Joint Entrance Screening Test
| Acronym | JEST |
|---|---|
| Type | Paper-based test |
| Administrator | Science and Engineering Research Board |
| Skills tested | Academic knowledge |
| Purpose | Admission to PhD and Integrated PhD |
| Duration | 3 hours |
| Score range | 100 |
| Score validity | 1 year |
| Offered | Once a year |
| Regions | India |
| Languages | English |
| Prerequisites | M.Sc, B.Sc, ME, M.Tech, BE, B.Tech, MCA |
| Fee | ₹800 (general) ₹400 (reservation) |
| Used by | 33 institutes |
| Website | jest |
The Joint Entrance Screening Test (JEST) is a national entrance test in physics and theoretical computer science conducted annually in India. The test is utilised by various Indian public research institutes to shortlist candidates for admission to PhD and Integrated PhD programmes with fellowships in theoretical computer science and areas in physics. JEST has been recognised as a National Eligibility Test (NET) by the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB).
As of 2024, there are a total of 33 participating institutes in JEST. Each year, the test is conducted by any one of the institutes as a common test for admission to all participating institutes. A PhD in theoretical computer science is provided only at the Institute of Mathematical Sciences.