JEST 2025 Notification: Important Dates, Eligibility Criteria, Participating Institutions, Test Centres

JEST Notification 2025 Overview

JEST Notification 2025: JEST 2025, or the Joint Entrance Screening Test, is a national-level examination conducted by the Science and Engineering Research Board for candidates aspiring to pursue Ph.D. and Integrated Ph.D. programs in fields such as Physics, Theoretical Computer Science, and Computational Biology. 

The official notification for JEST 2025 exam is expected to be released in the fourth week of December 2024 on the official JEST website www.jest.org.in, with online applications opening in the first week of January 2025. Candidates must complete their applications by the fourth week of January 2025, while a correction facility will be available in the first week of February 2025.

The JEST 2025 exam will take place in the first week of March 2025, followed by the release of the answer key in mid-March and results announced by the fourth week of March 2025. Institutions such as NISER, IIST, IISER, and IISc are among the participating institutes. Candidates can check here all the details on important dates, eligibility requirements, participating institutions, and test centers for JEST 2025!

JEST 2025 Notification: Important Dates

The important dates for the JEST 2025 exam will be updated soon. Candidates are advised to keep track of these dates to ensure they complete the application process and prepare for the exam on time.

JEST 2025 Notification: Eligibility Criteria

For detailed JEST 2025 eligibility criteria, candidates can refer to the official websites of the participating institutes. Given below is an overview of the tentative eligibility requirements for M.Sc., Ph.D., and Integrated M.Sc./M.Tech.-Ph.D. programs.

Ph.D. Program

• Physics: Requires an M.Sc. in Physics from any participating institute. Some institutes also accept B.E./B.Tech./M.E./M.Tech. degrees in Applied Physics and related fields.
• IIA: M.Sc. in Mathematics, Applied Physics, Optics, Instrumentation, or Electronics.
• IISc, IMSc, ICTS-TIFR, IUCAA, JNCASR, NCRA-TIFR, TIFR-TCIS, RRI: B.E. or B.Tech. is acceptable.
• IUCAA, NCRA-TIFR: M.Sc. in Physics, Electronics, Astronomy, or Applied Mathematics.
• IPR: M.Sc. in Physics, Engineering Physics, or Applied Physics.
• SNBNCBS: M.Sc. in Physics, Chemistry, Applied Mathematics, Biophysics, or Biochemistry.
• TIFR, NCRA-TIFR: B.Tech. in Engineering Physics.
• NISER: M.E./M.Tech. in Applied Physics.
• RRI: M.Sc. in Physics, Astronomy, Optics, Photonics, Biophysics, Mathematics, or M.E./M.Tech. in Engineering.
• Theoretical Computer Science at IMSc: M.Sc./M.E./M.Tech. in Computer Science or related fields, with an interest in mathematical aspects.
• Neuroscience at NBRC: M.Sc. in Physics/Mathematics, or B.E./B.Tech./M.C.A. in Computer Science.
• Computational Biology at IMSc: M.Sc./M.E./M.Tech./M.C.A. in any engineering or science discipline, with good math skills and an interest in biological problems.

Integrated M.Sc./M.Tech.-Ph.D. Program (Physics)

• SNBNCBS: B.Sc. in Physics (Major/Hons) or Physics and Mathematics.
• IMSc: B.Sc. in Physics.
• IIA: B.Sc. in Physics/Mathematics or B.E./B.Tech. in relevant disciplines.
• NISER: B.Sc. in Physics or B.E./B.Tech. in Engineering Physics with first-class marks.
• IISER Pune, ICTS-TIFR, NCRA-TIFR, TIFR-TCIS: B.Sc. in Physics.
• Bose Institute: B.Sc. in Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science, or Electronics, or B.E./B.Tech.

Integrated Ph.D. in Theoretical Computer Science at IMSc

B.Sc./B.E./B.Tech./M.C.A. in Computer Science or related disciplines with an interest in the mathematical aspects.

Integrated M.Tech.-Ph.D. at IIA

M.Sc. in Physics/Applied Physics or Post-B.Sc. in Optics, Optoelectronics, or related fields.

Integrated Ph.D. at IISER Kolkata and IISER Thiruvananthapuram

B.Sc. in Physics or B.E./B.Tech. in any discipline.

M.Sc. Program at HRI

B.Sc. in Physics or B.E./B.Tech. in any discipline. Note: The Integrated Ph.D. program in Physics at HRI is discontinued from 2017.

Joint SPPU-IUCAA M.Sc. Physics (Astrophysics) Program

B.Sc. in Physics and Mathematics or B.E./B.Tech. in any engineering branch with a minimum of 55% marks.

JEST Notification 2025: Participating Institutions

The following institutions are participating in the JEST 2025 counselling process. To explore the specific programs and subjects they offer, you can visit the individual institute websites.

• ARIES
• Bose Institute
• Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI)
• Harish-Chandra Research Institute (HRI)
• International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS)
• Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR)
• Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA)
• Indian Institute of Science (IISc)
• IISER Bhopal
• IISER Berhampur
• IISER Kolkata
• IISER Mohali
• IISER Pune
• IISER Thiruvananthapuram
• IISER Tirupati
• Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST)
• Institute of Mathematical Sciences (IMSc)
• Institute of Physics (IOP)
• Institute for Plasma Research (IPR)
• Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA)
• Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR)
• National Brain Research Centre (NBRC)
• National Centre for Radio Astrophysics - TIFR (NCRA-TIFR)
• National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER)
• Physical Research Laboratory (PRL)
• Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (RRCAT)
• Raman Research Institute (RRI)
• Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics (SINP)
• S.N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences (SNBNCBS)
• TIFR Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences (TIFR-TCIS)
• Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR)
• UGC-DAE Consortium for Scientific Research (UGC-DAE CSR)
• Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre (VECC)

JEST Notification 2025: Test Centres

The JEST 2025 exam will be conducted at nearly 38 test centres across various states in India. During the registration process, candidates can select two JEST exam centres based on their preference. One will be the primary centre, and the other will act as a backup option. The JEST 2025 exam will be held in the following cities:

• Ahmedabad
• Aligarh
• Allahabad
• Amritsar
• Bangalore
• Bardhaman
• Bhopal
• Bhubaneswar
• Chandigarh
• Chennai
• Delhi
• Goa
• Guwahati
• Hyderabad
• Indore
• Jaipur
• Kanpur
• Kharagpur
• Kochi
• Kolkata
• Kozhikode
• Madurai
• Mangalore
• Mumbai
• Nagpur
• Nainital
• Patna
• Pune
• Raipur
• Roorkee
• Sambalpur
• Silchar
• Siliguri
• Srinagar
• Trivandrum
• Udaipur
• Vijayawada
• Visakhapatnam