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    How To Ace Class 10 NSTSE: 5-Year Analysis, Pattern, Syllabus, Chapters And Weightage

    By Himanshu Meshram
    11 Apr'22  9 min read
    How To Ace Class 10 NSTSE: 5-Year Analysis, Pattern, Syllabus, Chapters And Weightage
    Synopsis

    You are in Class 10 and want to get a great scholarship that recognises your talent in Science? Do you want to get an edge over others in your learning abilities and performance capabilities? If you are a student of Class 10 it is a good idea  to attempt the National Science Talent Search Exam, NSTSE, to assess your knowledge of Science and Mathematics of Class 10. Careers360 has analyzed the question papers of Class 10 NSTSE for the past five years to help you to ace the exam. This article gives details of the exam pattern, syllabus, weightage of Science and Mathematics chapters and preparation tips for NSTSE Class 10 exam. If you do well in NSTSE Class 10, that will be a stepping stone for success in your board exams in the same year and Class 12 plus other tough entrance exams like JEE and NEET. So, read on to find out how to start preparing smartly.

    How To Ace Class 10 NSTSE: 5-Year Analysis, Pattern, Syllabus, Chapters And Weightage
    Synopsis

    You are in Class 10 and want to get a great scholarship that recognises your talent in Science? Do you want to get an edge over others in your learning abilities and performance capabilities? If you are a student of Class 10 it is a good idea  to attempt the National Science Talent Search Exam, NSTSE, to assess your knowledge of Science and Mathematics of Class 10. Careers360 has analyzed the question papers of Class 10 NSTSE for the past five years to help you to ace the exam. This article gives details of the exam pattern, syllabus, weightage of Science and Mathematics chapters and preparation tips for NSTSE Class 10 exam. If you do well in NSTSE Class 10, that will be a stepping stone for success in your board exams in the same year and Class 12 plus other tough entrance exams like JEE and NEET. So, read on to find out how to start preparing smartly.

    One of the most popular exams students take to evaluate their academic abilities in Science is the National Level Science Talent Search Examination, or NSTSE. This test, when compared to others, provides a more comprehensive assessment of a student's progress in science subjects.This is because the NSTSE's question format allows for a more realistic assessment of a student's understanding of science topics. The NSTSE also helps students in improving their general learning ability and academic performance. It is a computer-based test held every year between December and January.

    The national winner will receive a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh. Ranks 2 and 3 will receive a laptop and a tablet device, along with a souvenir. Those who rank 4th to 10th and 11th to 25th will win cash prizes of Rs 2,000 and Rs 1,000, respectively. Along with consolation awards, the top rankers in chosen cities will receive plenty of other exciting goodies.

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

    This article looks at the eligibility criteria, exam structure, syllabus, how to prepare subject-wise for this test, analysis of the previous years’ exam papers and much more. If you are in Class 10 and would like to win this prestigious scholarship, this article will show you how.

    Eligibility Criteria

    The NSTSE examination is open to all students in Class 10. Students can apply individually online or apply through their respective schools.

    Exam Pattern

    Each class has a different question paper. For Class 10, there will be 60 questions across all subjects for a total of 60 marks. The question paper will be divided into five categories: Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Critical Thinking. There are 25 questions in the Mathematics section and 10 questions each in Physics, Chemistry and Biology. There are 5 questions in the Critical Thinking section. There is no negative marking for this exam. The duration is 60 minutes.

    Syllabus for Class 10 (NSTSE/Syllabus)

    The level of the NSTSE exam is similar to an annual Olympiad test. It is organized to measure students' knowledge in science and assist them to improve it. And so, students must understand the basics of mathematics and science in order to pass the exam. The NSTSE syllabus is based on the CBSE/ICSE/ISC and various other State Boards' Class 10 curriculums.

    Also Read,

    The syllabus is divided into three parts: Math, Science and Critical Thinking. The detailed syllabus is tabulated below:

    Detailed syllabus of Mathematics

    Sl. No.

    Topics

    1

    Real Numbers

    2

    Pair Of Linear Equations In Two Variables

    3

    Polynomials

    4

    Coordinate Geometry

    5

    Quadratic Equations

    6

    Arithmetic Progressions

    7

    Triangles

    8

    Introduction To Trigonometry

    9

    Some Applications Of Trigonometry

    10

    Circles

    11

    Areas Related To Circles

    12

    Surface Areas And Volumes

    Detailed syllabus of Science

    Sl. No.

    Physics

    Chemistry

    Biology

    1

    Light

    Chemical Reactions And Equations

    Life Processes

    2

    Reflection And Refraction

    Acids Bases And Salts

    Control & Coordination

    3

    The Human Eye And The Colorful World

    Metals And Non-Metals

    Reproduction

    4

    Electricity

    Carbon And Its Compounds

    Heredity & Evolution

    5

    Magnetic Effects Of Electric Current

    —---

    Our Environment

    Critical Thinking : This section covers a variety of skills and strategies such as logical reasoning, inductive reasoning, tactical and strategic decision-making, and higher order thinking.

    NSTSE Subject-wise Analysis for Class 10

    Students can use previous years’ question papers to get a better understanding of the exam's structure and key features, which can help them score higher. Knowing how much weight certain elements of the exam or sections of a subject are given can help students concentrate on the most crucial aspects.

    Careers360 has analyzed the previous five years' solution provided on the official website and listed them below, subject-by-subject.

    Previous 5 years’ NSTSE Subject-wise detailed analysis

    As observed from the past five years' solution papers, 340 questions were analyzed. 60 questions each from Biology and Chemistry were included along with 65 questions from Physics plus 125 questions from Mathematics. The detailed subject-wise analysis of chapter weightage is as follows:

    1. Mathematics : According to the recent trend of NSTSE, Mathematics has the maximum number of questions from all the subjects. This subject accounts for 41.67 % of the entire test. The detailed analysis is tabulated below.

    Mathematics Chapter-wise Weightage

    Chapter

    Number Of Questions

    Weightage (%)

    Triangles

    19

    15.20%

    Arithmetic Progressions

    14

    11.20%

    Pair Of Linear Equations In Two Variables

    12

    9.60%

    Quadratic Equations

    12

    9.60%

    Surface Areas And Volumes

    12

    9.60%

    Coordinate Geometry

    11

    8.80%

    Introduction To Trigonometry

    11

    8.80%

    Polynomials

    8

    6.40%

    Circles

    7

    5.60%

    Real Numbers

    6

    4.80%

    Some Applications Of Trigonometry

    6

    4.80%

    Areas Related To Circles

    5

    4.00%

    Sets

    1

    0.80%

    As you can see, Triangles, Arithmetic Progressions, Pair Of Linear Equations In Two Variables, Quadratic Equations, Surface Areas And Volumes, and Coordinate Geometry are some of the other topics where students can concentrate more as the majority of the questions (more than 70%) were from these chapters. As you can observe, there is a chapter called Sets that is not listed in either the CBSE or NSTSE Class 10 syllabus, yet one question was there in the NSTSE exam. Therefore, students should have a basic understanding of Sets. It will assist students in achieving good exam results.

    1. Physics : It connects with real-life situations. However, it is given less weightage by NSTSE even though it plays a crucial role in the selection. The detailed analysis is as follows :

    Physics Chapter-wise Weightage

    Chapter

    Number Of Questions

    Weightage (%)

    Light, Reflection And Refraction

    19

    29.23%

    Electricity

    16

    24.62%

    The Human Eye And The Colorful World

    15

    23.08%

    Magnetics Effects Of Electric Current

    12

    18.46%

    Sources Of Energy

    3

    4.62%

    The analysis shows that the chapters on Light, Reflection, and Refraction, Electricity, and The Human Eye cover most of the Physics section. In the last five years, more than 75% of NSTSE questions have been asked from these particular chapters. We can also see that the NSTSE syllabus does not include the chapter Sources of Energy, but three questions have been asked in the last five years.

    1. Chemistry: As observed, the syllabus for Chemistry in NSTSE is the shortest of all the subjects comparatively, but contains the same weightage as Physics and Biology. As a result, students can complete this task faster while maintaining the same grade level.The detailed analysis for Chemistry is as follows:

    Chemistry Chapter-wise Weightage

    Chapter

    Number Of Questions

    Weightage (%)

    Chemical Reactions And Equations

    19

    31.67%

    Metals And Non-Metals

    16

    26.67%

    Acids,Bases And Salts

    11

    18.33%

    Carbon And Its Compounds

    9

    15.00%

    Periodic Classification Of Elements

    4

    6.67%

    According to the analysis, more than 55 percent of the questions were asked from these two chapters – Chemical Reactions And Equations and Metals And Non-Metals. In the last five years, four questions were asked from the Periodic Classification Of Elements, which is not even listed in the NSTSE Class 10 syllabus. So, instead of working harder, why not work smarter by using this analysis?

    1. Biology: Students should study and revise Biology multiple times to ensure that they get good marks since it is the most theoretical subject compared to Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Critical thinking. The detailed analysis of this subject is as follows :

    Biology Chapter-wise Weightage

    Chapter

    Number Of Questions

    Weightage (%)

    Life Processes

    24

    40.00%

    How Do Organisms Reproduce?

    17

    28.33%

    Control And Coordination

    8

    13.33%

    Our Environment

    5

    8.33%

    Tissues

    3

    5.00%

    Heredity And Evolution

    1

    1.67%

    Sustainable Management Of Natural Resources

    1

    1.67%

    Why Do We Fall Ill?

    1

    1.67%

    According to the data, only two chapters – Life Processes and How Do Organisms Reproduce? – accounted for around 70% of the questions asked in the last five years of the NSTSE exam. A smart student will now pay more attention to these chapters. Now, in the last five years of NSTSE, five questions were from chapters – Tissues, Sustainable Management Of Natural Resources and Why Do We Fall Ill? – which were not included in the NSTSE Class 10 curriculum. And so, students should concentrate on these chapters as well.

    Critical Thinking: Questions have been asked frequently in the last 5 years in this section from Blood Relation, Word Problem, Coding and Decoding, Cubes, Seating arrangement, Clocks, Calendars and Directions. Students can focus more on these topics while preparing for NSTSE Class 10.

    Subject-wise Preparation Of Exam

    Now that we have seen the analysis and areas of each subject where students should focus more, let's look at how to prepare for the exam.

    1. Mathematics: Consistent practice and using shortcut calculations will help in completing the mathematics paper in less time. Students can use the Olympiad exam booklets as a source of information. They can also use the Brain Mapping Academy's Handbook for Math to help them with NSTSE Math problems.

    2. Science: To achieve success in the Science section, it is critical that students memorize the topics. Knowing the theoretical and experimental components will give them an advantage. Science section consists of three parts:

    3. Physics - For Physics, understanding the concepts and derivations simplify numerical solutions. If your ideas are clear, you can answer any difficult MCQ in less time.

    4. Chemistry - In Chemistry, students should memorize the reactions with their reactants, products and catalysts. Also the periodic table should also be on the tip of the students, at least till atomic number = 30.

    5. Biology - If you want to ace Biology. simply review every topic thoroughly. Students can get maximum marks in Biology by remembering the terminologies. To learn and retain the information, use flashcards and highlight the critical points.

    Preparations For NSTSE

    A few tips and tricks that can be followed during the preparation of NSTSE are as follows:

    • To score maximum marks, you should revise thoroughly and regularly.

    • Know the exam pattern and syllabus.

    • It's imperative that students understand which sections of the NSTSE they should take the time to review, understand the time they require to finish the tasks and which sections deserve more attention. This can be accomplished if they have details of the test’s pattern and syllabus.

    • The exam preparation material includes previous years’ question papers, sample exams, short notes, question banks, NCERT books and solutions.

    • Students must ensure the study materials they select are acceptable and reliable for the examinations.Students can refer to this link for book reference for Class 10 NSTSE/eBooks Class 10

    • To ensure they are prepared thoroughly for the test, students should take mock examinations and practice tests. The most important recommendation for students is to manage their time more effectively. They must develop a timeline and prepare properly without procrastinating.

    For more information - About NSTSE

    Extra Suggestions

    Only studying will not help you get good grades. Getting a great grade requires two things: determination and consistency. If you want to do well on the NSTSE exam, make sure you prepare thoroughly. Start as soon as you can and complete your daily study goal. Choose which books you'll read and how frequently you'll complete the challenges. Remember that the more effort you put in, the better your score will be.

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