The National Talent Search Examination is one of the most prestigious scholarship examinations in India. The aim of the examination is to identify talented students across the country and award them with a scholarship program so that they can pursue further studies. The examination is conducted by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).
The students are identified through a two-tier examination process i.e. Stage I and Stage II. Only students clearing the stage 1 exam are allowed to sit for the stage 2 examination. So, students must prepare hard for the exam and should be totally familiar with the NTSE Syllabus to score good marks in the exam.
- Stage I: It is conducted by different states and union territories in India. It is a state-level examination.
- Stage II: It is conducted by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). It is a national-level examination.
NTSE Exam Pattern
The questions in the exam are multiple-choice questions. The exam pattern for NTSE is the same for both stage 1 and stage 2. The exam consists of three tests:
- Mental Ability Test (MAT) – Test a student’s ability to problem-solving and reasoning skills.
- Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) – Contain questions from sections like Maths, Science, Geography, History, Political Science & Economics.
The detailed NTSE Exam Pattern is given in the table mentioned below.
| Test | Time Duration | Total no. of Questions | Marks Allotted |
| Mental Ability Test (MAT) | 120 | 100 | 100 |
| Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) | 120 | 100 | 100 |
- 1 mark is awarded for every correct answer for both stages 1 and 2.
- There will be no negative marking.
NTSE Exam Syllabus
The NTSE exam syllabus is one of the most important components to prepare for the exam. The NTSE Syllabus (NTSE stage 1 syllabus and stage 2 syllabus) is provided here so that students can prepare for the exam in a better way. The NTSE Exam is conducted for students studying in Class 10. Only 10th standard students (below 18 years of age) are eligible to appear for the examination.
The NTSE syllabus for the subjects Mathematics, English, General Knowledge, Mental Ability, Science, and Social Science is given in the table mentioned below.
| Mathematics Syllabus | |
| Algebraic Expressions | Basic Geometry |
| Arithmetic Progressions | Coordinate Geometry |
| Arithmetic | Circles |
| Direct & inverse variation | Linear Equation |
| Mensuration | Exponent |
| Percentage & its Application | Number System |
| Quadratic Equations | Probability |
| Simple interest & Compound interest | Playing with Numbers |
| Statistics | Rational Numbers |
| Square Root & Cube Root | Triangles |
| Surface Areas and Volumes | Trigonometry |
| Science Syllabus | |
| Air | Acid Bases and Salt |
| Cellular Level of Organisation | Carbon and its Compounds |
| Fibres and Plastics | Diversity in Living Organisms |
| Measurement | Life Processes |
| Metals & Non Metals | Human Body |
| Heredity and Evolution | Food Production & Management |
| Heredity and Evolution | Light and Sound |
| Magnetism & Electricity at Work | Micro-organisms |
| Periodic Classification of Elements | Our Environment |
| Motion and Force | Periodic Classification of Elements |
| Plant and Animal Nutrition | Physical and Chemical Changes |
| Work and energy | The Universe |
| Water | Structure of Atom |
| Soil | Source of Energy |
| Reproduction | Some Common Diseases |
| Social Science Syllabus | |
| Agriculture | Biosphere |
| Culture, Science and Literature | Diversity and Livelihood |
| Early States | French Revolution |
| Indian Constitution | Indian Freedom Struggle |
| Industrial Revolution | Internal Structure of the Earth and Rocks |
| Jainism, Buddhism and Conquerors from Distant Lands | Major Domains and Landforms |
| Medieval Architecture and Culture | Nationalism in Various Countries |
| New Empires and Kingdoms | Popular Movements and Social Reforms |
| Resources and Development | The Delhi Sultanate |
| The Mauryas | UN and International Agencies |
| Vedic Period | World History |
| Atmosphere | British Raj |
| Democracy and Elections | Early Medieval Period |
| Eighteenth Century Political Formation | India and its Neighbors |
| Indian Economics | Indus Valley Civilization |
| Introduction and Sources of Ancient Indian History | Local and State Government |
| Maps and Globe | Motion of the Earth |
| Natural Vegetation | Our Country – India |
| Population | Solar System |
| The Judiciary | The Mughal Empire |
| Union Government | Water Resources |
| Mental Ability Syllabus | |
| Alphabet and Number Test | Analogy (Verbal) |
| Calendar, Time and Clock | Analogy (Non Verbal) |
| Embedded Figure | Mathematical Operations |
| Ranking and Arrangements | Series (Verbal) |
| Water and Mirror Images | Series (Non – Verbal) |
| Coding-Decoding | Blood Relations |
| Classification | Direction Sense |
| Figure Partition and Dot Situation | Missing Character |
| Venn Diagrams | Word Problems |
| General Knowledge Syllabus | |
| Abbreviations | Books and Authors |
| Sports | Awards and Recognitions |
| India | World |
| English Syllabus | |
| Antonyms | One word substitution |
| Reading Comprehension | Sentence Completion |
| English Grammar | Paragraph Completion |
| Rearrangement of Jumbled Words | Synonyms |
Students must understand the NTSE syllabus properly before applying for the exam. Stay tuned with Study Rate to get the latest news and notifications on the NTSE exam, along with sample papers, marking schemes, and other exam-related details.
