National Entrance Screening Test Eligibility Criteria 2026
National Entrance Screening Test Eligibility Criteria
NEST 2025 Eligibility Criteria
The eligibility criteria for NEST 2025 are set by the exam conducting authority. Candidates can check the educational qualification and age limit details below.
Educational Qualifications
For General Candidates:
- Candidates must have passed the Class 12th examination or any equivalent examination from a recognized Board in India in 2023 or 2024.
- Those who appeared for the Class 12th Examination in 2025 are also eligible to apply for NEST 2025.
- The applicant must have studied Science with the combination of Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics.
- Candidates must have secured at least 60% marks in aggregate or an equivalent grade in the Class 12th exam.
For Reserved Category Candidates:
- Candidates who have secured at least 55% marks in aggregate or an equivalent grade in the Class XII examination are eligible for admission to NISER and CBS. There is no restriction regarding aggregate marks for appearing in the NEST 2025 exam.
- Candidates should have completed the Class 12th Examination or any equivalent examination from a recognized Board in India in 2023 or 2024.
- Candidates who appeared for the Class 12th Examination in 2025 also meet the eligibility requirement for NEST.
- The subject combination for Class 12th is the same as that for general candidates.
Age Limit
There is no age limit for appearing in the NEST 2025 examination and admission to either NISER or UM-DAE CEBS.
NEST 2025 Reservation Criteria
Out of the total number of seats in both NISER and CBS, a certain percentage of seats are reserved for reserved category candidates. The categories acknowledged by NISER and CBS for admission are as follows:
- Other Backward Classes belonging to the Non-Creamy Layer (OBC–NCL)
- Scheduled Caste (SC) / Scheduled Tribe (ST)
- Person with Disabilities
- Supernumerary Quota for students from Jammu and Kashmir
About 27% of seats are reserved for OBC-NCL candidates, 15% for SC, and 7.5% for ST categories. Divyangjan or PwD candidates have 5% of seats reserved.
NEST 2025 Seat Intake
The seat distribution for NISER and CBS is given below.
| Category | NISER | CBS |
|---|---|---|
| General | 101 | 23 |
| General- EWS | 0 | 06 |
| OBC NCL | 54 | 12 |
| SC | 30 | 09 |
| ST | 15 | 04 |
| PwD | 5% of each category | 5% of each category |
| Total | 200 | 57 |
NEST 2025 Application Fee
The application fee for NEST 2025 depends on the category and gender of the candidate.
- Male candidates of the General and OBC categories must pay INR 1400.
- SC/ST/PwD candidates and all female applicants must pay INR 700.
Reservation for OBC-NCL Candidates
About 27% of seats are reserved for OBC-NCL candidates. Candidates can check the central list of OBC classes on the official website.
Candidates belonging to the creamy layer of OBC are not entitled to any reservation. They will be treated as belonging to the General (unreserved) category.
Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) are not eligible for any reservation unless they belong to the OBC-NCL category. These classes are notified by some state governments.
Reservation for SC/ST Candidates
The total percentage of seats reserved for SC/ST candidates is 15% for SC and 7.5% for ST. Only those candidates will fall under this category whose caste and tribes are mentioned in the list published by the Government of India.
Reservation for Persons with Disabilities
About 5% of seats in General, OBC-NCL and SC/ST categories are reserved for PD candidates. Applicants who have at least 40% impairment are eligible to apply for NEST 2025 under this category.
The impairment can be of any type, including locomotor, visual or dyslexic. Leprosy-cured candidates who are otherwise fit to pursue the course are also eligible.
Supernumerary Quota for Jammu and Kashmir
Two supernumerary seats are reserved at both NISER and CEBS for eligible candidates from Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. This is as per existing government regulations.
A student with a certain category rank will take a general seat if he or she secures a suitable general ranking. For example, if the topper of the exam (General rank 1) happens to be an OBC candidate, he or she would get OBC rank 1 as well.
In such a case, the candidate would be admitted against the General rank. This ensures that all OBC seats remain available even after the admission.
Required Documents for Admission
If selected, every candidate, irrespective of any category, has to obtain a certain set of documents at the time of admission. If the candidate fails to produce original documents during the admission and counseling process, the admission will be rejected.
For General Candidates
- Candidate has to carry all original documents and sufficient photocopies.
- Documents such as Birth Certificate, Class 10th Mark sheet, Class 12th Mark sheet, Passport Size photographs, etc. are required.
- If the candidate has only letter grades, a certificate from the Board specifying the equivalent percentage of marks is required. This is compulsory, or else the admission will not be done.
For Reserved Categories
- To claim seats under reserved category, relevant documents must be furnished at the time of admission.
- OBC candidates must have the OBC (NCL) certificate.
- SC/ST candidates are required to have the SC/ST certificate.
- Jammu and Kashmir candidates are required to have Original Certificates to reserve seats under their category.
- Candidates under PD category are required to have the Medical Certificate issued according to the latest guidelines of the Government of India.
- Apart from the Category Certificates, candidates will also be required to furnish documents such as Birth Certificates, Class 10th Mark sheet, Class 12th Mark sheet, and Passport Size photographs at the time of counseling and admission.