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    Class 8 NSTSE 5-Year Analysis: Which Topics Get More Weightage And Why

    By Ritika Jonwel
    5 Apr'22  8 min read
    Class 8 NSTSE 5-Year Analysis: Which Topics Get More Weightage And Why
    Synopsis

    If you are a student of Class 8 it is a good idea to crack the National Science Talent Search Exam, NSTSE, to assess your knowledge of science subjects like Chemistry, Physics, Maths and Biology. It will help you to broaden your knowledge and prepare you for tougher exams ahead  like the board exams and entrance tests like NEET and JEE. Careers360 has analysed the question papers of NSTSE for the past five years to help you to ace the exam easily. This article also gives details of those chapters in Physics, Chemistry, Maths and Biology that have more weightage and are important to score well in the exam. Read on.

    Class 8 NSTSE 5-Year Analysis: Which Topics Get More Weightage And Why
    Synopsis

    If you are a student of Class 8 it is a good idea to crack the National Science Talent Search Exam, NSTSE, to assess your knowledge of science subjects like Chemistry, Physics, Maths and Biology. It will help you to broaden your knowledge and prepare you for tougher exams ahead  like the board exams and entrance tests like NEET and JEE. Careers360 has analysed the question papers of NSTSE for the past five years to help you to ace the exam easily. This article also gives details of those chapters in Physics, Chemistry, Maths and Biology that have more weightage and are important to score well in the exam. Read on.

    National Science Talent Search Exam (NSTSE) is an annual scholarship exam organised by the Unified Council. It is a great opportunity for students in Class 2 to Class 12 who are keen on studying Science subjects and wish to test their knowledge. NSTSE is one of India's most important assessment tests. The computer-based exam is held between December and January every year.

    The national topper will get cash prizes worth Rs 2 Lakhs. Rank 2 and 3 will receive a laptop and a tablet, along with a memento. Rank holders from 4th to 10th and 11th to 25th will receive a cash prize of Rs 2,000 and Rs 1,000, respectively. Along with consolation prizes, many more exciting rewards will be distributed to the top rankers of selected cities.

    For more information on rewards, students can visit the official website: NSTSE Awards

    This article discusses the eligibility criteria, exam pattern, syllabus, how to prepare subject-wise for this exam and much more. If you are in Class 8 and want to win this prestigious scholarship, this article will help you how to go about it.

    Details of NSTSE For Class 8 Students

    Students in Class 8 are eligible to appear for the NSTSE examination.Let's look at how Class 8 students can avail of this opportunity. Students can apply individually by registering online or they can apply through their respective schools..

    Exam Pattern

    The NSTSE paper for Class 8 students consists of 60 objective-type questions and carries 60 marks. It has three sections – Mathematics, Science, and Critical Thinking. In the Maths section, there are 25 questions and in the Science section, there are 10 questions each in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. There are five questions in the Critical Thinking section that carry one mark each. There is no negative marking, which means that marks will not be deducted for incorrect answers.

    Also Read,

    Syllabus

    The NSTSE is like an Olympiad test and is held every year to assess scientific knowledge of students and help them improve it. To qualify for the exam, students must understand the basics of Mathematics and Science. The syllabus of NSTSE is more or less based on the Class 8 syllabus of CBSE/ICSE/ISC and various other State Boards.

    The syllabus is as follows :

    Science: Students should focus on experiment-based topics and theoretical chapters in Science. Following is the detailed chapter-wise syllabus for NSTSE Science subjects.

    Chapter-wise syllabus of NSTSE Science - Class 8

    Sr. No.

    Chemistry

    Physics

    Biology


    Combustion And Flame

    Chemical Effects Of Electric Current

    Cell Structure And Functions


    Metals And Non-metals

    Force And Pressure

    Microorganisms


    Synthetic Fibres And Plastics

    Friction

    Food Production And Management


    Coal And Petroleum

    Some Natural phenomena

    Reproduction in Animals


    – –

    Sound And Light

    Conservation of Plants and Animals

    Mathematics: Formulas and values are important for this subject. Following is the detailed chapter-wise syllabus for NSTSE Mathematics subject.

    Chapter-wise syllabus of NSTSE Maths - Class 8

    Sr. No.

    Topics

    1.

    Linear Equations In One Variable

    2.

    Squares And Square Roots

    3.

    Cubes And Cube Roots

    4.

    Rational Numbers

    5.

    Algebraic Expressions And Identities

    6.

    Understanding Quadrilaterals And Practical Geometry

    7.

    Mensuration

    8.

    Exponents And Powers

    9.

    Direct And Inverse Proportion

    10.

    Introduction To Graphs

    11.

    Factorisation

    12.

    Visualising Solid Shapes

    13.

    Data Handling

    14.

    Comparing Quantities

    Students who are appearing for NSTSE Class 8 Science must also have a brief understanding of the Class 9 syllabus. You'll find more details under the subject wise preparation strategy.

    Critical Aptitude

    In this section, the students will be assessed on their ability to apply logic and also decision making. Questions will be based on topics such as Logical And Inductive Reasoning, Decision Making, Tactics and Strategy.

    Subject-wise Five-Year Analysis of NSTSE

    Students can practise past year's question papers to know about the exam's structure and important details, which will help them score better. Knowing the weightage given to different parts of the exam or various sections of a subject can help students focus more on important areas.

    Careers360 made a detailed analysis of the previous five years' official solutions and it is given below in a subject-wise manner.

    NSTSE Syllabus: Subject-wise Weightage

    From the past five years' solution papers, 310 questions were analysed. They included 60 questions each from Biology and Chemistry. And 65 questions from Physics plus 125 questions from Mathematics were also analysed. The detailed subject -wise analysis of chapter weightage is as follows:

    SCIENCE

    If you are trying to ace the Science section, make sure you memorise the theory chapters of textbooks or from NCERT. You can also practise questions from MTG publications, NSO and ISO books.

    Physics

    Chapter

    Class

    No of Questions asked in past 5 years

    Weightage

    Light

    8

    12

    18.46%

    Force And Pressure

    8

    12

    18.46%

    Friction

    8

    11

    16.92%

    Chemical Effects Of Electric Current

    8

    11

    16.92%

    Sound

    8

    10

    15.38%

    Some Natural Phenomena

    8

    8

    12.31%

    Miscellaneous

    8

    1

    1.54%

    Total


    65

    100.00%

    All the chapters in Physics are equally important since almost the same number of questions are asked from each of them. Also keep in mind,while studying Physics chapters, specially Force, Friction and Light; students should not only focus on the theoretical part but also practise a lot of numerical type problems.

    Chemistry

    Chapter

    Class

    No of Questions asked in past 5 years

    Weightage

    Combustion And Flame

    8

    18

    30.00%

    Coal And Petroleum

    8

    15

    25.00%

    Materials: Metals And Non-Metals

    8

    14

    23.33%

    Synthetic Fibres And Plastics

    8

    13

    21.67%

    Total


    60

    100.00%

    As you can see, every chapter has almost the same number of questions.So, it is imperative that you understand Chemical Formulas, Chemical Reactions, Symbols, and Atomic Numbers thoroughly.

    Biology

    Chapter

    Class

    No of Questions asked in past 5 years

    Weightage

    Food Production And Management

    8

    12

    20.00%

    Cell Structure And Functions

    8

    10

    16.67%

    Reproduction In Animals

    8

    10

    16.67%

    Microorganisms

    8

    9

    15.00%

    Conservation Of Plants And Animals

    8

    7

    11.67%

    Diversity In Living Organisms

    9

    5

    8.33%

    Life Processes

    10

    2

    3.33%

    Why Do We Fall Ill?

    9

    2

    3.33%

    Improvement In Food Resources

    8

    1

    1.67%

    Miscellaneous

    8

    1

    1.67%

    Tissues

    8

    1

    1.67%

    Total


    60

    100%

    Several questions are asked from the chapters on Cell and Food Production. So pay more attention to the diagrammatic representation of male and female reproductive organs, photosynthesis, cells and its components, etc. Additionally, there are questions from Class 9 and Class 10. So, students should have some familiarity with the chapters listed in the above table.

    Students can purchase the past 10 years’ question paper booklets for Class 8 from the official website. They should also consult the NCERT and MTG Olympiad prep guides.

    Mathematics

    Chapter

    Class

    No of Questions asked in past 5 years

    Weightage

    Comparing Quantities

    8

    28

    22.40%

    Mensuration

    8

    22

    17.60%

    Algebraic Expressions And Identities

    8

    12

    9.60%

    Linear Equations In One Variable

    8

    11

    8.80%

    Exponents And Powers

    8

    11

    8.80%

    Rational Numbers

    8

    10

    8.00%

    Squares And Square Roots

    8

    8

    6.40%

    Factorisation

    8

    7

    5.60%

    Direct And Inverse Proportions

    8

    7

    5.60%

    Visualising Solid Shapes

    8

    3

    2.40%

    Understanding Quadrilaterals

    8

    3

    2.40%

    Data Handling

    8

    2

    1.60%

    Playing with Numbers

    8

    1

    0.80%

    Total


    125

    100.00%

    A majority of questions were from the chapters, Comparing Quantities and Measurement. So, make sure you know all the formulas to find the perimeter, surface area, and volume. Additionally, students need to be proficient in division and multiplication since the chapter, Comparing Quantities contains questions based on the concept of mixed fractions, profit and loss Since you will only have a minute to respond to each question, you should remember squares and square roots as well as cubes and cube roots to make quick calculations.

    To prepare for the NSTSE Mathematics, you can refer to books such as Brain Mapping Academy, MTG, or Pearson. A thorough knowledge of each subject will assist you in completing the exam quickly.

    For more information, visit the official website of NSTSE

    For reference books, visit: NSTSE/eBooks

    Preparation Strategy For NSTSE

    • Prepare a weekly study schedule based on your available time. Set weekly goals for each topic in the subject, and meet them every week. Take periodic breaks.
    • Assess the syllabus and determine how many days are required for each topic.
    • It is crucial to study and revise according to the exam pattern properly in order to pass this exam.
    • Make sure the books you choose have accurate explanations for the questions.
    • Before taking the test, go over the syllabus at least two or three times.
    • Consider taking as many mock tests as you can. This will allow you to manage your time during exams more efficiently.
    • The sample papers from previous years will give you an idea of what to expect. Solve all of the previous years' question papers.
    • Focus on the strongly prepared topics one day before the exam; don't try to learn new chapters.
    • Keep yourself calm before the exam.

    Extra Tips

    In order to achieve good scores in the NSTSE exam, be very thorough with your preparation. Start as early as possible, and finish your daily study goal. Decide what books you will study and solve the problems on a regular basis. Keep in mind that better your efforts, better your scores.

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