Why one need motivation with better learning to become an NTSE scholar ?

Vijay Garg *

National Talent Search Examination (NTSE) is a national-level scholarship program in India. It’s an attempt to recognize and tap into students’ potential. Organized by a government body viz. National Council of Educational Research & Training (NCERT), it’s considered to be one of the most prestigious exams.

Every year, close to fifty lakh students appear for this scholarship exam, out of which 2000 scholarships are awarded. The scholarship is open only to the students of Indian nationality. Students studying in Class X are eligible to appear for this examination. In this article, we will share with you the top tips to become an NTSE scholar.

Before we deep dive into the tricks of cracking these exams, let’s quickly take a look at the various NTSE tests and rewards to help you understand the basics.

The exams are conducted at two levels for Class X:
First Level
Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)

This test has multiple-choice questions, where one alternative is correct. However, it can also have matching, arrange the sequence, true & false statements and questions based on passages. The idea is to assess the reasoning ability and logical thinking of the candidates.

Mental Ability Test (MAT)

It has a variety of questions about analogies, classification, series, pattern perception, hidden figures, coding-decoding, block assembly, problem-solving, etc. Here, the goal is to gauge the power of reasoning, ability to judge, evaluate, visualize in space, spatial orientation, etc. of the candidates.

Second Level

A new pattern of Stage 2 exams has been announced by NCERT,. This level of exam tests the students’ potential concerning their mental abilities, languages, scholastic aptitudes and social sciences

Scholarship Rewards

Students who clear the second stage of exams are eligible for the NTSE scholarship. Moreover, there are no restrictions like parental income, government school, domicile, etc. However, in case the student moves abroad for studies, the scholarship will no longer be provided. With the stakes so high and the competition so stiff, here are some tips for aspiring students on how to go about cracking the NTSE exams.

Tips to Become an NTSE Scholar

Know your Strengths & Weaknesses

It’s necessary to know your strengths & weaknesses. E.g. If you’re strong in mathematics and science but average in languages and weak in social sciences, then you can turn your weaknesses into strengths for an overall good score.

Follow NCERT Books

Follow NCERT books of classes IX and X for NTSE preparation. For some concepts in biology, refer NCERT Class XI Biology textbook (only portions that are relevant to IX and X class curriculum). It’s imperative to thoroughly study the Social Studies NCERT book for NTSE.

Strengthen Your MAT Section

The MAT section tests your mental ability. Hence, you must give sufficient time for preparing for this part.

Work on Your SAT Section

Follow NCERT for the scholastic aptitude section of NTSE. You must also read a good general knowledge book for ‘out of the course’ questions

Solving Sample Papers

You must solve a lot of sample papers and mock tests at least thrice a week. There are a lot of NTSE mock papers available on the internet. You should aim to solve these papers within the stipulated time so that you can improve your speed and know the sections that consume more time.

Analyze Your Performance

Make sure you minutely assess what you could do and what you had a hard time with. Was it the subject understanding you lacked? Or did you miss out on the scores because of silly mistakes? Whatever it is, just analyze your performance very critically.

Apply Findings

Once you know your weak points, make a plan. Study and revise the subject matter if needed. Allocate time for different sections of the exam.

Self-Study is Important

For clearing any exam, a decent amount of self-study is important. It is one of the most basic and important of all the tips to become an NTSE scholar. One should devote at least 3-4 hours to self-learning to crack this competitive exam.

Practice, Practice & More Practice

Finally, regular practice is what will get you through. Solve as many questions of mental ability as possible so that you’re not shocked on the exam day. Take the help of your school seniors and teachers. With practice, you’ll also get more confident about your speed, subject knowledge, and accuracy.

Just remember that you don’t have to be a Know-It-All to compete and excel. You can be just an ordinary candidate and follow these tips to become an NTSE scholar. Sometimes, all it takes is little changes in everyday habits to succeed in life.

Tips to get good scores in NEET 2021 exam,

The National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET exam) is a national-level entrance exam held by the National Testing Agency (NTA) annually for the aspirants seeking admissions to undergraduate MBBS and BDS courses all across the nation. As the number of candidates registering to write the NEET exam increases with every passing year, it is imperative for candidates to be aware of the basic details of the NEET 2021 examination before beginning the NEET 2021 preparation.

Candidates appearing in NEET exam often struggle to balance their NEET preparation of Physics and the other two subjects simultaneously. It is no hidden fact that Physics is the most difficult and twisted subject in NEET 2021. To balance the preparation between Physics and the other subjects is quite a tedious task and several times students wonder if it’s possible to strengthen their grip over Physics or not. Statistics prove it is.

Various NEET toppers over the years have done it and so can you. Having a strong preparation in physics can make students stand out in the NEET merit list. Every year, over 9 lakh candidates appear for NEET. Hence, it is more than important to strengthen your grip over this difficult subject.

If planned properly, physics can enhance your NEET results. In order to crack the subject with good scores, following the right NEET preparation tips is important.

1. Memorise the NEET syllabus

The first step to strategise an effective study plan is knowing the NEET exam pattern, and NEET syllabus 2021 thoroughly. Physics has questions from both Classes 11 and 12.

NEET is a medical entrance exam. The questions asked in NEET are objective in nature. There are a total of 180 questions asked in NEET. The 90 questions are asked from Biology and 45 questions are asked from Physics and Chemistry. 4 marks are awarded for every correct answer. 1 mark is deducted for every wrong answer.

2. Win small battles

To complete the NEET syllabus of Physics, divide it into three sections or more sections, as per the similarity of the chapters. Since, each section will have similar chapters, prepare a separate strategy for all of them. Students should observe the weightage each section holds, the difficulty level of these sections, and whether the questions asked are from NCERT or not. Having said that, students should have a complete understanding of the structure of NEET Physics. Knowing your enemy completely will help you win faster.

3. Study theory and numerical in order

The most common mistake students make while preparing for NEET Physics is that they either ignore numerical or the theory part of a chapter. But the key here is that both numerical and theory of a topic are interlinked to each other. And often, the NEET exam has witnessed questions which were numerical but required a theoretical concept to solve the problem. Here is when this strategy works. Keep practising both theoretical and numerical methods simultaneously. This helps you have a better understanding of the topic and variations involved within.

4. Solve

Physics requires solving questions to strengthen your grip on concepts and topics. As a student preparing for NEET, you must solve all the previous year questions of the past ten years. Solving questions will help you form a general idea of the type of questions asked in the paper. While solving questions, don’t forget to maintain an error-log and resolve your doubts instantly.

This will help you to keep an insight of your weak points and common mistakes to avoid while taking the exam. Every student preparing for an exam has a strong subject and a weak subject. Try to solve more questions from your weak areas. This will help you overcome your weakness. But don’t neglect your strong subject. Keep practising it as well.

Additionally, while solving questions, make a habit of solving them under a certain time constraint. For instance, solve 45 questions in 50 minutes. This will help you improve your speed and manage time.

5. Revision is important

There is no use of all the hard work and study if you don’t revise what you studied. Make a habit of revising from the very beginning of your NEET preparation. Also, during a few days before the exam it is next to impossible for students to study all the chapters from scratch. Practising the revision will help you prepare for the final days of the exam. Through revision, students will be able to identify the points they missed during the first time. Include revision slots in your time table beforehand.

6. Choose your study material wisely

Physics section of NEET exam comprises a total of 45 questions. These questions are both theoretical and practical based. It is noteworthy that, physics section usually doesn’t have questions that are directly related to concepts.

The questions asked are twisted and interlinked from one concept to another. Hence, while choosing NEET physics books, candidates should note that the books must contain all the basic concepts along with an ample amount of numerical problems to back you up with the concept.