NEST

NEST · updated 2026 information brochure and syllabus, sections 5, 7 and 14 · Source year 2026 · Document date 2026-01-12 · Last reviewed 2026-09-28

Key rules and selection stages

• Correct +3, incorrect −1, blank 0. For merit ranking, the total uses the best three section scores that clear their applicable section minimum; the fourth section does not raise that total.
• Section-wise Minimum Admissible Score (SMAS) depends on the average of the top 100 scores in each section, with category adjustments. A separate Minimum Admissible Percentile (MAP) is also required for a rank; the 2026 MAP values appear below.

NEST · 2026 results and merit-list MAP · Exam cycle 2026 · Checked 2026-09-28

The 2026 result page lists category-wise Minimum Admissible Percentiles (MAP) for obtaining a merit rank. Candidates must ALSO clear the applicable Section-wise Minimum Admissible Score in at least three of four subjects. MAP is a percentile, not marks out of 240, and a merit rank does not itself fix the NISER/CEBS admission closing rank.