JEST Application Process 2026 (Closed): Get Eligibility and Registration Process

Candidates who want to appear in the JEST exam must ensure that they fulfil the eligibility criteria mentioned by the institutions. The JEST 2026 eligibility criteria for MSc, PhD and Integrated/MSc/MTech - PhD programmes are mentioned below. The eligibility criteria for various courses vary from college to college. There is no age restriction for appearing in the JEST exam. The JEST 2026 Exam is conducted for candidates who wish to pursue PhD and integrated PhD programmes of different participating institutes. Candidates who wish to appear for the JEST 2026 Exam must visit the official website to stay updated with the upcoming events and to be able to fill out the application form and make needed arrangements accordingly.

Students must check out following steps to be able to successfully fill and submit JEST application form. 

Step 1: Create a Registration ID

Step 2: Fill Details in JEST Application Form

After students verify their email ID, site will lead to application form for JEST exam. Information that students needed to provide in JEST application form are mentioned below:

• Name
• Gender
• Mobile number
• Date of birth
• Parents'/guardians' details
• Address
• Qualifying exam
• Year of passing
• Programme preference
• College preference
• Test centre preference

Step 3: Upload Important Documents

Students need to upload scanned copies of their photograph and signature in their Joint Entrance Screening Test application form.

Step 4: Pay JEST Application Fee

Students can pay application fee for JEST exam online through a Debit card/Credit card and net banking.

Step 5: Submit & Print JEST Application Form

Step 6: After student completes all the steps they need to click on ‘Submit’ button.

Step 7: Once students successfully submitted their registration form online they received an email on their registered email address containing their “application data after final submission containing Unique Submission Number and filled in data”.

Step 8: Students had to download and keep this information safely for future reference. In a scenario wherein students do not receive such an email notification after submission of JEST application form and completing e-payment of JEST application fee then they need to contact JEST authorities and inform same immediately. 

The JEST official website has provided the category wise JEST 2026 registration fee in its information brochure. The JEST fees 2026 can be paid online only via Credit/Debit cards, Net banking, and UPI/wallets. Students must note that the JEST 2026 application form will be considered submitted only after successful payment of the application fee. Students can check the detailed JEST 2026 registration fees below.

Students can refer to the non refundable application fee for the JEST 2026 examination:

• INR 600 for SC/ST & PwD applicants
• INR 1200 for all other applicants

Here are some important instructions candidates must be aware of:

•  Candidates need to pay their application fee online via Debit/Credit Cards/Net-banking options are available.
•  Application Fee for Women candidates who belong to SC/ST is waived.
•  Students should carefully read the application instructions, FAQ and eligibility criteria of each of the institutes, for different programmes, by visiting their respective websites before filling up the form.
•  While filling up the application form, candidates need to upload their passport-sized photograph and their scanned signature, both in JPEG format. The size of the individual files for the photo and signature should not exceed 100 kilobytes each. Candidates can also use compression software tools to resize their images.
•  Candidates are advised to use a black ball pen for the signature, which is to be scanned for uploading.
•  Candidates are strictly instructed to keep an identical photograph to be pasted on the admit card, in case it is not printed on the admit card.
•  In case the application form is incomplete, candidates can save and edit the form by clicking on "Save Draft". However, they are not allowed to make changes after the final submission after clicking on the "Submit Application" button.
•  Only after successful online application fee payment, the application process be considered complete.
•  Incomplete applications or applications without fee payment will be dismissed after the end date of online submissions.
•  Candidates will receive an email after submitting their application form with a unique submission number and payment details, respectively, which will be used for all communication purposes.

Check out the Frequently Asked Questions on the JEST Application Process 2026: