CAREERS 360

A Career is a Life

All About NTSE

CONTENT

NTSE: An Introduction4-5
Application Form 6
Eligibility Criteria 7
Important Dates 8
Exam Pattern 9
Selection Procedure  10
Admit Card 11
Result 12
Preparation Tips13-15
Dos and Donts16-18
Recommended Product for NTSE 19

NTSE

Preface
In our quest to help students in preparation for one of the most coveted scholarship exam, NTSE,
we are providing every detail about this fellowship programme in this E-Book.
The E-Book, which you have downloaded, not only unveils all about NTSE but also offers exam
tips and dos and donts for NTSE Scholarship Exam, helping you to crack the exam.
You will find this E-Book very helpful in cracking NTSE Scholarship Exam. With this hope, we
wish you all the success in the NTSE exam.

NTSE

NTSE: An Introduction
All About NTSE

What your talent at a tender age

can bring you? How can you
support your own education
with scholarships for your
School Education? How can
you exhibit your knowledge amongst the glittering lot and compete with them? What
National Talent Search Examination (NTSE) is
all about?
Different scholarship and Olympiad examinations bring you great opportunities right from
your school days. Though there are many talent
competitions which offer you financial aids for
studies and acknowledge your talent at state
and national levels, NTSE is the most prestigious talent cum scholarship examination.

What is NTSE?

NTSE is a national level examination cum scholarship program

which recognizes and nurture
talented students across India
and also offers cash awards to
the successful candidates.
Each year almost 4000 students are selected
who qualify Level I of the examination. The
selected candidates then appear in Level II
examination.
NTSE is an important examination valid for
class X students only, as it gives a platform to
students to compete at national level and avail
scholarships for their further education.

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NTSE Selection
Process

NTSE Selection comprises two

stages to identify talent:
NTSE Level I: This stage is
conducted by the State/UT usually in November.
Any student of class X can register themselves
for this stage of the selection process.
NTSE Level II: Those students who qualify
Stage I appear for this stage of the examination.
This is conducted at the National level and students from across the country that has cleared
Stage I compete at this level.

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NTSE

NTSE Exam
Pattern

Stage I The Stage I of the test

is divided into two parts- Part I
and Part II. The part I of the test
is Mental Ability test (MAT). The second part
of this test is Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), in
which students have to attempt 50 questions
related to Language.
Stage II The Stage II of the test is divided into two parts- Part I and Part II. Part I is same as the
MAT of Stage I, but Part II of SAT consists of 100 questions related to Maths, Science and Social
studies. The SAT section is designed to judge reading abilities, interpretation, evaluation and general awareness about the subjects.

Who can apply?

As per NTSE Eligibility, students from different states of the

country studying in X standard
are eligible for appearing in the
examination. Whether a student
is from a government or a private school, he/she
is eligible to apply for NTSE.

How to apply?

NCERT generally announces

NTSE Application Form in May
every year, for the scholarship
exam, which is held in
November. The application
form process starts in the first week of August
and continues till the end of August.

Important Dates
Find below the important dates of NTSE:
Stage

Area

Month

Level I (State)

Submission of application form

August

Examination in Mizoram, Meghalaya,

Nagaland and Andaman & Nicobar
Islands

November

Examination in all other States/UT

November

Examination in all States/UT

May

Level II (National)

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NTSE

NTSE Application Form

ational Council of Educational Research

and Training (NCERT) generally
announces NTSE Application Form in
May every year, for the NTSE scholarship exam,
which is held in November. The application form
process starts in the first week of August and continues till end of August.

NTSE Application Form filling procedure:

Candidates can contact State/UT liaison officer to procure application form

 he duly filled-up form should be signed by the respective principal of the

T
school

The completed application form should be sent to the following address

Address In-Charge, National Talent Search Scheme Cell, Education Survey Division, National
Council of Educational Research & Training, Sri Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi-110016
Phone: 011-26560464
Website: http://www.ncert.nic.in
Application Fee: NTSE Application Form fee for Stage I exam is notified by respective State/UT.
NCERT does not charge any fee for NTSE State II exam.

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NTSE

NTSE Eligibility Criteria

TSE Eligibility Criteria says

students of class X from a recognized school are eligible for
this examination cum scholarship programme. NTSE scholarship exam is a
national level examination cum scholarship program which recognizes and nurture talented students across India and also
offers cash awards to the successful candidates.
Eligibility Criteria of NTSE are set by
the National Council of Education and
Training (NCERT), which is conducted at
two Levels. Level I of NTSE is conducted
at State level, and according to the eligibility criteria Indian students of class X
are eligible for appearing in the test.
Students must have scored 60% marks
in their class IX, during the previous academic year. Student should be from a recognized school in the respective State or
Union Territory. In case of SC, ST and PH
category students a relaxation of 5% is
provided. The maximum score in their IX
class must be 55% marks.
Students scoring 80% or above in the
State level, are eligible for Level II which
is held at national level. Almost 4000 students are selected for the National level test across the
country. Every student who scores the required number of marks at Level II is eligible for the scholarship program.

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NTSE

NTSE Important Dates

CERT announces list of NTSE

Important Dates regarding the exam
and form submission in May. NTSE
application process continues throughout the
month of August. NTSE Stage I is held in
November and Stage II in the May next year.
The Important Dates of NTSE are listed below:
Stage

Area

Month

Level I (State)

Submission of application form

August

Examination in Mizoram, Meghalaya,

Nagaland and Andaman & Nicobar Islands

November

Examination in all other States/UT

November

Examination in all States/UT

May

Level II (National)

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NTSE

NTSE Exam Pattern

TSE Exam Pattern is

broadly categorized
into two important levels- State Level and National
Level. The first stage of the test is
conducted by individual state or
union territory and follows a test
format compromising of two
parts- Part 1 and Part 2. The NTSE
Exam Pattern is an objective type
test, available in both paper-pen
and computer-based formats.
NTSE Exam Level I test is divided into two parts- Part I
Test
No. of
Maximum Time
Marking
and Part II. The Part I of
Questions Marks
Allotted Scheme
the test is Mental Ability
LEVEL I
test (MAT), which consists
MAT
50
50
45 minutes +1 for right answer
of reasoning and logical
SAT Language Test
50
50
45 minutes zero marks for
wrong answer
based questions. In this
LEVEL II
part students have to
MAT
50
50
45 minutes +1 for right answer
answer questions related
to power of reasoning,
SAT Mathematics,
100
100
90 minutes -1/3 marks for
wrong answer
Science, Social Science
ability to think, evaluate,
ability to discriminate and
of 100 questions related to Mathematics, Science and Social
visualize. The number of questions
studies. The SAT section is designed to judge reading abilistudents have to answer is 50 which
ties, interpretation, evaluation and general awareness about
are related to analogies, classificathe subjects.
tions, series, pattern perception,
coding-decoding, hidden figures
The candidates are required to select any one language
and problem solving etc. The seceither English or Hindi as the mode of examination, which
ond part of this test is Scholastic
will be applicable throughout the exam process.
Aptitude Test (SAT), in which stuThe Second level of NTSE Exam is the National Level,
dents have to attempt 50 questions
where short listed students from State Level appear for the
related to Language.
examination. This level is conducted by NCERT and has
The Level II of the test is dividtwo parts- MAT and SAT. However, at this level a negative
ed into two parts- Part I and Part
marking of 1/3 points is done for each wrong answer given
II. Part I is same as the MAT of
by the students. The time is bounded to 135 minutes for
Level I, but Part II of SAT consists
completing the test.

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NTSE

NTSE
Selection
Procedure

TSE Selection Procedure of scholars is done on the basis of their

scores in the National level test.
NTSE scholarship exam is a national level
examination cum scholarship program which
recognizes and nurture talented students across
India and also offers cash awards to the successful candidates.
Scholars are selected on the basis of the
scores achieved in the final National level test.
NCERT selects only those candidates who have
successfully achieved the required score in the
final stage of the examination and provide
scholarships of Rs 500 per month.
NTSE Exam Pattern is categorized under
two important sections- State level and National
level. Students of class X across India can apply
for the NTSE state level, which is conducted by

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A Career is a Life

individual state and Union Territories. After

achieving desirable score, they are eligible for
National level. Almost 4000 students are selected for the National level test across the country.
NTSE has a two-stage selection process for
awarding scholarships to students. At Stage I,
selection is done at State or UT level through a
written examination. After qualifying Stage I a
student appears for Stage II, which is conducted
by NCERT at national level. Every student who
scores the required number of marks at Stage II
is eligible for the scholarship program.
Each state has recommended a quota of specific number of students to be sent for the
National level of examination. However, there
is no such quota for awarding the scholarships
but certain percentage of scholarships is
reserved under different categories. 15% reservation of scholarships is for SC

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NTSE

NTSE Admit Card

ational Council of Educational

Research
and
Training
(NCERT) releases the Admit
Card for NTSE in October before the
Stage I of the exam, which is held in
November. Candidates can download
their NTSE Admit Card by clicking on the
link provided on official website of
NCERT.
No candidate is allowed to appear for
the NTSE exam without a valid NTSE
Call Letter. The Admit Card of NTSE
contains the identity and particulars of the
candidate for written exam.

How to download the Call Letter of NTSE:

Enter your NTSE Application Number and Date of Birth

Click on the Generate Admit Card button to avail Admit Card

Print Admit Card

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11

NTSE

NTSE Result

he Result of NTSE is
declared after the
Level II of the exam
is conducted. The students,
who score minimum eligible marks in Level II, are
selected for NTSE scholarship.
Students
qualifying
NTSE Stage I (State-level)
exam are eligible to appear
in Stage II (National-level)
exam. Once the State level
exam is completed, the
names of selected students
eligible for the National
level are announced.
Students then appear for the
national-level exam, after which candidates are selected on the basis of their overall scores. The
NTSE result is declared after the completion of Stage II of the examination. The NTSE result is
always declared on the official website of NCERT.

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NTSE

NTSE Preparation Tips

ne of the most competitive national

level scholarship
exams in India, the National
Talent Search Exam (NTSE)
witnesses thousands of school
students appearing for it every
year. While the competition is
tough it is definitely beatable if
students follow a structured
NTSE preparation plan.
As a strong preparation
strategy and a disciplined
approach is a must to crack this
exam, Careers360 brings you
10 preparation tips to guide
your preparation journey.

10 tips to crack NTSE

Aptitude Test
1. Plan you preparation in sync with NTSE Syllabus
Before coming into a preparation mode for NTSE, you must have
clarity about the NTSE syllabus and you should sync it with your
10th standard studies. This exercise ensures that your NTSE preparation moves according to what the exam demands and you do not
have to put extra effort for NTSE preparation. With this, you will be
able to gain best result from comparatively less efforts.

2. Evaluate your Strengths and Weaknesses

Before beginning preparation for NTSE Stage I exam, the candidates must know about their existing level of preparedness for the NTSE exam. For this the candidates need to check the last years
NTSE papers, and they can evaluate where they stand. Simultaneously, they can analyze their
strengths and weaknesses based on their existing preparedness and the required NTSE preparation.
This will help the candidates decide how much weightage they have to give to various sections
under the limited timeframe they have for NTSE preparation. Candidates can then utilize their

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13

NTSE
strength and make a strategy to improve their
weaknesses during the NTSE preparation.

3. Refer to NCERT text books

When you think of preparing for an exam like

NTSE, it is better to have clear concepts and for
clear concepts, nothing is better than studying
NCERT study material. So, read the NCERT
textbooks thoroughly to give your best performance in NTSE exam.

4. Make a 100-day strategy to crack

NTSE
NCERT, generally, opens the NTSE applications in July-end or August-beginning. During
this time, your academic year ends and you are
ready to dedicate your full-time in the preparation of NTSE.
The scholarship exam is generally held in
the month of November, which leaves you with
nearly 100 days to prepare for NTSE. So, get
ready to make a power-pack 100-day NTSE
preparation strategy.

5. Go for group exercise

Group exercises are always good when you
plan to appear for an exam like NTSE. Group
study immensely helps crack this competitive
exam. All you have to do is to coordinate with
a group of 5-10 friends towards regular studies
and practice. When each of your group members comes with 10-20 questions a day, you will
be able to learn at least 50-100 questions every
day. This promises to be a very fruitful practice.
However, here you have to be cautious that
you do not get distracted during your group
exercise. Your group is not made for enjoyment
but for a common goal i.e. NTSE preparation.

6. Regular practice and revision

You may have prepared very well for NTSE,
however, it is important that you do regular
practice and revision of exercises that you have

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A Career is a Life

already learnt. Make it a habit and revise all

topics time and again. This ensures you do not
forget what you have already learnt. Also, if
you are regular at revising and practicing your
chapters, you get desirable command on your
speed and accuracy during solving NTSE questions. With clear concepts and time management, you ensure a significant rank on NTSE
merit list.
The last month of NTSE preparation is crucial. At this time, students should give special
attention to practice and revision of MAT and
SAT topics of NTSE.

7. Make question bank of difficult

questions
You must have found many questions difficult
during your preparation. You should make a
question bank of those difficult questions to
practice them in the last week of your NTSE
preparation. With this, you will be able to know
most of your common mistakes and will not
repeat them in NTSE exam hall.

8. Solve enough previous year

papers
To evaluate the level of your preparation, it is
important to solve more and more previous year
NTSE test papers. With this, you will be able to
list out the areas where you are weak and work
out your preparation plan for remaining days.
In the last two weeks of your preparation, you
should put special emphasis on previous year
papers in order to give your best efforts in the
remaining time-frame before NTSE exam.
While solving a set of old test papers, you
get accustomed of the type of questions asked
in NTSE. If you had been solving NTSE papers,
you need not worry about any kind of surprise
element during the exam.

9. Take good sleep prior to NTSE

exam day

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NTSE
It is important to have a seven-to-eight-hour
sleep a night before the NTSE exam day. Going
early to bed in the night prior to the exam day
and getting up early in the morning on the
NTSE exam day will relax your mind and body,
and you will enter the exam hall with full of
energy.

10. Keep focused and calm

You need not get stressed as the NTSE exam
date approaches. Stay calm, cool and stable
before the exam and try to give your best in the
exam hall. It is just an exam and you are fully
prepared for it. You have practiced a lot for last
few months, revised the exercises regularly, and
solved a number of question papers. Now is the
time to appear in the exam with cool mind.

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NTSE

o beat a highly competitive exam like

National Talent Search
Examination (NTSE), aspirants must follow a well-structured preparation strategy. As
the NTSE exam is a gateway
to secure scholarship grants,
the candidates must be wellprepared for the exam.
Careers360 brings you an
account of Dos and Donts
for NTSE, which you must
follow to crack the exam and
avail scholarship.

NTSE Scholarship Exam:

Dos and Donts
Dos for NTSE:

1. Start NTSE preparation According to 10th

Standard Syllabus:
Before beginning preparation for NTSE, candidates must go through
the NTSE syllabus and start preparing for the exam according to
their 10th standard syllabus. A revision strategy for NTSE preparation in accordance with important deadlines of Class X preparation
timeline will bring them an edge in preparation for both the exams.

2. Determine Strengths and Weaknesses

Knowing your strength and weakness before getting into preparation mode is very important.
Students must refer to last years NTSE papers to know preparation level. With this, you can determine how much weight age is to be given to different sections of syllabus in the limited preparation
timeframe.

3. Refer to NCERT study material

NCERT text books are an important part of your study material. The NCERT textbook brings clar-

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NTSE
ity to your basic understanding of concepts. So,
if you study NCERT study material, you can
ensure your best performance at the NTSE
exam.

4. Make 100-day NTSE preparation

plan
Generally, NCERT opens NTSE application
process in July-end or August. This is the time
when your academic year ends and you can
dedicate your full-time for NTSE preparation.
The NTSE Stage I is generally conducted in the
month of November, and you get about 100
days to prepare for the scholarship exam. It
brings you an opportunity to make a powerpack 100-day NTSE preparation plan. The

timeline for preparation will keep you alerted

on your upcoming task. It will also help you to
gauge your completed tasks.

5. Coordinate study group

When you plan for appearing in an exam like
NTSE, group exercises can immensely help you
in cracking this competitive exam. You can
coordinate with a group of 5-10 friends and start
regular studies and practice together. This will
enable you to have fruitful practice sessions as
each of your group members will contribute
towards combined preparation. For example, if
every individual in the group brings on board
10-20 new questions every day, it will make you
learn at least 50-100 questions a day.

Donts for NTSE:

1. Dont avoid practice and revision
Once you complete your preparation for NTSE, you must not leave
your practice. You still need regular practice and revision of chapters
that you have already learnt. With regular habit of revising and practicing of your subjects, you develop a speed and accuracy in solving
NTSE questions. Remarkable rank in NTSE can be achieved only
with clear concepts and time management. So, practice and revision
of MAT and SAT questions of NTSE is must in the last month of
NTSE preparation.

2. Dont repeat mistakes

Mistakes are meant for learning, not for repeating. You must have committed some mistakes while
solving questions during NTSE preparation. At this stage, list questions which you find difficult
while preparing for the exam. You need to go back to these questions, revise & practice them again
in the last week of the exam. Now, listing out your common mistakes, you will be able to work out
them before you enter NTSE exam hall.

3. Dont forget to solve previous year exam papers

With solving a number of question papers of last years NTSE exam, you can easily determine
where you stand with your NTSE preparation. This will help you find out your weak areas on which
you can work as per your preparation plan. Special focus is needed to be drawn on papers of previ-

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NTSE
ous years in the last two weeks of NTSE preparation. With this, you get more familiar with
easy and difficult questions.

4. Dont lose sleep on night before

NTSE
You cannot ignore at least seven-to-eight-hour
sleep a night prior to the NTSE exam. You
should wrap up your studies and go to bed early
on the night before the exam, so that you can
have plenty of good sleep and on the next
morning you feel fresh. This will fill you up
with full of energy and you will enter the exam
hall with relaxed mind and body on the NTSE
exam day.

5. Dont lose focus and calm at

NTSE
As the NTSE exam date approaches, you
should not be worried about your preparation.
You should be calm, cool and stable before the
exam and give your best in the NTSE exam.
After all you have already prepared for the
exam very well. In the last few months, you
have practiced and revised the exercises regularly, and also have solved a number of previous year papers. Its just an exam and you
should enter the NTSE exam hall with calm
mind.

Thank you for downloading this E-Book. By now,

you may have sketched an overview by reading the
NTSE all about, tips and dos and donts.

All the best for your exam

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