National Talent Search Exam (NTSE): Exam Dates & Pattern, Application Process, Eligibility

The National Talent Search Exam Known as NTSE is conducted every year by NCERT to search the deserving candidates who wish to pursue their further studies in social studies and science. The exam is conducted in 2 levels: State Level and National Level. The state-level examination is held for class 10th students by 29 states and 7 UTs. The students who qualify at the state level will be eligible to appear in the National Level examination. The scholars will be awarded cash prizes to continue their studies.

NTSE Scholarship Details

NTSE Eligibility- Who can apply?

NTSE Eligibility for Stage 1 (State degree exam)

• The candidate needs to be a Class X student from any Government/ Private colleges in India.
• There isn’t any restriction. The candidate may be from any State/Union Territory of India.
• The applicants studying through open or distance are also eligible to appear in NTSE.

NTSE Eligibility for Stage 2 (National degree exam)

Only the scholars who are certified in degree 1 (state-degree exam) are eligible to appear for the Stage 2 exam. The roll number, venue, date of exam information may be conveyed to the applicants by the NCERT.

NTSE Eligibility for Students Studying Abroad

• Indian college students studying overseas in Class X or equal are eligible to appear in degree 2 directly and are exempted from the degree 1 exam.
• The candidate needs to have scored 60% in the preceding year’s annual exam.
• The applicants need to request via the Head of the Institution in which he/she is studying, along with an attested copy of the Class IX mark sheet.

Qualifying Factors- What Documents are Required?

The documents that candidates are required to submit along with the application form are:

• Cast Certificate
• Recent colored passport size photograph.

Benefits of this Scholarship

NTSE scholarship is a financial aid to financially weaker students who wish to continue their studies but are facing financial issues. The NCERT picks out the most deserving candidates and provides them financial assistance to fulfill their dreams. The detailed prize money and other rewards will be explained further in this article.

Rewards of this scholarship

Scholarships are presented for every degree of education. These levels are:

• For Class XI to Class XII, a scholarship of Rs.1250/- per month is supplied.
• For Undergraduates and Postgraduates, a scholarship of Rs.2000/- per month is supplied.
• For Ph.D., the scholarship quantity is constant according to the UGC norms.

The stepwise application process to apply for NTSE

Step 1- Visit the NCERT official website of your state/UTs.

Step 2- The NTSE section will appear on the homepage, click on it, and select the “NTSE application form”.

Step 3- Fill up all the questions in the form.

Step 4- Upload the scanned copy of the photograph, signature file, and other documents as per the instruction given.

Step 5- Pay the fee online.

Step 6- Download the form and submit it to your school. The Principal of the School will forward it to the State Liaison Officer after reviewing it properly.

Important Dates

NTSE Exam Pattern

• NTSE examination papers for Stage 1 & Stage 2 are divided into SAT & MAT.
• There may be a hundred questions in each MAT and SAT (Science-40, Maths-20, Social science-40).

Part 1 – Mental Ability Test (MAT)

• This phase will have questions about analytical and logical reasoning.
• This phase checks the scholars on their capacity to resolve reasoning questions, the capacity to think, examine, and visualize.
• The phase includes a hundred questions. 
• The most important subjects from this phase include series, sample perception, analogies, coding-decoding, classifications, hidden figures, and problem-fixing, etc.

Part 2 – Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)

• This phase can have a hundred questions that are divided into Science (40), Social Science (40), and Mathematics (20).
• The time allocated for the SAT phase is 120 minutes.
• The level of questions may be equal to the class tenth or equal examination.

Overview of NTSE Exam Pattern

NTSE Exam Marking Scheme

Stage 1: For every correct answer, 1 mark will be allotted with no negative marking.

Stage 2: For every correct answer, 1 mark will be allotted, negative marking of 1/3rd of the mark for every wrong answer. No negative marking will be there for the un-attempted questions.

NTSE Exam Qualifying Marks

1. 40% Marks in each paper for General category students.
2. 32% Marks in each paper for SC, ST & PH category students.

NTSE Reservation

Terms and Conditions for NTSE

• The candidate should pursue only the approved courses in Science, Social Sciences, Engineering, and Medical streams only. They should be willing to pursue higher education in India only.
• Candidates have good conduct at the school and should continue with their higher education.
• They should not have any record of absence from school without any application leave.
• The candidates should be a full-time student and should not be working anywhere or getting a salary/stipend.
• If a candidate is getting scholarships under any other scheme as well, then he/she will have to decide which scholarship scheme he/she wants to continue with.
• In case if the candidate is already receiving any other scholarship, the NTSE scholarship will be stopped and can be resumed once the other scholarship has ended.
• If any candidate drops studies or discontinues his/her education within one year of admission, the scholarship will not be awarded to him/her.
• It is important to qualify all the subjects on the first attempt only. In case they fail to do so in any of the core subjects, their scholarship will be canceled.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about NTSE

Q1. I am in class 8th, can I also appear for this exam?

Ans. No, you can not appear for this exam because this exam is only for class 10th students.

Q2. I failed in class 10th, now reappearing. Can I apply for NTSE?

Ans. No, you cannot apply for NTSE. It can be applied only during the first attempt in class 10th .

Q3. Is there any separate registration for stage 2 of NTSE?

Ans. No, there is no separate registration for stage 2 of NTSE. Once you qualify for stage 1, you will be eligible for stage 2.

Q4. The result of NTSE stage 2 2020 is not yet announced. When is it expected?

Ans. The result of NTSE 2020 stage 2 is not announced due to COVID Pandemic, It is expected to be announced by December 2020.