Olympiads and Examinations have become an inseparable part of the Indian educational system which is driven by an economy highly reliant on service sector. In contrast to western countries where education and examination is less competitive, India has some of the toughest and most competitive exams in the world that churn out brilliant minds. The first mega-platform that students are exposed to is the National Talent Search Exam. Started in 1961 with an aim to identify, recognize and reward talented students with monthly stipend, the exam is conducted in two phases for the students appearing in class 10th.
More than 50 lakh students appear in the exam out of which only 1000 students qualify and are entitled to stipend. NTSE is held in two stages with a specific quota allocated to each state in the initial round. This implies that the first round qualifiers would be chosen from each state. However, the second round does not have any quota. Read more from our blog titled How to Master NTSE.
NTSE 2018
The notification for the latest round of NTSE exam can be read at this link. The scholarship has been set as INR 1250 per month for Class XI and Class XII students, INR 2000 for Graduates and Post Graduates, and for PhD scholars, the same is fixed as per UGC norms.
NTSE Pattern
Half of the exam constitutes questions from class 9th and 10th syllabus, also known as SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test), the remaining questions, MAT (Mental Aptitude Test) are more of a mystery for the test takers. MAT is therefore more decisive in determining the performance of applicants. Read more on our blog titled NTSE Requirements Beyond Curriculum.
NTSE 2018 Forms
All students of Class X studying in recognized schools are eligible to appear in the Stage I exam which shall be conducted by the respective State or the Union Territory where the school is located.
Principal Signature
Students need to get their forms signed by the school principals before submission. The deadline for submission may vary from state to state and needs to be checked with the Liaison Officer allocated for each state. The NTSE stage I fee is charged by the respective Liaison Officer while the NTSE Round II is free.
NTSE Form submission at schools
In many cases, the schools get forms from the Liaison Officer en masse and get them filled by the students, take the fee, and deposit the form and fee together after getting these signed by the school principal.
What to do if NTSE Stage I forms are not available at school?
In case the school does not provide forms for the exam, students need to get the form from the office of the Liaison Officer. The contact details of Liaison Officers for various states and UTs is available at this link.
NTSE Tips
NTSE exam is presented to students in the form of Multiple Choice Questions with each question having four choices. A student is required to select the correct answer from the choices and each correct answer bears one mark. . The competition in the NTSE is fierce as the 0.02% applicants get to qualify the exam. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to maintain keen dedication, composure and most importantly perseverance in efforts. Read more from our blog titled NTSE – Last Minute Preparation Tips.
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