What is NSEA?
The National Standard Examination in Astronomy is the first selection stage of India’s Astronomy Olympiad programme. IAPT conducts NSEA; HBCSE coordinates the later national selection stages.
The name can be misleading: this is not mainly a quiz about planets and constellations. It draws on physics and mathematics through Class XII, alongside elementary astronomy.
The paper at a glance
| Detail | 2026–27 information |
|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, 21 November 2026 |
| Time | 2:30–4:30 p.m. IST · 120 minutes |
| Paper | 60 objective questions · maximum 216 marks |
| Part A | 48 single-correct questions: +3 correct, −1 incorrect, 0 unattempted |
| Part B | 12 multiple-correct questions: +6 for exactly the correct set; otherwise 0 |
| Languages | English and Hindi |
| Enrolment fee | ₹300 per subject during the enrolment window |
Know the all-or-nothing rule
If the correct options in Part B are A and C, you must select both A and C, and nothing else, to receive six marks. A alone earns zero; A, C and D also earn zero. There is no partial credit or negative marking in Part B.
Always read your actual paper’s instructions and any later official correction.
Dates and registration
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 21 August–16 September 2026 | Published enrolment window, including the extension. Now closed. |
| Before the examination | Use the official IAPT student login for enrolment, admit-card and centre instructions. No precise admit-card release date is claimed here. |
| 21 November 2026 | Attend the assigned centre; follow the reporting time on your admit card. |
| By 15 January 2027 | Check the announced INO shortlist and separate HBCSE registration requirements. |
| 30 January 2027 · 9 a.m.–noon | INAO, as listed in the 2026–27 programme. Confirm the final notice and admit card. |
Open the student enrolment/login link from IAPT announcements ↗. Do not give your login or payment details to an unofficial preparation site.
Before exam day
- Verify your centre, paper language, reporting time and admit-card instructions.
- Carry the documents and stationery required by the organiser.
- Check the current calculator rules. The 2025 paper allowed a non-programmable scientific calculator, but your current instructions govern what is permitted.
- Practise marking an OMR sheet and reserve time to check question numbers.
What comes after NSEA?
Shortlisted students progress to INAO, then the Orientation-cum-Selection Camp, pre-departure training and IOAA. Selection for INAO does not automatically complete its separate registration.
Understand cutoffs and selection