JEST 2026: Exam, Application Form, Syllabus, Exam Pattern, Latest Updates

JEST 2026 notification will be released in May 2026. The application form of JEST 2026 will be out along with the notification. JEST 2026 exam will be conducted in June 2026, from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM in offline mode at various centers across the country. The direct link to apply for JEST 2026 will be activated below!

Direct Link: JEST 2026 Application Form (To be activated)

The exam consisted of multiple-choice questions and will be held in English. After qualifying JEST 2026 exam, you will be eligible for admission following the counselling process. You must note that appearing in JEST 2026 won't guarantee PhD admission. Students must separately apply for PhD at their preferred institute. Eligible student will be able to get admission to top institutions, including IIST, NISER, and IISc.

You can check all the information about JEST 2026 exam, such as JEST important dates 2026, answer key, result, etc. on this page!

Also Check: JEST Exam Benefits

Students can find all JEST 2026 important dates in the table below:

The students can check the details about JEST 2026 exam eligibility criteria, application process, examination pattern, and other basic details in this article. To make things simpler for the students can check the JEST exam 2026 highlights in the table provided below. 

Joint Entrance Screening Test (JEST) is conducted to provide admission to Ph.D./Integrated PhD programmes in Physics, Neuroscience and Computation Biology, Theoretical Computer Science, and other fields in any one of the participating institutes that accept JEST 2026 scores. The validity of the JEST 2026 score is one year and candidates can take this entrance exam multiple times.

The JEST 2026 exam will be conducted by the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), Thiruvananthapuram for the academic year 2026-26. Aspirants seeking admission for a PhD / Integrated PhD Programme in Physics or Theoretical Computer Science, Neuroscience, or Computational Biology in one of the participating institutes can appear forthe JEST 2026 examination. 

Also Check: JEST Sample Papers with Solutions PDF

JEST 2026 answer key will be released by SERB after JEST 2026 exam gets conducted. Students are advised to go through the official JEST 2026 exam answer key and calculate their estimated scores. The answer keys of JEST 2026 exam can be downloaded from this page as well as official website by entering the login details or registration credentials. Students can tally the answers from their JEST 2026 exam with JEST 2026 answer key.

JEST 2026 result will be released online. Test takers can check JEST 2026 result by filling in details, such as roll number and date of birth on the official website of the JEST 2026 exam. The result or scorecard of JEST 2026 exam will have important and relevant information, such as section-wise marks and overall scores, and the All India Rank (AIR) of candidates.  

JEST 2026 cutoff marks are the minimum marks that the appearing candidates have to obtain to qualify for taking admission in any of the participating institutes. The following table represents the programme-wise JEST 2026 cutoff scores. The cutoff score for JEST 2026 exam is expected to be similar to previous year. 

Students can also checkout & study the cutoff for JEST previous year to get a better estimate of the expected cutoff for JEST 2026 exam:

JEST 2026 counselling process will be conducted separately by the participating institutes. Each JEST participating institutes 2026 will release their list of students who have been shortlisted for taking admission on the basis of cutoff marks obtained. The students will then go through the process of JEST 2026 exam interview. Once they are selected for the final round, they will have to attend JEST 2026 counselling to confirm their seats in the choice of their college. JEST 2026 selection process and allocation of seats is done keeping in mind the scorecard of the candidates.  

The students can find the general JEST 2026 eligibility criteria for different programs such as MSc, PhD, and Integrated/MSc/MTech - PhD programmes. The detailed JEST 2026 eligibility criteria for admission in programs offered can be checked online by visiting the official website of the colleges that accept JEST 2026 exam scores for admission. All candidates must understand the JEST 2026 eligibility criteria before filling up the JEST 2026 application form. Only those meeting the criteria will be allowed for the JEST exam 2026.

Students must fill JEST 2026 exam application form online to appear in the PhD level entrance. It is mandatory to provide valid details and upload all necessary documents as required in the Joint Entrance Screening Test 2026 application form. The scanned photograph and signature must be kept ready before filling out the JEST 2026 application form. Students need to pay the JEST 2026 exam application fee online only after filling the application form which can be done online using a credit/debit card or net banking. 

Also Check: JEST 2026 Exam Date

JEST 2026 exam authorities have released the JEST exam 2026 syllabus for the reference of the candidates. JEST 2026 exam syllabus is available for subjects like Mathematical Methods, Electromagnetism & Optics, Classical Methods, Thermodynamics & Statistical Physics, Quantum Mechanics, and Electronics. JEST syllabus 2026 is similar to the syllabus of previous years. We suggest religiously covering the prescribed syllabus to enhance your chances of a high score at the entrance. Try devoting equal time to each topic and sub-topic mentioned in your subject syllabus.

Also Check: Best Books for JEST 2026 Exam Preparation

JEST 2026 exam admit card can be downloaded from the official website by entering the registration number and password. JEST 2026 admit card or the hall ticket is the most important document that has to be taken inside their respective JEST 2026 exam centre.

Joint Entrance Screening Test 2026 will be conducted for a duration of 3 hours and it will be taken in the form of a paper pencil based test. JEST 2026 exam pattern includes a total of 50 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) carrying 100 marks. The JEST 2026 exam question paper is divided into three parts, Part A, B, & C with 15, 10, and 25 questions respectively in each section. There is a differential marking scheme for JEST 2026 exam. JEST 2026 exam pattern is given in the table below:

The students appearing for JEST 2026 exam can check the below mentioned courses that are offered by participating institutes. They must visit the official website of the participating colleges to know about the complete details about the courses before filling the JEST 2026 application form. Courses in which aspirants can secure admission based on their JEST 2026 exam results are as mentioned below:

JEST 2026 mock test or demo test is released every year by the exam conducting authorities once the online applications are filled out, along with the JEST 2026 admit card. The mock tests of JEST 2026 exam are very crucial as they help the students to understand the JEST 2026 exam pattern and nuances of time management. The official JEST 2026 mock test has a total of nine questions and the same is further bifurcated into three questions each in three sections.

The students can get an understanding of the types of questions to expect through official JEST 2026 exam mock tests as they broadly represent question samples.  

Also Read:JEST Sample Papers

JEST 2026 exam centre have been released by the conducting body for the exam SERB. JEST exam 2026 will be conducted in 38 cities across India. Following are the exam centres where the Joint Entrance Screening Test (JEST) 2026 will be conducted: 

Want to appear for JEST 2026? You must gain a complete understanding of question types, their nature, difficulty level, and important topics before you begin setting study goals. We highly recommend carefully reviewing JEST previous year question papers for clarity on what to expect in the entrance. You can download the question papers from the official website and start skimming through the questions to ensure you align your study schedule for each subject based on the question pattern and syllabus. 

The Science & Engineering Research Board (SERB) (statutory body established through an Act of Parliament) is the conducting authority of JEST 2026 exam. The board supports basic research in emerging areas of Science & Engineering. SERB also provides financial assistance to persons engaged in research, academic institutions, industrial concerns, research and development laboratories, and other agencies of research. The Science & Engineering Research Board (SERB) aims to raise the quality and footprint of Indian science and engineering to the highest global levels in an accelerated mode. SERB stimulates the search for new knowledge and aims bring social and economic change by supporting relevant, competitive and quality scientific research and development.