NSTSE 2020: Official Dates, Registration, Application Form & Syllabus

NSTSE stands for National Level Science Talent Search Examination. It is a very popular competitive examination among school students in India! In this article, you will find the following details about NSTSE 2020 – important dates, registration and application process, application fees, syllabus and exam pattern, eligibility criteria and more.

Technically, NSTSE is a diagnostic examination. Unlike other competitive examinations, the main aim of this exam is to help students identify their strengths and weaknesses! In other words, it is an excellent platform for students to help identify their aptitude and academic knowledge!

This examination is conducted by Unified Council. UC conducts this exam each year. And each year, it attracts hundreds of thousands of applications! The year 2020 won’t be any different! Hundreds of thousands of aspirants are eagerly waiting to apply for NSTSE 2020! Also check – 12th board preparation tips.

Here’s an overview of the competitive examination –

Name of the examination: NSTSE (National Level Science Talent Search Examination)
Level: National level
Conducted by: Unified Council
Frequency: Conducted each year
Field: Mathematics and Science mainly (other subjects are also present)
Eligibility: Students from classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 (PCM & PCB) & 12 (PCM & PCB)
Types of questions asked: Objective Type

Come, let us check out some basic details about this examination. Here it is –

Table of Contents

What is NSTSE?
NSTSE 2020 Dates (Tentative)
Eligibility Criteria
Application Process
Syllabus and Exam Pattern

What is NSTSE?

As the name suggests, it is a Science talent search examination. The main aim of this exam is to help students improve their learning ability and skills.

The exam also helps identify students who have good scholastic skills in Mathematics, Science and other relevant subjects. NSTSE toppers are usually awarded Medals and Cash awards.

Unlike other competitive exams, NSTSE serves the purpose of being a diagnostic exam. The exam helps students identify their strengths and weaknesses. In this way, it helps them improve their overall learning skills and ability.

Board exams and most of the other competitive exams don’t usually evaluate candidates properly! For example, when it comes to board examination, a student who has mugged up the syllabus can perform very well in the exam.

These exams don’t encourage students to understand the fundamentals and concepts. Instead of that, they encourage students to memorize things and vomit out the answers in an exam!

On the other hand, NSTSE rewards students who have strong knowledge of the foundation and basic concepts. This exam requires students to think and understand the concepts!

This examination is very popular among students in India as well as other countries such as – UAE, Yemen, Oman, Iran, Indonesia, Nepal and more! The subjects covered are – Mathematics, General Science, Physics, Chemistry and Biology.

Let us check out the important dates now. Here they are –

NSTSE 2020 Dates (Tentative)

Starting date of receipt of application form: TBA
Last date of receipt of application form: October 2019
Admit Card/Hall ticket made available on: January 2020
Date of examination: January-February 2020
Results declaration: 40 days after the date of examination

Eligibility Criteria

Students of classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 (PCM and PCB) and 12 (PCM and PCB) are eligible to appear for NSTSE. Syllabus and paper pattern is based on the level or class a student belongs to.

Application Process

Application process is pretty simple. It consists of 3 main stages –

Obtaining the registration form
Filling up the form
Sending the form along with Demand Draft to the specified address

Registration form can be easily obtained online on the official website of Unified Council. After downloading the form, candidates must fill it up correctly. While filling up the form, a candidate has to enter his/her personal details as well as academic details.

Candidates must also prepare a Demand Draft for 300 INR, drawn in favor of Unified Council, payable at Hyderabad. 300 INR consists of payment of examination fees, previous year’ question papers, student’s performance report and postal charges.

Neatly pack the registration form and Demand Draft in an envelope and send it to the specified address. You may also pay this application fees online on Unified Council’s Official website.

If everthing has been done correctly, you will receive the specified materials (books, receipt etc) within 5 weeks from the date the Unified Council Receives your registration form. If the package doesn’t arrive at your place in the specified time, you may contact and e-mail the authorities and bring this matter to their attention.

Syllabus and Exam Pattern

NTSE is based on CBSE syllabus. Based on the class or level a student belongs to, the subjects covered by NSTSE are – Mathematics, Science, General Questions, Physics, Chemistry and Biology.

Let us check out the number of questions asked in the examination. Here it is –

**Number of questions**
Class	No of questions
2	50
3	75
4 to 12	100

Let us check out marks distribution now. Here it is –

**Marks distribution**
Class 2	Mathematics – 25 marks, Science – 25 marks
Class 3	Mathematics – 40, Science – 35
Classes 4 and 5	Mathematics – 45, Science – 45, General Questions – 10
Classes 6th to 10th	Mathematics – 25, Physics – 25, Chemistry – 20, Biology – 20, General Questions – 10
Classes 11th and 12th PCM	Mathematics – 40, Physics – 25, Chemistry – 25, General Questions – 10
Classes 11th and 12th PCB	Biology – 40, Physics – 25, Chemistry – 25, General Questions – 10

The examination will be conducted in 2 levels. The first stage is Level 1. It will be conducted in selected test centers and schools.Level 2 examination will be conducted in the nearest State Headquarters or Designated towns. Top 500 students across the Nation (Class 2-12) and top 20 students from each class are eligible to appear for Level 2 examination.

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Dharmesh Shrivastav

Entrance exam expert at Courses After 10th

Dharmesh is a passionate content writer who has 5+ years of writing experience. He is passionate about topics such as - competitive exams in India, Indian education system, entrance exams (for higher education) & current affairs.

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