NEST 2026 Merit List - Check State Wise, Category Wise Toppers and Rank List

NEST Merit List 2026

NEST Merit List 2026 is expected to be released in July 2026, along with the results. NEST Merit List 2026 includes important information such as the candidates' marks, among other things. NEST 2026 merit list is compiled based on the candidates' performance in the best three subjects as well as their performance in the general section. The lowest scores will not be considered when preparing NEST 2026 merit list. Provided below is the direct link to check NEST Merit List 2026.

Direct Link to NEST Merit List 2026 (To be Activated)

Following the release of separate NEST 2026 merit lists by CEBS and NISER, eligible students will be able to participate in the subsequent admission process. If two or more candidates have the same marks, a tie-breaking policy will be implemented to determine which students will be placed higher on NEST 2026 merit list.

NEST 2026 Merit List Dates

NEST 2026 merit list important dates will be provided in the following table. 

How to Access NEST 2026 Merit List

The following steps will help the candidates in accessing the NEST 2026 merit list:

• The candidates have to visit the official NEST website

• The candidates have to click on the “NEST merit list 2026” link available on the home page

• The candidates will be redirected to a new page where they have to enter their Application Number/ Date of Birth/ Roll Number and click on the “Submit” button

• The candidates will land on the merit list page of NEST 2026 where they will have to check their particulars

• Once satisfied, the candidates have to save/ take a printout of the same for future reference

NEST Merit List 2026 - Scoring System

The candidates will find out the scoring system for the preparation of the NEST 2026 merit list from the pointers mentioned below - 

• The NEST question paper is divided into 5 sections - 4 subject sections of 50 marks each and 1 general section of 30 marks

• The entrance test is conducted in multiple shifts and each shift have different question papers

• The performance of all the candidates appearing in a session of the NEST exam is considered to calculate the percentile score

• CEBS and NISER merit lists are prepared separately

• The final rank of the candidates is prepared on the basis of their percentile scores calculated with the help of the below-mentioned formula

• The formula to prepare the merit list is given below - 

Total Score = Score of General Aptitude section + Score of Best Three Sections (out of 5)

The maximum marks that the candidates can score in the NEST exam is 180 (30+50x3)

What is SMAS (Section-Wise Minimum Admissible Score)

The candidates will find all the details regarding the NEST Section-Wise Minimum Admissible Score (SMAS) or NEST section-wise cutoff scores here - 

NEST MAP (Minimum Admissible Percentile)

Check out all the details regarding the NEST Minimum Admissible Percentile (MAP) or overall cutoff score from the pointers below - 

• Merit rank to the candidates are given on the basis of their Section-Wise Minimum Admissible Scores and Minimum Admissible Percentile scores

• NEST MAP is different for candidates belonging to different categories

• Candidates with a less NEST MAP score are not allocated merit ranks even if they secure the SMASs in all the sections and are not considered eligible for the admission process

• The category-wise NEST MAP score has been provided in the table below - 

NISER Merit List

All the details regarding how the merit list for NISER is prepared can be found below - 

CEBS Merit List

All the details regarding how the CEBS merit list is prepared can be found below -