Roadmap to the NTSE scholarship
STRATEGY The National Talent Search Examination is a twostage examination conducted by the NCERT for those studying in Class 10
Are you a student of Class X and looking for a platform to identify your hidden talent and evaluate your preparedness for further studies?
The right answer and the platform catering to your needs is National Talent Search Examination (NTSE) to identify and recognize students with high intellect and academic talent at the high-school level. NTSE is a national-level scholarship program one of the oldest and most prestigious examinations in India conducted by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) at the Secondary school level.
NTSE is a two-tier exam – Stage I (State Level) is conducted by the States/Union Territories and Stage-II (National Level) is conducted by NCERT. The objective of the two-tier examination is to identify the talented students who have a special aptitude for sciences, maths, social sciences and questions based on analytical reasoning. Stage I is for all interested students studying in class X to participate at state level.
While stage II is for only those students who have qualified the Stage I. The examination acts as unique platform for the students to check their capability and potential.
It also points out the weaknesses and shortcomings in the domains covered by the examination. Every year, lakhs of students appear for this scholarship exam, out of which 1000 scholarships are awarded. The scholarship is open only to the students of Indian nationality whether they are studying in India or abroad in class X or equivalent.
Before we deep dive into tricks of cracking this prestigious examination, let’s quickly take a look at the various stages of NTSE exam and rewards to help you understand the basics.
The exam is conducted at two levels for Class X:
FIRST LEVEL -STAGE I
The first level test takes place every year in the month of November.
Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)
SAT comprises of 100 multiplechoice questions, where one alternative is correct. There are 40 questions from Science, 40 from Social Science and 20 from Mathematics. The idea is to assess the subject knowledge, reasoning ability and logical thinking of the candidates.
Mental Ability Test (MAT)
This also comprises of 100 multiple choice questions with only one out of four options correct.
Each question carries 1 mark. There is no negative marking.
It has a variety of questions about analogies, classification, series, pattern perception, hidden figures, coding-decoding, block assembly, problem-solving, etc. Here, the goal is to gauge the power of reasoning, ability to judge, evaluate, visualize in space, spatial orientation, etc. of the candidates.
SECOND LEVEL-STAGE II
The second level test takes place every year in the month of May.
Pattern of papers of MAT and SAT are same as in Stage I.
As per the new pattern of Stage II announced by NCERT, each correctly answered question earns the candidate one mark with no negative marks. This level of exam tests the students’ potential concerning their mental ability and scholastic aptitude.
SCHOLARSHIP REWARDS
Students who clear the stage II are eligible for the NTSE scholarship.
Moreover, there are no restrictions like parental income, government school, domicile, etc. However, no scholarships shall be available for studies abroad for any course.
The rates of scholarships at different stages of study are as under.
With the stakes so high and the competition so stiff, here are some tips for aspiring students on how to go about cracking the NTSE exams.
PREPARATION STRATEGY
Know your strengths and weaknesses
It’s necessary to know your strengths and weaknesses. For example, if you are strong in math and science but average in MAT and weak in social sciences, then you can work on your weaknesses and turn them into strengths for an overall very good or excellent score.
Apply findings
Once you know your weak points, draft a plan. Study and revise the subject matter if needed. Allocate time for different sections of the exam.
Follow NCERT books
Follow NCERT books of classes IX and X for NTSE preparation. For some concepts in biology, refer NCERT Class XI Biology textbook (only portions that are relevant to Class IX and X curriculum). It is imperative to study the Social Studies NCERT book for NTSE thoroughly.
Strengthen your MAT section
MAT and SAT carry equal weight in NTSE. Therefore, it is critical to give due time to both the papers while preparing. Some of us tend to overdo preparation of 3 subjects but in the process tend to ignore MAT. However, it is important to realize that MAT carries more weight than any of the subjects. The MAT section tests your mental ability. Hence, you must give enough time for the preparation of this part.
Work on your SAT section
Follow NCERT for the Scholastic Aptitude section of NTSE. You must also read a good general knowledge book for miscellaneous questions.
Solving sample papers
Practice makes a man perfect is the mantra to success. So, if you are aspiring excellence, it is important that you solve a lot of sample papers and mock tests at least thrice a week. There are a lot of NTSE mock papers available on the internet. You should aim to solve these papers within the stipulated time so that you can improve your speed and know the sections that consume more time.
Analyse your performance
Make sure you minutely assess what you could do and what you had a hard time with. Was it the subject understanding you lacked? Or did you miss out on the scores because of silly mistakes? Whatever it is, just analyse your performance critically.
Proper guidance
Find a good mentor. There are times when in quest of achieving something, you tend to go off the track. To ensure you are on the right track, it is important to have a mentor to guide you and show you the right path in your success journey. Always interact with the mentor and seniors for do’s and don’ts, follow their advice and you are likely to touch the glory.
Early preparation
Start Early to Succeed surely. Starting preparation for competitive/scholastic exams like NTSE at the earliest will bestow you with the right foundation for further studies. Success is a result of practice and preparation with determination.
Value the time
It is said that time is money. Utilise your every minute properly. Devote your quality time to those areas where you are lacking. Once you have mended your loopholes, divide your time equally with all the subjects and areas.
Selfstudy
For clearing any exam, a decent amount of self-study is important. It is one of the most basic and important of all the tips to become an NTSE scholar. One should devote at least 3-4 hours to selflearning to crack this competitive exam.
Keep Practicing
Finally, regular practice is what will get you through. Solve as many questions of mental ability as possible so that you are not shocked on the exam day. Take the help of your school seniors and teachers. With practice, you’ll also get more confident about your speed, accuracy and subject knowledge.
Just remember that you don’t have to be a know-it-all to compete and excel. You can be just an ordinary candidate and follow these tips to become an NTSE scholar. Sometimes, all it takes is a little change in everyday habits to succeed in life.