The National Talent Search Examination (NTSE) is a National Level scholarship program in India to identify and nurture talented students. It is the most prestigious examination at high school level in India as it is organized by an official body (NCERT). The students who are eligible for the same are:
It provides around 1000 scholarships for different stages of education i.e.
The reservation scheme in NTSE is:
NCERT does not specify any prescribed syllabus for NTSE. The students willing to prepare for the examination can generally refer to the standard syllabus of class 9th and 10th level. Though the MAT test involves you to solve questions related to mental aptitude, the SAT test carries questions from science, social science and mathematics.
| Section | Syllabus |
|---|---|
| Mental Ability Test (MAT) | Analogies, Series, Classification, Pattern perception, Hidden figures, Block assembly, Coding-Decoding, Problem Solving |
| Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) | Science, Social Science, Mathematics |
NOTE: The areas covered in the examination mentioned above are based on expert inputs and the paper pattern of previous years.
Every year, NTSE is conducted at two different stages, namely state level and national level. The state level examination (Stage 1) is conducted under the supervision of State/UTs whereas the national level examination (Stage 2) is conducted by the NCERT. Furthermore, each stage comprises three tests for students, namely the MAT (Mental Ability Test) and the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test).
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Mode of Exam | Offline |
| Medium of Exam | English, Hindi, Bangla, Asamiya, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Punjabi, Odia, Urdu, Telugu and Tamil |
| Number of papers | 2 (MAT & SAT) |
| Number of Questions | MAT (Mental Ability Test) – 100, SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) – 100 |
| Types of questions | Multiple choice questions |
| Marks allotted for each question | 1 (One) |
| Time duration for each test | 120 minutes |
| Scholarship Aptitude Test (Pattern) | Science – 40 Questions Social Science – 40 Questions Mathematics – 20 Questions |
| Negative Marking | Not applicable at the national level (Stage -2) |
NTSE is a talent based evaluation system scientifically designed for class X students. Close to 300,000 students appear in this scholarship exam every year, and 1,000 scholarships are awarded, out of which 775 are not reserved. From an exciting and wonderful preparation journey, an NTSE scholar has several things to look forward to in high school and beyond. Apart from a definite highlight in your CV, some of the advantages of being an NTSE scholar are:
NTSE is conducted in a two tier examination process. NTSE Stage one exam is conducted by States and Union Territories (UT). The selected candidates appear for Stage Two which is conducted by NCERT. There are no interviews.
All students studying in Class 10th in any type of recognized schools including Kendriya Vidyalayas, Military School and Sainik School are eligible to appear for the State level Examination (NTSE Stage One) from their respective states. This scheme is not available for other classes. Moreover, the concerned State/UT may impose other eligibility criterion for appearing in the Stage One Exam.
There is a quota earmarked for all the States and UTs. The State quota is calculated on the basis of student enrolment at the secondary level with a minimum of 10 for UTs and 25 for states.
About 1000 scholarships are awarded every year.
There is a provision of reservation for ST and SC candidates based on National norms of 15% and 7.5%, respectively. Only those candidates who obtain minimum qualifying marks under these categories are eligible for scholarship. Moreover, there is a provision of 4% reservation for physically challenged students.
The awardees studying Sciences, Social Sciences, Humanities, Languages, Commerce, Vocational courses are eligible to receive scholarship up to PhD level. Awardees studying professional courses in Medicine, Engineering, Technology, Management and Law are eligible to receive scholarship up to second degree level.
You need to submit your application after getting it signed by your Principle before the due date. You are advised to send your application to the Liaison Officer of your State/UT.
