NEST 2026 registration begins for MSc programmes; apply by April 6

The National Entrance Screening Test (NEST) 2026 registration begins today, January 5. Eligible candidates can submit the NEST 2026 application form on the official website, nestexam.in by April 6, 2026. The MSc admission test is scheduled to be conducted on June 6 from 2 pm to 5 pm across 140 exam centres in India.

As per the NEST 2026 schedule, the last date to pay the application fee is April 12, 2026, up to 11:30 pm, and the admit card will be released on May 15, 2026.

To complete the NEST registration, candidates from the Unreserved (UR) and Other Backwards Classes (OBC) categories will have to pay an application fee of Rs 1,400. Candidates belonging to the Unreserved-EWS (UR-EWS), SC, ST, Divyangjan categories, as well as female candidates, are required to pay Rs 700.

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NEST Exam 2026: Eligibility criteria

Candidates who passed the Class 12 or equivalent examination in 2024 or 2025 with at least 60% marks (55% for SC/ ST candidates), as well as those appearing for the Class 12 or equivalent examination in 2026, are eligible to apply.

The NEST entrance exam will be conducted for admission to the five-year integrated MSc programmes in physics, chemistry, biology, and mathematics at the NISER and UM-CEBS.

A total of 261 seats are available for MSc admission, including 202 at the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) and 59 at the University of Mumbai – Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences (UM-CEBS).

How to apply for NEST 2026?

Candidates can follow the instructions given below to fill out the NEST 2026 application form.

• Go to the official website, nextexam.in
• Click on the “NEST Registration 2026” link.
• Fill the application form with the required details.
• Upload the essential documents in a prescribed format and size.
• Pay the NEST application fee and submit the form.
• Download the confirmation page and take a printout of it for your reference.