National Talent Search Examination (NTSE) conducted by National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is an all India level talent search and scholarship program. NTSE 2018 eligibility criteria entitles only Class X Indian students from a recognized school to appear for the exam. A two stage NTSE 2018 eligibility criteria prescribed by NCERT identifies budding academic talent in the country and grants scholarships to meritorious students.
Every year NCERT screens academically bright students through NTSE and approximately 1000 successful contenders are awarded scholarship in the form of a cash prize to acknowledge their academic aptitude and intelligence. The students get these scholarships for their mental and didactic caliber and hence all the eligible class X students must register for NTSE. The students qualify for receiving scholarships only after successfully clearing the two stages NTSE. It is an unparalleled effort to encourage students to pursue higher education as all the qualifying students receive scholarships for continuing basic sciences courses up to doctoral level. With this financial aid, talented students get a chance to pursue courses of their choice and all the students of class X eagerly enroll for NTSE every year.
NTSE 2018 eligibility criteria: NTSE is held in two stages and different eligibility criteria apply for each stage:
Stage 1 or the state level NTSE 2018 eligibility criteria: Only Class X Indian students from a State or Union Territory recognized school who have secured at least 60% marks during their class IX exams can sit for the test. The minimum percentage for students belonging to SC/ST/PH category is 55% (5% relaxation).
Stage 2 or the national level NTSE 2018 eligibility criteria: The students who secured at least 80% marks in the state level NTSE can appear for the stage 2 national level exam. All the students who achieve requisite scores at this level automatically qualify for scholarships that are handed over by NCERT.
The NTSE 2018 pattern set by NCERT consists of two sections – Mental Aptitude Test (MAT) and Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) for each stage is as follows:
| Sections | Stage 1 (State level) | Stage 2 (National level) |
| Mental Aptitude Test (MAT) | 50 Questions / 45 min. | 50 Questions / 45 min. |
| Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) | 150 Questions/ 135 min. | 150 Questions/ 135 min. |
The application form for NTSE 2018 can be downloaded and submitted on the official website of NCERT. The eligible aspirants must register for scholarship programs and their duly completed forms should reach the concerned authorities in time.
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