The dates for KVPY 2021 exam are out now and It will be held on the 7th of November, 2021. Every year, the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore (IISC) hosts a scholarship exam at the national level. This examination, known as Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY) is for students who aspire to pursue a research-based career in basic sciences.
The Department of Science and Technology, Government of India started this examination in 1999. Students that qualify for this prestigious examination are bestowed with the title of a ‘KVPY Fellow’ and awarded monthly scholarships & annual grants continuing up to their post-graduations.
Exam Pattern
| KVPY SA | For Class XI |
| KVPY SX | For Class XII |
| KVPY SB | For 1st-year students of B.Sc/B.S./Integrated M.Sc./M.S |
KVPY Scholarships and Fellowships
- Based on the aptitude test and interview, successful candidates will become eligible for a KVBY scholarship or fellowship.
- Here are the details of the scholarships/fellowships awarded to the selected candidates:
| Basic Sciences | Monthly Fellowship | Annual Contingency Grant |
|---|---|---|
| SA/SX/SB – during 1st to 3rd years of – B.Sc./B.S./B.Stat./B.Math. / Integrated M.Sc. /M.S. | Rs 5000 | Rs 20000 |
| SA/SX/SB – during M. Sc. / 4th to 5th years of Integrated M.Sc. /M.S./M.Math./M.Stat | Rs 7000 | Rs 28000 |
KVPY is conducted in two rounds – Aptitude Test and Personal Interview. While the aptitude test checks the candidate’s prowess across various subjects, the interview tests knowledge in the field of science and research.
- Exam Mode: The aptitude test for KVPY is a computer-based test (CBT).
- Question Type: Questions are of multiple-choice type (MCQs). Each question has an equal weightage of marks.
- Exam Duration: Candidates are given 3 hours to complete the paper.
- Language for Question Paper: English or Hindi.
- Marking Scheme: The question paper is divided into two parts. In part 1 of the test, candidates are awarded +1 and -¼ for correct and incorrect answers respectively. For part 2, candidates are awarded +2 and -½ for correct and incorrect answers respectively.
Advantages of Being a KVPY Fellow
- Successful candidates can get direct admission to the top institutes of the country like IIT Hyderabad and IISC.
- Monthly contingency grants and scholarships in the candidate’s area of specialization and basic science courses.
- Exclusive access to all national libraries and science camps in India.
Subject-Wise Preparation for KVPY
To ace the KVPY examination, concepts must be extremely clear. Not only this, focusing on problem-solving skills is of equal importance. Concentrating on each subject and preparing a timetable around it will help. Here is some subject-wise preparation strategy:
Preparation Strategy for Physics
To do well in the physics section:
- Select books that simplify different topics and helps in better understanding of the concepts.
- Make sure these books have lots of sample papers and step-wise elaborated answers for each problem given.
- The physics section is usually considered to be tougher than the others, it is important to study optics and resistor series thoroughly as lots of questions are based on it.
- Even in the SA section for class 11, few questions are asked from the class 12 syllabus such as Lens Maker’s Formula and Kirchhoff’s rules.
- Helpful books for KVPY Physics are:
| HC Verma |
| Modern ABC of physics by Uttam Tripathi |
| DC Pandey (For optics, Electricity, and Magnetism especially) |
Preparation Strategy for Chemistry
To do well in the Chemistry section:
- Refer books that give a clear-cut conceptual background.
- Giving importance to applied chemistry and having a proper understanding of how the key concepts originated and developed is key.
- For the Physical Chemistry part, NCERT is simply not enough
- Revise organic chemistry and chemical bonding almost daily to remember it.
- Helpful books for KVPY Chemistry are:
| Modern ABC of chemistry by S.P Jauhar |
| Solomons and Fryhle’s Organic Chemistry by Wiley (For organic chemistry theory) |
| Elementary Problems in Organic Chemistry by MS Chauhan (For numerical problems of Organic Chemistry) |
| Modern approach to Physical Chemistry – RC Mukherjee (For physical chemistry) |
| Wiley’s J.D. Lee Concise Inorganic Chemistry (For inorganic chemistry) |
Preparation Strategy for Mathematics
To do well in the math section:
- To do well in the subject, there is no alternative than to practice.
- Select books that provide a step-by-step understanding of the problems.
- Making notes of formulae, especially for Trigonometry and Algebra to score well in these chapters.
- Begin with important chapters like Coordinate Geometry, Algebra, 3-D Geometry & Vectors, Limit & Continuity, and Sequence & Series.
- The most important step is: Keep Revising and Practicing.
- Helpful books for KVPY Mathematics are:
| R.D. Sharma (Overall) |
| TOMATO by ISI (For practice) |
| Cengage (For Algebra) |
Preparation Strategy for Biology
To do well in the Biology section:
- Focus on the theory as it is most important.
- Refer to a book (especially NCERT) that covers all the topics of class XI biology.
- The book chosen must have the concepts explained and structured properly.
- Always look at the solved questions to get a better understanding of the KVPY exam pattern.
- Helpful books for KVPY Biology are:
| Biological Science by N.P.O Green |
| Trueman’s Elementary Biology Volume 1- KN Bhatia and MP Tyagi |
Importance of KVPY Previous Year Papers and Mock Tests
To get a fair idea of the kind of questions in the exam, it is always advisable to solve lots of KVPY previous year papers and mock tests. These tests give an insight into the actual KVPY exam and help aspirants to analyze its difficulty level.
Click here to download free KVPY Previous Year Papers along with solutions by KVPY experts.
Other than solving previous year’s papers, myPAT’s free online KVPY mock test helps aspirants assess their performance against thousands of KVPY aspirants across India.
Get started with KVPY 2021-22 preparations now!
Sir, thanks a lot for the detailed explanation
You’re welcome, Subramanian.
Very Informative…Nicely Explained about Subject Wise Preparation Strategy for KVPY mock test. Keep sharing such informative topics.
Thanks a lot, Amit. We are more than happy to share valuable information to all.