National Entrance Screening Test (NEST-2010)

National Entrance Screening Test (NEST) 2010 is the entrance test for students seeking admission to the University of Mumbai – Department of Atomic Energy Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences (UM-DAE CBS), Mumbai, National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Bhubaneswar, and Integrated Science Education and Research Centre (ISERC), Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan. The test will be conducted in 34 cities and towns across India. This brochure gives the detailed procedure for applying for the test, syllabus of the test and various deadlines. Students who are highly motivated to pursue higher education and research in science are encouraged to apply.

If you want an exciting career in science, write the NEST exam and join a 5-year integrated Masters (MSc) programme at any one of the following institutes

Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences (CBS), Mumbai,

National Institute of science education and research (NISER), Bhubaneswar

Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan,

These centres, all funded by the government of India, are committed to provided high-quality, multidisciplinary science education, with a strong focus on innovation, embedded in a vibrant research environment, nurtured by a faculty of distinguished scientists and teachers

All students admitted to CBS and NISER are assured a full scholarship. All students admitted to Visva-Bharati are eligible for the INSPIRE scholarship

National entrance screening test (NEST) 2010: National Entrance Screening Test (NEST) 2010 is the entrance test for students seeking admission to the University of Mumbai - department of atomic energy centre for excellence in basic sciences (UM-DAE CBS), Mumbai, National Institute of science education and research (NISER), Bhubaneswar, and integrated science education and research centre (ISERC), Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan

The test will be conducted in 34 cities and towns across India. Students who are highly motivated to pursue higher education and research in science are encouraged to apply.

NEST Eligibility : Students who have passed the class XII (or equivalent) qualifying examination in 2008 or 2009 or are appearing in 2010 from any recognized board of education in India and have secured an aggregate of at least 60% marks (or equivalent grade) are eligible to apply. For SC/ST/PD candidates, the minimum marks requirement is 55%

Age Limit: General category candidates and candidates belonging to OBC born on or after 01 October 1985 are eligible to apply. For SC/ST/PD candidates the age limit is relaxed by 5 years. In any case, the eligibility criterion mentioned above must be satisfied

Number of seats and reservation: This year (2010), the number of seats is 60 at NISER, 30 at UM-DAE CBS and 21 at ISERC. There will be reservations as per government norms. Further details are given on the websites of NISER (http://niser.ac.in) UM-DAE CBS (http://cbs.ac.in) and ISERC (http://visva-bharati.ac.in)

Application fee: Application fee for appearing in NEST is Rs. 500/- for male general category and male OBC candidates. For male SC/ST/PD candidates and all female candidates the amount is Rs. 250/-. The application fee should be sent to chief coordinator at the address mentioned below in the form of a demand draft /postal order in favour of NEST-2010 payable at Mumbai

NEST APPLICATION FORM
Application form: Candidates may follow any of the following two channels to apply.

(a) They may follow the instructions on the website (http://www.nestexam.in) and fill up the application form on-line, take a print-out, paste a photograph at the appropriate place, and send the same along with the application fee (in the form of a demand draft / postal order) to the address below

(b) They may send a letter to the address below requesting application form and brochure which will be posted to them. On the receipt of the application form and the brochure the candidate may fill up the form, paste a photograph at the appropriate place, and send the completed application form along with the application fee (in the form of a demand draft / postal order) to, the chief coordinator, NEST-2010, UM-DAE CBS, Health centre building, university of Mumbai (Vidyanagari campus), Santa Cruz (E), Mumbai-400098

The completed applications must be sent by Registered post/speed post only. Do not send it through ordinary post or private courier services. Please keep the postal receipt for future reference.

Test Schedule: The test will be conducted on June 6, 2010 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

NEST-2010 centres: Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Guwahati, Silcher, Patna, Gaya, Raipur, North Delhi, South Delhi, East Delhi, Panjim, Ahamdabad, Chandigarh, Shimla, Jammu, Srinagar, Ranchi, Bangaluru, Kochi, Calicut, Bhopal, Central Mumbai, Western Suburbs, Nagpur, Pune, Shillong, Bhubaneswar, Sambalpur, Jaipur, Chennai, Madurai, Allahabad, Lucknow, Varanasi, Dehradun, North Kolkata, South Kolkata, Siliguri

Candidates should list two centres according to their preference in the application form. Every effort will be made to allot the centre of their first choice. Allotment of an examination centre by the chief coordinator, NEST-2010 will be regarded as final and any request to change of centre will not be entertained. The address of the allotted centre will be mentioned on the NEST admit card.

Admit Cards: Admit cards will be available for downloading from the NEST website (http://www.nestexam.in) starting from April 1, 2010. The candidates who are unable to download the admit cards by April 15, 2010 will have their admit cards sent to them by ordinary post. Candidates must ensure that their mailing address entered as in the application form is correct and legibly written. NEST office will not be responsible if the admit card does not reach a candidate in time because of postal delay or incorrect address. In case you do not receive the admit card by May 25, 2010, you may write to chief coordinator, NEST

NEST Results: Results of NEST examination will be announced on June 30, 2010 on the NEST web site. Further details regarding admission to the participating institutes based on the NEST-2010 results will be made available on their websites.

NEST 2010 IMPORTANT DATES:

Last date for request of application form: February 16, 2010

Last date for receipt of completed application form: March 16, 2010

Last date for on-line applications: March 16, 2010

Admit cards available for download: April 1-15, 2010

Dispatch of admit cards from: April 16, 2010

Date of Examination: June 6, 2010 (Sunday) 2 PM to 5 PM

Announcement of NEST results on (www.nestexam.in): June 30, 2010

Candidates must reach the examination center at least 30 minutes before the beginning of the test. Candidates will not be allowed to leave the examination hall until one hour after the beginning of the test. Use of any computational aides including log tables and calculators will not be permitted. Candidates must bring their admit card with them. Use of any communication devices including mobile phones is strictly forbidden.

NEST QUESTION PAPER PATTERN
Question paper pattern: The question paper will consist of five sections totaling 200 marks: (1) General, (2) Biology, (3) Chemistry, (4) Mathematics, (5) Physics. The first (General) section is compulsory for all students and will carry 60 marks. Of the remaining four sections (2 – 5) the students will have to select any two, each of which will carry 70 marks. The questions will be aimed at testing the subject comprehension and analytic ability of the candidates. The questions will be of objective type with four options given for each question. Some questions may have more than one correct answer. For some questions in sections 2 to 5, incorrect answers will be awarded negative marks. The question paper will contain explicit instructions in this regard.