National Talent Search Examination India Features And Eligibility Requirements 2011


What is the registration process for NTSE exam in India? Who is eligible for the National Talent Scholarship in India? Where to get NTSE form in India? What are the fees for NTSE exam? Can my daughter who is studying abroad apply for the India National Talent Scholarship? This article gives answers to these questions and gives complete information on the paper pattern and format of the NTSE exam in India.

Parents of school-going children who wish their talented kids to avail of a scholarship within India should register the child for the National Talent Search examination (NTSE).

What is NTSE?


The National Talent Search examination helps uncover the mental and scholastic aptitude of the child. Through this exam, students are identified for a national scholarship scheme. Originally known as the National Science Talent Search Scheme (NSTSS), the program was at one time restricted to Std. X students. From 2007, however, Std. 8 students can apply for this scheme. The exam can be taken by them at the end of the academic year.

Who conducts the NTSE?


The NTSE is conducted by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). This organization was established by the Govt. of India in 1962, its goal being to improve the quality of education in Indian schools.

What are the eligibility criteria for NTSE?


* You have to be an Indian national, whether you are studying in India or abroad.
* You have to be a Class 8 Student.
* Your school should be a recognised one. It can even be a Kendriya Vidyalaya or a local regional school as long as it is recognized by the education board of the State in which it is located.
* You appear for the State level exam from the same State in which your school is located, but there are no domicile restrictions.
* You need to check if there are any State eligibility conditions, such as minimum percentage of marks in the exam you appeared in the previous year.
* Only if you have been selected through your State level exam can you appear for NTSE.
* If you are awarded the scholarship: (i) those pursuing studies in Sciences, Social Sciences and Commerce are eligible to receive the scholarship up to Ph.D.; (ii) those who are pursuing professional courses in engineering, technology, medicines, law & management and law are eligible to receive the scholarship up to second degree level only.
* These scholarships are not available for those pursuing the study of language, literature and humanities at any stage.

Where to get the NTSE exam application form?


You should contact the principal/Head of your school/educational institute for guidance on the NTSE exam application form. The form can be downloaded directly from the NCERT website (link given at the end of this article).

What is the selection procedure for registration for NTSE?


The NTSE involves a 2-stage procedure:
1. The State/Union Territory in which your school is located conducts an exam as per their own norms. That is, each State/Union Territory provides a certain set of eligibility conditions. This stage is basically to identify and nominate a specific number of talented children for the next level of NTSE. This State level exam is in 2 parts: Mental Ability Test (MAT) and Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT).

Date of State level NTS exam: The exam is conducted annually, usually on the second Sunday of November. In the case of Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, it will be conducted on the second Saturday of November.

Fees: The State/Union Territory may impose a fee for appearing for the exam.

Candidates can contact the Liaison Officers of their State/Union Territory for further information about the State level exam. The list of these officers is available at the official website (link given at the end of this article).

2. On being nominated through the State level exam, you can appear for the national level exam conducted by NCERT. NCERT will send via registered postal mail the date, time and venue as well as your roll number for the national level exam.

Date of national level NTS exam: The NTSE national level exam is generally conducted on the second Sunday of May (if this is changed, NCERT will intimate students at their official website).

Fees for national level exam: There are no fees for the NTS national level exam.

For Indian national students studying abroad :
* If you are an Indian national studying abroad in Class VIII (or equivalent class), you do not have to appear for the first level-screening test.
* You can appear for the second level NTSE only if you have obtained a minimum aggregate of 60% at the previous annual examination.
* The scholarship shall be paid (if you are successful in the exam) for pursuing studies in India only and not for studies abroad.
* You will have to appear for the NTSE at a centre in India only and at your own cost. NCERT will not bear any of the costs.
* You should make the request for appearing for the NTSE through the Head of the Institution where you are studying + an attested copy of the marksheet of Class IX. The request should reach the Head, Department of Educational Measurement and Evaluation, NCERT, New Delhi-110016 no later than 31st March of the year in which you are appearing for the exam. For example, if you are appearing for NTSE in May 2011, your request should reach by March 31st 2011.
* You will be intimated about the venue, date, time and roll number. You have to appear at the Centre specified and cannot make a request for a change of centre.

What is the NTSE scholarship payment?


1. Rs. 500/- per month for all classes (except Ph.D.)
2. For the Ph.D. degree (this should be 4 years), the scholarship rate is determined solely by UGC norms.

Important changes & updates of NTSE:
1. No book grant will be provided to students at any stage.
2. The payment of the scholarship will not be based on the income of parents.
3. As of 2011, no interviews will be conducted.

What is the format and paper pattern of NTSE exam?


There are 2 parts to the NTSE exams, both parts being administered separately with a short time gap in between the two. Question booklets are separate from the answer sheets. The question booklets have to be returned at the end of the exam along with the answer sheets.
The 2 parts are:
1. Mental Ability Test (MAT)
* Duration: 90 minutes
* Maximum Marks: 100
* Qualifying Marks: 40 (32 for SC/ST/PC)
* Number of Questions: 90 + 10 free response questions
* Type of Questions: The questions will be in multiple-choice format, with each question having 4 answer options.

2. Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)
* Duration: 90 minutes
* Maximum Marks: 100
* Qualifying Marks: 40 (32 for SC/ST/PC)
* Number of Questions: 90 + 10 free response questions
* Type of Questions: The questions will be in multiple-choice format, with each question having 4 answer options. There will be 35 on Science + 35 on Social Science + 20 on Mathematics.

As mentioned in the updates earlier, there is no interview stage for the NTSE anymore.

Important Guidelines for NTSE:
1. In your application form, please specify the language in which you wish to answer the NTSE exam so that the question booklet in that language is available for you at the exam centre.
Languages available: Assamese, Bangla, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Marathi, Malayalam, Oriya, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu.

2. You will need to submit an attested passport size photograph at the appropriate place in the admission card.

3. The scholarship shall be awarded solely on the basis of the combined scores of MAT and SAT. Only if you are selected you will be given an intimation via a registered letter from NCERT. Your marks in the exam will not be disclosed.

4. Re-evaluation of your NTSE paper is not allowed.

5. There is a list of general eligibility conditions for those who receive the scholarships, such as pursuing studies on a whole time basis and not taking up any job, maintaining good conduct, etc. Please check entire list at the official website (link given at the end of this article).

6. You will not receive the scholarship payment directly, but through the head of the institution concerned. This payment will be the entire sum for a total period of 12 months and will be given to the Head of the institution in advance. You will get the scholarship payment at the end of each of those 12 months.

Address and contact phone number of NCERT for NTSE exams in India
The Head,
Department of Educational Measurement and Evaluation
NCERT
Sri Aurobindo Marg,
New Delhi – 110016
India
* NTS Examination Inquiry: +91-11-26560464 (Prof. Avtar Singh)
Email: deme.ncert@nic.in

* NTS Scholarship Inquiry: +91-11-26562704 (Prof. Avtar Singh)
Email: ntse2@yahoo.co.in

Official Website: NCERT

Note: The author of this article is giving general information on the NTS exam. Readers are requested to regularly check the NCERT website (link given above) for updates and detailed guidelines.


Article by Vandana
Vandana is based in India with over 15 years experience as a freelance writer. Writing, no doubt, is her primary passion! Having learned the art of blogging from ISC, Vandana is enjoying the thrills of blogging, taking pleasure in sharing information & getting good pageviews at her various blogs.

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