NTSE Exam Pattern 2025-26: Stage 1 & 2 Pattern and Marking Scheme

NTSE Exam Pattern 2025: The National Talent Search Examination (NTSE) is one of the most competitive examinations in India. The NTSE is a prestigious scholarship program for students of Class 10 from all over the country. Approximately 9-10 lakh students appear for this scholarship program annually. The NCERT conducts the NTSE exams every year, and 1000 successful students are selected for the NTSE scholarship. 

The NTSE 2025 exam is expected to be held in November, and we can expect the application forms anytime soon. Conducted in two stages, i.e. Stage I and Stage II. Stage I of NTSE is a state-level exam, whereas stage II is a national-level examination. Students who intend to appear for the NTSE examinations must be aware of the paper pattern of the NTSE 2025 to devise an effective study plan and score maximum marks in the exams. This article will give you detailed information on the NTSE Exam pattern 2025. 

NTSE Exam Pattern 2025

Students preparing for the NTSE scholarship must have a detailed idea about its exam pattern. This will help them to create an efficient study plan. Having a clear idea of the NTSE exam pattern like the marking scheme, the number of questions, sections, time duration, syllabus, etc., helps students to crack the exams. Before diving into the details of the NTSE exam pattern, let’s have an overview of the exam:

Let us now look into the details of the NTSE Exam Pattern for Stage-I and Stage-II.

NTSE Exam Pattern For Stage-I

NTSE 2025 exam is held in 2 stages. Stage-I is held at the state/UT level by the state/UT authorities. The NTSE stage-I question paper consists of MAT (Mental Ability Tests) and SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Tests). The SAT includes questions in Science, Mathematics, and Social Science. Every correct answer will bring one mark while there is no negative marking for wrong attempts. Check the NTSE 2025 exam pattern of both stages below:

NTSE Exam Pattern For Stage-II

Students shortlisted from stage-I of NTSE will be eligible to appear for stage-II of NTSE. This stage too has two sections – MAT and SAT. Just like in stage-I, the SAT of stage II has three subjects – Science, Social Science, and Mathematics. Similar to NTSE stage-I exam, no marks will be deducted for incorrect answers in stage-II. The total number of questions, marking scheme, and time duration are tabulated below:

For the SAT – Science, Social Science, and Maths section of both stage-I and stage-II, there will be 40 questions from Science, 40 questions from Social Science, and 20 questions from Mathematics.

NTSE Exam Pattern: NTSE Interview

Students must also remember that all those candidates who qualify in stage-II of NTSE will be called for an Interview. The best 1000 students who clear the interview will be selected for the NTSE Scholarship.

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How to Prepare for NTSE 2025 Exam?

To crack the NTSE scholarship with good marks, students should be aware of the best preparation tips for NTSE exams. Below we have provided some tips and tricks for NTSE 2025: 

1. Understand the NTSE Syllabus and Pattern: It is important for students to know which sections to prepare for the NTSE, how much time they have to solve the papers and which section needs more attention. They can have detailed information about all this if they have the complete details of the NTSE exam syllabus and pattern.
2. Preparation Material for NTSE: The preparation material for the NTSE 2021 involves the previous question papers, mock test papers, important notes, question banks, NCERT books and solutions. The students must ensure that they select the preparation material wisely as per the exams. Students must also attempt mock tests and practice tests to ensure that they do not have any doubts.
3. Revise Regularly: Students should revise the concepts regularly so that they can retain the information during the exams. It also helps the students to score maximum marks in the examinations.
4. Time Management: The students should master time management skills to crack the NTSE 2025. They must devise a timetable with all the routine activities and subjects covered in the syllabus of NTSE. It helps the students to monitor their activities and invest their time effectively.

FAQs Related To NTSE Exam Pattern 2025

Here we present to you the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) related to NTSE Paper Pattern 2025:

Q.1. When will the NTSE Stage-II 2025 exams be conducted?
Ans: The NTSE stage-II exams are scheduled to be conducted on June 2025.

Q.2. What is the passing marks of the NTSE exam?
Ans: The minimum passing marks are 40% for each paper for General/OBC and 32% for each paper for SC/ST/PH.

Q.3. How can I get good marks in NTSE?
Ans: You can follow the NTSE preparation tips suggested by Embibe to score maximum marks in NTSE and clear the cutoff.

Q.4. What type of questions are asked in NTSE?
Ans: NTSE examination is one of the most prestigious scholarship tests in India. Multiple choice questions (MCQs) are asked in the NTSE exam.

Q.5. Which state has the toughest NTSE paper?
Ans: West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh states are known to set the toughest NTSE papers.

Now that you have a clear idea about NTSE Exam Pattern, you can create a proper timetable with separate time slots allocated for each section. You must solve a sufficient number of CBSE practice questions for each section in a time-bound manner. Remember, time management is very important for NTSE. You must also take CBSE mock tests and see how you are performing. You must work on your weaknesses and mistakes after every test so that you improve your score from test to test.

We hope this detailed article on NTSE Exam Pattern helps you. If you have any queries regarding NTSE Paper Pattern or the exam in general, feel to drop a comment below. We will help you out.