NTSE
What is NTSE?
National Talent Search Examination (NTSE) is a prestigious national scholarship program. The main purpose of NTSE is to identify and nurture talented students by providing them financial support for an entire career.
NTSE is a one time opportunity for all the students who aspire to enlighten their future through one of the most prestigious exams that are conducted every year for class 10th students.
More than anything else it’s a matter of pride and honor for the NTSE scholars to be recognized as the National Talent by the Government of India.
To rejoice the glory of NTSE, students must do smart hard work instead of hard work.
NTSE Eligibility Criteria
Only the candidates meeting the following eligibility criteria can appear for NTSE (State and National Level).
For Indian Students:-
Qualification: Candidates should be studying in class X from a private or government school in India.
State Level
- The aspirant must be studying in Class X in a recognized school to attempt the state-level NTSE.
- Thus, the eligible candidate can appear in the exam from the state to which they belong.
- Further, the state may abide by other criteria while appearing in the screening examination, like considering qualifying marks in the previous annual examination, etc.
- Also, the student must be registered under Open and Distance Learning (ODL) and are not employed.
- Lastly, the applicant must be appearing in Class 10th for the first time and below 18 years of age as of 1st July of the applying year.
National Level
- Likewise, It is also open for students of class 10th of Indian nationality studying in India or abroad.
- So, the students from India can appear in the national-level NTSE only after qualifying for the state/UTs level of NTSE.
For Foreign Students:-
- The foreigner student must have secured at least 60% marks in the previous annual exam.
- Besides this, he/she has to appear at the examination center in India at his own expense.
- Also, the application to appear in NTSE must be approved and recommended by the head of the present institution along with an attested copy of the 9th mark sheet.
- Lastly, the application must be submitted to the Head, Department of Educational Survey Division, NCERT, New Delhi-110016 latest by 31st December of the concerned year.
How to Apply for NTSE?
Students in class 10 during the 2022-23 session can apply for NTSE 2022 Stage-1 exam in the month of July-December through their respective State/ UT NTSE application process.
Here are the steps to apply for NTSE exam.
- Go to your State/ UT education board website.
- Read the NTSE notification/ instructions carefully before applying for the NTSE exam.
- Check if you can apply for NTSE online or you need to download the application form.
- If an online application is available : Fill the form, attach required documents and submit the form.
- If an online application is not available : Download the form, take a print out, fill the form and send it to the address mentioned.
NTSE Application Form
The application form for NTSE 2022-23 stage-I exam can be obtained from your State/ UT education website or Liaison officer. The completed application form after signed by the Principal of the school will be submitted to the address mentioned in the application form instructions. Last date for submitting the NTSE application form will be notified by your State/ UT only.
NTSE Examination Fee:
- The exam fee for NTSE Stage-I exam will be notified by your State/ UT.
- For NTSE Stage-II examination, no fee is charged by NCERT.
Note : Students (in India, not abroad) don’t need to fill out any form for NTSE Stage-II examination.
NTSE Application Form for Indian Students Abroad [NRIs]
Indian students studying abroad in grade 10 can appear directly for NTSE Stage-II examination under conditions mentioned in the NTSE brochure. Application Form for Indian students studying abroad will be available on NCERT website in the month of November-December.
NTSE Selection Process
Students will be selected for admission based on their performance in Stage 1 and Stage 2.
Stage 1: NTSE first stage will be organized in the month of November (tentative). Students who are studying in class X are permitted to appear in Stage 1 exam.
Stage 2: only stage 1 qualified candidates can appear in Stage 2 which is scheduled to be held in the month of May.
Qualifying Marks
- For General Category: 40% in each paper
- For SC/ST/PH category: 35% in each paper
Admission Procedure for Students Studying Abroad
Class X students who are studying abroad can directly appear in Stage 2 exam, subject of fulfilling all conditions mentioned in NTS brochure (available at NCERT website). Application form of students studying abroad is going to be uploaded on NCERT website after the official announcement.
What’s NEW in NTSE 2023?
NCERT has introduced a few changes in the exam as mentioned below:
- No Language Paper – Till last year, NTSE included a language paper, the marks of which were not really counted while calculating the total score. From this year, the language paper has been abolished.
- New Reservation – NTSE 2023 has added an extra reservation of 27% for OBC (Non-creamy Layer) apart from the existing 15%, 7.5% and 4% for SC, ST and Physically Handicapped. The income limit currently is 8 Lakh per annum for OBC NCL.
- Duration of the exam has been increased to 4 hours from 3 hours till last year. Duration for MAT and SAT is 2 hours each.
NTSE Syllabus
SAT Syllabus
NTSE SAT paper asks questions from Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology), Maths and Social Science (History, Geography, Civics) subjects. The detailed syllabus of each section of NTSE SAT is provided below.
NTSE SAT Maths Syllabus:
| Algebraic Expressions | Probability |
| Basic Geometry | Simple & Compound Interest |
| Direct & Inverse Variations | Surface Areas and Volumes |
| Mensuration | Arithmetic Progressions |
| Playing with Numbers | Coordinate Geometry |
| Rational Numbers | Linear Equations |
| Statistics | Exponent |
| Arithmetic | Quadratic Equations |
| Circles & Triangles | Square & Cube Roots |
| Percentage & Its Application | Trigonometry |
| Number System |
NTSE SAT Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) Syllabus:
| Physics | Biology |
| Light and Sound | Air |
| Magnetism and Electricity | Cellular Level of Organisation |
| Measurements | Diversity in Living Organisms |
| Motion and Force | Food Production and Management |
| Source of Energy | Heredity and Evolution |
| The Universe | Human Body |
| Work and Energy | Life Processes |
| Micro-organisms | |
| Chemistry | Our Environment |
| Acid, Bases, Salt | Plant and Animal Nutrition |
| Carbon and its Compounds | Reproduction |
| Fibres and Plastics | Soil |
| Metals and Non-metals | Some Common Diseases |
| Periodic Classification of Elements | Water |
| Physical and Chemical Changes | |
| Structure of Atom |
NTSE SAT Social Science (History, Geography, Civics) Syllabus:
| History | Geography |
| British Raj | Agriculture |
| Conquerors from Distant Lands | Atmosphere |
| Early Medieval Period | Biosphere |
| Early States | Climate – India and World |
| French Revolution | Diversity and Livelihood |
| Indian Freedom Struggle | Drainage in India |
| Indus Valley Civilization | India and its Neighbors |
| Industrial Revolution | Indian Physiographic Division |
| Introduction and Sources of Ancient Indian History | Internal Structure of the Earth and Rocks |
| Jainism and Buddhism | Major Domains and landforms |
| Maurya Empire | Maps and Globe |
| Medieval Architecture and Culture | Motion of the Earth |
| Mughal Empire | Natural Vegetation |
| Nationalism in Various Countries | Our Country – India |
| New Empires and Kingdoms | Population |
| Popular Movements and Social Reforms | Resources and Development |
| UN and International Agencies | Solar System |
| Vedic Period | Water Resources |
| World History | |
| World War I and II | Civics |
| Indian Constitution | |
| Indian Government | |
| Judiciary | |
| Local and State Government |
MAT Syllabus
Topics included in the NTSE MAT Syllabus :
| Verbal Reasoning | Non-verbal Reasoning |
|---|---|
| Alphabet Test | Analogy |
| Analogy | Analytical Reasoning |
| Analytical Reasoning | Classification |
| Arithmetical reasoning test | Dot fixing situation |
| Blood relations | Embedded figure |
| Classification | Folding Papercutting |
| Coding-Decoding | Incomplete Figures |
| Direction Sense Test | Problems on cubes and dice |
| Inserting a missing character | Series |
| Logical Venn diagrams | Transparent paper folding |
| Logical sequence of words | Water images |
| Mathematical operations | |
| Problems on clocks | |
| Puzzle Test | |
| Series | |
| Series completion test | |
| Tests | |
| Verification of truth of the statement |
NTSE Exam Pattern
The state education boards and NCERT prescribe NTSE Exam Pattern on their official websites. The exam pattern will help candidates in preparing for the national level exam. The NTSE selection process includes 2 levels: Stage 1 (State Level) and Stage 2 (National Level). There is no prescribed syllabus for NTSE but the questions are based on Class IX-X.
Stage 1 is conducted at State/UT level by the concerned State/UT authorities. Candidates have to select 1 language from English or Hindi to solve the paper. Each correct answer is awarded 1 mark and there is no negative marking at this stage. The paper is divided into two parts:
Part 1 – Mental Ability test (MAT): This part contains logical and analytical reasoning-based questions. This section tests the candidate’s reasoning, ability to think, evaluate, ability to discriminate, and visualize. A total of 50 questions is to be answered under this section.
Part 2 – Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT): This part consists of 150 questions from Science, Mathematics, Social Science, and English Language. This section judges the student’s reading abilities, interpretation, evaluation, and general awareness of the subjects. Candidates need to know the detailed NTSE Syllabus to boost their preparations.
| TEST | MAT | SAT |
|---|---|---|
| Subjects | Aptitude Test | Science, Social Science, Mathematics |
| No. Of Questions | 100 | 100 |
| Maximum Marks | 100 | 100 |
| Time Allowed | 120 minutes | |
Stage 2 is conducted at National Level, where shortlisted students from Stage 1 (State-level) exam appear to compete for the scholarship. Further details related to the same are provided below:
The paper is divided into two parts – MAT and SAT, like that in Stage 1. There will be 100 questions in both MAT and SAT (Science-40, Maths-20, Social science-40).
The duration of both the exams is 2 hours or 120 minutes. In NTSE Stage 2 exam.
There is no negative marking. Only candidates qualifying in both papers separately will be considered for merit.
Selection of the awardee will be made on the basis of total marks scored in MAT and SAT based on merit.
NTSE 2022 -23 Exam Pattern of Stage 1 and Stage 2 are given below:
| TEST | MAT | SAT |
|---|---|---|
| Subjects | Aptitude Test | Science, Social Science, Mathematics |
| No. Of Questions | 100 | 100 |
| Maximum Marks | 100 | 100 |
| Time Allowed | 120 minutes | |
Indian Students Studying Abroad in Class X can directly appear for Stage 2 of NTSE 2022 -23 if they qualify for the condition mentioned in the NTSE brochure available at NTSE Official Website. NTSE results are announced on the official website a few days later the exams get over.
Study Material
Mathematics – NTSE Notes (PDF)
NTSE Mathematics Notes are available to dowload in PDF completely FREE. Click on the chapters to download the revision notes for NTSE Maths.
| Chapter Name | Download Link |
|---|---|
| 1. Arithmetic Progressions | Download |
| 2. Number Systems | Download |
| 3. Polynomials | Download |
| 4. Real Numbers | Download |
| 5. Quadratic Equations | Download |
| 6. Surface Areas and Volumes | Download |
| 7. Trigonometry | Download |
| 8. Circles | Download |
| 9. Similar Triangles | Download |
| 10. Co-ordinate Geometry | Download |
| 11. Linear Equations in Two Variables | Download |
| 12. Introduction to Euclid's Geometry | Download |
| 13. Statistics | Download |
| 14. Probability | Download |
| 15. Quadrilaterals | Download |
| 16. Area of Parallelogram and Triangles | Download |
| 17. Rational Numbers | Download |
| 18. Square and Sqaure Roots | Download |
| 19. Cubes and Cube Roots | Download |
| 20. Percentage and its Applications | Download |
| 21. Mensuration | Download |
| 22. Direct and Inverse Proportions | Download |
Mental Ability – NTSE Notes (PDF)
NTSE Mental Ability Notes are available to dowload in PDF completely FREE. Click on the chapters to download the revision notes for NTSE Mental Ability.
- Series – Verbal
- Logical Sequence of Words – Verbal
- Coding and Decoding
- Analogy – Verbal
- Inserting the Missing Characters – Verbal
- Logical Venn Diagrams – Verbal
- Classification – Verbal
- Number, Ranking & Time Sequence Test – Verbal
- Alpha – Numeric Sequence Puzzle – Verbal
- Alphabet Test – Verbal
- Mathematical Operations – Verbal
- Direction Sense Test – Verbal
- Blood Relations – Verbal
- Arithmetical Reasoning – Verbal
- Sitting Arrangements – Verbal
- Series – Non-Verbal
- Mirror & Water Images – Non-Verbal
- Paper Folding & Paper Cutting – Non-Verbal
- Figure Matrix, Figure Formation & Grouping of Identical Figures – Non-Verbal
- Dot Situation – Non-Verbal
- Spotting Out the Embedded Figures – Non-Verbal
- Analogy – Non-Verbal
- Classification – Non-Verbal
- Completions of Incomplete Pattern – Non-Verbal
- Analytical Reasoning – Non-Verbal
- Dice & Cube – Non-Verbal
Physics – NTSE Notes (PDF)
NTSE Physics Notes are available to dowload in PDF completely FREE. Click on the chapters to download the revision notes for NTSE Physics.
- Magnetic Effects of Electric Current
- Force & Laws of Motions
- Work and Energy
- Sources of Energy
- Light – Reflection
- Light – Refraction
- Sound
- Human Eye & Colourful World
- Gravitation
Chemistry – NTSE Notes (PDF)
NTSE Chemistry Notes are available to dowload in PDF completely FREE. Click on the chapters to download the revision notes for NTSE Chemistry.
- Acids, Bases and Salts
- Periodic Classification of Elements
- Structure of Atoms
- Carbon and Its Compounds
- Metals and Non-metals
- How things Change & React with One Another
Biology – NTSE Notes (PDF)
NTSE Biology Notes are available to dowload in PDF completely FREE. Click on the chapters to download the revision notes for NTSE Biology.
- Soil
- Reproduction
- Heredity and Evolution
- Crop Production and Management
- Diversity in Living Organism
- Nutrition in Plants
- Nutrition in Animals
- Human Diseases
- Our Environment
History – NTSE Notes (PDF)
NTSE History Notes are available to dowload in PDF completely FREE. Click on the chapters to download the revision notes for NTSE History.
- The French Revolution
- Socialism in Russia
- Nazism & the Rise of Hitler
- Forest Society & Colonialism
- Pastorialist in the Modern World
- Peasants and farmers
- History of Sport – The Story of Cricket
- Clothing – A Social History
Civics – NTSE Notes (PDF)
NTSE Civics Notes are available to dowload in PDF completely FREE. Click on the chapters to download the revision notes for NTSE Civics.
- Democracy in the Contemporary World
- What is Democracy, Why Democracy?
- Constitutional Design
- Electoral Politics
- Working of institutions
- Democratic Rights
Economics – NTSE Notes (PDF)
NTSE Economics Notes are available to dowload in PDF completely FREE. Click on the chapters to download the revision notes for NTSE Economics.
- The Story of Village Palampur
- People as Resource
- Poverty as a Challenge
- Food Security in India
Geography – NTSE Notes (PDF)
NTSE Geography Notes are available to dowload in PDF completely FREE. Click on the chapters to download the revision notes for NTSE Geography.
- India – Size & Location
- Physical features of india
- Drainage
- Climate
- Natural Vegetation & Wildlife
- Population