Exam Pattern
NERIST NEE Exam Pattern
NERIST Entrance Examination
Questions and marks do not move together here. Physics and Chemistry take 35 questions for 45 marks each, Mathematics 45 questions for 60, so 115 questions make 150 marks and no section pays a round number per question. Mathematics is the largest block on both counts. Three hours across 115 questions leaves 94 seconds each, roomier than most engineering entrances allow, and a quarter mark comes off for a wrong answer, which puts break-even near one in six.
NEE-II PCM Engineering & Technology
Official 2026 pattern| Questions | 115 |
| Total marks | 150 |
| Duration | 180 minutes |
| Negative marking | 0.25 per wrong answer |
| Sections | Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics |
| Test | Qs | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Physics | 35 | 45 |
| Chemistry | 35 | 45 |
| Mathematics | 45 | 60 |
Timing: Single 180-minute timer for the Full Mock, covering all three sections; no sectional lock.
NERIST NEE-II 2026 PCM Engineering & Technology (Paper Code 20) mixes one-mark and two-mark questions within each subject: 25 one-mark and 10 two-mark questions each in Physics and Chemistry, and 30 one-mark and 15 two-mark questions in Mathematics (80 one-mark and 35 two-mark questions overall). Every wrong answer is deducted 25% of the marks that question carries, so a wrong one-mark question loses 0.25 and a wrong two-mark question loses 0.5, not a flat rate; an unanswered question always scores zero.
Official source · checked 27 August 2026The NERIST NEE NEE-II PCM Engineering & Technology exam pattern is 115 questions carrying 150 marks, to be answered in 180 minutes. That works out to about 94 seconds per question on average, before any time spent reading instructions or revisiting marked answers. The 3 sections are Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. Mathematics carries the most, 60 marks of the 150 or about 40%, against 45 marks for Chemistry. Marks per question are not uniform across sections either, so an equal number of questions does not mean equal weight. All sections share one composite timer, so you are free to move between them and spend your time where it earns most.
NERIST NEE NEE-II PCM Engineering & Technology marking scheme
- Each correct answer is worth 1.3 marks.
- A wrong answer deducts 0.25 marks; an unattempted question scores zero.
- A guess therefore breaks even at 16.1% accuracy: above that it gains you marks on average, below it loses them. A blind guess between four options is right 25% of the time, which is already above that line, so an educated guess is worth making rather than leaving the question blank.
- Worked example: attempt 92 of the 115 questions and get 69 right and 23 wrong, and you score 83.95 out of 150.
Practising against the same clock is the point of a mock test: at 94 seconds a question, the difference between a good score and an average one is usually pacing rather than knowledge. Attempt a free NERIST NEE mock test to see where your time actually goes.
NERIST NEE exam pattern: frequently asked questions
Is there negative marking in NERIST NEE?
NERIST NEE deducts 0.25 marks for a wrong answer. An unattempted question always scores zero, so the choice is only ever between guessing and leaving it blank.
How many questions are there in NERIST NEE?
NERIST NEE has 115 questions. That leaves about 94 seconds per question in NERIST NEE.
What are the total marks in NERIST NEE?
NERIST NEE is out of 150 marks, which works out at 1.3 marks a question.
How long is the NERIST NEE exam?
NERIST NEE runs for 180 minutes.
Does NERIST NEE have a sectional time limit?
No. NERIST NEE runs every section on one composite timer of 180 minutes, so you can move between sections freely and give the slower ones more of your time.