NTSE (National Talent Search Examination)
NTSE (National Talent Search Examination) is a very prestigious school-level scholarship exam conducted by NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training) every year in the month of May, notification for which is issued in the July month of previous year.
As per Wiki, Close to 1,50,000 students appear in this scholarship exam every year, in which only 1000 gets the scholarship – thus only 1 in every 150 is ultimately selected – the acceptance rate is only 0.67%! Compare this with the acceptance rate of Ivy League institutes like Harvard –7.1% (22,955 students applied, 2,058 accepted), Yale – 8.3%… source: NY Times.
Above means that getting a seat in Harvard is easier than getting the NTSE scholarship!
This blog post is introductory in nature and would focus on What is NTSE and Why NTSE. In four subsequent blog posts, I would cover:
What is NTSE?
NTSE is a very prestigious exam held by NCERT every year to identify bright young Indian minds (studying in India as well as in abroad) and offer scholarships right from Class-VIII onwards till he/she completes Ph.D. In fact it is one of the very few Catch-Them-Youngprograms launched by Government, which has been a resounding success.
NTSE has been conducted for the last 47 years by NCERT – It was started for only Delhi in 1963 and was called National Science Talent Search Scheme (NSTSS). In 1964, it was extended to all the state/union territories. Thus NTSE is almost as old as NCERT, which came into existence in 1961.
Why NTSE?
i) Instant recognition:
As said, NTSE is a very prestigious exam and once you clear it, you get instant recognition at a very young age. When you grow older and write your own resume for jobs/admissions etc., credential of a NTSE scholar puts you far ahead of others.
ii) Monetary benefits:
You can self-support some of your study cost with the scholarship amount of Rs.500/= right from Class-VIII till PhD. While in PhD, you get scholarship as per UGC norms.
iii) Exposure to a National Level Test:
Yes, this is the greatest reason why you should go for NTSE. At the very young age of 12/13, you are exposed to a National Level Test! Since the exam is very competitive and you have to pass through written test as well as Interview at so young an age, when you attempt NTSE, you are groomed automatically for the future exams like IAS, CAT, GRE etc. It is very rare to find a NTSE scholar who has not succeeded in his further careers. Thus regardless of whether you clear NTSE, you should at least make an attempt, just for the experience.
Therefore you should appear NTSE – for recognition, for money and as well as for the experience.
How much is the NTSE scholarship amount:
The amount is Rs. 500/= per month from Class-VIII till:
1.0 Ph.D. level (for the courses in Basic Sciences, Social Sciences and Commerce)
2.0 Post Graduation level (for professional courses like Engineering, Medicine, Management and Law).
What is the Exam Pattern of NTSE?
NTSE is a two stage scholarship exam:
Stage-1) State Level: Written Test only for the purpose of screening qualifying students.
Stage-2) National Level: Written Test followed by Interview.
State Level examination is conducted by each State/UT to screen out students and to recommend the qualifying students to NCERT for the National Level examination. NCERT than conducts the National Level examination.
Thus after NCERT brings out the advertisement regarding NTSE along with the application form, the whole responsibility of the exam shifts to State Level.
At State Level, the particular Liaison Officers accepts the application forms, conducts the State Level examination and than recommends the list of qualifying students to NCERT. So for all purposes after you Download the application form for State Level NTSE Examination, till you are called by NCERT for the written test of National Level examination, you have a single point of contact – the NTSE Liaison Officer of the state you belong to. What is the address & phone number of the Liaison Officer of your state? Click here to find it!
Hope above introductory information on NTSE exam helped you in knowing about the exam in a nutshell. In my continuing blog post, I would cover “NTSE Exam Dates, Eligibility & Forms” to help you apply for the exam and “NTSE Syllabus & Exam Pattern” as well as “NTSE Sample Papers & Books” to help you prepare for the NTSE exam.
Apr 21
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NTSE 2013: All you wanted to know
NTSE-2013 will see a HUGE change. From 2013 onwards, NTSE will be conducted for Class-10 students. With that, the course structure, difficulty of questions and competition too will change. Read on to find out more about NTSE 2013.
NTSE or national talent search examination is by far the oldest, most reputed and well recognized of 20+ talent search competition for school students in India. Natuarally, with dates approaching for NTSE 2013, students have several questions about the exam e.g. What is it? How do you prepare for it? What is the course? How to apply for it? etc. SchoolCountry answers all your queries here with the help of an NTSE Scholar himself. So here goes ...
What is NTSE:
National talent search examination or NTSE is an annual examination conducted on a national level by NCERT. It was started in the year 1963 and has grown in prestige and scope ever since. The objective of the exam is to identify students who have the potential to excel in Science, Social Science, Engineering, Medicine, Management and Law. The successful students, called NTSE Scholars, receive financial support / scholarships from NCERT till the time they continue to study.
How is NTSE exam conducted:
NTSE or National talent search examination is conducted on a national level in 2 stages.
- National Talent Search Examination’s Stage-1 is conducted by states and union territories. This is a written exam where students are supposed to answer questions related to mental ability, general science and maths. Each state / union territory selects a pre-specified number of candidates to represent it in the second round i.e. State-2.
- Stage-1’s written exam consists of MAT (mental aptitude test) and SAT (scholastic aptitude test). Both the tests have 100 multiple choice questions to be answered in 90 minutes. More information on the paper content, sample paper etc can be found here.
- NTSE’s stage-2 is conducted at a national level by NCERT. Only students who clear stage-1 of NTSE are eligible to sit in this stage. Though first stage has quotas or pre-specified number of seats for each level, there are no state quotas for the final round. However, pre-specified reservation for SC/ST and physically challenged candidates exists.
- Like stage-1, NTSE’s stage-2 also has MAT and SAT. Further, those candidates who qualify the written exam at the national level will be called for interview.
What are the important dates for NTSE 2012:
There are 4 important dates regarding NTSE that you must be aware of. For academic year 2012, the dates for NTSE are as follows
- Start date for sale of NTSE forms is 1st August 2012 (tentative)
- Last date for submission of completed NTSE application form is 31st August 2012 (tentative)
- Stage-1 NTSE exam will be conducted on Sunday 18th November 2012. However for Mizoram, Meghalya, Nagaland and Andaman & Nicobar Islands the stage-1 exams will be conducted on Saturday 17th November 2012. (tentative)
- Stage-2 NTSE exam will be conducted on Sunday 12th May 2013 (tentative). The dates may vary from state to state. Further, the candidates who qualify the 2nd round written exams will be intimidated by post about the dates for interviews.
Who is eligible to appear for NTSE 2013:
All Indian students studying in class-10 of recognized schools are eligible to appear for the first stage of NTSE. Please NOTE that this is a changed from previous years. There is no domicile restriction. in class-10 can take NTSE exam. Even Indian students living abroad can appear for NTSE. They can directly apply for stage-2 exams if they fulfil conditions prescribed in NTSE brochure for Class-10.
What is the course for NTSE 2013:
NTSE exam follows NCERT prescribed syllabus and the exam is conducted in both English and in Hindi
How to prepare for NTSE 2013:
National Talent Search exam has become very prestigious. Therefore, schools and parents encourage the students to prepare well for this exam. Students often sit for support classes conducted in schools or special coaching exams. However, we think just a simple systematic approach can help students ace the exam. You can learn all the details about how to prepare for NTSE and sample questions in our articles. Click here for NTSE stage 1 sample papers and questions. For NTSE stage 2 sample papers and questions, click here.
What is the NTSE scholarship value:
1000 NTSE scholars are selected every year based on the exam. Each NTSE scholar receives INR 500 per month from NTSE for the period he/she chooses to continue studying. Usually it is defined as the period till one finishes PhD or earlier. This could be any of fields specified above including Science, Medicine, Social Science, Maths, Management and Law.
PS: The scholarship amounts will be revised from 2013 on wards. The discussion is on to raise it to Rs 1000 per month and then to Rs 2500 at the college level. However, formal announcement is not out yet.
Is there any reservation in NTSE:
NTSE reserves 15% of its scholarships for students belonging to SC category. Another 7.5% is reserved for ST category students and 3% is reserved for students who are physically challenged. There is a state quota defined for first round. However, for the final round, there is no state quota.
How can I apply for NTSE 2013:
Usually information for release of forms is sent to schools and schools often help students procure the form. However, you can also get the NTSE forms from State / UT liaison officer or they can be downloaded from the NCERT website. The completed forms, with the signature of principal should be submitted to liaison officer before the last date. Again, schools may be able to help you here.
Just like NTSE, there are several other talent search exams conducted at school level every year. Further, there are other scholarships and awards for school students too that are instituted by government bodies, corporates and other organization. Some of them have gained in prestige over the years. You need to keep aware of these exams and their last dates.
Further, we release useful tips, sample papers and ideas as the date for NTSE approaches closer. With just a few days remaining for the NTSE exam, we bring to you the last minute guide to NTSE. You will hear from our NTSE scholars on exactly how to approach the paper, how to write answers and how to make best use of your last few days before NTSE. These are some very critical last minute tips that they had found useful. You can follow us on face book (click the like button above) so that you do not miss out on the crucial last minute tips for cracking your NTSE. We will post the updates there as they happen. You can see your 2012NTSE results here with Name, roll number and category information provided. If you got some value out of this post, please press the like button to help spread the word and benefit others too.
Apr 21
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NTSE eligibility for students outside India
Students of Indian origin, studying outside India in class 8 too can appear for the NTSE Scholarship. Here are some details that you must know
- You need to be a student of Indian origin and studying in class 8 outside of India
- You need to have secured a minimum of 60% marks (or equivalent thereof) in your previous qualifying examination
- If you are studying aborad, you are exempt from appearing in the first round (qualifying round) of theNTSE that is conducted by the states and you directly need to appear for the second round (the final round) conducted at the national level.
- To apply for NTSE scholarship, you need to send an application through the head of your school/institute to the Department of Educational Measurement and Evaluation, NCERT, New Delhi - 110016. You will also need to encluse an attested copy (attested by the head of your institution) of your marksheet for the previous year
- The NCERT will then allot roll number to you and in subsiquent communication, also send you the date, time and venue of the exam. You will need to bear the cost of commuting yourself.
- The NCERT typically will not entertain requests for change of dates and venue for NTSE.
RamalingamAERO
Students of Indian origin, studying outside India in class 8 too can appear for the NTSE Scholarship. Here are some details that you must know
- You need to be a student of Indian origin and studying in class 8 outside of India
- You need to have secured a minimum of 60% marks (or equivalent thereof) in your previous qualifying examination
- If you are studying aborad, you are exempt from appearing in the first round (qualifying round) of theNTSE that is conducted by the states and you directly need to appear for the second round (the final round) conducted at the national level.
- To apply for NTSE scholarship, you need to send an application through the head of your school/institute to the Department of Educational Measurement and Evaluation, NCERT, New Delhi - 110016. You will also need to encluse an attested copy (attested by the head of your institution) of your marksheet for the previous year
- The NCERT will then allot roll number to you and in subsiquent communication, also send you the date, time and venue of the exam. You will need to bear the cost of commuting yourself.
- The NCERT typically will not entertain requests for change of dates and venue for NTSE.
RamalingamAERO
please guide for 2nd level 2013.should we study only ncert books?do we need coaching?
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