NTSE (National Talent search Examination)
National Talent Search Examination (NTSE) is a national level examination conducted by NCERT to nurture the talented students. The examination recognizes students with high intellect and provides scholarships to the deserving candidates. The NTSE scholarship exam is organized by the official body NCERT, hence, it is widely regarded as the most prestigious examination at high school level in India.
Eligibility
The National Talent Search Examination is open for students of Indian nationality studying in India or abroad at class X level. States may apply their own eligibility conditions like qualifying percentage etc. for Stage 1 or State level exam.
Important dates :
| EVENTS |
DATES |
| Application Form available |
First week of August 2019 |
| Last date to Apply |
To be notified by states |
| Admit Card for Stage 1You are required to download the admit card 3 weeks before the exam. |
7th Oct’19 - 14th Oct’19 |
| Date of examination for Stage 1 |
2nd November19 - Mizoram, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Meghalaya and Nagaland3rd November 19 - all other states and union territories except West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, NCT of Delhi, and Jammu and Kashmir17th November19 - West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, NCT of Delhi, and Jammu and Kashmir |
| Declaration of result Stage 1 |
February to April 20202 |
| Admit card for stage 2 |
April 2020 |
| Date of examination for Stage 2 |
10th May 2020 |
| Declaration of Final result |
July to September 2020 |
Selection Procedure :
- The NTSE examination is conducted every year for students studying in class 10. It is conducted in two stages: Stage 1 or the State level & Stage 2 or the National level.
- Students shortlisted in stage 1 exam qualify for the Stage 2 National level exam.
NTSE Exam Procedure :
NTSE is an Offline exam and each stage of NTSE Exam consists of two papers, MAT (Mental ability test) and SAT (Scholastic Ability test) which are generally held on the same day in morning and evening shifts.
1. State level examination: (Stage-1)
- The examination is conducted by each state individually and every state is allowed to set particular series of norms/rules for the examination.
- Students of class 10th of any recognized school can appear for the test.
- No domicile restriction is present in any state.
- The medium of the test is announced by the states/UTs other than English.
- Every State/Union Territory prepares their own merit list which ensures the minimum qualifying marks for both the tests separately. The overall qualifying marks are 40% for general and OBC and 32% for SC/ST and PWD.
- Candidates need to qualify in both the papers separately to be considered for merit. The merit is prepared on the basis of total marks obtain ed in SAT and MAT.
- There is no negative marking.
1. National level examination: (Stage-2)
- Those who clear the State level examination are eligible for this stage. There is no fee of any kind for appearing in the National Level Examination.
- All students of Indian nationality whether they study in India or abroad at class X level are eligible to appear for this exam.
- The National level examination is conducted by the NCERT generally on the Second Sunday of May each year (unless otherwise notified).
- There is no prescribed syllabus for the exam as such, though it mainly consists of topics and level of syllabus of class 9 and 10. (A sample questions booklet for both MAT and SAT exam can be downloaded from ncert.nic.in OR click here to download it)
- There is no negative marking in both the papers, hence the students should attempt all the question.
NTSE Exam Pattern
The NTSE exam is an offline exam where the answers are marked on an OMR sheet (sample OMR dwld)
The medium of exam is English, Hindi and other regional languages which can be opted for while filling the form.
The Paper consists of MCQs (Multiple choice questions) for both MAT and SAT exam.
For both the stages, exam is divided into two papers-
| TEST |
TIMINGS |
NUMBER OF QUESTIONS |
SYLLABUS |
TOTAL MARKS |
TIME DURATION |
| MAT - Mental Aptitude Test |
9:30 am to 11:30 am |
100 |
The syllabus comprises of fundamental lessons of verbal and non-verbal reasoning |
100 |
120 mins |
| SAT - Scholastic Aptitude Test |
13:30 pm to 15:30 pm |
100 |
Science-40 Mathematics- 20 Social Science-40 |
100 |
120 mins |
Result and Rewards of NTSE Exam:
The final NTSE exam results are declared on the basis of total marks of MAT and SAT exam in stage 2 only.
The meritorious students are awarded the scholarships that are going to help them in their entire academic future.
The Scholarships awarded are as follows-
- Scholarship of Rs.1250/- per month for Class-XI to XII.
- Scholarship of Rs.2000/- per month for Undergraduates and Post-graduates.
- Amount of Scholarship for Ph.D. is fixed in accordance with the UGC norms.
How to prepare for NTSE
NTSE is a prestigious scholarship and one of the most competitive exams for class 10 students. So yes, it is a golden opportunity for the students of class 10 and they need to prepare well for it.
- Start early. Preparaions should start in class 9 itself
- Mental Ability Test- A very important skill for NTSE preparation is developing analytical thinking. Try and attempt as many MAT questions as you can on a regular basis, starting in class 9 itself.
- Scholastic Ability test: Aim for a thorough study and understanding of all chapters, concepts and theories of Science, Mathematics and Social Sciences. Go through the books of class IX and X to cover the required topics for the exam. Being consistent is the key to success, so study hard and learn as much as you can.
- Solve sample papers to practice with questions and analyze the preparation level. Solving a mock paper, will help you to learn the time management when appearing for the exam.
- Go through the questions of previous Years papers as they will be able to help you figure out the format and difficulty level of the exam.
- Be diligent and persistent.
For more details of NTSE, students can visit www.ncert.nic.in