LEST

The Lateral Entry Selection Test (LEST) is a national-level entrance examination conducted by the Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) for admission to vacant seats in Class 9 of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas across India. It allows eligible students to gain lateral entry into JNVs, which are residential schools offering quality education with seats largely free of cost. LEST is generally conducted in offline (OMR-based) mode and assesses students on subjects relevant to the Class 8 level, such as Mathematics, Science, English, Hindi and general subjects. Selection is merit-based and district-wise as per NVS norms. This page covers complete LEST details – eligibility, exam pattern, important dates, application process and preparation tips.