Nagina Bains
Founder, Testler | International Admissions Counsellor | Indian Express Columnist
Nagina Bains started Testler in 2020 with one conviction: that the right guidance, given early enough, changes the entire trajectory of a student's life. Not just which university they attend but how clearly they understand themselves, what they are capable of, and where they genuinely want to go.
That conviction comes from years of working across industries - real estate, hospitality, media, international tourism, and training, before finding her calling in education. It comes from a graduate programme at Cornell University. From writing for the Indian Express. And from sitting across from hundreds of students and families who needed someone to tell them the truth, not just what they wanted to hear.
Testler was built on that foundation. Five years later, it has guided students to universities across 15+ countries, not by following a formula, but by treating every student as an individual with a unique profile, a unique set of strengths, and a unique path worth building carefully.
Credentials & Background
✦ | Cornell University, USA General Management Programme |
✦ | Master’s in Sociology Postgraduate academic qualification |
✦ | Bachelor’s with Honours in Psychology Undergraduate academic foundation |
✦ | Postgraduate Diploma in Mass Communication Media and communications specialisation |
✦ | Columnist, Indian Express Active contributor to one of India’s most widely read English newspapers |
✦ | Former Chairperson, CII IWN 2023 Confederation of Indian Industry Indian Women Network, Chandigarh chapter |
✦ | Co-Founder, Elsewhere Foundation Cultural foundation focused on literary and artistic legacy |
Her Approach to Counselling
Nagina’s counselling style is direct, structured, and student-first. She does not believe in telling students what they want to hear she believes in giving them what they need: an honest assessment of where they stand, a clear picture of what is possible, and a realistic plan to get there.
She works with students from Grade 8 onwards, which means she has the time to do the work properly. Not crisis counselling at Grade 12. Not a shortlist of universities chosen from a spreadsheet. But a genuine, multi-year engagement that shapes academic choices, builds meaningful profiles, and prepares students for the demands of international university admissions and for everything that comes after.
Her background in psychology informs how she works with students. Her experience across industries informs how she thinks about careers. Her writing discipline informs how she helps students articulate who they are in personal statements and interviews. These are not separate skills at Testler, they are part of the same approach.
In Her Own Words
Beyond Testler
Nagina’s work extends well beyond the counselling room. As a columnist with the Indian Express, she writes on education, society, and the forces shaping young people’s lives in India today. As Co-Founder of the Elsewhere Foundation, she is involved in preserving and promoting India’s literary and artistic heritage. As the 2023 Chairperson of CII’s Indian Women Network in Chandigarh, she has been a consistent voice for women in professional and leadership spaces.
These are not separate identities they are the same person your student will work with at Testler. Someone who thinks carefully, writes clearly, leads purposefully, and brings the full weight of that experience to every counselling session.