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 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 stages of the examination.
| 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 |
| Stage | Area | Tentative Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Stage – I (State) | Last Date to Submit Application Form | To be notified by the State |
| Examination in Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Andaman & Nicobar Islands | 15th January 2023 (Saturday) | |
| Examination in all other States and Union Territories | 16th January 2023 (Sunday) | |
| Examination in Kerala | 30th January 2023 (Sunday) | |
| Stage – II (National) | Examination in all States and Union Territories | 12th June 2023 (Sunday) |
Around 2000 scholarships are awarded for each stage of education. These stages are:
NCERT has defined an age limit for the students to appear for the exam. Candidates should be below the age of 18 years (as of July 1, 2020).
Due to the COVID situation in the country, there is no exact date given about the registration and date of the examination but students who are pursuing their studies from schools in India are eligible to appear in the stage 1 exam. Eligibility criteria are as follows:
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 2023, provided they are less than 18 years of age, not employed and are appearing for Class X board examination for the first time.
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.
Indian students studying abroad in Class X or equivalent are eligible to write stage 2 (second level examination) directly and are exempted from the stage 1 examination.
The candidate must have scored 60% in the previous year’s annual examination.
The candidate should appear for the examination in a centre in India.
The candidates must request through the Head of the Institution where he/she is studying, along with an attested copy of Class IX mark sheet. The request should reach the Head, Department of Educational Survey Division, NCERT, New Delhi by 31 December of the concerned year.
The selected candidate will receive the scholarship only if he/she decides to pursue studies in India.
Some states release stage 1 NTSE 2023 application forms through the official website. Students who meet the eligibility criteria can fill the NTSE stage 1 application form 2021-22 in online mode. They will have to upload documents attested by their Principal for online NTSE registration 2021-22. The steps to fill the NTSE form 2021-22 are given below.
Step-1- Visit the SCERT website of respective state/UTs or click on the relevant link from the table given above.
Step-2- Select the NTSE section available on the home page and click on the NTSE 2021-22 application form.
Step-3- Enter the details in online NTSE form 2021-22 such as student name, date of birth, gender, caste, mobile number, academic details, family income and more.
Step-4- Upload the scanned photograph, signature file and other documents as required.
Step-5- Pay the application fee (if applicable) through online mode.
Step-6- Download the filled-in NTSE application form 2021-22 and submit at the school. After reviewing the applications, the Head/ Principal of the School will send the forms to the State Liaison Officer.
NTSE exam pattern for Stage 1 & Stage 2 is divided into two parts as SAT & MAT.
There will be 100 questions each in both MAT and SAT (Science-40, Maths-20, Social science-40).
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.
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.
| Papers | Maximum Marks | Number of Questions | Time Allotted |
|---|---|---|---|
| MAT | 100 | 100 | 120 minutes |
| SAT (Mathematics, Science, Social Sciences) | 100 | 100 | 120 minutes |
Read More: NTSE Exam Pattern
NTSE Exam (Paper 1 & Paper 2)
Stage 1 1 Mark will be awarded for every correct answer.
No negative marking for the wrong answer.
Stage 2 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.
40% Marks in each paper for General category students.
32% Marks in each paper for SC, ST & PH category students.
| Category | Reservation |
| Schedule Caste | 15% |
| Person with Disability | 3% |
| NSTSE | National Level Science Talent Search Examination |
| KVPY | Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana |
| RMO | Regional Maths Olympiads |
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.
| Paper | Maximum Marks | Number of Questions | Time Allotted |
|---|---|---|---|
| MAT | 100 | 100 | 120 minutes |
| SAT (Mathematics, Science, Social Sciences) | 100 | 100 | 120 minutes |
Read More: NTSE Exam Pattern
| NTSE Exam (Paper 1 & Paper 2) | |
| Stage 1 | 1 Mark will be awarded for every correct answer. |
| 1 Mark will be awarded for every correct answer. | |
| Stage 2 | 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. | |
Some states release stage 1 NTSE 2023 application forms through the official website. Students who meet the eligibility criteria can fill the NTSE stage 1 application form 2021-22 in online mode. They will have to upload documents attested by their Principal for online NTSE registration 2021-22. The steps to fill the NTSE form 2021-22 are given below.
Step-1- Visit the SCERT website of respective state/UTs or click on the relevant link from the table given above.
Step-2- Select the NTSE section available on the home page and click on the NTSE 2021-22 application form.
Step-3- Enter the details in online NTSE form 2021-22 such as student name, date of birth, gender, caste, mobile number, academic details, family income and more.
Step-4- Upload the scanned photograph, signature file and other documents as required.
Step-5- Pay the application fee (if applicable) through online mode.
Step-6- Download the filled-in NTSE application form 2021-22 and submit at the school. After reviewing the applications, the Head/ Principal of the School will send the forms to the State Liaison Officer.
In the NTSE stage 1 and 2 exams, there is no negative marking.
For students in class X, the NTSE is a scientifically constructed talent assessment methodology. It evaluates a person’s strengths and weaknesses based on concepts learnt in school. Nearly 300,000 students (mostly self-selected) take the scholarship exam each year, with 2,000 scholarships given, 775 of which are not reserved. After an adventurous and fantastic training tour, an NTSE scholar has a lot to look forward to in high school and beyond.
The NTSE exam is held in two stages, the syllabus for NTSE 2023 is divided into two parts: SAT and MAT. SAT stands for Scholastic Aptitude Test whereas MAT stands for Mental Ability Test.
NTSE 2023 Stage 2 will be held on June 12, 2023.
Students must take the NTSE 2021-22 exam at their designated NTSE exam centre.
In the NTSE stage 1 and 2 exams, there is no negative marking.
For students in class X, the NTSE is a scientifically constructed talent assessment methodology. It evaluates a person’s strengths and weaknesses based on concepts learnt in school. Nearly 300,000 students (mostly self-selected) take the scholarship exam each year, with 2,000 scholarships given, 775 of which are not reserved. After an adventurous and fantastic training tour, an NTSE scholar has a lot to look forward to in high school and beyond.
The NTSE exam is held in two stages, the syllabus for NTSE 2023 is divided into two parts: SAT and MAT. SAT stands for Scholastic Aptitude Test whereas MAT stands for Mental Ability Test.
NTSE 2023 Stage 2 will be held on June 12, 2023.
Students must take the NTSE 2021-22 exam at their designated NTSE exam centre.
For Further Information on NCERT , Please visit www.ncert.nic.in/national-talent-examination.php