JEST Exam Dates Eligibility Criteria Institutes Syllabus

Can you provide me the important dates for JEST (Joint Entrance Screening Test) 2020? Also provide me some other important details of the Test?

[Neelu Bhasin]

JEST (Joint Entrance Screening Test) is conducted by the Science & Engineering Research Board (SERB). It offers admission to Ph.D and Integrated Ph.D courses in Physics or Theoretical Computer Science or Neuroscience or Computational Biology. It is considered as a National Eligibility Test (NET).

JEST Exam Date 2020

Starting of JEST online application form 11th November 2019
Last date for submission of the application form 14th December 2019
Availability of admit card After 22nd January 2020
Date of exam 16th February 2020
Release of Answer Key February 2020
Last date for objection against the answer key 1st week of March 2020
Declaration of result 4th week of March 2020
Interview begins 3rd week of April 2020


JEST Eligibility Criteria

Listed below are tentative eligibility criteria in the participating institutes.


For PhD Program in Physics:

One should hold M.Sc. in Physics or M.Sc./M.E/M.Tech in related disciplines

One should hold M.Sc. in Mathematics/Applied Physics/Applied Mathematics/Optics & Photonics/Instrumentation/Electronics will also be considered at IIA

BE or B. Tech will also be considered at IISc, IMSc, ICTS-TIFR, IUCAA, JNCASR, NCRA-TIFR, TIFR-TCIS, RRI, IISER Mohali, IISER Pune, IISER Thiruvananthapuram and SNBNCBS

Talented final year B.Sc. and first year M.Sc. in Physics/Electronics/Astronomy/Applied Mathematics students may also apply to be pre-selected for research scholarship at IUCAA

M.Sc. in Physics, Engineering Physics or Applied Physics will also be considered at IPR; at TIFR, only B. Tech Engineering Physics & M. Sc. Physics is eligible


For Theoretical Computer Science/Neuroscience/Computational Biology

One must have an M.Sc./ME/M. Tech/MCA in Computer Science and related disciplines (visit website of IMSc for further details)

M.Sc./ME/M. Tech/MCA in any Engineering or Science discipline, with good mathematical skills and strong interest in biological problems for PhD in Computational Biology at IMSc


For Integrated M.Sc./M. Tech-PhD Program

At HRI, IISER-Pune, ICTS-TIFR, SNBNCBS, NCRA-TIFR & TIFR-TCIS one with a Bachelor degree will also be considered for the Integrated M.Sc., PhD Program in Physics

At IMSc, graduates with a Bachelor's degree in Science/Mathematics/Statistics/Computer Sci./IT/Engineering will also be considered for admission in Physics and in Theoretical Computer Science, as part of an integrated PhD Program; one successful in the course work is awarded an M.Sc. degree


For Integrated M.Tech-PhD Program at IIA

One should hold Graduates with M.Sc. (Physics/Applied Physics)/Post-B.Sc. (Hons) in Optics and Optoelectronics/Radio Physics and Electronics/BE/B. Tech degree


For Integrated PhD Program at IISER, Thiruvananthapuram:

One should hold Graduates with Bachelor degree in Physics/Technology/Engineering will be considered for the Integrated PhD Program in Physics


M. Sc. Program at HRI

One must have B. Sc. (Physics) or B.E./B.Tech. degree in any discipline



Exam Participating Institutes

ARIES (Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences, Nainital);
HBNI (Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai); HRI (Harish-Chandra Research Institute, Allahabad);
ICTS (International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (TIFR), Bangalore);
IGCAR (Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam);
IIA (Indian Institute of Astrophysics), IISc Bangalore; IISER Bhopal;
IISER Kolkata; IISER Pune; IISER Mohali; IISER 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);
NBRC (National Brain Research Centre, Manesar); JNCASR Bangalore;
NCRA-TIFR - Pune; NISER Bhubaneswar; PRL (Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad);
RRCAT (Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore);
RRI (Raman Research Institute, Bangalore);
SINP (Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Kolkata);
SNBNCBS (Satyendra Nath 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