NTSE 2020 Exam Pattern Highlights
| NTSE Exam Date Stage 1 |
November 2020 |
| NTSE Exam Date Stage 2 |
June 2021 |
| Mode of Exam |
Offline |
| Number of subjects |
3 |
| Duration of exam |
120 minutes for each stage respectively |
| Number of questions |
100 in each paper |
| Marking Scheme |
1 mark for each right answer |
| Total Marks |
400 |
| Language of paper |
English, Hindi |
NTSE 2020 Stage-I Exam Pattern
Stage-I is conducted at State/UT level by the concerned State/UT authorities. Candidates have to select 1 language from English or Hindi to solve the paper. Each correct answer is awarded 1 mark and there is no negative marking at this stage. The paper is divided into two parts:
Part 1 – Mental Ability test (MAT): This part contains logical and analytical reasoning based questions. This section tests the candidate’s reasoning, ability to think, evaluate, ability to discriminate and visualize. A total of 50 questions is to be answered under this section.
Part 2 – Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT): This part consists of 150 questions from Science, Mathematics, Social Science and English Language. This section judges the student’s reading abilities, interpretation, evaluation and general awareness of the subjects.
| TEST |
No. Of Questions |
Maximum Marks |
Time Allotted |
| MAT |
50 |
200 |
120 Minutes |
| SAT |
150 |
NTSE 2020 Stage-II Exam Pattern
Stage-II is conducted at National Level, where shortlisted students from Stage-I (State-level) exam appear to compete for the scholarship. The paper is divided into two parts – MAT and SAT, like that in Stage-I. There will be 100 questions in both MAT and SAT (Science-40, Maths-20, Social science-40).
The duration of both the exams is 2 hours or 120 minutes. In NTSE Stage 2 exam, there is no negative marking. Only candidates qualifying in both the papers separately will be considered for merit. Selection of the awardee will be made on the basis of total marks scored in MAT and SAT based on merit.
NTSE 2020 Exam Pattern of Stage I and Stage II is given below:
| TEST |
No. Of Questions |
Maximum Marks |
Time Allotted |
| MAT |
100 |
200 |
120 Minutes |
| SAT - Mathematics, Science, Social Sciences |
100 |
Indian Students Studying Abroad in class X can directly appear for Stage - II of NTSE 2020 if they qualify for the condition mentioned in the NTSE brochure available at NTSE Official Website.
NTSE 2020 Syllabus
NTSE Syllabus enables candidates to carefully plan and prepare for the exam. NTSE syllabus 2020 would be based on the syllabus of class X prescribed by NCERT. Candidates should focus on all the units while preparing for NTS Examination.
The subject-wise syllabus as prescribed by National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is given below.
Mathematics - There are 22 chapters to be covered in the NTSE 2020 Mathematics Syllabus
| Algebraic Expressions |
Arithmetic |
Arithmetic Progressions |
| Basic Geometry |
Circles |
Coordinate Geometry |
| Direct& Inverse Variations |
Exponent |
Linear Equation |
| Mensuration |
Number System |
Percentage& Its Application |
| Playing with Number |
Probability |
Quadratic Equations |
| Rational Numbers |
Simple & Compound Interest |
Square & Cube Roots |
| Statistics |
Surface Areas and Volume |
Triangles |
| Trigonometry |
-- |
-- |
Science - There are 29 chapters to be covered.
| Acid Bases and Salts |
Air |
Carbon and its Compound |
| Cellular Level of Organization |
Diversity in Living organisms |
Fibers and Plastics |
| Food Production &Management |
Heredity and Evolution |
Human Body |
| Life Processes |
Light |
Magnetic & Electricity at Work |
| Measurement |
Metals & Non-Metals |
Micro-Organisms |
| Motion and Force |
Our Environment |
Periodic Classification of Elements |
| Reproduction |
Soil |
Some Common Diseases |
| Sound |
Sound of Energy |
Structure of Atom |
| The Universe |
Water |
Work and Energy |
Social Science - There are 43 chapters to be covered in the NTSE 2020 Social Science Syllabus:
| Agriculture |
Atmosphere |
Biosphere |
| British raj |
Culture, Science and Literature |
Democracy and Elections |
| Diversity and Livelihood |
Early Medieval Period |
Early States |
| Eighteen Century Political Formation |
French Revolution |
India and its Neighbours |
| Indian Constitution |
Indian Economics |
Indian Freedom Struggle |
| Indus Valley Civilization |
Industrial Revolution |
Industries |
| Internal Structure of the Earth and Rocks |
Introduction and Sources of Ancient Indian History |
Jainism, Buddhism and Conquerors from Distant Lands |
| Local and State Government |
Medieval Architecture and Culture |
Motion of the Earth |
| Nationalism in Various Countries |
Natural Vegetation |
New Empires and Kingdoms |
| Our Country- India |
Popular Movements and Social Reforms |
Population |
| Resources and Development |
Solar System |
The Delhi Sultanate |
| The Judiciary |
The Maurayas |
The Mughal Empire |
| UN and International Agencies |
Union Government |
Vedic Period |
| Water Resources |
World History |
-- |
English Language - There are 8 chapters to be covered in the NTSE 2020 English Language Syllabus:
| Antonyms |
English Grammar |
| One Word Substitution |
Paragraph Completion |
| Reading Comprehension |
Rearrangement of Jumbled Words |
| Sentence Completion |
Synonyms |
General Knowledge - There are 6 chapters to be covered in the NTSE 2020 General Knowledge Syllabus:
| Abbreviations |
Awards and Recognitions |
| Books and Authors |
India |
| Sports |
World |
Mental Ability - There are 20 chapters to be covered in the NTSE 2020 Mental Ability Syllabus:
| Alphabets and Number test |
Analogy (Non-Verbal) |
| Analogy(Verbal) |
Blood relations |
| Calendar, Time and Clock |
Classification |
| Coding-Decoding |
Cube and Dice |
| Direction Sense |
Embedded Figure |
| Figure Partition and Dot Situation |
Mathematical Operations |
| Missing Character |
Paper Folding and Cutting |
| Ranking and Arrangements |
Series (Verbal) |
| Series(Non Verbal) |
Venn Diagrams |
| Water and Mirror Images |
Word Problems |
