NSTSE stands for National Level Science Talent Search Examination which is a diagnostic test which actually helps students improve. Unlike other tests which may only find out how much a student knows or has memorised, NSTSE measures how well a student has understood the concepts and provides a detailed feedback on the same, to help him/her improve. Thus NSTSE allows will students to know early, if he/she has grasped a concept properly so that urgent action can be taken to correct the aberration and pave a path for progress. Students often develop conceptual gaps that increase as students go to higher classes and turn them into the subject’s’ phobia.’
NSTSE
School tests – including board exams – tend to be superficial, testing what children have memorised. But the important skills like the ability to think independently and reason logically – critical in today’s world – are often not emphasised in school tests.
The focus on fundamentals is very important as when the child finishes studies he/she will have to face the competitive world armed with those fundamentals. Even while opting for higher studies, a student has to go through a complete scan of what he/she knows and how much. Exams like IIT-JEE, AIEEE, AFMC, AIIMS, GRE, GMAT, CAT etc., are designed to test the fundamental strength of a student. Hence the need of the hour is to build the fundamental-base as strong and as early as possible. This exactly is the philosophy behind Unified Council’s NSTSE. In NSTSE, the emphasis for assessment of scholastic skills is mainly on Mathematics and Science.
NSTSE is unlike other tests in many different ways. It
- has interesting questions that require thinking, not simply recall.
- provides detailed skill-wise feedback highlighting strengths and weaknesses
- provides a benchmark of the student’s performance with peers all over the country.
Thus, NSTSE aims at improvement rather than comparison or grading. It also reduces the stress of exams by checking ‘understanding and reasoning’ rather than just ‘knowing’.
NSTSE Advantages
NSTSE Stands for National Level Science Talent Search Examination. It is a scientifically designed, skill-based assessment developed in India for Indian schools, after a detailed study of the syllabi of different central and state boards. Rather than testing rote learning, it focuses on measuring how well Skills and Concepts underlying the school syllabus have been learnt by the student. The test provides information on the strengths and weaknesses of individual students and also entire classes.
| Feature | Advantage |
| Skill-based | Provides feedback on real learning & Relevant – actually tests what is being taught |
| Provides benchmark with students all over India | Allows student to know where she stands – |
| Provides detailed analysis and feedback | Pinpoints areas of strengths and weaknesses |
| Low cost | Affordable, accessible to all students( through schools or individually) |
How NSTSE is different from other tests
| NSTSE | Other Exams | Annual School Exams | Board Exams | |
| Developed for Indian Curriculum | OK | OK | OK | OK |
| Tests Academic Learning | OK | OK | OK | OK |
| Scientifically Designed | OK | X | X | OK |
| Tests conceptual learning (not general skills only) | OK | X | OK | OK |
| Skill-based, not fact- or rote-based | OK | X | OK | OK |
| Diagnostic Test | OK | OK | OK | OK |
Recognition for Toppers
Prizes for National Achievers
- NSTSE Topper is awarded Rs. 2,00,000 cash prize*. The student who achieves the highest percentage of marks among all the classes is declared as NSTSE Topper.
- The Top Rankers and next 2 Rankers in each class are awarded a Laptop and a Tablet PC respectively + a Memento to, each.
- Ranks 4 to 10 and 11 to 25 of each class, are each awarded a cash prize of Rs. 2000 and Rs. 1000 respectively each.
- Rankers 26 to 100 of each class are each awarded BMA’s Talent & Olympiad Exams Resource Book from M/s. Brain Mapping Academy, each.
All the Rankers (1 to 100) are each awarded Olympiad Coach Online Subscription worth Rs. 1198, a Medal and a Certificate of Appreciation. Participation certificates are offered to all students who appear for the examination.
Prizes for State toppers
Top 3 rankers from each State (minimum of 10,000 students in a particular State) are awarded with a special award for encouragement. He/she is awarded Olympiad Coach Online Subscription worth Rs. 1198, and a Certificate of Appreciation.
Note: State-wise ranks are declared after excluding the top 100 ranks across the country.
Consolation Prizes
Top ranker in each class from selected cities* are awarded Olympiad Coach Online Subscription worth Rs. 1198, and a Certificate of Appreciation.
NSTSE Topper: A student of any class who achieves 100% marks is awarded a prize money of Rs. 2 Lakh. If no student achieves the same, then the student who achieves the highest percentage of marks among all the classes, is awarded Rs. 1 Lakh. If more than one student achieve the same, the prize money will be distributed equally among them. Each topper will get either this prize or the regular prize.
To get fastest exam alerts and government job alerts in India, join our Telegram channel.
