NEST Cutoff 2026: Out at nestexam.in, Category Wise Qualifying Marks and Safe Score

The NEST 2026 cutoff is officially out. NISER Bhubaneswar published the category-wise qualifying cutoff on June 24, 2026, at nestexam.in. The cutoff covers both institutes — NISER Bhubaneswar and UM-DAE CEBS Mumbai. More than 27,000 students appeared for NEST 2026, held on June 6, 2026. About 2,000 to 2,500 of them have qualified for the combined merit list.

The NEST 2026 qualifying cutoff (MAP) for General and EWS candidates is the 95th percentile. NISER Bhubaneswar counselling is expected to begin in the second week of July 2026.

The key highlights for the NEST 2026 cutoff are below.

• You need the 95th percentile or above to qualify if you are a General or EWS candidate.
• OBC-NCL candidates need the 90th percentile or above to make the merit list.
• SC, ST, Divyangjan, and JK candidates qualify at the 75th percentile or above.
• You must also clear the SMAS (Section-wise Minimum Admissible Score) in at least three subject sections.
• NISER Bhubaneswar offers about 200 seats. CEBS Mumbai offers about 59 seats. Together that is roughly 259 seats.
• NISER counselling begins in July 2026. CEBS counselling begins in August 2026.
• The admission cutoff (closing rank at each institute) comes out only after counselling rounds end.

NEST Cutoff 2026: Important Dates

Use the table below to track the NEST 2026 timeline. Upcoming events are listed first, followed by past events in chronological order.

Factors Affecting NEST Cutoff 2026

Several factors decide where the cutoff lands each year. Understanding these helps you read the trend and plan your preparation for future attempts.

• Number of candidates appearing: More students in the pool push the percentile cutoff higher. NEST 2026 saw more than 27,000 students appear.
• Difficulty of the paper: A tougher exam brings down average scores across all sections. The SMAS values drop in harder years because even the top 100 scorers do not score as high.
• Total seats at NISER and CEBS: The two institutes together offer about 259 seats. The small seat count keeps the qualifying bar extremely high.
• Category-wise seat distribution: Seats are reserved for OBC-NCL, SC, ST, EWS, and Divyangjan candidates. Each category has its own MAP threshold based on available seats and candidate performance.
• JK domicile policy: Jammu and Kashmir domicile candidates qualify under the SC and ST MAP threshold. This affects how reserved-category seats fill up during counselling.
• Candidate performance distribution by section: If top-ranking students score unevenly across sections, SMAS values vary by subject. A strong batch in Physics pushes the Physics SMAS higher.

NEST Cutoff 2026: Category-Wise MAP and SMAS

The NEST 2026 qualifying cutoff works on two separate criteria. You must clear both to appear on the merit list.

MAP (Minimum Admissible Percentile) is your overall percentile rank among all candidates in your category. SMAS (Section-wise Minimum Admissible Score) is the minimum marks you must score in each section you attempt. You must meet the SMAS in at least three subject sections and also meet the overall MAP.

The table below shows the officially published NEST 2026 MAP by category:

Source: NEST 2026 Result and Cutoff – nestexam.in

The SMAS equals one-fifth of the average of the best 100 scores in each section. It changes every year based on topper performance. The table below shows the SMAS from NEST 2025 as the closest reference. The 2026 SMAS follows the same formula and will be in a similar range.

The SMAS values above are based on NEST 2025 official data. The 2026 exact values are calculated from 2026 topper scores and will be posted on nestexam.in. These figures show that the SMAS bar is not very high. The real challenge is the MAP. You need to be among the top 5 to 10 of every 100 candidates who appear.

Clearing the SMAS in three sections alone does not qualify you. You must also meet the MAP for your category. Both criteria are mandatory.

NEST Cutoff 2026: NISER and CEBS Admission Cutoff

After qualifying (meeting MAP and SMAS), you must secure a rank within the admission cutoff at NISER or CEBS. The admission cutoff is the NEST merit rank of the last student admitted at that institute. This rank is set after all counselling rounds end.

NISER and CEBS conduct their counselling independently. The NEST 2026 admission cutoff for NISER will come out after July counselling. The CEBS admission cutoff comes after August counselling. The tables below show the previous-year admission cutoffs as a reference.

NISER Bhubaneswar – Overall NEST Merit Rank of Last Admitted Candidate (General AI):

UM-DAE CEBS Mumbai – Category-Wise Closing Rank (Last Admitted, 2025):

The CEBS General AI closing rank moved from about 19 in 2022 to 23 in 2025. That is a shift of 4 ranks over four years. CEBS has very few seats in each category. The closing rank closely reflects the number of seats available per category. For NISER, the General AI closing merit rank moved from roughly 1,650 in 2022 to 1,972 in 2025. That is a rise of 322 ranks over four years. Multiple counselling rounds pull candidates deeper into the merit list. Earlier candidates often decline or move to other institutes.

CEBS has only about 59 total seats. Even a category-wise closing rank of 20 to 25 for General AI means the seats are almost entirely filled. Target the top 20 in your category to be safe for CEBS admission.

NEST Previous Year Cutoff Trends

Tracking this trend gives you a clearer picture of how competition has changed. The MAP is the most telling metric. It has risen steadily from 2022 to 2025, then held steady in 2026.

The General and EWS MAP rose by 8 percentile points between 2022 and 2026. The OBC-NCL threshold rose by 12 percentile points over the same period. The SC and ST threshold rose by 10 percentile points. These rises show that more students have been scoring in the top ranges every year.

The NISER General AI closing merit rank rose by about 322 ranks from 2022 to 2025. This rise reflects a larger qualifying merit list each year and more counselling rounds needed to fill reserved-category seats. In 2026, the MAP has stayed flat. If qualifying student numbers stay flat, the NISER closing rank may stay near the 2025 level.

For CEBS, the closing rank has risen by just 4 ranks (General AI) over four years. CEBS seat numbers have not changed significantly. The rise in closing rank mainly reflects a growing number of students who accept CEBS offers.

How to Check NEST Cutoff 2026

You can check the NEST 2026 qualifying cutoff and your result on the official website. Follow these steps:

• Visit nestexam.in and click on "Result" or "Check Result" on the homepage.
• Log in using your NEST 2026 application number and password.
• Your result (Quick Look) and qualifying status appear on the screen.
• The full scorecard with section-wise marks is available from June 30, 2026 onwards.
• The category-wise MAP and SMAS cutoff notice is linked on the NEST result page. Check it to compare your percentile with the MAP for your category.
• Clear the MAP for your category. Clear SMAS in three subject sections. You are then on the merit list.
• Watch nestexam.in for the NISER counselling schedule from the second week of July 2026.

Expected Safe Score for NEST 2026

Based on the 2025 and 2026 qualifying cutoffs, here is a scoring guide for NEST 2026.

For CEBS admission, the bar is tighter. CEBS has very few seats in each category. For CEBS General AI, you need to be in the top 20 to 25 on the merit list. Students who want CEBS should target a score of 130 or above out of 180.

These are estimates based on historical trends. Your actual safe score can shift depending on exam difficulty each year.