JNVST (Class 9) 2026

Results Declared

Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya Selection Test (Class 9 Lateral Entry)

NVSSchool Board~60K applicants/yrJNVST (Class 9) 2027 →

Eligibility

AgeYou must be born between 1 May 2011 and 31 July 2013.
EducationYou must be currently studying in Class 8, at a government or government-recognized school in the same district as the JNV you're applying to.

Key dates

Registration closes

7 Oct 2025

Exam date

7 Feb 2026

Fees & links

Application fee

₹0

Official website

https://navodaya.gov.in

About JNVST (Class 9)

JNVST is the entrance test for Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas - free, fully residential government schools, one per district, for academically talented students from rural areas. This covers the Class 9 lateral-entry stream (for students currently in Class 8, filling vacant seats) - JNV's much bigger, more famous stream is Class 6 entry, open to much younger students and not covered here.

Exam pattern

Mode

Offline (pen-and-paper, OMR-based)

Duration

2.5 hours

No application fee. Seats are limited to whatever vacancies exist at each JNV that year, making Class 9 lateral entry considerably more competitive per seat than Class 6 entry despite far fewer applicants overall.

Selection process

A district-wise merit list is prepared from the test score - only students residing in and having studied in the same district as the JNV they're applying to are eligible for that school's seats.