NEST Exam Pattern 2023: Marking Scheme, Subjects

NISER, Bhubaneshwar and UM-DAE CEBS, Mumbai have released the National Entrance Screening Test (NEST) exam pattern with the information brochure on the official website. Candidates appearing for the NEST 2023 exam must know the NEST exam pattern 2023 as it provides important details, such as question distribution, marks distribution, marking scheme, exam duration and various other details.

The exam will be based on four subjects Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Biology. Candidates will have 3 hours and 30 minutes to complete the exam. Continue reading the article for more details on the NEST 2023 exam pattern.

Latest Update
– NEST 2023 exam is scheduled for June 24, 2023.

NEST Exam Pattern 2023

The NEST 2023 exam pattern comprises 4 subjects. The NEST paper pattern, along with the subject-wise marks distribution, is tabulated below:

Section	Subject	Marks
I – Biology	17 questions (12 MCQs + 5 MSQs)	50 marks
II – Chemistry	17 questions (12 MCQs + 5 MSQs)	50 marks
III – Mathematics	17 questions (12 MCQs + 5 MSQs)	50 marks
IV – Physics	17 questions (12 MCQs + 5 MSQs)	50 marks
Total	68 questions	200 marks

Section 1 to 4: Main Subjects – (Physics, Chemistry, Maths, Biology)

This section consists of four subjects, and each section carries 50 marks.
Negative marking is applicable to this section.
Candidates have the choice to choose any three subjects among the four subjects.
This section has a fixed syllabus.

The total time duration of the exam is 3 hours 30 minutes.

Marking Scheme of NEST 2023 Exam Pattern

For MCQs, each correct answer will give +2.5 marks, and -1 for negative response.
All other sections will have negative markings of 1 mark.
Some questions have one or more correct answers; hence, marks can be earned by marking the correct answers and no wrong answers.
For MSQs, there will be +4 for each correct response, but no negative marks for incorrect ones.

Key Points of the NEST Exam Pattern

The General Section was removed, and the test was conducted in 4 sections.
Candidates can choose to attempt any three subjects out of the four subjects – Physics, Chemistry, Maths, and Biology.
Only three out of the four subjects with the highest score will be considered for the merit calculation.
The maximum mark which the candidate can score is 200.
Only Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) will be asked.
The Question Paper will be in English Medium.
The General Section does not have a fixed syllabus.
The questions will be based on the 11th and 12th class syllabus of Physics, Chemistry, Maths, and Biology.
All other subjects apart from the General Ability will carry negative markings, of which candidates will be notified during the test.

NEST 2023 Examination

NEST 2023 will be conducted at multiple exam centres across the nation. It is a Computer Based Test which is scheduled to be held in the month of June 24, 2023. The examination will be conducted in two shifts.

Session Details	Exam Timings	Reporting Timings
Session I	9 AM to 12:30 PM	By 8 AM
Session II	2.30 PM to 6:00 PM	By 1:30 PM

Candidates will have to report to the exam hall 30 minutes before the commencement of the exam. There are around 115 exam centres across the nation, and candidates can choose any five centres in order of their reference.

NEST 2023 Important Dates

Candidates can go through the below table to keep track of the upcoming NEST 2023 events:

Events	Dates
Release of the Online Application Form	February 27, 2023
Last Date to Fill Out the Application Form	May 17, 2023
Issuance of NEST Admit Card	June 12, 2023
NEST 2023 Exam Date	June 24, 2023
Release of Answer Key	June 2023
Declaration of Results	July 10, 2023
Release of the Cut-off	July 2023
NISER Counselling	July 2023
UM-DAE CEBS Counselling	July 2023