JEST: Joint Entrance Screening Test

The Joint Entrance Screening Test commonly known as JEST is conducted by the Science & Engineering Research Board (SERB) for admission to various M.Sc, Ph.D, and Integrated / M.Sc / M.Tech. - Ph.D programs. JEST score is valid for one year.

Candidates who wish to pursue a Ph.D / Integrated Ph.D Programme in Physics or Theoretical Computer Science or Neuroscience or Computational Biology in any one of the Participating Institutes are required to appear for the Joint Entrance Screening Test (JEST) at the Exam Centers of their choice.

JEST Eligibility Criteria

Ph.D. Programme

Physics

Candidates are required to successfully complete their M.Sc. in Physics from a recognized university. (for all participating Institutes).
Additionally, some institutes may accept B.E. / B.Tech. / M.Sc. / M.E. / M.Tech. invarious disciplines of Mathematics and Applied Physics, as listed below -

M.Sc. in Mathematics / Applied Physics / Applied Mathematics / Optics and Photonics / Instrumentation / Electronics will also be considered at IIA.
B.E. or B.Tech. will be considered at IISc, IMSc, ICTS-TIFR, IUCAA, JNCASR, NCRA-TIFR, TIFR-TCIS, RRI, IISER Mohali, IISER Pune, IISER Thiruvananthapuram.
M.Sc. in Physics / Electronics / Astronomy / Applied Mathematics will be considered at IUCAA.
MSc in Physics, Engineering Physics or Applied Physics will also be considered at IPR.
M.Sc. in Physics, Chemistry, Applied Mathematics, Biophysics or Biochemistry will be considered at SNBNCBS.
B.Tech Eng. Phys.will be considered at TIFR.
M.E./M.Tech in Applied Physics will be considered at NISER.

Theoretical Computer Science at IMSc

Candidates should have successfully completed their M.Sc./ M.E. / M.Tech. in Computer Science and related disciplines from a recognized university. They should be interested in the mathematical aspects of computer science.

Neuroscience at NBRC

Candidates should have successfully completed their M.Sc (Physics/ Mathematics), B.E/ B.Tech/ M.C.A in Computer Science from a recognized university.

Computational Biology at IMSc

Candidates should have successfully completed their M.Sc./ M.E. / M.Tech. / MCA in any engineering or science discipline, with good mathematical skills and strong interest in biological problems.

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

Candidates are required to successfully complete their B. Sc. (Physics / Mathematics) for admission in SNBNCBS.
Candidates are required to successfully complete their B. Sc. (Physics) for admission in SNBNCBS in IMSc.
Candidates are required to successfully complete their B.Sc. (Physics / Mathematics) / B.E. / B.Tech. in Electrical / Instrumentation / Engineering Physics / Electronics and Communications / Computer Science and Engineering / Optics and Photonics for admission in IIA.
Candidates are required to successfully complete theirB.Sc (Physics) or B.E./B. Tech in Engineering Physics , with a minimum of first class marks, for admission at NISER.
Candidates are required to successfully complete their B.Sc. (Physics) for admission at IISER-Pune, ICTS-TIFR, NCRA-TIFR, and TIFR-TCIS.
Candidates are required to successfully complete their B. Sc. (Physics / Mathematics) / B.E. / B.Tec. for Integrated M.Sc - PhD program at Bose Institute.

Integrated Ph.D Programme in Theoretical Computer Science at IMSc

Candidates are required to successfully complete their B.Sc./B.E./B.Tech./M.C.A. in Computer Science or related disciplines and should be interested in the mathematical aspects of computer science.

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

Candidates are required to successfully complete their M.Sc. (Physics / Applied Physics) / Post-B.Sc. (Hons) in Optics and Optoelectronics / Radio Physics and Electronics.

Integrated Ph.D. Programme at IISER Thiruvananthapuram

Candidates are required to successfully complete their B. Sc. (Physics) or B.E. / B. Tech. in any discipline.

M. Sc. Programme at HRI

Candidates are required to successfully complete their B. Sc. (Physics) or B.E./B.Tech. degree in any discipline

P.S.: The Integrated Ph.D. programme in Physics at HRI has been discontinued from 2017.

JEST Exam Dates

Last date for submitting JEST online applications: December.
JEST Exam Dates: February.
JEST Admit card will be available for Download: Starting Mid January

JEST Application Process

Candidates are required to apply online by visiting the official website www.jest.org.in
They should upload their latest passport size photograph and signature as per the prescribed specifications. The size of the individual files for photo and signature should not exceed 100 KB each.

JEST Application Fees

The application process is finally complete with the payment of the application fees.An Application Fee of Rs. 800 (Rs 400 for SC/ST male candidates and non SC/ST female applicants) is required to be paid along with the application. Payment will be accepted using SBI Epay online payment service using debit card/credit card/Net-banking/UPI only. Payment by any other mode will not be accepted. The application fee once paid will NOT be refunded. Application fee is waived for female applicants belonging to SC/ST category, however they need to complete the payment process by selecting the '0" option.

JEST Participating Institutes

Find below the list of participating institutes in JEST

ARIES - Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences, Nainital
Bose Institute - Bose Institute, Kolkata
HRI - Harish-Chandra Research Institute, Allahabad
ICTS - International centre for theoretical sciences, Bangalore
IGCAR-Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam
IIA- Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore
IISc- Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
IISER BHOPAL - Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal
IISER KOLKATA-Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata
IISER MOHALI - Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Mohali
IISER PUNE - Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune
IISER THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Thiruvananthapuram
IIST - Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram
IMSc - The Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai
IOP- Institute of Physics, Bhubaneswar
IPR - Institute for Plasma Research, Gandhinagar
IUCAA - Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pune
JNCASR - Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore
NBRC -National Brain Research Centre, Manesar:Molecular, Computaional and Systems Neuroscience.
NCRA-TIFR - National Centre for Radio Astrophysics, TIFR, Pune
NISER- National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar
PRL - Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad
RRCAT - Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore
HBNI - Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai
RRI - Raman Research Institute, Bangalore
SINP - Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Kolkata
SNBNCBS - SatyendraNath Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, Kolkata
TIFR-TCIS - TIFR Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Hyderabad
TIFR - Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai
UGC-DAE CSR - UGC-DAE Consortium for Scientific Research, Indore
VECC - Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, Kolkata