Yes, admission to Class 11 in Navodaya Vidyalaya for the 2025–26 session will be through the Lateral Entry Selection Test (LEST). The online application has already started from 30th July 2025 and the last date to apply is 23rd September 2025. The exam will be held on 7th February 2026.

Eligibility – Students must be studying in Class 10 in session 2025–26 in the same district where they are applying. The date of birth should be between 1st June 2009 and 31st July 2011.

The exam will be OMR-based, with 100 questions from Science, Maths, English, Social Science, and Mental Ability. The duration will be 2.5 hours. There is no application fee.

Students can apply through the official website – navodaya.gov.in or cbseitms.nic.in. After the exam, results will be declared and then document verification will be done.