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NTSE

NTSE or National Talent Search Examination is a national level exam conducted by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) for granting scholarships to the meritorious students studying in class 10th. NTSE is only held for 10th standard students and the exam is conducted in two different stages – Stage I and II.

The first stage exam is a state-level exam and is conducted by all the Indian states and UTs. On the other hand, NTSE stage II is conducted for those students who clear the first stage. As mentioned earlier, only those who qualify in NTSE stage 1 will be eligible to write the Stage II exam. This is the main criteria. Meanwhile, the objective of organizing NTSE is to award scholarships to potential candidates who are aspiring to pursue higher education in the field of Science or Social Studies. With these scholarships, students will be able to continue their education in their desired stream. NTSE scholarship will be awarded on the basis of the overall performance of students in both the stages of the examination.

NTSE Exam Overview

Exam Name : National Talent Search Examination (NTSE)

Conducting Body : National Council Of Educational Research and Training (NCERT)

Frequency of Exam : Once a year

Application : Online

Mode of Exam : Offline

Exam Duration : 4 Hrs (2 Hrs MAT and 2 Hrs SAT)

NTSE 2020-21 Important Dates

Stage-I (State Level) :

Last Date to Submit Application Form : To be notified by the State

Examination in all States and Union Territories : 12th and 13th December 2020

Stage-II (National Level) :

Examination in all States and Union Territories : 13th June 2021

NTSE 2020-21 Scholarship

Around 2000 scholarships are awarded for each stage of education. These stages are:

  • For Class XI to Class XII, a scholarship of Rs.1250/- per month is provided.

  • For Undergraduates and Postgraduates, a scholarship of Rs.2000/- per month is provided.

  • For Ph.D., the scholarship amount is fixed in accordance with the UGC norms.

NTSE 2020-21 Eligibility

NCERT has defined an age limit for the students to appear for the exam. Candidates should be below the age of 18 years (as on July 1, 2020).

 

NTSE Eligibility for Stage 1 (State level examination)

  • The candidate must be a Class X student from any Government/ Private schools in India.

  • There is no domicile restriction. The candidate can be from any State/Union Territory of India.

  • The candidates studying in open or distance learning are also eligible to write NTSE 2020, provided they are less than 18 years of age, not employed and are appearing for Class X board examination for the first time.

 

NTSE Eligibility for Stage 2 (National level examination)

  • Only the students who qualified in stage 1 (state-level examination) are eligible to appear for Stage 2 examination. The roll number, venue, date of examination details will be conveyed to the selected candidates by NCERT through its official website.

NTSE 2020-21 Exam Pattern

Part 1 – Mental Ability Test (MAT)

  • This section will have questions on analytical and logical reasoning.

  • This section tests the students on their ability to solve reasoning questions, ability to think, evaluate and visualise.

  • The section consists of a total of 100 questions. 

  • The main topics from this section consist of series, pattern perception, analogies, coding-decoding, classifications, hidden figures and problem-solving, etc.

 

Part 2 – Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)

  • This section will have a total of 100 questions, which is further divided into  Science (40), Social Science (40) and Mathematics (20).

  • The student has to be well versed in the syllabus taught in class 9 and 10th.

  • The time allotted for the SAT section is 120 minutes.

  • The level of questions will be equivalent to class 10th or equivalent exam.

The Exam pattern is the same for both Stage 1 and Stage 2 and there will only be objective type of questions in both the stages of examination.

mat sat.png

NTSE Exam Marking Scheme:

Stage 1( State Level)

  • 1 Mark will be awarded for every correct answer.

  • No negative marking for the wrong answer.

Stage 2 (National Level)

  • 1 Mark will be awarded for every correct answer.

  • For every wrong answer, one-third of the marks will be deducted.

  • No negative marking for questions left unattempted.

NTSE 2020-21 Syllabus

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