A Guide to crack the NTSE

A GUIDE TO CRACK
THE NTSE
INDEX
 ABOUT NTSE
 FEW GENERAL POINTS
 COACHING OR SELF STUDY
 STAGE-1
 BALANCING BOARDS AND STAGE-2
 STAGE-2
 LAST FEW DAYS
 MISCELLANEOUS
 AWARDS AND INCENTIVES
 IMPORTANT LINKS
 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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 A Guide to crack the NTSE

ABOUT NTSE
NTSE stands for National Talent Search Exam. It is meant for
students studying in Class X. It is one of the most prestigious
examinations at class X level.
The exam is conducted by NCERT under the Ministry of
Human Resource Development, Government of India. A total
of 1000 students are selected in NTSE and are declared as
national scholar by Government of India. They are provided
with a monetary Scholarship for their higher studies.
Additionally there are also other awards and incentives
provided which are discussed later.
The exam is conducted in two stages-

 Stage-1 – It is a State level exam which is conducted by

the respective State Boards in the month of November.
The selected students are eligible to appear in the
second stage. The number of qualifying students is
about 4000 collectively.
 Stage-2 – It is a National Level exam and is the final
stage of NTSE. It is conducted by NCERT. Around 1000
scholarships are given each year.
The important point for students to note here is about the
organizing bodies.
As the Stage-1 is conducted by the State Boards, the syllabus
is mostly the State Board syllabus of class IX and X (VIII also,

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 A Guide to crack the NTSE

in some cases). Some states follow the NCERT books in their

curriculum. The Stage-2 syllabus is more or less the NCERT
curriculum of Class IX and X. A bit higher level of questions
should definitely be expected, given the competitiveness and
prestige of the exam.

FEW GENERAL POINTS

 Decide for yourself if NTSE is a priority or just another
exam. For most of the students, academically good or
not, it is the first chance to prove their potential.
 Be regular in studies. You do not need an extremely
sharp mind to crack the exam. Consistency is the key.
 Complete the required syllabus before venturing in any
extra stuff. Be the Jack of All Trades before trying to
master one.
 Do not buy too many books. The essential content is the
same in all books. Buying a particular XYZ book does not
guarantee selection. It is better to study one book ten
times than ten books superficially.
 Give tests periodically. You can read books for hundreds
of hours, solve numerous questions but in the end if
your exam temperament isn’t good, most of the effort
will go down the drain.
 Leave your Smartphone, social media, laptop etc. if you
think they are hindering your goal.

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 A Guide to crack the NTSE

 Keep analyzing yourself. Take note of your mistakes and

learn from them. Time to time introspection and
retrospection are important.
 Be patient. There would be a lot of ups and downs in
your preparation. Get motivated from the ups and learn
from the downs.

COACHING OR SELF STUDY

An important factor of NTSE preparation which most of the
aspirants are clueless about is whether to join a coaching or
not. To begin with, let me ask you two questions –
Q.1 Does everyone who joins a coaching institute qualify
this exam?
Q.2 Is it possible to crack the exam by self-study?
Q.3 Are NTSE Scholars majorly from coaching institutes?
The answers to the questions are No, Yes and Yes.
Let us analyze the answers. First, allow me explain you the
basic requirements of the NTSE. It demands your regularity in
studies, critical thinking aptitude and a sincere and hard
working nature and of course, examination temperament.
Coaching help majorly by systematic course completion and
maintaining regularity in studies. They also provide a
competitive environment which can play a major role in the
development of your thinking aptitude. A coaching which

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targets NTSE would obviously be providing tests which helps

in developing the required examination temperament.
So what can go wrong? A lot.
First of all, most coachings are result-centric and would only
focus on you if you display potential. For any average
student, the coachings mainly focus on optimizing their
school performances. Also the competitive environment may
stress you out and do more harm than good. It is also not
necessary that you will get the competitive environment if
you are in the lower batches. Additionally the coaching will
not run at the pace as per your convenience.
Phew. That’s a lot of negatives. So should I join one or not,
you may ask.
There is actually no defined answer for this. It all depends on
the student. What I can do is just give you tips whether to
join an institute or not.
If you are a good student and among the toppers of your
school, then I’ll definitely recommend joining one. The
coaching institute would definitely try to do their best to help
you as you are the ones with whom their expectations lay.
If you are not academically good then you may opt for demo
classes of a coaching institute. Analyze whether the coaching
is actually beneficial in your case or not.

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 A Guide to crack the NTSE

If you can focus and work on the factors I previously

mentioned, coachings wouldn't be necessary. Lack of
Coaching would definitely not be a problem, provided you
are very regular in studies and give periodic tests.
However if you are sure of joining, I would strongly advise to
opt for the best possible option because joining a mediocre
one wouldn’t help in any way. Ones which target school
examinations only are generally a waste of time.
Now I will begin with the actual preparation strategies.

Stage-1
Let's begin the countdown.
June has started. The Stage-1 is conducted generally on the
first Sunday of November.
Let's say you begin your preparation somewhere around mid
to late June. What should be an ideal strategy?
I have divided the preparation in 3 Phases.
Phase 1 - The Pre Preparation (June to mid/late July)
Complete the class 10th syllabus of Maths and Science. This
is an important thing. Most of your actual competition has
already done it back in 8th or 9th, so you should make sure
to do it.
SST is your wish; you can study it if you have the time and
will. It will surely be beneficial.
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 A Guide to crack the NTSE

Now some of you might say “We have to follow the State
Board Curriculum for NTSE Stage-1”. Note that as far as
Maths and Science are concerned, the State Curriculum
would contain only a few extra topics if any.
This helps in the following ways:

 You definitely require the Science and Maths knowledge

of 10th class, be it the Stage-1 of any State.
 It would improve your problem solving skills and
memorization to some extent (important later)
 You would be able to focus more during the latter
phases as a major part of your school syllabus is already
done and you would be relatively free.
With all this wrapped up (around 3–4 weeks), the real deal
begins.
See your State Board Maths books. Check out for any extra
topics and complete them. Do the same for Physics and
Chemistry. In the meanwhile, complete the IX portions too.
This does not mean you have to solve all of RD Sharma. Just
be comfortable in applying the concepts and solving MCQs.
Now additionally, you must learn logarithms, graphical
analysis of equations (mainly quadratic equations), wavy-
curve method, a bit of Permutations and Combinations and
Probability, some trigonometry and some basic series and
sequences (AP, GP, AM-GM, sum of natural numbers,
squares….) This may seem somewhat unnecessary at this

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stage, but this will help in developing an edge over others,

improve your skills and moreover extremely beneficial in
Stage-2 preparation.
If you are getting any extra time, solve AHMSE and AMC
papers. They are actually more beneficial for Maths Olympiad
(not SOF) and Stage-2 Aspirants. But as you have extra time,
why not? They are, in my opinion, the best tool to develop
your problem solving skills.
Phase-2 Preparation Begins (August-September)
You have a few targets here. They should necessarily be
completed by the end under any circumstances.

 State Board History and Geography

 Biology - A more detailed study of the already done
topics and a few extra things.
 MAT
I am telling the method I used to study SST. Take your State
Board Books and a highlighter. Highlight all the stuff which
can be framed into questions. Strike all the unnecessary data.
Ask your teachers if you are not sure what to highlight or cut.
Study new topics for 3 days. On the 4th day, do the revision
and try to memorize all the highlighted points. Once in a
while read the already done chapters again and highlight any
new points you may find useful.

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 A Guide to crack the NTSE

Do it in the following sequence. History IX > History X >

Geography IX > Geography X. If you get time then do Civics IX
then Civics X. At least all your History and Geography portion
must be done by the end of Phase 2.
For Biology, buy a good book and read it alongside your State
Board Book. I used MTG Foundation for X and moreover my
coaching teachers also taught most of it. You can also use
Pearson or some other publications. Basic NCERT level
usually does NOT suffice here.
Now this is one of the most important part, MAT.
Buy any book which has mixed problem tests and download
Previous Year Papers of Stage-1 of different states. Take their
printouts. Do not rely on sample papers of random sites. Also
take prints of 50 question OMRs.
Sit on your desk. Set the timer for 45 minutes. Solve the
paper. Mark the OMR alongside. Stop all of it as soon as the
time ends. You have to do this very honestly and earnestly.
Analyze your scores. Make note of your mistakes.
You should do this every day ideally but minimum 4-5 times a
week. If this is being done in your coaching, then well and
good, otherwise ask your teachers to conduct them. If
nothing works out or if you are self studying, do them on
your own.

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Do this for a few days. Then see whether there is any

particular type of questions, where you are repeatedly
making mistakes. Solve such questions from a book.
On Sundays, give a full length test. This is crucial. Do not
think that first I’ll complete the syllabus and then I’ll give
tests. Give tests alongside your preparation. I myself learnt
most of the facts of chemistry after seeing the answers of
such tests. Moreover, this is by far, the only method to
develop the required exam temperament.
Important Point - Save the last 2 or 3 Previous Year Papers of
your state for the final testing.
You may also study Chemistry and Physics from MTG, XI
NCERT, Halliday Resnick or whatever you are using. But make
sure it doesn’t compromise with the above stuff.
Phase 3 - The Finishing Touch (September last week to
October)
Increase your study hours. By the first week of October, you
must have completed your History and Geography portion.
Study Civics and Economics now. Divide your SST time 50–50
to study new topics and revising History and Geography.
Increase the frequency of full length tests. Give them 2–3
times a week. Do MAT tests daily. Revise SST daily. Revise the
already read stuff of biology every 2 days. Complete all the
remaining Science portion as soon as possible. Analyze every

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 A Guide to crack the NTSE

test paper you do. Don’t dwell on questions which are out of
syllabus.
In the third week of October, do the 2 or 3 Previous Year
Papers of your state that you saved.
One week before NTSE, try your best to skip school. Go to
coaching only to discuss and clarify doubts. Have the
following schedule:
1. Monday - Full length test, Full Biology revision, speedily
revise SST
2. Tuesday - Full length test, Full Chemistry Revision,
speedily revise SST
3. Wednesday - Full Biology Revision, Full SST revision, One
MAT test.
4. Thursday - Last Full Length Test, SST revision
5. Friday - SST Revision, Biology Revision. Meet your
friends and teachers for any motivation. Try avoiding
negative and pessimistic people altogether, or ignore
whatever they say.
6. Saturday - Relax. Watch a movie. Studying or not
studying today will not make any difference. Give a last
look at your SST Book if you really want to. Sleep early.
7. Sunday - Rock the paper.
Avoid discussing the paper. Go to a movie, eat out and enjoy.
The next day, download the answer keys by Allen or
Resonance (most popular) and check your score.

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 A Guide to crack the NTSE

Whatever may be the result, don’t dwell on it. Try enjoying

during this period as the upcoming events are going to be
very hectic. Participate in your school’s Annual Function or
Sports Day etc. This is a part of childhood which will never
return, so make sure you have the best memories of it.
Of course, while having fun you must also study a bit given
the Board Exam hype and all.
If you are a student preparing for Olympiads and other
competitions, you can gladly ignore the above written stuff.
Fast forward a few months. Come January. The result is to be
declared any moment now.
Now if you are expecting to qualify Stage-2, you might ask
what should be done to utilize time optimally to ensure a
good Board Percentage along with the NTSE Stage-2
preparation.

Boards and Stage-2

Concentrate mainly on MAT, Social Studies and Biology.
Prepare for the boards very seriously, especially social. Try to
cover all the 10th SST chapters (necessarily cover History and
Geography) by the end of January. You should have all the
facts on your tips by end of February.
The way to prepare which I'll recommend is to first just read
all the chapters superficially with some understanding. After
completing all of them, come back to those which you think
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 A Guide to crack the NTSE

weren't done properly or which are more important. This

technique encourages frequent revision and improves speed
along with ensuring syllabus completion.
Around the same time, the Stage-1 result will also be
declared. Hoping that you’ll qualify, I have written an ideal
strategy for you to follow.
For MAT, solve Stage 1 papers of other states daily without
fail, in proper time limit with OMRs. After having some
mastery ad confidence (generally around 2 weeks), you
should attempt the Stage 2 paper. It is highly probable that
you'll get a low score (happened with me too). Don't get
demotivated and learn what all can be done when
approaching a problem.
If you think you are weak in any particular subject, follow
these tips -

 Weak in Maths? I'll recommend Contest Problem Book

VI for now. Solving that book seriously requires brain.
You'll get doubts frequently. The ability to approach a
problem is what you gain. After approaching a problem
in every way, consult a teacher. The process is time
consuming but in the end, the result is worth it. You'll
not be blank when you see a question.
 Weak in Biology? Start preparing facts from any
Standard School refresher. I'll suggest MTG Foundation
Course for X.

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 A Guide to crack the NTSE

 Weak in Physics? Try to understand the concept rather

than mugging up. It's very interesting; perhaps the most
interesting part of science.
 Weak in Chemistry? For theoretical part, make short
notes. Example names of ores. For problems, practice
(mainly mole concept) from standard books. You may
also buy RC Mukherjee or OP Tandon Physical Chemistry
if you have enough time and would be opting for PCM/B
in your +2.
 Weak in Social Studies? Well, open the NCERT and mug
it up! Make a habit of reading at least 10 pages a day
without fail. Maintain the order as chapters are mostly
interconnected.
About 1 or 2 weeks before board exams, leave all NTSE
preparation aside, except MAT. Practice MAT on alternative
days, daily if possible. Score well in 10th Board, it won't be
difficult. If you are planning to skip your Pre Boards, make
sure you prepare either for Boards or NTSE. Don't waste
time.
A good strategy for Boards preparation is just reading the
standard books and solving the important questions (and
practicing diagrams). I personally was more inclined towards
NTSE preparation and didn't use any of the school refreshers
like All-in-one, Xam Ideas etc.
Please note that this is the most ideal approach. However if
you are not done or are seeing this in March or later, do not
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think the world is ending. You still have time to prepare, but
you'll have to put in lots of efforts.
Ok. So now the boards are finished and your XI class has
started. If you have joined a coaching class for XI, you might
already be studying the XI topics. Now no matter how
interesting your XI is, you have to prepare for NTSE Stage-2
accordingly, otherwise all that endless studies, mock tests
etc. will go down the drain.

STAGE-2
By this time all of you must have understood what is
required. It's high time that the level of knowledge and
problem solving aptitude is increased. The questions, even
Social Science, require very logical approaches.
As your board exams have been completed only recently, you
should speedily revise the X SST once before starting
anything else.
After it you should start with IX portion. SST should be done
in a systematic way. Given the shortage of time it would be
better to juggle one chapter of History and Geography each
simultaneously. The plan would of course be to study the IX
portion, revising the X portion. If there are certain topics in
class X which you have not studied properly, do them after
you complete the IX portion.

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For MAT, solve incessant amount of questions. I hope you are

still doing the MAT mock tests, but if not then no problem, it
is still not very late. Start giving mock tests
For Biology, study the topics of IX/X NCERT in greater depths.
Read from XI Biology and X MTG.
In Chemistry, read the first 3 chapters of XI NCERT and solve
the exemplars. If you have started the PCM/B preparation,
solve a bit of mole concept from RC Mukherjee. Solve IX and
X NCERT Exemplar.
Physics - Try to cover topics. Don't go for depth now. Just
know the basics formulas. Learn the derivations and satisfy
your mind later. Again, solve the exemplars.
Maths - Solve AHMSE papers. Moreover cover Algebra,
especially theory of equations and Series and Sequences.
Now's not the time to get cocky. Read SST and Biology
properly. Solve MAT papers daily.
Like always, an important point to note is that SST and
Biology marks are more easily obtainable than PCM. The
order for preparation should be
MAT = SST > Bio > Chemistry >Physics > Maths

THE LAST FEW DAYS

This is a crucial phase. Waste this time and time will waste
you. Time is extremely precious now.

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Let me explain a bit more. The people who haven't prepared

well are going to make full use of this time. Such students
were not able to prepare well because of various reasons like
10th Boards, 11th preparation etc. But now, with all of them
over and the summer holidays beginning (almost
everywhere), they are completely free of any load and will try
to give their 100%.
They might easily go ahead if you don't work hard, or rather
smart.
To be precise, do the following:

 Do endless revision of SST now. If you don't, well, you

know what.
 Solve innumerable problems. How? By giving Mock
Tests. That's the best way.
 Make a list of topics which are done partially or not at
all. Complete them ASAP.
 Now's the time to do Civics and Economics if you
haven't done it yet. Hopefully you are done with History
and Geography.
 Make sure you have completed NCERT books
thoroughly.
 Practice MAT regularly. Give 1 hr for MAT everyday and
solve problems, with a timer of course.
 The last 3–4 days are only for revision. No new topics
should be done that time.

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 Minimize your 11th preparation. Stop it altogether if

possible. 10 days worth of prep will hardly make a dent
in your 11th course. But it will surely take your NTSE
prep to new heights.
 Take special care of your health. You wouldn't want to
waste any of your time now.
 Write your target on a piece of paper. Paste it
somewhere where you regularly sit, hopefully your
study table :p.
 Cut down your sports. It's highly probable that you'll get
sick because of the weather if you play too much.
Word hard, work smart.
In the last week, stop going to your school and even you
coaching if it consumes too much time. But be sure to meet
your teachers for their blessings. Also meet your friends in
case you are too stressed out. Avoid negative people.
Let's jot down the plan for the last week.

 Monday – Give a Mock Test. Revise SST and Bio.

 Tuesday – Give a Mock Test. Revise SST and Bio.
 Wednesday – Give a MAT Test. Revise SST and Bio.
 Thursday - Revise SST and Bio.
 Friday Revise History and Geography. Have a quick
glance over everything. Look over the Civics and
Economics part. Revise important topics and examples
in Biology. Revisit the mnemonics and shortcuts you

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created to memorize stuff. Don't bother reading too

much Physics or Maths. DO NOT start a new topic now.
Solve a MAT paper for 30 minutes.
 Saturday Turn the pages of History, Geography and
Biology books. Then chill out. Watch an entertaining
movie, preferably one with no serious plot or else the
story may get stuck in your mind. Just relax. You have
prepared for this exam with full dedication. No room for
any stress, ok? Studying or not studying today will not
make any difference. Arrange your stationary items,
admit card etc. Go to sleep a bit early.
 Sunday Rock the paper, yet again.
The prestige is yours for the taking.

MISCELLANEOUS
AWARDS AND INCENTIVES

 Scholarship of Rs.1250 per month for class XI and XII.

 Scholarship of Rs.2000/- for under graduates and post
graduates.
 PhD scholarships vary as per the UGC norms.
 A certificate
 You may even get additional cash prizes and
scholarships by your school and coaching.
 Bonus marks in IIIT-D – You will get 6 bonus points

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 A separate exam for NTSE and KVPY Scholars is

conducted by IIITH for admissions.
 A bit of fame
 A very important bullet in your CV/Resume.
 You will be eligible for Inspire-DST SHE scholarship
IMPORTANT LINKS
http://www.ncert.nic.in/programmes/talent_exam/index_talent.ht
ml
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Talent_Search_Examinati
on
https://www.quora.com/topic/National-Talent-Search-
Examination-NTSE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

KARTIKEYA MAYANK is a NTSE Scholar for the year 2016-17.
He scored 131/149 marks in MP NTSE Stage-1. He has also
scored 10/10 CGPA in X Boards. He has also cleared RMO
among other Olympiads.
He lives in Bhopal and is a student of Delhi Public School.
Visit his profile at Quora
https://www.quora.com/profile/Kartikeya-Mayank for more
NTSE related articles.

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