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NATIONAL TALENT SEARCH EXAMINATION
Learn about the Tests
Educational Survey Division
National Council of Educational Research and Training
Sri Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi-110 016

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Learn about the National Talent Search Tests
The National Talent Search Examination will be conducted for students
studying at the Class X level. The examination consists of tests, namely
Mental Ability Test (MAT) and Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). The items
in the MAT and SAT are multiple choice questions. Each question has four
alternatives. The candidate has to select one correct answer from the given
alternatives and mark its number in the answer-sheet as per instructions
given on the answer sheet. Each correct answer carries one mark. Thus,
the total score of a candidate in a test is equal to the number of questions
answered correctly by him/her.
The number of questions, maximum marks and time allowed are as follows:
Test No. of
Questions
Maximum
Marks
Time
(i) Mental Ability Test 50 50 45 minutes
(ii) Scholastic Aptitude Test
a) Language Test 50 50 45 minutes
b) Sciences, Mathematics
& Social Sciences
100 100 90 minutes
To acquaint the candidates with the tests, some sample questions in each
i.e. MAT and SAT are given. The questions will give the candidate, a feel
of the nature and the level of the questions expected in the test.
Mental Ability Test (MAT)
This test is given to the candidates to judge their power of reasoning, ability
to think, ability to judge, evaluate or discriminate, ability to visualize in the
space, spatial orientation, etc. A variety of questions, for example:
analogies, classification, series, pattern perception, hidden figures, coding-
decoding, block assembly, problem solving etc. are used for this purpose.

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Sample Questions for Mental Ability Test (MAT)
1 In a certain code, MONKEY is written as XDJMNL. How is TIGER written in that
code?
1. QDFHS
2. SDFHS
3. SHFDQ
4. UJHFS
2 In a queue Rekha is 9th
from the back. Geeta’s place is 8th
from the front. Rimya is
standing between two. What could be the minimum number of girls standing in the
queue?
1. 12
2. 14
3. 16
4. 18
3 Which one of the four diagrams given below represents school, teachers and students?
1 2 3 4

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Sample Questions for Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)
LANGUAGE TEST
Language Test is designed to judge the power of reading comprehension, logical sequencing;
interpretative, evaluative, predictive and creative components of language. The candidates
may please carefully note that language test is to be attempted either in English or in
Hindi (as per option of the candidate) in the national level NTSE.
Sample Questions in English Language
I. Read the following passage about the people of Coorg and answer the questions that
follow.
The fiercely independent people of Coorg are possibly of Greek or Arab descent. As
one story goes, a part of Alexander’s army moved south along the coast and settled
here when return became impractical. These people married amongst the locals and
their culture is apparent in the martial traditions, marriage and religious rites, which
are distinct from the Hindu mainstream. The theory of Arab origin draws support
from the long, black coat with an embroidered waist-belt worn by the Kodavus known
as kuppia, it resembles the kuffia worn by the Arabs and the Kurds.
1. The word ‘possibly’ means…
1.The writer has good reasons to believe that the Coorgs are of Greek or Arab
descent.
2.The writer is not sure.
3.The writer is stating a fact.
4.The writer says that it is unlikely.
2. Return became ‘impractical ‘ means
1. The Greeks could not go back.
2. The Greeks wanted to stay back.
3. They found it difficult to go back.
4. They found it frivolous to go back.
3. ‘distinct from the Hindu mainstream’ means
1. Clear
2. Differentiated
3. Similar
4. Obscure
4. The Arab origin of the Coorg implies
1. How the Arab originated
2. How the idea that the Coorgs are of Arab origin originated
3. How a theory originated among Arabs
4. Living in Coorg is same as living in Iraq

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5. Find the adjective that describe the Coorg
1. Independent
2. Impractical
3. Protective of their identity
4. Distinct
II. The following five sentences come from a paragraph. First and last sentences
are given. Choose from the given three sentences (P,Q,R) the order in which
they appear to complete the paragraph.
S1 Many new government buildings in Delhi will have cool roofs
S2 ___________________________________________________
S3____________________________________________________
S4 ____________________________________________________
S5 A white wash of a dark roof is one cheap and simple option.
P This will help reduce energy use by air conditioners.
Q They will reflect sunlight and heat unlike conventional dark ones.
R Cool roofs do not require high level ‘rocket technology’.
Choose from the option given below.
1. PQR
2. RQP
3. QPR
4. PRQ
III.Rearrange the words into meaningful sentences.
1. /we / since / my brother / in this place / have been living /was born. /
2. /are /many ways / theorem /where /a mathematical / can be/ proved./
3. /on/stay/ their seats / passengers/ has opened / conductor / door / requested/ are/ the /
until/ the /
4. / before / diseases / known / 18th
century / some / not / were / of / these / the/ common/
5. /cancer/ her / had / family/ knew/even/Anand/ but / did not / tell / he /his/

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IV. Find the word which best completes the sentence.
1. Apart from the _____________ cough and cold, I have been remarkably healthy all
my life.
1. odd
2. opportune
3. irregular
4. timely
2. Our hosts had prepared a ___________meal with five courses to celebrate our arrival.
1. Generous
2. profuse
3. lavish
4. extraordinary
V. There are different names for the word ‘storm’ depending on their nature.
Choose from the box below which suits the definition of the word.
1. A violent tropical storm in which strong winds move in a circle.
2. An extremely strong wind.
3. A violent tropical storm with very strong winds.
4. A violent storm whose centre is a cloud in the shape of a funnel.
5. A violent storm with very strong winds, especially in the western Atlantic
ocean.
6. A very strong wind that moves very fast in a spinning movement and
causes a lot of damage.
a. Gale
b. Whirlwind
c. Cyclone
d. Hurricane
e. Tornado
f. Typhoon

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VI.Choose the correct phrase from the given options to complete the sentences.
1. It requires such depth of oppression ________________________
1. not to create a fear.
2. to create such heights of character.
3. for a free country.
4. to lead to unpleasantness.
2. Courage was not the absence of fear ______________________
1. but the triumph over it.
2. but the fight over it.
3. but the feel of it.
4. but an act of self preservation.

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हिन्दी भाषा में नमूना प्रश्न
I.

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Sample Questions for Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)
Sample Questions in Social Sciences
1 Trace the growth of different strands of National Movement in India in time
sequence.
a. Establishment of Depressed Classes Association
b. Indian Industrial and Commercial Congress
c. “Purna Swaraj”
d. Non-cooperation and Khilafat Movement
1. a, c, d, b
2. d, b, c, a
3. c, a d, b
4. d, c, b, a
2 Match the natural vegetation in Column I with the State in Column II
Column I Column II
A. Tropical Evergreen Forest 1. Rajasthan
B. Tropical Deciduous Forest 2. Kerala
C. Montane Forest 3. Uttarakhand
D. Tropical Thorn Forest 4 Jharkhand
1. A2, B1, C3, D4
2. A2, B3, C4, D1
3. A2, B4, C3, D1
4. A4, B2, C3, D1
3 Ford Motors, an MNC wants to invest in India for manufacturing automobiles
because
1. they can hire cheap labour.
2. tax laws are very stringent.
3. industrial licensing policy is applicable.
4. foreign companies are regulated.
1. I-B, II-D, III-C, IV-A
2. I-C, II-D, III-B, IV-A
3. I-C, II-B, III-A, IV-D
4. I-A, II-C, III-B, IV-D

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4 Which of the following situations is the example of violation of the Principle of
‘free and fair election’?
1. A candidate openly supports reservation on the caste basis and gets
overwhelming support of the voters of a particular caste.
2. A party promises in its election manifesto that if it wins, it will make a
policy to give every household a free TV set.
3. A Leader declares that if his party forms the government it would waive
the loans of small farmers.
4. A candidate distributes motorcycles to all those who manage more than
one hundred votes in his favour.

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Sample Questions in Sciences and Mathematics
1 An element ‘A’ reacts with oxygen to form a protective layer of compound ‘B’. The
component ‘B’ is also obtained by the reaction of ‘A’ with rust. The compound ‘B’ is
known to react both with acids and bases. Identify the element ‘A’.
1. Silver
2. Aluminium
3. Copper
4. Magnesium
2 In a fight and flight situation, adrenaline hormone is secreted to enable to deal with, the
responses include:-
A. Increase in blood supply to skeletal muscle and contraction of diaphragm.
B. Increase in blood supply to digestive system and contraction of rib muscle.
C. Supply of more oxygen to muscle and reduced blood supply to skin.
D. Increase in heart beats, breathing rate and increase blood supply to digestive
system.
1. A & D
2. B & D
3. B & C
4. A & C
3 A horse pulls a carriage with a force P. Which two among the following statements are
correct?
a) The carriage also pulls the horse back with a force P.
b) Since the carriage pulls the horse back with a equal force P, the system does not
move at all.
c) The system moves because the horse can hit the ground with its hoofs; the
horizontal component of whose reaction is greater than the total frictional and
other forces of resistance offered by the ground.
d) The acceleration of the horse and the carriage are unequal.
1. a and b
2. a and c
3. a and d
4. c and d

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4 ABCD is a quadrilateral, and AB2
+ BC2
+ CD2
+ DA2
= AC2
+ BD2
. Then
1. All angles of ABCD are equal.
2. All sides of ABCD are equal.
3. ABCD must be a parallelogram.
4. ABCD is a trapezium.
5 There are two cups filled with equal amount of tea and coffee. A spoonful of
coffee is first transferred from coffee-cup to the tea-cup and then a spoonful
from the tea-cup is transferred to the coffee-cup, then
1. Amount of tea in the coffee-cup is more than the amount of coffee in
the tea-cup.
2. Amount of coffee in the tea-cup is more than the amount of tea in the
coffee-cup.
3. Amount of coffee in the tea-cup is the same as the amount of tea in the
coffee-cup.
4. These amounts cannot be compared unless the volume of spoon and
that of the cups are known.

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