NTSE-2013 will be for class-8 students. The previously proposed changes have been revoked for the time being. 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 2012 NTSE 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.