NEET.

Note: This makes NEST particularly challenging for Biology students, as they need to tackle Math-based problems.

Competition & Time Pressure

• NEET has higher competition due to the massive number of applicants.
• NEST is a race against time, with 200 questions in 3 hours and 20 minutes.

NEST is generally considered tougher than NEET due to its conceptual and problem-solving focus. NEET is highly competitive, requiring fast decision-making under time constraints. If candidates are from a Biology background, preparing for Mathematics in NEST can be challenging but manageable with proper strategy.

How to Prepare for NEST 2025?

If candidates are preparing for NEET 2025 but also planning to take NEST 2025, consider these additional strategies:

Mathematics Preparation for Biology Students

• Read "A Mind for Numbers" by Barbara Oakley to build confidence in Math.
• Cover the NCERT syllabus for basic conceptual clarity.
• Use reference books like Cengage or the Arihant series for advanced problem-solving.
• Practice previous years’ question papers (PYQs) and solve at least 3-5 Math problems daily.
• Focus on developing logical and analytical thinking rather than memorization.

General Tips for NEST Exam 2025 Preparation

• Focus on understanding concepts rather than rote memorization.
• Practice multi-step logical reasoning questions.
• Work on time management by attempting mock tests.
• Ensure minimum qualifying marks in at least three sections to be eligible for admission.
  Also Check: NEET 2025 Exam Pattern

NEST 2025 Answer Key

Once the NEST 2025 answer key is released, it will be sent to the registered email addresses of the candidates along with their answer scripts.

Candidates will check the correct answer with the answer key, calculate the estimated score, and determine the chances of getting admission to any of the participating institutes under NEST. The candidates need to raise objections against one or more NEST 2025 answer keys. Fees or charges for raising objections against the provisional answer key are not to be paid by the test-takers. The answer key of NEST 2025 comprises the correct options for each section, i.e., Physics, Biology, Chemistry, and Mathematics in the same PDF file only. Direct link to see answer key is below- 

NEST 2025 Results

NEST 2025 Results will be declared in the second week of July 2025, as per the expected dates. The NEST merit list/ result comprises the candidate's roll number and candidates qualifying for the entrance exam of the integrated MSc. Candidates will have to input their login credentials to download their Scorecards of NEST 2025. NEST scorecard contains details related to sectional as well as the overall scores along with the Percentile and AIR. It is advisable for candidates to keep their scorecards safe until the NEST 2025 admission process is over.

How to Check NEST 2025 Result

Applicants must follow the given steps to check NEST 2025 Results:

• Open the official website (Link will be provided above).
• Click on “NEST 2025 Result” link.
• A new page will be displayed on the screen.
• Now, fill in your Roll Number OR Application Number & Date of Birth.
• Then, click on the “Go” button.
• Check your result.
• Take a print copy of the NEST 2025 result for future use.

NEST 2025 Cutoff

CEBS Mumbai and NISER Bhubaneswar will release the NEST 2025 cut-off marks based on the sessions, subjects, and categories. The NEST 2025 cutoff will be released on the official site in two categories: Section-wise Minimum Admissible Score (SMAS), which leads to the sectional cutoff, and Minimum Acceptable Percentile (MAP), or overall percentile.

For each of the sections, 20% of the best 100 mean scores in the section will form SMAS for that section only, according to the officials. SMAS taken for different sections can be from different numerical figures. In addition to the cutoff of sectional NEST, candidates should also clear the overall NEST 2025 cutoff percentile. For the general category candidates, the NEST 2025 cutoff will be 95 percent. For OBC candidates, the cutoff is 90 percent. For those who belong to the reserved category, the cutoff will be 75 percent. However, numbers are based on the NEST cutoff analysis for last year. 

NEST 2025 Cut off For NISER & CBES (Shift wise)

Applicants who want to appear in the NEST exam can check the cutoff for both NISER & CBES mentioned below 

Factors affecting NEST 2025 Cutoff

Various factors are taken into consideration to decide the NEST cutoff marks, it is mentioned below:

• Total no of applicants appeared in the NEST exam
• Difficulty level of the exam. 
• The cut-off marks i.e. SMAS will vary for each section as well as MAP for NISER and CEBS. 
• For NISER, candidates should score equal to and above MAP and in SMAS in the General section and all four sections to secure a rank in the merit list.
• For CEBS, candidates should score equal to and above MAP and in SMAS in the General section and any three of the subject sections to secure a rank in the merit list.

NEST 2025 Counselling process

The UG First Round of Counselling apart from BVSC and AH has been released on the official website. Candidates can access the website or simply download it here.

UG (Apart from BVSC and AH) First Round of Counselling

All shortlisted candidates will be provided with seats in their respective courses at NISER and CEBS as per their respective merit lists. It may be noted that there is no joint counselling for the NEST exam. The process for NEST counselling is as mentioned below:

• All eligible applicants must first enroll themselves on the web counseling portal of the exam/ institutes. Subsequently, applicants are required to download and then print forms that include Student Personal Details undertaken by the student and parent/ guardian, Student Medical History, and Format of Affidavit [anti-ragging] by the Student and Parent/ Guardian.
• The first round of counselling will be continued till all the seats get occupied or the revised merit list is exhausted, which is the earlier of the two.
• After NEST counseling round 1, every participating institute prepares its waiting list.
• Admission of candidates whose names feature on the waiting list is carried out through the second round of counseling.
• The second counseling is not joint counseling.
• In the counseling session, attendance of all candidates present at all the venues is taken into consideration. On the basis of attendance of candidates and the original merit list declared earlier, a modified merit list is prepared. Seats are allotted to candidates at NISER and CBS strictly based on the modified list.

Frequently Asked Question