Last updated: 1 November 2026. This is the complete guide to JNVST 2027, the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya Selection Test for admission to Class 6 in the 2027-28 session. It covers the exam date, eligibility, the new exam pattern, seat reservation, the Navodaya Vidyalayas in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, results and admission. All facts are taken from the official NVS Prospectus for JNVST 2027.
JNVST 2027 exam date: Saturday, 28 November 2026, 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM, in a single phase for all JNVs. Online registration has closed. Admit cards were released on 28 October 2026 on the NVS admission portal — download yours now. Official website: navodaya.gov.in.
JNVST 2027 Important Dates
Event | Date |
|---|---|
Online application | Closed (last date 31 July 2026, later extended into August 2026) |
Correction window | Held after the last date (Gender, Area, Category, Disability, Medium only) |
Admit card | Released on 28 October 2026 on the NVS admission portal (free download) |
JNVST 2027 exam | 28 November 2026, 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM |
Result | Expected by end of March 2027 |
Admission process closes | 31 August 2027 |
What Is a Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya?
Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) are co-educational residential schools fully funded by the Government of India and run by the Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) under the Ministry of Education. There are 665 functional JNVs in 27 states and 8 union territories, roughly one per district, mainly for talented children from rural areas.
Free education with free boarding, lodging, uniform and textbooks.
CBSE board; separate hostels for boys and girls.
Medium of instruction: mother tongue or regional language up to Class 8, then English for Maths and Science and Hindi for Social Science.
NCC, Scouts and Guides, NSS, sports and the national migration scheme (one year in a JNV of another language region in Class 9).
Vidyalaya Vikas Nidhi (VVN): only Classes 9 to 12 pay ₹600 per month. SC/ST students, Divyang students, all girls and BPL families are exempt. Wards of government employees pay ₹1,500 per month or the Children Education Allowance received, whichever is less (minimum ₹600).
Navodaya Vidyalayas in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
State | Functional JNVs | JNVST languages |
|---|---|---|
Andhra Pradesh | 13 + 2 additional JNVs | Telugu, English, Hindi, Urdu, Marathi, Oriya, Kannada |
Telangana | 15 | Telugu, English, Hindi, Urdu, Marathi, Kannada |
Two JNVs in one district (AP): East Godavari now has two JNVs, Kakinada (East Godavari-I) and Polavaram (East Godavari-II), and Prakasam has two, Prakasam-I and Markapuram (Prakasam-II). Each JNV serves a fixed list of blocks given in Annexure-II of the prospectus, so apply only to the JNV that covers your block.
Hyderabad district has no JNV, because it is 100% urban. NVS does not cover fully urban districts.
Each JNV admits a maximum of 80 students in Class 6.
The test booklet is given only in the language chosen in the application form, and the medium cannot be changed later.
JNVST 2027 Eligibility
Rule | Requirement |
|---|---|
Date of birth | Between 1 May 2015 and 31 July 2017 (both dates included), for all categories |
Class | Studying in Class 5 for the full 2026-27 session in a Government, Government-aided or recognised school (or NIOS "B" certificate by 31 May 2027) |
Earlier classes | Must have studied and passed Classes 3, 4 and 5, each for a full session. Candidates who skipped a class are not eligible |
District | Must be a bona fide resident of the district and apply only to the JNV of that district |
Attempts | Only one attempt. Candidates who appeared before, or who already passed Class 5, cannot apply |
Studying in a neighbouring district? A child living in one district but studying Class 5 in another can still apply to the JNV of the home district, if the school is within 10 km of the residence. NVS will verify this distance.
JNVST 2027 Exam Pattern (New EVS Section)
Section | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
Mental Ability Test (20) + Environmental Studies (20) | 40 | 50 | 60 minutes |
Arithmetic Test | 20 | 25 | 30 minutes |
Language Test | 20 | 25 | 30 minutes |
Total | 80 | 100 | 2 hours |
Each correct answer gets 1.25 marks; there is no negative marking.
Minimum qualifying marks: 14 in Mental Ability and EVS, 7 in Arithmetic and 7 in Language. The child must clear all three.
What changed: the first section used to be 40 Mental Ability questions. For JNVST 2027 it is 20 Mental Ability questions plus 20 Environmental Studies questions (15 MCQs and one passage with 5 questions).
See the full section-wise syllabus, sample questions and a 5-week revision plan in our JNVST 2027 exam pattern and syllabus guide.
Seat Reservation in JNVs
Rural quota: at least 75% of seats in a district go to rural candidates. The rest are open seats filled on merit from rural and urban candidates.
Who is rural: a child who studied the full sessions of Classes 3, 4 and 5 in schools located in rural areas. Studying even one day of Classes 3 to 5 in an urban school makes the child an urban candidate. Rural-open seats are allocated block by block.
SC and ST: in proportion to the district population, at least 15% SC and 7.5% ST, with a maximum of 50% for both together.
OBC: 27%, only with a valid Central-list OBC certificate issued before registration. State-list OBC candidates are treated as general.
Girls: at least one-third of seats.
Divyang: reservation as per Government of India norms. Transgender candidates are counted under boys' seats.
Exam Day Rules
Be seated in the exam room by 11:00 AM. Latecomers are not allowed.
Carry the admit card and the candidate's Aadhaar card (or the parent's residence certificate uploaded in the form).
Use only a blue or black ballpoint pen on the OMR sheet. Pencils, erasing and whitener are not allowed, and changed answers are not evaluated.
Check that the OMR sheet and question booklet numbers match and that the booklet is in the correct language before starting.
A bell rings every 30 minutes. Nobody can leave before the 2 hours end. Divyang candidates get 40 extra minutes.
JNVST 2027 Result and Admission
The result is expected by the end of March 2027 on the NVS portal, and is also displayed at the JNV, the DEO office, the District Magistrate's office and the NVS regional office. The JNV Principal also informs selected candidates by speed post.
There is no re-evaluation or re-totalling. Evaluation is fully automated.
NVS does not publish a waiting list. If a selected child does not join, the next candidate is moved up automatically on the portal.
Tie-break order: higher marks in Mental Ability and EVS, then Arithmetic, then category (ST, then SC, then OBC, then general), then girls before boys, then the younger candidate.
Admission is only in the JNV of the district where the child applied. Transfers to another JNV are not allowed.
Documents needed after selection
Birth certificate from a Government authority, issued on or before the registration/exam date
Residence certificate of the parent from the same district
Aadhaar card of the candidate
Head Master's certificate showing study of Classes 3, 4 and 5 and whether the school is rural or urban
SC/ST certificate, or Central-list OBC certificate in the NVS format (if applicable)
Disability or UDID certificate (if applicable)
Undertaking for migration, and the TC from the current school
Get these certificates ready before the result. Certificates issued after the registration or exam date can lead to rejection.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the JNVST 2027 exam?
On 28 November 2026, from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM, in a single phase for all JNVs.
Can I still apply for JNVST 2027?
No. Online registration closed in August 2026. Only registered candidates can download admit cards and take the test.
Is there any fee for Navodaya admission?
No. Registration is free, and education, boarding and lodging are free. Only Classes 9 to 12 pay VVN, and girls, SC/ST, Divyang and BPL students are exempt.
Is there negative marking in JNVST?
No. Each correct answer gives 1.25 marks and wrong answers lose nothing, so the child should attempt every question.
Can a child from Hyderabad city apply?
Hyderabad district has no JNV because it is fully urban. A child can apply only in the district where they live and study Class 5 (with the 10 km neighbouring-district exception above).
More answers are in our JNVST 2027 FAQs for parents.
Related Guides
Source: NVS Prospectus cum Notification for JNVST 2027, Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, Noida. Always confirm the latest notices on navodaya.gov.in.
