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NEST 2023 Exam Pattern, Marking Scheme and Practice Papers

NEST 2023 Exam Pattern consists of five sections. These five sections in NEST 2023 Question paper are- General Aptitude, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Biology. Each section in the question paper is of 50 marks except General Aptitude which consists of 30 marks. NEST Exam Pattern 2023 is set each year by the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) and all details are published at the official site. 

  • Candidates have the freedom to choose any one of the four sections- Mathematics, Biology, Physics, and Chemistry
  • NEST 2023 Syllabus contains 11th and 12th-grade level Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Biology. There is no fixed syllabus for the General Aptitude section.
  • In each section, for certain questions, there will be negative marking for incorrect answers. Some questions may have one or more correct answers for which marks can only be earned by marking all correct answers and no wrong answer
  • The maximum number of marks a candidate can score is 180 marks.
  • Only the three sections with the highest scores are considered for merit calculation.
  • Section one of General Aptitude is mandatory for all the students.
  • NEST 2023 question paper will contain only Multiple-Choice Questions.

What is NEST? NEST 2023 is the popular name for the National Entrance Screening Test conducted by the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) and the University of Mumbai Department of Atomic Energy Center for Excellence in Basic Sciences (UM-DAE CEBS) for admission into post-graduate science courses.

NEST Highlights

NEST 2023 Exam Pattern Highlights 

The table given below gives us an idea about the NEST 2023 examination.

NEST 2023 Exam Pattern Highlights
Name of the exam NEST 2023
Mode of the exam Pen and Paper based (offline) exam
Number of Papers 1
Number of Sections 5
Name of the Subjects General Ability, Physics, Chemistry, Maths, and Biology
Type of Questions Multiple Choice Questions (objective type)
Number of Questions 230 (180 marks –Maximum)
Duration of the exam 180 Minutes (3 hours)
Language of the exam English

NEST 2023 Exam Pattern Details

The sections in NEST 2023 question paper have different weightage. Questions in NEST 2023 Exam are designed to check the analytic and understanding ability of the candidate in a subject. Let’s look at the paper details:

Section Number of questions
General Aptitude 30
Physics 50
Mathematics 50
Chemistry 50
Biology 50
NEST Marking Scheme

NEST 2023 Marking Scheme

The marking scheme of NEST 2023 differs according to the sections. Also, it depends on the type of questions.

  • Section 1 i.e. General Ability has no negative marking. No marks are deducted for any wrong answer.
  • All other subject sections- Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Biology have negative marking.
  • The exam website says that-Some questions may have one or more correct answers for which marks can only be earned by marking all correct answers and no wrong answers.
  • The Number of questions changes every year for NEST 2023 exam.
NEST Syllabus

NEST 2023 Syllabus

There are five subjects to focus on for NEST 2023 - General Ability, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Chemistry. A detailed syllabus for each subject is given below.

Syllabus of General Ability for NEST 2023:

  • There is no specific NEST 2023 Syllabus prescribed for General Ability Section.
  • This section contains random questions from History, Geography, Science, Mathematics, English, General Knowledge, and Current Affairs.
  • There can be questions about the history of Science and Mathematics.
  • Passage-type science questions are also there.
  • It may include Class X mathematical ability.

Physics Syllabus for NEST 2023

  • General: Dimensional analysis, Units, and dimensions, significant figures, least count, measurement of length, time, mass, temperature, potential difference, Methods of measurement (Direct, Indirect, Null), current, and resistance. 
  • Mechanics: Projectiles. Uniform circular motion. Relative velocity. Newton’s laws of motion. Inertial and uniformly accelerated (linear only) frames of reference, Kinetic, and potential energy, Impulse, Systems of particles, Kinematics in one and two dimensions (Cartesian coordinates only).
  • Fluids: Rigid body, Stoke’s and Poiseuille’s law, Reynolds number, Buoyancy, Surface energy, and surface tension. Pressure in a fluid, Dynamics of rigid bodies with fixed axis of rotation, Pascal’s law, capillary rise. Viscosity –Terminal velocity, Bernoulli’s theorem, Qualitative understanding of turbulence, Streamline flow, equation of continuity.
  • Rotational Dynamics: Moment of inertia, a moment of inertia of uniform bodies with simple geometrical shapes. Angular momentum, Torque, Equilibrium of rigid bodies, parallel and perpendicular axes theorems, Young’s modulus.
  • Sound: Longitudinal and transverse waves, Resonance (qualitative understanding), superposition of waves. Progressive and stationary waves, Plane-wave motion, Beats, Vibration of strings and air columns, Speed of sound in gases, Doppler Effect.
  • Thermal physics: Blackbody radiation - absorptive and emissive powders, liquids and gases. Calorimetric Problems, Stefan’s law, latent heat. Heat conduction in one dimension, Newton’s law of cooling.
12th Standard topics for Physics
Electricity Magnetism Capacitance
Electromagnetic Induction Modern Physics X Rays
Ray Optics Wave Optics Semiconductors

Mathematics Syllabus for NEST 2023

  • Algebra:  Algebra of complex numbers, addition, multiplication, conjugation, polar representation, properties of modulus and principal argument, triangle inequality, cube roots of unity, geometric interpretations.  
  • Quadratic equations with real coefficients, Logarithms, and their properties, computation of probability of events using permutations and combinations, formation of quadratic equations with given roots, relations between roots and coefficients solutions of simultaneous linear equations in two or three variables, symmetric functions of roots.  
  • Arithmetic, Permutations and combinations, geometric and harmonic progressions, arithmetic, geometric and harmonic means, sums of finite arithmetic and geometric progressions, infinite geometric series.
  • Probability: Addition and multiplication rules of probability, conditional probability, Bayes Theorem, symmetric and skew-symmetric matrices and their properties, independence of events.
  • Binomial theorem for positive integral index, properties of binomial coefficients.
  • Matrices as a rectangular array of real numbers, equality of matrices, addition, multiplication by a scalar and product of matrices, transpose of a matrix, Determinant of a square matrix of order up to three.

Chemistry Syllabus for NEST 2023

Physical Syllabus
Mole Concept Atomic Structure Chemical Bonding
Thermodynamics Chemical Kinetics Solid State
Solutions Surface Chemistry Colloids
Hydrogen Element Periodic Table s-block Elements
p-block Elements d-block Elements f-block Elements
Coordination Compounds Metallurgy Metals and Non Metals

Organic Chemistry Syllabus for NEST 2023 Exam

  • Hybridizations of carbon, hyperconjugation, Sigma and pi-bonds,  Representation of organic compounds, Shapes of simple organic molecules, electromeric effect, resonance effect, Inductive effect, Determination of empirical and molecular formulae.
  • Reactive intermediates: structure and stability of - carbocation, carbanion and free radical, Formation, Homolytic and heterolytic bond cleavages.
  • Isomerism: Geometrical isomerism, Racemic mixture, Chirality Structural and stereoisomerism, Conformations of ethane and butane (Newman projections), Optical isomerism of compounds.
  • Nomenclature: IUPAC of only hydrocarbons, mono-functional and bi-functional compounds, including benzene derivatives, IUPAC nomenclature of simple organic compounds. 
  • Alkanes: Wurtz reaction, Preparation, Combustion and halogenation of alkanes, properties and reactions, Idea of homologous series, Mechanism of photo-halogenation.
  • Alkenes and Alkynes: Acid-catalyzed hydration of alkenes and alkynes (excluding the stereochemistry), Ozonolysis, Markownikoff rule, Reduction of alkenes and alkynes, Addition reactions of alkynes, Isomerization.
  • Aromatic compounds: Friedel-Crafts alkylation and acylation (No mechanism) Huckel theory of aromaticity, Aromaticity, Structure of benzene, Isomerism in substituted benzenes.
  • Haloalkanes (Alkyl halides): Alcohols, Halogen exchange reaction, olefins, Nucleophilic substitution reactions of alkyl halides with different nucleophilic species, Grignard reagent, and its reaction.

Biology Syllabus for NEST 2023 Exam

Biology Syllabus
Biotechnology Humans and Environment Genetics
Evolution Biology of Animal Systems Reproduction
Ecology Biology of Plant Systems Anatomy
Human Health and Diseases Ecosystems Physiology
NEST 2023 Preparation Books

NEST 2023 Preparation Books

Here are some preparation books for candidates appearing for NEST 2023

S.No Book Name Author
1. Problems in Physics A.A Pinsky
2. Practice Problems in Physics for Engineering and Medical Entrance Exams S. Mishra
3. An Objective Approach to Organic Chemistry R.K. Gupta
4. Higher Algebra Hall and Knight
NEST Important Instructions

NEST 2023: Important Instructions

The following instructions may be helpful for candidates on NEST 2023 Exam day:

  • All the answers are to be marked on the OMR sheet.
  • Candidates have to darken the bubble properly.
  • Use of Pencil is prohibited on the OMR.
  • Writing or stray marking is not allowed, neither on question paper nor the OMR.
  • Use only a black or blue ballpoint pen to mark the answers.
  • Read the instructions on the first page of the NEST 2023 question paper.
  • Do not fold or damage the OMR Sheet.
  • Hand it over to the invigilator after completion of the test.

NEST 2023 Exam Pattern FAQs

Ques. Are the topics of NEST 2023 Syllabus similar to that of the 11th – 12th  board exams? 

Ans. Yes, the topics are similar to that of the 11th and 12th as per NEST 2023 Syllabus. Also, they deal with the basic as well as extensive concepts of the subjects or sections from which the questions will appear.

Ques Shall I prepare any other topics apart from those mentioned in NEST 2023 syllabus?

Ans. While more or less all the concepts have been covered across the subjects in the official NEST 2023 syllabus. We advise you to not stress too much and focus on the prescribed syllabus provided by the exam authorities.

Ques: Is there any negative marking scheme as per NEST 2023 exam pattern?

Ans. As per NEST 2023 Exam Pattern, In each section, for certain questions, there will be negative marking for incorrect answers. Some questions may have one or more correct answers for which marks can only be earned by marking all correct answers and no wrong answer

*The article might have information for the previous academic years, which will be updated soon subject to the notification issued by the University/College.

NEST 2023 : 3 answered questions

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Ques. What is the minimum score in NEST 2022 for NISER?

● Top Answer By Antara Bagchi on 14 Jan 22

According to recent statistics, the cutoff or minimum admissible score of NEST exam is fifty percent of the total marks (180). It varies every year depending on various factors such as the following.  The difficulty level of the question paper. Number of candidates appeared for the examination. Number of students who passed the examination. Number of seats....Read more

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Ques. How many marks do I need in NEST (in an average year) to get into NISER?

● Top Answer By Abhinav Tripathi on 14 Jan 22

According to the NEST cutoff trends, the required cutoff remains around 45% of the total marks. However, if you want to get a seat at NISER Bhubaneswar, securing just the cutoff marks won’t be enough. Getting admission will depend on your rank. A rank of around 700 should get you a seat. You will need to score around 50-55% for that....Read more

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Ques. What was the Nest cutoff for NISER and CBS last year? Do they show the marks in the scorecard or do they just show whether you’re selected or not?

● Top Answer By Rashi Sinha on 14 Jan 22

NEST exam cutoff and minimum admissible score varies each year depending on different factors. According to the 2020 statistics, the minimum admissible score for NISER was 50% of the total marks (180).  Also, they show everything. You will get to know the following. Total marks scored AIR Cutoff for all categories Scanned copy of your OMR sheet...Read more

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