JNVST 2026: Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) are co-educational residential schools fully financed and administered by the Government of India, spread across 27 States and 08 Union Territories. Admissions to Class VI in JNVs are conducted through the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya Selection Test (JNVST). These schools aim to provide good quality modern education to talented children predominantly from rural areas. The registration for the JNVST 2026 for admission to Class-VI was to end on 29th July, but it is now extended up to 13th of August 2025.
Also Read: SIRISH Scholarship 2025: Great Opportunity for Tea Tribes and Adivasi Communities
Who can Apply?
Admission to Class VI in a JNV is district specific. A candidate is eligible to apply for JNVST 2026 only in the same district where they are studying Class V. Only bona fide resident candidates from the district concerned, who are also studying Class V in the same district, are eligible.
Key eligibility criteria include:
- The candidate must be studying in Class V for the whole of the academic session 2025-26 in a Government/ Government aided or other recognized school located in the same district where they are seeking admission.
- Candidates must have studied and passed Class III, IV & V from a Govt./ Govt. aided/ recognized school, spending one full academic session in each class.
- Candidates who have passed Class V before the session 2025-26 or are repeated candidates are not allowed.
- A candidate seeking admission must have been born on or after 01-05-2014 and on or before 31-07-2016 (Both dates are inclusive)9. This age criteria applying under JNVST 2026, applies to candidates of all categories.
- Candidates studying under the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) scheme must have obtained a ‘B’ certificate on or before 15th September 2025 and be a bona fide resident of the same district where they are seeking admission.
- No candidate is eligible to apply for the selection test for the second time.
- Rural candidates must have studied in Classes-III, IV and V in Government/ Government Aided/ Government recognized schools located in rural areas, completing a full academic session in each. The candidate should study the full academic session under a rural area in Class-V from the same district where admission is sought.
- A candidate who has studied in a school located in an urban area for even a single day during Class III, IV, or V will be considered an urban candidate
Documents Required
- The certificate verified by the Head-Master mentioning the details of the candidate in the prescribed format (you can find it in the prospectus linked below)
- Photograph
- Signature of parent
- Signature of candidate
- Aadhaar details/ Residence certificate issued by a competent Government authority
How to apply for JNVST 2026?
- First of all, visit the admission portal of Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti by clicking on the link given below
- Click on the link given for Registration
- Enter the details as asked in the application portal
- Next upload the candidate’s photo, signature, certificate by the Head Master, and also a signature from any one of the parents
- That’s it, submit the application form
- Do not forget to download a copy of the registration form for JNVST 2026, as it will be required for future references
JNVST 2026: Date of Test
The Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya Selection Test or JNVST 2026 for admission to Class-VI for the academic session 2026-27 will be held in two phases19:
- Phase 1: On Saturday, 13th December, 2025 at 11.30 A.M. This phase covers the States of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh (except Dibang Valley & Tawang Districts), Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh (except Chamba, Kinnaur, Mandi, Sirmour, Kullu, Lahaul & Spiti, Solan and Shimla Districts), Jammu & Kashmir (only for Jammu-I, Jammu-II, Samba & Udhampur), Jharkhand, Kerala, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tripura, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand & West Bengal (except Darjeeling), and the Union Territories of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadar & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu, Delhi, Lakshadweep and Puducherry.
- Phase 2: On Saturday, 11th April, 2026 at 11.30 A.M. This phase covers the States of Jammu and Kashmir (except Jammu-I, Jammu-II, Samba & Udhampur), Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and in the Districts of Dibang Valley and Tawang of Arunachal Pradesh, in the Districts of Chamba, Kinnaur, Mandi, Sirmour, Kullu, Lahaul & Spiti, Solan and Shimla of Himachal Pradesh, in the District of Darjeeling of West Bengal, and Leh & Kargil districts of UT Ladakh
Exam Pattern and Syllabus
The JNVST 2026 will have 80 objective-type questions of 100 marks in total. Each candidate will be given 120 minutes, i.e. 2 hours to complete the paper. However, there is a relaxation for Divyang students or differently-abled students, and they will get an additional 40 minutes to complete the paper.
| SECTIONS | NUMBER OF QUESTIONS | MARKS |
|---|---|---|
| Mental Ability Test | 40 | 50 |
| Arithmetic Test | 20 | 25 |
| Language Test | 20 | 25 |
Section 1: Mental Ability Test (MAT)
The first section of the JNVST 2026 will have reasoning-type questions to check the mental ability of the candidate and all of them will be based on some diagrams. It is divided into 10 parts (listed below) and will have 4 questions of each type.
| Odd Man Out | Geometrical Figure Completion of Triangle, Square, Circle, etc. |
| Figure Matching | Mirror Imagining |
| Pattern Completion | Punched Hole Pattern – Folding/ Unfolding |
| Figure Series Completion | Space Visualisation |
| Analogy | Embedded Figure |
Section 2: Arithmetic Test
The second section of the paper will have 20 mathematical questions to measure the candidate’s basic competencies in Arithmetic, and the questions will be based on the following 15 topics:
- Number and Numeric system
- Four fundamental operations on the Whole number
- Factors and multiples including their properties
- Decimals and Fundamental Operations on them
- Conversion of fractions to decimals and vice-versa
- Measurement of length, mass, capacity, time, money, etc.
- Simplification of Numerical Expressions
- Fractional numbers – addition and subtraction of like fractions and multiplication (unlike fraction and division of fractional numbers not included)
- Profit and loss without calculation of percentage (calculation of the percentage of profit and loss is exempted from the topic)
- Perimeter and Area: the perimeter of a polygon, area of a square, rectangle, and triangle (as a part of a rectangle)
- Types of Angles and their Simple Applications
- Data analysis using bar diagram, graph, and line chart
Section 3: Language Test
The third and last section of the JNVST 2026 is to assess the reading comprehension of the candidates. This section will have 4 passages and 5 questions with each passage, that is 20 questions in total. Candidates will need to read the passages given and find out the answers to the questions given along with them.
Key Dates
| Opening of Application Portal | 31st May, 2025 |
| Last date to submit Application forms | |
| Correction Window | – |
| Release of Admit Cards | – |
| Date of Exam (Phase 1 – Summer Bound JNVs) | 13th December, 2025 at 11.30 A.M. |
| Date of Exam (Phase 2 – Winter Bound JNVs) | 11th April, 2026 at 11.30 A.M. |
| Announcement of Results (Summer Bound JNVs) | By end of March, 2026 |
| Announcement of Results (Winter Bound JNVs) | May, 2026 |
| Closure of Admission Process (entire) | Latest by 31st December 2026 |
Important Links
| Prospectus of JNVST 2026 |
| Official Website |
| Registration Link |
| Previous Year Question Booklet |
| Recommended Guide Books for JNVST |
Kindly note
- At least 75% of seats in a district will be filled by candidates from rural areas.
- NVS will completely follow the reservation structure laid out as per government norms for SC, ST, OBC, and Divyang candidates.
- A minimum of one-third (1/3) of the seats in JNVST 2026 are reserved for girl students.
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