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NTSE 2021: All You Need to Know About Scholarship Exam, Important Dates, Pattern and more!

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NTSE, or the National Talent Search Examination, is one of the exams in India that lakhs of students take seriously as scoring the national level scholarship offers several great perks and, of course, the honor that could make peers really jealous. 

Conducted by the National Council Of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), the exam aims to identify talented students during their later years of schooling, a few years before they step into the college world. About 10 lakh students from various parts of India appear for the competitive exam. 

What is NTSE 2021? 

NTSE 2021 is a national-level talent hunt examination that is conducted at two levels every year. The first level exam is the State Level exam, while NCERT organizes the second stage exam at the national level. 

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The exam was started way back in 1963 to identify and nurture in the early years of higher education of bright students. Indian students can take part in the competitive exam that consists of questions from subjected such as Science, Social Science, Engineering, and Medicine, among others. 

Students scoring well in the NTSE exam are awarded financial assistance in the form of a monthly scholarship, along with several other perks that help them in getting admissions to top universities in the country. 

NTSE 2021 Eligibility Criteria

All students at class X level of Indian nationality, irrespective of the fact whether they are studying in India or abroad, are eligible for writing the NTSE exam. Candidates studying in India will have to appear for a screening examination or the Stage 1 NTE exam to become eligible for the paper. 

On the other hand, candidates studying in foreign schools don’t have to appear for the screening process to write NTSE. This means that they can directly write the Stage 2 NTSE paper. 

Here are the other eligibility requirements for the NTSE exam: 

NTSE 2021 Stage 1 Eligibility Criteria 

  • Students must have scored a minimum of 60% in class 9th. 
  • The student must be studying in a recognized school in any state or union territory of India. 
  • Candidates studying via Open Distance Learning (ODL) programs below 18 years of age will be considered eligible for the NTSE exam. 

NTSE 2021 Stage 2 Eligibility Criteria 

  • Candidates passing the NTSE Stage 1 competitive exam will be eligible for writing the NTSE Stage 2 exam. More than 800 students from various states had appeared for NTSE Stage 2 exam in the last two editions. 

NTSE 2021 Stage 1: State-wise Quota

NCERT determines the limit on the total number of students selected from each state for the NTSE Stage 2 exam. The quote is revised every three years. Here’s the break-up of the state-wise quota for the NTSE exam: 

States/UTsQuota
Andaman & Nicobar Islands20
Andhra Pradesh263
Arunachal Pradesh50
Assam202
Bihar691
Chandigarh20
Chattisgarh195
Dadra & Nagar Haveli20
Daman & Diu20
Delhi153
Goa50
Gujarat360
Haryana186
Himachal Pradesh51
Jammu & Kashmir64
Jharkhand142
Karnataka371
Kerala220
Lakshadweep20
Madhya Pradesh530
Maharashtra774
Manipur50
Meghalaya50
Mizoram50
Nagaland50
Odisha259
Puducherry20
Punjab183
Rajasthan485
Sikkim50
Tamil Nadu466
Telangana216
Tripura50
Uttar Pradesh1408
Uttarakhand79
West Bengal569
Total8387
State-wise Quota (Table)

What is NTSE Exam Scholarship? 

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Candidates clearing both the stages of the NTSE exam are awarded the NTSE scholarship, which includes monthly financial assistance of Rs 1250 per month for Class XI and Class XII

NTSE scholarship winners also receive Rs 2000 financial assistance during their college years from the Indian government. Besides monetary support, such students receive additional perks, which are mentioned below. 

Other Benefits of NTSE Scholarship

  • Preference in National Defence Academy (NDA) Exam 
  • Reserved seats in prominent engineering colleges such as IIIT-Hyderabad and IIIT-Delhi, among others. 
  • Ease in admissions in foreign universities. 
  • Preference in public and private sector Jobs.

NTSE 2021 Exam Pattern

By now, you know that the NTSE exam is conducted in two different stages. But did you know that both the exams share a similar format? Yes, NTSE Stage I and NTSE Stage II exams have the exact structure consisting of two sections – Mental Ability Tests (MAT) and Scholastic Ability Tests (SAT). 

Here’s the NTSE 2021 Exam Pattern

NTSE Section Total Number of QuestionsTime Provided Marks 
MAT (Mental Ability Tests)100 Questions120 Minutes120
SAT (Scholastic Ability Tests)100 Questions120 Minutes120
Total200 Questions240 Minutes (4 hours) 240

NTSE 2021 Exam Marking Scheme

Candidates are awarded one mark for every correct answer in NTSE. In contrast, no mark is deducted for wrong answers, as there is no negative marking scheme in either stage of the competitive paper. All the questions asked in the NTSE exam are multiple-choice questions. Candidates need to write the exam in an offline mode. 

NTSE Exam 2021 Reservation

In the NTSE exam, general category candidates need to score at least 40% marks to qualify for the different stages. On the other hand, reserved category candidates need to achieve at least 32% marks to prepare for the competitive exam. 

Moreover, NTSE scholarships are also reserved for candidates according to their categories. Here’s a break-up of NTSE reservation:  

Category detailsPercentage reservation
SC (Schedule Cast)15%
ST (Scheduled Tribe)7.5%
Physically Challenged3%
NTSE 2021 Reservation

NTSE 2021 Syllabus

NTSE exam consists of questions based on topics taught in class IXth and Xth. But the difficulty level of the exam usually differs on the stage of the exam. Usually, the Stage 2 (National Level) exam is more complex than the Stage 1 (State Level) exam. 

However, students should prepare for each and every topic from subjects such as Mathematics, Science, Social Science, English, General Knowledge, and Mental Ability irrespective of the paper type. 

NTSE Exam 2021 Important Dates

NTSE EventNTSE Important Dates
NTSE Registration Begins October 2021 (Date varies from state to state)
Last Date of NTSE Application November 2021 (Date varies from state to state)
NTSE Stage 1 Admit Card Release DateAround a week before the exam
NTSE Stage 1 exam date December 2021
NTSE Stage -1 Result dateJanuary to April 2022
NTS Stage- II Admit Card Release2-4 weeks before the exam
NTSE Stage 2 Exam DateJune 2022
NTSE Stage 2 ResultsSeptember 2022
2021 Important Dates

How to fill the NTSE Application Form? 

NTSE Stage 1 Registration

Candidates can apply for the Stage 1 NTSE by contacting the state-level exam conducting authority online or offline, depending on the options provided by the agency. Most of the exam conducting bodies usually collect the registration forms from the schools. Students are directed by their schools to register for the Stage 1 NTSE exam at their premises. 

Students can visit the respective websites of their states to download the registration form. They can also get the forms from schools or liaison officers. You’ll need to fill in the academic, personal, address, and other details on the application form. 

Candidates also need to attach the required documents with the NTSE application form. They will also need to get the form attested from the school authorities, and finally, they need to pay the fees for the paper.

NTSE Stage 1: List of documents required  

Here’s the list of documents that candidates need to attach with the NTSE Stage 1 registration form: 

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  • Colored photographs
  • Class IXth mark sheet
  • Aadhaar Card
  • State Domicile Certificate
  • Income certificate
  • Caste certificate (Only If applicable)
  • Disability Certificate (Only If applicable)

NTSE Exam 2021 Stage 2 Registration

Candidates who pass the NTSE Stage 1 exam don’t need to register for the Stage 2 paper. However, students need to score at least 60% marks in class Xth to appear for the Stage 2 NTSE. 

Indian nationals studying in global schools will have to fill and submit the Stage 2 NTSE registration form. Registrations for such students are likely to be open from February 2022.

NTSE 2021: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1 Is there a negative marking in NTSE? 

Answer: No, there is no negative marking in NTSE. Candidates get one mark for each correct answer in the competitive exam. 

2. What are the benefits of qualifying NTSE? 

Answer: Candidates qualifying for the NTSE exam get financial assistance from the government for their higher education. They also receive various other benefits that help them in getting admissions at top Indian universities. Such students are also preferred for jobs at public and private companies. 

3. Are there fees for the NTSE exam? 

Answer: NCERT, the body that conducts the NTSE exam, doesn’t charge any registration fee from any candidates for the Stage 2 paper. However, several states and union territories take a registration fee from students for the Stage 1 exam. The fees usually are very low, ranging from Rs 50 to Rs 100. 

4. Who conducts the NTSE exam? 

Answer: NCERT conducts the NTSE exam. However, Stage 1 of the exam is conducted by NCERT in collaboration with states and union territories. 

5. Can students studying in open school apply for NTSE 2021?

Answer: Yes, candidates pursuing 10th class from open school for the first time can apply for the NTSE 2021, provided they are below 18 years of age. 

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