NTSE is a prestigious scholarship provided to the candidates who are academically brilliant in studies. The scholarship programme is conducted in two stages, i.e. Stage 1 and Stage 2 only for the students of Class 10. Those who are preparing for the NTSE Exam must know about the important topics. The exams are now hovering on your head, and this is the time to roll your sleeves up and study hard. On this article, the most important topics a student should prepare from each subject are mentioned so that you will get to know what and how much you have to prepare. Apart from the most critical topics, few topics are carrying the heavy weightage also mentioned on this page.
- NTSE Paper consists of questions from Scholastic Ability Test(SAT) and Mental Ability Test(MAT)
- There is no Language Test for NTSE
- There is no negative marking in NTSE 2020-21
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NTSE Syllabus 2020
The questions of NTSE Examination will be asked based on the syllabus of Class 9 and 10. So the candidates preparing for the NTSE 2020 can prepare from the books of Class 9 and 10. The Examination will Consist of Mental Ability Test (MAT) and Scholastic Ability Test (SAT).
NTSE Syllabus 2020 for MAT
This test is given to the candidates to judge their power of reasoning, ability to think, ability to judge, evaluate or discriminate, the ability to visualize in the space, spatial orientation, etc. A variety of questions, for example, analogies, classification, series, pattern perception, hidden figures, coding-decoding, block assembly, problem-solving etc. are used for this purpose.
- Verbal Reasoning
- Non-Verbal Reasoning
- English Language
NTSE Syllabus 2020 for SAT
Aptitude test will have questions from Science, Mathematics & Social Science. Further, there are 40 questions from Science, 40 question from Social Science and 20 question from Mathematics.
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Biology
- Mathematics
- History
- Geography
- Civics
- Economics
NTSE Important Topics
All the subjects fall under the NTSE Scholarship to prepare for are essential though. Still, there are some of the topics which can be prepared keenly by the students as they are considered as the most important topics. The topics from each subject in NTSE are mentioned below
NTSE Syllabus For History: Important Topics
S. No. | Topic |
1 | French Revolution |
2 | Russian Revolution |
3 | Nazi and Hitler |
4 | Indian Nationalism |
5 | Indo Chinese Revolution |
6 | Europe Nationalism |
7 | World Wars |
8 | Enclosures in Europe |
NTSE Syllabus For Geography: Important Topics
S.No. | Topic |
1 | Climate India and World |
2 | Indian Physiographic Division |
3 | Indian Location |
4 | Food |
5 | Drainage in India |
6 | World Important Basins - Amazon and Mississipi |
7 | Maps - Physiographic Division and Drainage |
NTSE Syllabus 2020 - MAT and SAT Heavy weightage topics
The percentages given are just approximate and it changes from year to year. The students are advised to study these topics carefully as every year a question comes from this.
Subject |
Topics |
Mathematics |
Basic Geometry (15% of Mathematics Syllabus) |
English Language |
One word Substitution (30% of English Language Syllabus) |
General Knowledge |
India (40% of General Knowledge Syllabus) |
Mental Ability |
Classification (9% of Mental Ability Syllabus) |
Science |
Some Common Diseases (7% of Science Syllabus) |
Social Science |
The Mughal Empire (5% of Social Science Syllabus) |
NTSE Exam Pattern 2020
The Examination will Consist of Mental Ability Test (MAT) and Scholastic Ability Test (SAT). Earlier, Language Comprehensive Test was also included, however, it was removed.
Subjects |
Marks | No. of Questions | Duration |
Mental Ability Test - MAT |
100 | 100 | 120 minutes |
Scholastic Ability Test - SAT |
100 | 100 | 120 minutes |
Total |
200 | 200 | 240 minutes |
Qualifying Marks: Qualifying marks for candidates from the General category are 40% in each paper, and for candidates from SC, ST and PH is 32% in each paper. Candidates have to score these minimum marks in each paper to qualify.
How to Use NTSE Syllabus for studying for NTSE Exam
To prepare for any of the scholarship exams, one should be clear and attentive about the topics he/ she need to prepare. Then moving further with right preparation strategy and tips will help the candidates to achieve excellent marks in NTSE. Candidates can check NTSE Preparation Tips below. Here we are providing some useful tips to follow:
- Routine to Study: While preparing for any of the entrance exams, following the proper study plan is a must. The students preparing for the exam should make a timetable and study accordingly
- Go through the previous question papers: We know the syllabus, we know the crucial topics but are they enough? No, until you know the pattern of the examination. So previous year question papers and sample papers will help you to understand the pattern
- Hard work is not necessary: Hard work is the key to success, we all have heard it right? But nowadays, smart work has been replaced by the hard work. You do not have to mug up all the things. Study what required and focused on the important topics.
- Believe in Yourself: It is true saying that if you give up on yourself, no one is going to stand up for you. First of all, you need to believe in yourself and remember every battle first won in mind, so you also need to be mentally prepared for everything.
Important Points of NTSE Exam
- Aptitude Test: The aptitude test will consist of questions from History, Geography, Political Science, Economics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Mathematics.
- Negative Marking in NTSE: There will be No Negative Marking from 2020 and no negative marks would be awarded for unanswered questions.
- The language of NTSE Examination: The Examination is conducted in various languages that are: Assamese, Bangla, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Marathi, Malayalam, Oriya, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu.
- Qualifying Marks: NTSE Examination qualifying marks are 40% for the general category and 32% for the reserved categories, i.e. SC/ST/PwD. Candidates have to score these minimum marks in each paper to qualify.
Quick Links to NTSE 2020
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