Which fields of study are covered by the NEST examination?

The National Entrance Screening Test (NEST) examination primarily covers the following fields of study: Biology Chemistry Mathematics Physics NEST is designed to assess a candidate's knowledge and aptitude in these core Science subjects. The examination is conducted to admit students to integrated M.Sc. programs in these disciplines at the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Bhubaneswar, and the University of Mumbai - Department of Atomic Energy Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences (UM-DAE CEBS), Mumbai. Candidates can choose their preferred subject or subjects based on their interest and career aspirations.

Does NEST exam syllabus change every year?

The NEST exam syllabus is updated regularly, but it does not change drastically every year. The syllabus is designed to cover the core concepts in the four Science subjects: Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. The NEST syllabus committee, which is composed of experts from NISER and UM-DAE CEBS, reviews the syllabus every year and makes changes as needed. These changes are typically minor, and the overall structure of the syllabus remains the same. Candidates are advised to check the official NEST website regularly for the latest information on the syllabus. The syllabus is typically released in May or June, and the deadline for submitting the application form is usually in June or July.

What is the format of the NEST exam, and what types of questions can candidates expect?

The National Entrance Screening Test (NEST) is an examination conducted in India for admission to the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) Bhubaneswar and the University of Mumbai - Department of Atomic Energy Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences (UM-DAE CEBS), Mumbai. Please keep in mind that the format and types of questions in the NEST exam may have evolved or changed since then. However, here is a general overview of the format and types of questions you could expect in the NEST exam: 1. Exam Format: The NEST exam is typically conducted in an objective multiple-choice question (MCQ) format. It consists of several sections that assess the candidate's knowledge and aptitude in various subjects. 2. Sections: The NEST exam includes sections on Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics. Biology: This section assesses the candidate's knowledge of biology topics, including cell biology, genetics, ecology, evolution, and more. Questions may test both conceptual understanding and factual knowledge. 4. Chemistry: The chemistry section evaluates the candidate's understanding of fundamental chemistry concepts, including organic, inorganic, and physical chemistry. Questions may involve chemical reactions, periodic table trends, stoichiometry, and other chemistry topics. 5. Mathematics: This section assesses the candidate's mathematical skills and knowledge. Questions may cover topics such as algebra, calculus, geometry, statistics, and probability. 6. Physics: The physics section evaluates the candidate's understanding of core physics principles and concepts. Questions may involve classical mechanics, electromagnetism, thermodynamics, optics, and modern physics.

Who sets the NEST 2024 exam syllabus?

The NEST exam syllabus is set by the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) and the University of Mumbai Department of Atomic Energy Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences (UM-DAE CEBS). These two institutes are the only two institutes that use NEST as a sole criterion for admission to their undergraduate programs. The NEST exam syllabus is designed to test candidates' conceptual understanding and problem-solving skills in the four core Science subjects: Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. The syllabus covers a wide range of topics, from the basics of each subject to more advanced concepts. The NEST exam syllabus is updated regularly to reflect the latest developments in the field of science. Candidates are advised to check the official NEST website regularly for the latest information on the syllabus.

Can I skip math section in NEST exam?

Ideally applicants should not skip any pericular section before appearing in the NEST exam. As authority will consider the marks from top 3 sections to prepare the merit list. Hence even if one paper from any section except math if don't go well then by securing good marks in math section you can increase your chances of qualifying the exam. Along with this if there are easy questions in math section then there is high probability to secure good marks in it. Hence it is advised not to skip any section while preparing for the NEST exam.

What is the minimum score to qualify for each section of the NEST exam?

The exam authority has not mentioned any section-wise cut off marks for the NEST exam. Hence there is no minimum qualifying or passing marks in the exam. However, out of the four sections - the best three scores of the subject section i.e. Biology, Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry will be taken for preparation of the merit list. Hence applicants need to try to solve the questions from all four sections as the section from which applicants will score less will be ommiited and will not be consideration for preparing the merit list.

is there any sectional weightage to any section in NEST 2024 exam?

Applicants who are planning to appear in NEST exam must note that there is no sectional weightage to any perticular section in the exam. All the sections carry same marks 50-50 each. The total marks for which exam will be conducted is 200 marks and total there will 17-17 questions in each four section. Applicants must note that the authorities will consider the marks secured in 3 best section to prepare the merit list and for the section which have less marks will be ommitted and will not be taken into consideration.

Is there any negative marking in NEST 2024?

Yes, according to the NEST previous year exam pattern, there will be differential marking scheme for MCQs and MSQs. Candidates can expect a negative marking in the MCQ-type questions. For each wrong answer, there will be a negative marking of one mark. For each correct answer 2.5 marks will be awarded. No marks will be deducted for wrong or unattempted MSQ questions, though 4 marks will be awarded for each correct answer. The latest update on the negative marking will be updated soon after the release of the NEST 2024 notification.

Is Biology compulsory for NEST exam?

For entrance exam since marks from three section are considered hence it can be said that it not compulsory. In the NEST exam your marks will be considered from any of 3 subjects out of Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Mathematics. but if you know basics it will help you to secure marks and for further study during campus classes. In first year after joining NISER you would be taught basic biology. In fact many students who did not have biology in class 12 and did fairly well in the biology exams during first year.

Is the NEST syllabus similar to the NEET exam?

No, the syllabus of NEST exam is different from the NEET exam. Though there may be some topics or sub topics which can be considered in both these exams but it is not identical syllabus to one another. The NEET syllabus comprises three sections which are Physics, Chemistry and Biology whereas in NEST exam along with these three the Mathematics topic is also there. Applicants are advised to check the detailed description about both these subjects in detailed and accordingly prepare for the exam.

Where can I find NEST 2024 syllabus?

Applicants who want to appear in NEST exam must check the syllabus as well as exam pattern before appearing in the exam. The NEST exam syllabus 2024 has been released by the exam conducting authorities along with the release of the official notification. Applicants are advised to check the NEST previous year syllabus to get an idea about the syllabus. Along with this the authorities also mention that 70 to 80% of questions in the NEST exam will be from the syllabus of class 11th and 12th NCERT books.

What are the subjects in NEST exam?

The NEST exam syllabus comprises mainly four subjects. Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics. The questions in the NEST exam will be asked from all these four sections hence applicants are advised to complete the syllabus from all four subjects. Each section will have 17 questions in the exam and collectively there will be 68 questions for which the maximum marks allocation will be 200. Applicants are advised to prepare for all four subjects to qualify for the exam. The merit list is prepared by considering the maximum score from any of the top 3 subjects in the exam.

NEST Syllabus 2025: Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics & Biology Syllabus PDF Download

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Ishita ChauhanRetainer

Updated on Dec 11, 2024 13:34 IST

NEST 2025 Syllabus is the foundation to prepare for this exam for candidates who wish to get admission to UM-DAE CEBS and NISER for different programmes like Integrated 5-year MSc Programme, MSc Programme in Medical & Radiological Physics, Integrated MSc+PhD Programme, and PhD Programme.

It is suggested that candidates should focus on revising the NEST Syllabus to qualify for the NEST 2025 Exam. Most of the topics asked in the NEST Exam come from the Class 11 and 12 NCERT/CBSE books. The exam conducting authority will release the NEST 2025 Syllabus via an official notification on their site. The syllabus consists of important topics and sub-topics from which questions will be framed in the paper. Students are advised to fill out NEST Application Form 2025 before the end date.

The registration is tentative to start in the third week of March 2025. Candidates must check out the NEST 2025 Exam Pattern as well to thoroughly prepare for the exam. The NEST 2025 question paper consists of questions that come from all four sections - Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics. To prepare well for the exam candidates must review the complete NEST 2025 syllabus as the questions asked will explain the candidate's domain-specific knowledge.

Latest: To download NEST Syllabus -Download Here

Table of Contents

NEST Syllabus 2025
NEST Syllabus 2025 PDF Link
NEST Syllabus 2025 for Biology
NEST Syllabus 2025 for Chemistry
NEST Syllabus 2025 for Physics
NEST Syllabus 2025 for Mathematics
NEST 2025 FAQs

NEST Syllabus 2025

Applicants who want to prepare for the NEST exam must know the syllabus of NEST 2025 mentioned in the official notification. By knowing and preparing the NEST exam syllabus 2025 applicants can increase their chances of qualifying for the exam with flying colors.

The level of questions of NEST 2025 will be similar to that of Class 11-12. Hence, NCERT books will be useful to an extent to cover the NEST 2025 syllabus. However, to get a high score, candidates may refer to other NEST preparation books along with NCERT books.

The NEST syllabus is further divided into four subjects Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Mathematics. The detailed description of sub-topics for all these four sections is mentioned below.

NEST Syllabus 2025 PDF Link

The syllabus of the NEST exam is important for the applicants to prepare for the exam. The authorities will release the NEST 2025 syllabus in PDF file on their official site, till then candidates must go through the previous year's NEST syllabus pdf link mentioned in the below table.

NEST Subject Wise Syllabus PDF

Subject	PDF File
Physics	Download Here
Chemistry	Download Here
Mathematics	Download Here
Biology	Download Here

Students can refer to the books to complete their syllabus for the NEST 2025 exam.

Class 6 to 12 NCERT PDF

Class	NCERT Book Link
Class 6	Download Here
Class 7	Download Here
Class 8	Download Here
Class 9	Download Here
Class 10	Download Here
Class 11	Download Here
Class 12	Download Here

NEST Syllabus 2025 for Biology

Candidates can go through important topics that they should consider studying to score well in the NEST Biology paper as mentioned in the table below:

NEST 2025 Important Topics for Biology
Cell Biology	Genetics and Evolution
Ecology	Humans and Environment
Biotechnology	Biology of Animal Systems
Biology of Plant Systems	Systematics
Digestive System	Circulatory System
Nervous System	Reproductive System
Developmental Biology	Immunology
Biology of Plant Systems	Excretory System

These are topics of the Biology section of the NEST 2025 syllabus from which questions will be asked in the exam. The detailed description of the topics can be checked in the NEST syllabus PDF mentioned above.

NEST Syllabus 2025 for Chemistry

The NEST Chemistry syllabus is further divided into four sections which are Physical, Surface, Organic, and Inorganic Chemistry. The description of the topics is mentioned in below given table. Candidates can go through important topics that they should consider studying to score well in the NEST Chemistry paper as mentioned in the table below:

NEST 2025 Important Topics for Physical Chemistry
Measurements in chemistry	Mole concept
Gaseous and liquid states	Atomic structure and chemical bonding
Thermodynamics	Chemical equilibrium
Solid state	Solutions
Electrochemistry	Chemical kinetics
NEST 2025 Important Topics for Surface Chemistry
Absorption	Colloidal state
NEST 2025 Important Topics for Inorganic Chemistry
Classification of elements and periodicity in properties	S-Block elements
P-Block elements	Coordination compound
D- Block elements	F- Block elements
Metals and metallurgy	--
NEST 2025 Important Topics for Organic Chemistry
Basic concepts	Nomenclature
Reactive intermediates	Aromatic compounds
Alkenes and Alkynes	Phenols
Haloalkanes (Alkyl halides)	Aldehydes and Ketones
Ethers	Carbohydrate
Amines	Polymers
Amino acids and proteins	Isomerism
Alkenes	Carboxylic acids

NEST Syllabus 2025 for Physics

Candidates can go through important topics that they should consider to study to score well in the NEST Physics paper. The details of the NEST Physics syllabus topics are mentioned in the table below:

NEST 2025 Important Topics for Physics
Units and dimensions	Design of some simple experiments
Systems of particles	Law of gravitation
Hooke’s law and stress	Conservation of angular momentum
Pressure in a fluid	Sound and mechanical waves
Thermal physics	Electricity and magnetism
Capacitance	Electric current
Biot-Savart’s law and Ampere’s law	Magnetic moment of a current loop
Electromagnetic induction	Optics
Modern physics	Photoelectric effect
Mechanics	---

NEST Syllabus 2025 for Mathematics

Candidates can go through important topics that they should consider studying to score well in the Mathematics subject of the NEST Exam. The description is mentioned in the table below:

NEST 2025 Important Topics for Mathematics
Algebra	Trigonometry
Analytical geometry	Differential calculus
Integral calculus	Vectors
Logarithms and their properties.	Permutations and combinations

NEST 2025 FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions about NEST 2025 Exam

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