NEST Application Form 2026, Registration, Fee and How to Apply (~68 chars)

NEST 2026 registration opened on January 5 and closed on April 8, 2026, jointly conducted by NISER Bhubaneswar and UM-DAE CEBS Mumbai for admission to their 5-year Integrated MSc programmes in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics. One detail sets NEST apart from nearly every other entrance exam: the application fee is set by gender, not just by category, with female candidates across all categories paying the same lower amount as SC/ST/PwD candidates. NEST 2026 exam was held on June 6, results came out on June 24, and counselling for the two participating institutes is underway.

NEST 2026 Application Fee Is Set by Gender, Not Just Category

Most entrance exams set fees purely by reservation category, but NEST 2026 layers gender into the structure as well. A male General or OBC candidate pays exactly double what a female candidate in the same category pays.

Payment is accepted only online through debit card, credit card, net banking, or UPI. Offline payment modes, including demand draft, are explicitly not accepted for NEST.

NEST 2026 Two-Phase Registration and Permanently Locked Details

NEST splits registration into two distinct phases, and a specific set of details entered in the first phase can never be changed afterward, not even during the official correction window.

• Phase 1 (basic registration): candidates enter name, date of birth, email ID, mobile number, and their Class 10 roll number. These five fields are locked permanently the moment this phase is submitted.
• Login credentials are emailed within about 30 minutes of completing Phase 1, and candidates use these to log back in and complete Phase 2.
• Phase 2 (full application): personal, academic, and contact details, document uploads, exam centre preferences, and fee payment all happen here.
• Because Phase 1 details cannot be edited even during the correction window later, candidates should enter their name and date of birth exactly as they appear on their Class 10 certificate the first time.

NEST 2026 Application Overview

The table below captures the core registration facts from the official joint notification. This exam is unusual for having only two participating institutes, both DAE-affiliated autonomous centres.

NEST 2026 Registration and Exam Dates

NEST kept its registration window open for roughly three months, followed by a very short correction window just weeks before the exam.

How to Register for NEST 2026

Registration follows the two phases described above, and candidates can save a partially filled Phase 2 form and return to complete it later, as long as the overall deadline is met.

• Step 1: Visit nestexam.in and click 'New Registration.' Enter name, date of birth, email, mobile number, and Class 10 roll number exactly as per your Class 10 certificate.
• Step 2: Check your email within 30 minutes for login credentials generated after Phase 1 submission.
• Step 3: Log in and fill in personal, academic, and contact details in Phase 2.
• Step 4: Upload a passport-size colour photograph (JPEG, up to 80 KB) and a scanned signature in the specified format.
• Step 5: Select up to five preferred exam centre cities in order of priority.
• Step 6: Pay the application fee online based on your gender and category.
• Step 7: Review all entered details on the preview screen.
• Step 8: Submit the form and download the confirmation page for future reference.

Documents Required for NEST 2026 Registration

NEST references Class 10 records specifically at the very first step of registration, before any other document is even discussed, which makes having that certificate on hand essential from the start.

• Class 10 mark sheet or certificate, needed for the roll number and to verify name and date of birth spelling at Phase 1.
• Class 12 mark sheet, or proof of appearing in 2026 for candidates still awaiting results.
• Scanned passport-size colour photograph, JPEG format, up to 80 KB.
• Scanned signature, cropped and sized as specified on the portal.
• Category certificate (SC/ST/OBC-NCL/EWS), for candidates claiming reservation.
• PwD certificate, where applicable, in the prescribed format.

NEST 2026 Application Correction Window: What Cannot Be Changed

The correction window opened for a very short period, and given how restrictive it is, most candidates find it useful only for minor academic or address corrections rather than anything fundamental.

• Fields that remain editable during the correction window: academic details (marks, passing year, board name), exam centre preferences, and address.
• Fields that can never be edited, even during this window: name, date of birth, mobile number, and email ID, since these were locked at Phase 1.
• The window itself lasted only about 24 hours, running from 10 AM on one day to 10 AM the next.
• Candidates who find an error in a locked field after this window has no further recourse through the portal.

DISHA Scholarship and BARC Fast-Track for NEST Admits

Admission through NEST comes with a built-in financial and career incentive that most other entrance exams in this category do not offer as a standard, automatic feature.

• Every candidate admitted to NISER or UM-DAE CEBS through NEST is eligible for the DISHA scholarship programme run by the Department of Atomic Energy, worth Rs 60,000 per year.
• An additional Rs 20,000 per year is available as a grant specifically for summer internships undertaken during the programme.
• Candidates who demonstrate outstanding academic performance during the Integrated MSc programme can qualify directly for an admission interview at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), opening a fast-track path into research careers.
• These benefits are tied to admission through NEST itself and are not something candidates need to apply for separately at the application stage.

After Submitting the NEST 2026 Application

After registration closes, the admit card is released online using Phase 1 login credentials. The 3.5-hour exam covers General, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Biology with positive and negative marking. The provisional answer key follows shortly, after which the final merit list is prepared. Qualified candidates proceed to counselling for admission to NISER or UM-DAE CEBS based on rank and seat availability.

NEST Application Form 2026 FAQs

Ques: Why do male and female candidates pay different NEST application fees?

Ques: I entered my name incorrectly during Phase 1 registration. Can I fix it later?

Ques: Do I need to apply separately to NISER and UM-DAE CEBS?

Ques: Is the DISHA scholarship something I need to apply for separately?

Ques: How many exam city preferences can I select during NEST registration?