Do you want to get into the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), one of the most prestigious research institutions? If you are preparing for the National Entrance Screening Test (NEST), you might be worried about how much you should score to get a seat safely at NISER or CEBS. In this blog, let’s examine the particular criteria, focusing on the average score required for NISER admission.
In this blog, we will discuss:
- What is the NEST exam?
- Exam Pattern
- ‘Section–wise’ Minimum Admissible Score (SMAS) or section-wise cut–off marks
- Overall cut-off or Minimum Admissible Percentile (MAP)
- Merit list rank preparation
- Seat Matrix
- Previous year cutoff and Minimum required scores
What is the NEST exam?
NEST is a highly competitive entrance exam for admissions into NISER Bhubaneswar and the Department of Atomic Energy Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences (CEBS) Mumbai. The exam has four sections, biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics, to evaluate the candidates’ knowledge. One does not need to attempt all four sections; doing best in any three will result in a good score. Achieving high scores on this test provides access to excellent basic science research and educational opportunities.
Exam Pattern:
You must first understand the exam pattern to build your strategy to secure a good score.
- The exam will be computer-based (CBT Mode).
- The language of the question paper will be Hindi and English. The English question paper will be considered the standard if there is any confusion/discrepancy due to language.
- The question paper will consist of four sections of objective (MCQ) )-type questions. Each section is worth 60 marks and will contain subject-specific questions from biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics.
- Each section will have 20 questions, with exactly one correct answer.
- Marking scheme:
- Marking the correct answer will fetch 3 marks.
- Choosing an incorrect answer will lead to a deduction of 1 mark, and
- No marks will be deducted for not answering a question.
- Note that it is in the candidate’s interest to attempt all sections.
- The merit list for both institutes will be prepared using the best three scores out of the four sections, and the section with the worst score will not be considered. That is, scores out of 180 will be considered for preparing the merit list.
‘Section–wise’ Minimum Admissible Score (SMAS) or section-wise cut–off marks:
- The total score of each candidate will be the sum of his/her best three scores out of the four sections.
- For each section, “20% of the average of the best 100 scores in that section” will be considered as the Section–wise Minimum Admissible Score (SMAS). For example, if the average of the best 100 scores in the Chemistry section is 48 out of 60, then SMAS for the Chemistry section would be 48*0.20 = 9.6 marks, similar to other sections.
- SMAS for different sections can be of different numerical values.
- For any particular section, the SMAS for the two sessions can be of different numerical values.
- SMAS for OBC students would be 90% of the respective SMAS for the general category students. For example, if the SMAS is 9.6 for general category students in the Chemistry section, then the SMAS for OBC students would be 8.64 (90% of 9.6).
- SMAS for SC/ST/Divyangjan students would be 50% of the respective SMAS for general category students. For example, if the SMAS is 9.6 for general category students in the Chemistry section, then the SMAS for SC/ST/Divyangjan students would be 4.8 (50% of 9.6).
Overall cut-off or Minimum Admissible Percentile (MAP):
- In addition to SMAS, a candidate must score equal to or above a total Minimum Admissible Percentile (MAP) to get a merit rank.
- MAP for NEST 2024 is 95 percentile for general category candidates.
- MAP for NEST 2024 is 90 percentile for OBC candidates.
- MAP for NEST 2024 is 75 percentile for SC/ST/Divyangjan candidates.
- A candidate scoring less than the MAP would not be allotted any merit rank or deemed eligible for admission, even if he/she secures SMAS in all sections.
Merit list rank preparation:
The final ranking of the candidates will be based on percentile scores calculated from the best three-section scores. The merit list will be published based on the following criteria:
- A candidate is required to score more than SMAS in at least three subject sections. Then we say that the candidate is SMAS-qualified.
- The total score of an SMAS-qualified candidate is the sum of the scores of her/his three best scores from the SMAS securing sections.
- To get a merit rank, a candidate must score equal to or above a total Minimum Admissible Percentile (MAP).
- In case of tie
- If the percentiles of two or more candidates become equal (i.e., in the case of a tie), then the best scores in the sections of the two students would be compared. The student with the higher score would get a better rank.
- If the tie persists, the students would be given the same provisional rank at the time of declaration of the result, and the tie would be broken by comparing class 12th marks during admission/counseling.
- If the tie still persists, then the younger student will get a higher rank.
Seat Matrix:
The number of seats available at NISER and CEBS for admission in the year 2024 will be as follows.
| Category | NISER | CEBS |
| General | 101 | 23 |
| General-EWS | 0 | 6 |
| OBC-NCL | 54 | 15 |
| SC | 30 | 9 |
| ST | 15 | 4 |
| Divyangjan | 5% seats in each
category |
5% seats in each
category |
| Total | 200 | 57 |
| Total Intake | 200 | 57 |
- Two supernumerary seats are reserved at both NISER and CEBS for eligible candidates from Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, as per existing government regulations.
- A student with a certain category rank will take a general seat if he/she secures a suitable general ranking. For example, if the topper of the exam (General rank 1) happens to be an SC candidate, he/she would get SC rank 1, as well. In such a case, he/she would be admitted against the General rank so that all SC seats remain available even after his/her admission.
Previous year cutoff and Minimum required scores:
NEST-2023 cutoff are as follows
| Category | NISER | CEBS |
| General | 80-90 | 85-95 |
| EWS | 80-90 | 75-85 |
| OBC | 70-80 | 75-85 |
| SC | 50-60 | 55-65 |
| ST | 30-40 | 35-45 |
As the competition increases yearly, scoring more than the previous year’s cut-offs will be better. This can help,
- General Category: 120-150 out of 180
- OBC Category: 100-130 out of 180
- SC/ST Category: 80-110 out of 180
- PwD Category: 80-110 out of 180
Conclusion:
While scoring highly in NEST is difficult, it is possible with the appropriate planning and approach. Seeking a score significantly higher than the previous cutoffs can increase your chances of admission to NISER. Recall that acquiring NEST requires steady work, well-rounded preparation, and keeping up with official announcements.
Set your goals high, put in a lot of preparation, and before you know it, you might be entering the prestigious NISER and starting a journey of scientific advancement. Wishing you good luck!
FAQs:
- What is NEST?
NEST (National Entrance Screening Test) is a computer-based entrance exam for admission into NISER and UM-DAE CEBS M.Sc. programs.
- When will NEST 2024 be conducted?
The exam is scheduled for June 30th, 2024.
- What are NISER and CEBS?
NISER and CEBS are premium research institutes in India. To learn more about NISER, click here. To learn more about CEBS, click here.
- What are the courses offered by NISER?
NISER offers 5-Year-Integrated-M.Sc. in various disciplines of basic science. Click here to learn more about the courses offered by NISER.
- Are there minimum cutoffs for each subject in NEST?
To qualify, candidates must meet minimum cutoff marks in each subject section. This ensures a balanced proficiency across all subjects tested in the exam.
- How can I stay updated on the latest NEST cutoffs and admission criteria?
The official NEST website is the most reliable source for up-to-date information on cutoff marks, admission criteria, and other relevant notifications. Also, stay tuned with SciAstra for the latest updates.
About us:
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We offer many free and paid courses where our mentors from the top research institutes like IISER, NISER, IACS, CMI,ISI IISC Bangalore, etc. teach students in live classes with study materials, mock tests, books, and everything needed. We have taught more than 10,000 students already since 2021 and achieved over 1000 selections with AIR 1, 7, 10, 12, and 13 in IISc Bengaluru, IISERs, NISER, IACS, and so on. If you are looking to prepare for IAT / NEST 2024, you can check out our courses and get access to live classes, recorded lectures, study material, mock tests, doubt-clearing classes, and much more!
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