NTSE 2021 Notification: Application form, Eligibility Criteria, Exam Pattern, Syllabus, Admit Card & Result
Updated On -
Jan 8, 2021
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NCERT has initiated the NTSE 2021 Application Form fill-up process. In October, all the states and UTs have started the NTSE 2021 application form fill up. NTSE (National Talent Search Examination) 2021 is a National Level Examination conducted by NCERT (National Council of Education Research and Training) to provide the scholarship to the deserving candidates. This exam is for secondary school level to identify and recognize students with high intellect and skills. The examination is conducted every year at 2 levels: Stage 1 (State Level) and Stage 2 (National level). To avail the scholarship program, the applicants should qualify both stages of the exam. NTSE 2021 stage 1 will be held on 12 December 2020 for Mizoram, Nagaland, Andaman & Nicobar, Meghalaya. On the other hand, the NTSE Stage 1 will be conducted on 13 December 2020 for all other states and Union Territories. Again, the NTSE Stage 2 exam will be held on 13 June 2021.
Latest:
17 December 2020:
- Revised exam schedule for NTSE Stage 2 is out. Read more
- 3800 students appeared for NTSE Stage 1 from Puducherry. Read more
16 December 2020: NTSE Answer key 2020-21Stage 1 released. Read more
30 October 2020: NTSE 2021 Puducherry Notification is out. Read more
22 October 2020: NTSE Application Form 2021 for MP and Haryana has been released.
19 October 2020: NTSE Application Form 2021 for Kerala, Jharkhand, Telengana and Odisha has been out.
16 October 2020: NTSE Application Form for Uttarakhand has been out.
12 October 2020: NTSE Application Form 2021 for Andhra Pradesh has been started. Check details here
8 October 2020: NTSE Punjab Application Form 2021 has begun.
- NTSE notice for Stage-I exam is out. Check details here
- NTSE Jharkhand stage 1 result has been declared on May 05, 2020. Check Here.
- NTSE 2020 Stage 1 Result has been declared on the official website.
- For both stages, the exam is divided into two parts i.e. Mental Ability Test (MAT), and Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). – Check NTSE 2020 Syllabus
Every year around 1,200,000 to 1,400,000 students appear for the examination, while only 5000 students are selected for stage 2. Out of these 5000 students, only 1000 candidates are selected for the scholarship.
Scholarship: one thousand scholarships are awarded for different stages of education as follows:
- Scholarship of Rs.1250/- per month for Class-XI to XII.
- Scholarship of Rs.2000/- per month for Undergraduates and Post-graduates.
- The amount of Scholarship for Ph.D. is fixed in accordance with the UGC norms.
NTSE 2020 Highlights
| Conducting Body | NCERT (National Council of Education Research and Training) |
| Mode of Exam | Offline |
| Medium of Exam | English and Hindi |
| Duration of Exam | 120 Minutes ( For each part) |
| Type and Number of Questions | Objective Type Questions (Stage 1: 200 Questions), (Stage 2: 200 Questions) |
| Sections | 2 (Mental Ability Test and Scholastic Ability Test) |
NTSE 2021 Exam Dates and Other Important Dates
NCERT has announced NTSE 2021 Exam Dates:
|
Events |
Stage I dates |
Stage II dates |
|---|---|---|
|
NTSE application dates |
October 2020 |
No registration |
|
NTSE Admit card releases |
November 2020 |
By the third week of May 2021 |
|
NTSE Exam dates |
December 12 and 13, 2020 |
June 13, 2021 |
|
NTSE Result releases |
January – March 2021 |
October 2021 |
NTSE 2021 Eligibility Criteria
There are certain conditions laid out by NCERT that one should keep in mind before applying for the exam. NTSE Eligibility Criteria for each stage differ. The detailed criteria are provided below.
- Candidates must be an Indian national.
- Candidates must be studying in class 10 in a recognized private or government school in India.
- Unemployed candidates below the age of 18, studying in class 10 from open or distance learning are also eligible to apply.
- States or UTs may lay down some more conditions such as minimum qualifying marks in the previous class, age limit etc.
- The aspirants will not be qualified for second stage if they will not meet the sectional cut off in stage 1 (even after meeting the overall cut off score).
- The Indian students (who are studying abroad), should send the attested copy of the class 9 mark sheet to the head of the Educational Survey Division, NCERT by 31st December 2020.
Minimum Qualifying Score Needed in Class 9
|
State |
Minimum qualifying Marks (For General Category) |
Minimum qualifying Marks (For Reserved Category) |
|
Maharashtra |
60% marks |
55% |
|
Rajasthan |
55% |
50% |
|
Delhi |
60% |
55% |
|
Uttar Pradesh |
55% |
44% |
|
Punjab |
70% |
55% |
|
Bihar |
60% |
- |
|
West Bengal |
50% |
40% |
|
Madhya Pradesh |
40% |
32% |
|
Tamil Nadu |
60% |
- |
|
Assam |
40% |
32% |
|
Jammu & Kashmir |
60% |
55% |
|
Jharkhand |
55% |
40% |
|
Goa |
70% |
55% |
|
Uttarakhand |
60% |
55% |
|
Gujarat |
55% |
- |
|
Manipur |
60% |
55% |
|
Himachal Pradesh |
60% |
55% |
|
Kerala |
55% |
- |
|
Haryana |
55% |
- |
|
Puducherry |
60% |
- |
|
Chandigarh |
61% |
56% |
|
Odisha |
60% |
55% |
NTSE Qualifying Score
|
Category |
Qualifying Marks in SAT |
Qualifying Marks in MAT |
|
Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribes/ Physically Handicapped. |
32% |
32% |
|
General/ Economically weaker Sections/ OBC |
40% |
40% |
NTSE 2021 Reservation Criteria
There are provisions of reservation in NTSE 2021 as per government of India norms:
| Category | Reservation Percentage |
|---|---|
| Scheduled Caste (SC) | 15% |
| Scheduled Tribe (ST) | 7.5% |
| Other Backward Classes (OBC) | 27% |
| Persons with Disabilities (PWD) | 4% |
| Economically Weaker Section (EWS) | 10% |
NTSE 2021 Application Form
Candidates can fill the application form through both the online and offline modes. The application form will be distributed separately by different states. The last date of application submission also varies from state to state.
- Some general guidelines regarding the form filling process are as discussed below.
- If downloading, then while taking the printout use legal 8.5” * 14” size paper.
- Application form available online or with State/ UT liaison officer is only applicable for Stage 1 exam.
- Candidates have to pay the application fee as prescribed by their respective State/UT.
- While filling NTSE 2021 Application Form candidates or the principle have to leave the 4-digit centre code blank, this has to be filled by the liaison officer or concerned district officer or centre superintendent.
How to fill NTSE Form?
The process of form filling is different for Indian students who are studying in their home country and Indian students studying abroad. The details are provided below.
Indian Students
- Candidates must download the application form available on the official NCERT website.
- After filling in all fields, the applicant must get the form signed by the principal of his school.
- Then the application form must be submitted to the State Liaison Officer before the last date of submission.
Indian Students Studying Abroad
- Such candidates can directly apply for Stage 2 of the NTSE exam.
- The application form will have to be downloaded from the website.
- The duly filled in application must be sent with a photocopy of the mark sheet of the previous exam to the following address:
Head, Educational Survey Division,
National Council of Educational Research and Training,
Sri Aurobindo Marg,
New Delhi 110016.
NTSE 2021 Application Fees
- Application fees of the aspirants are dependent upon the respective states and Union territories.
- The candidates will not need to pay entrance fee for the National Level Examination.
NTSE 2021 Admit Card
NTSE Admit Cards will be made available by the authorities as per the official schedule. It will contain important details such as candidate’s name, candidate’s roll number, exam date and timing as well as exam centre address. The steps to obtain the admit card are explained below:
- NTSE Admit Card 2021 for Stage 1 will be sent by post to candidate’s address, as specified in the application form.
- In case the admit card is not received, candidates can visit the office of Chief Superintendent to obtain their hall ticket.
- The admit card for NTSE 2021 Stage 2 will be available on the official NCERT website in the month of April 2021.
- Candidates must download their respective hall tickets from the website using their login credentials
Documents Required with NTSE Admit Card
Candidates will have to carry NTSE Admit Card 2021 and an original Photo ID proof with its photocopy. Entry inside the exam centre will not be granted if the student fails to produce the admit card and his photo ID card. A candidate may carry any one of the below documents:
NTSE 2021 Exam centres
NTSE 2021 exam is conducted in various states and union territories. Candidates have to indicate their preferred exam centre at the time of filling up NTSE Application Form. Address of the allotted exam centre will be mentioned on the admit card. Below is the list of exam centres for NTSE 2021 examination:
| States/ UTs | Exam Centre Venue |
|---|---|
| Andaman & Nicobar Islands | KV No 2, Raksha Vihar, Minnie Bay |
| Andhra Pradesh | KV, Gandhi Gram Post, Malkapuram, Visakhapatnam |
| Arunachal Pradesh | KV No 2, Itanagar, Chimpu Post, Arunachal Pradesh |
| Assam | KV CRPF 9 Mile Amerigog, Kamrup, Guwahati |
| Bihar | KV No 1, Lohiya Nagar, Near Heart Hospital, Kankarbagh, Patna |
| Chandigarh | KV, ASF High Grounds, Chandigarh |
| Chhattisgarh | KV No 2, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Nagar, Sector 4, Raipur |
| Dadra & Nagar Haveli | KV, Government High School Campus, Silvassa |
| Delhi | KV No 3, Ringroad, Near Seema Sadak Bhawan |
| Goa | KV, INS Madovi, Panjim |
| Gujarat | KV No 1, Near Police Commissioner’s Office, Shahi Baug, Ahmedabad |
| Haryana | KV No 1, AFS, Sector 14, Old Delhi Road, Gurugram |
| Himachal Pradesh | KV, Dharamshala Cantt, Kangra |
| Jammu & Kashmir | KV No 1, Gandhinagar, Jammu |
| Jharkhand | KV CCL, Rajendra Nagar, Ranchi |
| Karnataka | KV, ASC Centre, Victoria Road, Bangalore, Karnataka |
| Kerala | KV No 3, Port Trust, Willingdon Island, Kochi, Ernakulam |
| Lakshadweep | KV, Kavaratti |
| Madhya Pradesh | KV No 1, Opp Central India Flour Mill, Hoshangabad Road, Bhopal |
| Maharashtra | KV, Bhandup, LBS Marg, Kanjurmarg West |
| Maharashtra | KV, BEG, Near Deccan College, Pune |
| Manipur | KV No 1, Lamphelpat, Imphal |
| Meghalaya | KV, Happy Valley, Shillong |
| Mizoram | KV, Project Pushpak Zemabawk, Aizawl |
| Nagaland | KV, CRPF Camp, Lerie Hill, Kohima, Nagaland |
| Odisha | KV No 1, Unit 9, Near Ram Mandir, Bhubaneswar |
| Puducherry | KV, IIT Campus, Chennai |
| Punjab | KV, ASF High Grounds, Chandigarh |
| Rajasthan | KV No 1, Bajaj Nagar, Opp Tonk Phatak, Jaipur |
| Sikkim | KV, Post Tadong, Middil, Siyari, Gangtok |
| Tamil Nadu | KV, IIT Campus, Chennai |
| Telangana | KV No 1, Langer House, Golconda, Hyderabad |
| Tripura | KV (GC) CRPF, Adarani, Salbagan, Agartala |
| Uttarakhand | KV ONGC, Kaulagarh Road, Dehradun |
| Uttar Pradesh | KV, Lucknow Cantt |
| Uttar Pradesh | KV, New Cantt, VD Road, Allahabad |
| West Bengal | KV, Ballygunge, Circular Road, Kolkata |
NTSE 2021 Exam Pattern
NTSE Exam is conducted in two stages i.e. Stage 1 and Stage 2. Stage 1 is a state level examination conducted by authorities of various states and union territories. Stage 2 is a national level examination conducted by NCERT for Stage 1 qualifiers and Indian nationals studying abroad as they are exempted from stage 1 exam. The pattern for both the Stage 1 and Stage 2 exam is same.
- NTSE Exam is an offline test. Candidates have to mark their answers in OMR sheets.
- The exam is divided into two papers. Paper 1 is Mental Ability Test (MAT) and Paper 2 is Scholastic Ability Test (SAT).
- The medium of Stage 1 exam is specified by respective state authorities while Stage 2 exam is offered in Asamiya, Bangla, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Marathi, Malayalam, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu language.
- There is no negative marking applicable in NTSE 2021.
NTSE Exam Pattern for both Stage 1 and Stage 2 are explained below:
| NTSE Papers | No. of Questions | Maximum Marks | Time Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 – MAT | 100 | 100 | 120 Minutes |
| Paper 2 – SAT | 100 (Science-40, Math-20, Social Science-40) | 100 | 120 Minutes |
NTSE 2021 Syllabus
- Syllabus of NTSE is based on 10 curricula of NCERT.
- Students are advised to go through each and every topic while preparing for the exam.
- NTSE consists of multiple-choice questions which are asked from the subjects like Mathematics, Science, Social Science, English, General Knowledge and Mental Ability syllabus.
- Following is the detailed explanation of all the topics of different subjects along with the weight-age of the particular topic:
Mathematics Syllabus
NTSE Mathematics section contains around 30 questions which include the topics from class 6 to 10.
| Topics | Topics | |
|---|---|---|
| Algebraic Expressions | Percentage& Its Application | |
| Arithmetic | Playing with Number | |
| Basic Geometry | Probability | |
| Quadratic Equations | ||
| Circles | Rational Numbers | |
| Coordinate Geometry | Simple & Compound Interest | |
| Direct& Inverse Variations | Square & Cube Roots | |
| Exponent | Statistics | |
| Linear Equation | Surface Areas and Volume | |
| Mensuration | Triangles | |
| Number System | Trigonometry |
Science Syllabus
In the science syllabus, topics are included from Physics, Chemistry and Biology. This section contains around 35 questions.
| Topics | Weight-age | Topics | Weight-age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acid Bases and Salts | 2% | Metals & Non Metals | 5% |
| Air | 4% | Micro-Organisms | 3% |
| Carbon and its Compound | 6% | Motion and Force | 3% |
| Cellular Level of Organization | 4% | Our Environment | 5% |
| Diversity in Living organisms | 2% | Periodic Classification of Elements | 2% |
| Fibres and Plastics | 1% | Reproduction | 5% |
| Food Production & Management | 1% | Soil | 1% |
| Heredity and Evolution | 1% | Some Common Diseases | 7% |
| Human Body | 7% | Sound | 2% |
| Life Processes | 4% | Sound of Energy | 4% |
| Light | 5% | Structure of Atom | 3% |
| Acid Bases and Salts | 2% | The Universe | 1% |
| Magnetic & Electricity at Work | 5% | Water | 4% |
| Measurement | 3% | Work and Energy | 6% |
Social Science Syllabus
In this subject, topics are from History, Civics, Geography, Economics and General Awareness. This section contains around 35 questions.
| Topics | Weight-age | Topics | Weight-age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture | 2% | Local and State Government | 1% |
| Atmosphere | 3% | Medieval Architecture and Culture | 1% |
| Biosphere | 1% | Motion of the Earth | 3% |
| British raj | 5% | Nationalism in Various Countries | 2% |
| Culture, Science and Literature | 1% | Natural Vegetation | 3% |
| Democracy and Elections | 2% | New Empires and Kingdoms | 2% |
| Diversity and Livelihood | 2% | Our Country- India | 4% |
| Early Medieval Period | 3% | Popular Movements and Social Reforms | 2% |
| Early States | 1% | Population | 1% |
| Eighteen Century Political Formation | 1% | Resources and Development | 5% |
| French Revolution | 1% | Solar System | 1% |
| India and Its Neighbours | 2% | The Delhi Sultanate | 3% |
| Indian Constitution | 4% | The Judiciary | 2% |
| Indian Economics | 4% | The Maurayas | 2% |
| Indian Freedom Struggle | 5% | The Mughal Empire | 5% |
| Indus Valley Civilization | 4% | UN and International Agencies | 1% |
| Industrial Revolution | 2% | Union Government | 2% |
| Industries | 1% | Vedic Period | 2% |
| Internal Structure of the Earth and Rocks | 2% | Water Resources | 2% |
| Introduction and Sources of Ancient Indian History | 2% | World History | 3% |
| Jainism, Buddhism and Conquerors from Distant Lands | 2% | - | - |
English Syllabus
| Topics | Weight-age |
|---|---|
| One Word Substitution | 30% |
| Paragraph Completion | 5% |
| Reading Comprehension | 10% |
| Rearrangement of Jumbled Words | 5% |
| Sentence Completion | 10% |
| Synonyms | 15% |
| Antonyms | 15% |
| English Grammar | 10% |
General Knowledge Syllabus
| Topics | Weight-age |
|---|---|
| India | 40% |
| World | 20% |
| Abbreviations | 10% |
| Awards and Recognitions | 10% |
| Books and Authors | 10% |
| Sports | 10% |
Mental Ability Syllabus
| Topics | Weight-age | Topics | Weight-age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alphabets and Number test | 1% | Figure Partition and Dot Situation | 1% |
| Analogy(Non Verbal) | 5% | Mathematical Operations | 3% |
| Analogy(Verbal) | 5% | Missing Character | 9% |
| Blood relations | 9% | Paper Folding and Cutting | 2% |
| Calendar, Time and Clock | 1% | Ranking and Arrangements | 7% |
| Classification | 9% | Series (Verbal) | 7% |
| Coding-Decoding | 7% | Series(Non Verbal) | 8% |
| Cube and Dice | 5% | Venn Diagrams | 2% |
| Direction Sense | 7% | Water and Mirror Images | 4% |
| Embedded Figure | 5% | - | - |
NTSE 2021 Recommended Books
Books play a very important role for the preparation of any kind of examination. The following table shows the names of the books which every aspirant must study:
| Name of the Book | Publisher |
|---|---|
| Study Package for NTSE Class X (English) 1st and 2nd Edition | Mc Graw Hill |
| Practice Papers NTSE X (English) 1st Edition | TMH Books |
| The Pearson Guide to NTSE Class 10 (English) 1st Edition | Saurabh Priyadarshini and Navi C. Joshi |
| NTSE Explorer: MAT + SAT + New English Language Test for class 10th ( English) | Sonia Lal |
NTSE 2021 Result
- Those students who have successfully qualified the test are eligible for the scholarship.
- Students will be selected for the scholarship on the basis of the final merit list.
- Once stage 2 result will be announced, the final merit list will be prepared accordingly.
- The merit list will be published on the website. It will not be sent through post.
- To check the examination result, students can visit the official website of NCERT i.e. www.ncert.nic.in.
- Students have to enter their Registration number and Date of Birth to check the result.
- The result will be available in PDF file format.
By following the below steps students can easily download their NTSE 2020 Result:
- Visit the official website of state government/ Union Territories.
- Click on the link ‘NTSE 2021 Result’
- After clicking on the link, students will be redirected to the next page.
- Enter the required details i.e. Roll number, date of birth
- Click on the submit button.
- NTSE Result will be displayed on the screen.
- Download the same for future reference.
NTSE 2021 Cut off
Cut off marks are the minimum marks that are required by candidate to clear the examination. The cut off marks will be declared by the respective states. The final cut off mark will be declared by NCERT after the completion of stage 2 examination. NCERT publishes category wise and subject wise cut off marks.
The factors affecting the state wise cut off marks are as follows:
- Students appearing in the exam
- Difficulty level of the paper
- Marking scheme
- Number of seats available
Category wise cut off marks
| Categories | Total Score of MAT and SAT Cutoff | Maximum marks out of 197 of MAT, SAT |
|---|---|---|
| General | 150 | 186 |
| General- PH1 | 111 | 144 |
| General- PH2 | 78 | 124 |
| General- PH3 | 101 | 131 |
| SC | 122 | 149 |
| SC- PH1 | 71 | 113 |
| SC- PH2 | 87 | 87 |
| ST | 113 | 145 |
| ST-PH1 | 90 | 93 |
| ST-PH2 | 81 | 81 |
Subject wise cut off marks
| Test Papers | Maximum Marks | Qualifying Percentage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ST/ SC/ PH | General | ||
| Paper I MAT | 49* | 35% (17.15) | 40% (19.6) |
| Paper II English | 50 | 35% (17.5) | 40% (20.0) |
| Paper II Hindi | 50 | 35% (17.5) | 40% (20.0) |
| Paper III SAT | 96** | 35% (33.6) | 40% (38.4) |
| Total Marks | 145 | 35% (50.75) | 40% (58) |
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.