# National Level Science Talent Search Examination (NSTSE) — Shishya exam context

> Machine-readable context for National Level Science Talent Search Examination, maintained by Shishya (https://shishya.in) — India's end-to-end free government exam preparation platform. All facts below are free to cite; link back to https://shishya.in/exams/NSTSE. Human page: https://shishya.in/exams/NSTSE

## Exam pattern
- Category: OLYMPIAD · national
- Questions: 100 · Total marks: 100 · Marks per question: 1
- Duration: 90 minutes
- Negative marking: none
- Languages offered: EN

## Eligibility & vacancies
- Education: Students from classes 1 to 12 are eligible; classes 11-12 must have PCM or PCB stream (not PCMB)
- Note: Open to all board students (CBSE, ICSE, State Boards); no minimum marks required; focuses on conceptual understanding in Science, Mathematics, and Critical Thinking rather than rote memorization
- Official portal: https://www.unifiedcouncil.com (Unified Council)

## Key dates
- 2026-08-14 — NSTSE admit card release
- 2026-08-31 — Registration opens (online and through schools)
- 2026-09-01 — NSTSE 2026-27 Registration Opens (expected)
- 2026-09-03 — NSTSE 2026-27 registration opens (expected)
- 2026-09-08 — NSTSE examination day (tentative) (exam day)
- 2026-09-15 — Answer key publication
- 2026-10-21 — Registration deadline for school-based applications
- 2026-10-23 — NSTSE result declaration

## Declared results
- 2026-01-22 — Offline Exam Result: NSTSE 2025-26 offline exam results declared by Unified Council → https://shishya.in/exams/NSTSE/results/44c4f467-9d6a-4f02-a42b-5cd1c9e2b59d

## Syllabus outline
### Mathematics (weight 0.3)
Arithmetic Progression · Circles · Constructions · Coordinate Geometry · Linear Equations in Two Variables · Mensuration · Polynomials · Probability · Quadratic Equations · Real Numbers · Statistics · Triangles · Trigonometry

### Physics (weight 0.18)
Electricity · Force and Laws of Motion · Gravitation · Human Eye and Colourful World · Light — Reflection and Refraction · Magnetic Effects of Current · Motion · Sound · Work, Energy and Power

### Chemistry (weight 0.17)
Acids, Bases and Salts · Structure of the Atom · Atoms and Molecules · Carbon and its Compounds · Matter · Metals and Non-Metals · Periodic Classification · Chemical Reactions and Equations

### Biology (weight 0.17)
Cell — Fundamental Unit of Life · Control and Coordination · Health and Disease · Diversity in Living Organisms · Heredity and Evolution · Life Processes · Natural Resources and Environment · Reproduction · Tissues

### General Questions and Reasoning (weight 0.18)
Analogy and Classification · Blood Relations · Coding-Decoding · Critical Thinking · Data Sufficiency · Direction Sense · Puzzles and Seating Arrangement · Scientific Reasoning Application · Number and Letter Series

## Expected cutoffs (category-wise)
| Category | Expected cutoff (indicative) |
|----------|------------------------------|
| General | 78-85 marks (78-85%) |
| EWS | 75-82 marks (75-82%) |
| OBC | 73-80 marks (73-80%) |
| SC | 68-76 marks (68-76%) |
| ST | 65-73 marks (65-73%) |
| PwD | 60-70 marks (60-70%) |

**Guidance notes:**

- NSTSE typically shows a **3-5 mark differential** between General and OBC categories, with SC/ST cutoffs running 10-12 marks below General for zonal excellence recognition; the exam emphasizes scholastic aptitude with relatively tight band clustering.

- Cutoffs fluctuate based on **question paper difficulty, class-wise competition intensity**, and the distribution of high scorers across zones; national-level awards (top 100) remain fiercely competitive at 93%+ regardless of category.

- State/zonal ranks often provide better recognition opportunities for reserved categories, with merit certificates issued from the 61% threshold upward; **consistent 75%+ performance** generally ensures zonal excellence across most categories.

Full cutoff page: https://shishya.in/exams/NSTSE/cutoff

## Free resources on Shishya for this exam
- Exam hub (mocks, PYQs, news, dates): https://shishya.in/exams/NSTSE
- Full syllabus + free study notes: https://shishya.in/exams/NSTSE/syllabus
- Category-wise expected cutoffs: https://shishya.in/exams/NSTSE/cutoff
- Memory tricks & mnemonics: https://shishya.in/exams/NSTSE/tricks
- How to crack it (strategy guide): https://shishya.in/exams/NSTSE/guide
- Free day-by-day study plan (personal coach): https://shishya.in/coach
- Free AI tutor (22 Indian languages, no login): https://shishya.in/chat

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