NTSE 2023 Preparation Tips: Best Books, Tricks, Strategy & More

Last Updated on August 5, 2023 by Vishnu Nambiar

Hi readers! Are you all set to crack NTSE examination? If yes, this post will be of help to you. Here, I’ve listed some effective and useful NTSE preparation tips.

 

Students studying in 10th standard will benefit from this post. Technically speaking, 10th standard students are the ones who are eligible to take part in NTSE examination.

 

The tips mentioned in this post are tested and proven ones. These effective tips will help you prepare for NTSE examination in a better way!

 

Whether you are taking special coaching or doing self-study, these tips will come handy for sure! Before heading to the meat of the matter – tips to prepare for NTSE – let us take a quick look at this competitive exam.

 

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What is NTSE all about? What is the exam like? What’s this exam being conducted for? Who is this exam for? You will find answers to these questions in the next section. Let us start –

 

What is NTSE all about?

NTSE stands for National Talent Search Examination. It is a National level competitive examination.

 

Why is this exam conducted, you may ask. The main aim of this exam is to identify academically gifted/bright/talented/skilled students. After identifying them, they are rewarded with relevant scholarships and financial aid/rewards.

 

When it comes to a Nation’s growth and development, education plays an important role. A good education system must ensure that talented and smart students are well rewarded for their efforts and talent. This is the main purpose of NTSE exam – to identify academically talented students and reward them with scholarships and financial rewards.

 

Who conducts this exam, you may ask. NCERT is the body that conducts this competitive exam. They conduct this examination once each year.

 

Who is this competitive exam for, you may ask. Candidates studying in 10th standard are eligible to take part in NTSE.

 

Here is a quick overview of the important facts about this exam for you –

Name of the exam	NTSE (National Talent Search Examination)
Level	National
Conducted by	NCERT
Eligibility criteria	Class 10th students

 

NTSE is a prestigious examination. Cracking it is not an easy task! And cracking it is not impossible either! With the right mindset, strategy and plan, a disciplined student will be able to clear this exam with flying colors!

 

I’ll reveal some of the most effective NTSE tips and strategy in this post. Let us check them out now. Here it is –

 

NTSE 2022 Preparation Tips, Tricks and Strategy –

 

1 Know the exam inside-out

If you want to conquer something, you must have in-depth knowledge about that particular thing. In this case, we are dealing with a national level competitive exam. Ensure that you have in-depth knowledge about aspects such as –

• Timeline of the exam
• Format of the exam
• Syllabus
• And other important aspects…

 

NTSE examination consists of two main stages – Stage 1 and Stage 2. It is useful to formulate suitable preparation strategy for each stage. Know more about it in the next section –

 

2 Use stage-wise preparation strategy

Stage 1 comes first. Let us check out the effective strategy to crack this stage. Stage 1 preparation strategy may vary from one State to another. Students from Rajasthan may have to follow one strategy while students from Maharashtra may have to form their own! In short, the level of difficulty of the paper will vary from one state to another. It’d be useful to give attention to the previous years’ papers. It will help you tackle state 1 accordingly.

 

Usually, Stage 1 can be tackled using basic level knowledge of specified subjects. NCERT books upto class 10th can be used are reference material to tackle Stage 1.

 

Stage 2 will consists of some questions that belong to class 11th (basics only). So you may want to give attention to that factor too! Stage 2 exam is conducted by NCERT.

 

3 Use paper-wise preparation strategy

NTSE Stage 1 and 2 papers can be divided into the following parts –

• MAT
• SAT

 

MAT stands for Mental Ability Test. SAT stands for Scholastic Aptitude Test.

 

Broadly speaking, these parts cover the following main subjects – mathematics, science, social science and English.

 

When it comes to MAT preparation, attention must be given towards both verbal and non-verbal questions. Solve as many problems as you can – the more you solve them, the better you’ll get at it!

 

4 Refer useful books

There’s no specific book that will help you crack this exam. Many NTSE scholars will say that NCERT books are more than enough to prepare for this test.

 

I’ve compiled a list of useful books for each part of NTSE exam. Here it is –

1. Tata McGraw Hill (for multiple subjects and topics)
2. NCERT books (for social science, science and mathematics subjects)
3. RS Aggarwal (for verbal and non-verbal reasoning)
4. RD Sharma (for mathematics)
5. NTSE Explorer by Arihant (for multiple subjects and parts)

 

5 Develop speed and accuracy

NTSE examination consists of some tricky and challenging questions. Yes, solving them is not very easy. And you must try to solve them as quickly as you can. Otherwise you’ll run out of time!

 

In order to avoid this situation, work on shortcuts, problem solving skills and time-management. Solve as many problems as you can. It will help you learn little tricks and tips. NTSE preparation books usually have a nice collection of shortcuts and tricks. Use them and develop speed and accuracy while solving problems.

 

6 Prepare a timetable

Sit down and prepare a practical timetable. Devote adequate amount of time towards NTSE preparation. Try to keep things balanced. Don’t let stress get the better of you. The next tip is about stress management.

 

7 Don’t let stress get the better of you

Don’t get stressed about NTSE examination! When compared to other competitive exams, this one is relatively easy to crack! Moreover, it won’t be the end of the world if you don’t manage to crack it!

 

NCERT books, a good timetable and a strong academic foundation is all you need to perform well in this exam. Don’t get too stressed about the outcome. Keep things balanced. Get adequate exercise. Eat well and get adequate rest.

 

8 Solve test series and previous years’ papers

Solving previous years’ papers will help you in different ways. It will help you get proper revision, it will help you identify chink in your armor, it will help you acquire time management skills, and it will help you get writing practice. One may even take a shot at online test series. These tests are well crafted, challenging and can be customized according to one’s needs! It is easy to access these tests (using mobile/laptop/tablet/PC and internet).