National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Examination (NMMS)
The National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship (NMMSS) is a Ministry of Education scheme for Class 8 students of government, aided and local-body schools: those selected receive Rs 1,000 a month (Rs 12,000 a year) from Class 9 to Class 12, and the parents' annual income limit in the 2026-27 Karnataka and 2025-26 Gujarat notifications is Rs 3,50,000. Each State/UT runs its own selection exam, usually between November and February, with two multiple-choice parts: a Mental Ability Test (MAT) and a Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) on Class 7-8 Science, Mathematics and Social Science, commonly 90 questions each. Scholarships go on merit against district and category quotas. Papers and keys here come from the official sites of Karnataka (KSEAB/DSERT), Haryana (SCERT), Delhi (Directorate of Education), Kerala (SCERT and Pareeksha Bhavan), Rajasthan (RSCERT/Shala Darpan) and Gujarat (State Examination Board).
MAT and SAT papers of 90 questions each, English/Kannada
MAT and SAT of 90 questions each in one Hindi/English booklet
MAT and SAT, 90 questions each, Hindi/English
MAT and SAT of 90 questions each
MAT and SAT of 90 questions each in one Hindi/English booklet
MAT and SAT of 90 questions each, English or Gujarati medium
State-level NMMS exam for Class VIII students in Andhra Pradesh, conducted by the Directorate of Government Examinations (BSE AP): a Mental Ability Test and a Scholastic Aptitude Test in one booklet, offered in English, Telugu, Urdu and Hindi media.
State-level NMMS exam for Class VIII students in Telangana, conducted by the Directorate of Government Examinations (BSE Telangana) in Telugu, Hindi, Urdu and English media: a Mental Ability Test and a Scholastic Aptitude Test.
NMMSS exam for Class VIII students in Puducherry, conducted by the Directorate of School Education: Part I Mental Ability Test and Part II Scholastic Aptitude Test in separate booklets, usually held in March.
State-level NMMSS exam for Class VIII students in Punjab, conducted by SCERT Punjab as a joint test with the Punjab State Talent Search Examination (PSTSE): one booklet with a Mental Ability Test and a Scholastic Aptitude Test.
State-level NMMS exam (NMMSE) for Class VIII students in Chhattisgarh, conducted by SCERT Chhattisgarh in Hindi and English; until 2020-21 it was held on the same day as NTSE Stage I and the two shared model-answer files.
State-level NMMSS exam for Class VIII students in Himachal Pradesh, conducted by SCERT Solan with bilingual (Hindi/English) MAT and SAT booklets; 2015-2017 papers also had an English language test.
State-level NMMSS exam for Class VIII students in Uttarakhand, conducted by SCERT Uttarakhand as one joint test with the Dr. Shivanand Nautiyal and Shridev Suman state scholarships.
State-level NMMS exam for Class VIII students in Mizoram, conducted by the Mizoram Scholarship Board with English-only MAT and SAT booklets.
Summarised from the official notification. Patterns change; confirm in the latest notice.
| Section | QsQuestions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1: Mental Ability Test (MAT)one mark each | 90 | 90 | 90 minutes |
| Paper 2: Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)35 Science, 35 Social Science, 20 Mathematics | 90 | 90 | 90 minutes |
KSEAB circular dated 23-09-2026 for NMMS 2026-27 (exam on 20-12-2026) · official source
| Section | QsQuestions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1: Mental Ability Test (MAT)qualifying 36 (29 for SC, BC, divyang) | 90 | 90 | 90 minutes |
| Part 2: Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)Science 35, Mathematics 20, Social Science 35; qualifying 36 (29 for SC, BC, divyang) | 90 | 90 | 90 minutes |
NMMSS 2026-27 prospectus (exam on 29 November 2026) · official source
| Section | QsQuestions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mental Ability Test (MAT) | 90 | 90 | 90 min |
| Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology, History, Geography, Civics, Economics | 90 | 90 | 90 min |
DoE Delhi NMMS information sheet (undated); recent Delhi papers print both tests in a single booklet · official source
| Section | QsQuestions | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Part I: Mental Ability Test (MAT)10.00 am to 11.30 am | 90 | 90 minutes |
| Part II: Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)Social Science 35, Basic Science 35, Basic Mathematics 20 marks; 01.30 pm to 3.00 pm | 90 | 90 minutes |
NMMSE 2026-27 notification (exam on 07/11/2026) · official source
| Section | QsQuestions | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Mental Ability Test (MAT)reasoning and critical thinking | 90 | 90 minutes |
| Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)science, social studies, mathematics (Class 7 and 8 syllabus) | 90 | 90 minutes |
Rajasthan Shala Darpan NMMS exam-pattern page (current) · official source
| Section | QsQuestions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| MAT (mental ability test) | 90 | 90 | 90 minutes |
| SAT (scholastic aptitude test)Class 7 and 8 Mathematics, Science, Social Science | 90 | 90 | 90 minutes |
NMMS 2025-26 notification dated 07/11/2025 (probable exam date 03/01/2026) · official source
| Section | QsQuestions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part I: Mental Ability Test (MAT) | 90 | 90 | 90 minutes |
| Part II: Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)science, social studies and mathematics (classes VII and VIII) | 90 | 90 | 90 minutes |
NMMSS revised guidelines (2022) as posted on bse.ap.gov.in in 2023 · official source
| Section |
|---|
| Mental Ability Test (MAT) |
| Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) |
Telangana NMMSS general guidelines; NMMSSE 2026-27 notification (exam on 01-11-2026) · official source
| Section | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Part I: Mental Ability Test (MAT) | 90 | 09.30 AM to 11.00 AM |
| Part II: Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)Mathematics 20, Science 35, Social Science 35 | 90 | 11.15 AM to 12.45 PM |
NMMSS Examination 2025-26 (brochure scheduled 01-03-2026; held 08-03-2026) · official source
| Section | QsQuestions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part I: Mental Ability Test (MAT) | 90 | 90 | — |
| Part II: Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)Science, Mathematics, Social Studies | 90 | 90 | — |
| Total | 180 | 180 | 3 hours |
NMMSS & PSTSE State Level Joint Test - 2025 (held 4 January 2026) · official source
| Section | QsQuestions | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Paper I: Mental Ability Test (MAT) | 90 | 10:00 to 12:00 |
| Paper II: Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)Mathematics 20, Science 35, Social Science 35 | 90 | 01:00 to 03:00 |
NTSE-NMMSE 2021-22 advertisement · official source
| Section | QsQuestions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mental Ability Test (MAT) | 90 | 90 | 90 minutes |
| Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) | 90 | 90 | 90 minutes |
NMMSS Examination 2026-27 advertisement (earlier HP booklets of 2018 and 2021 gave 120 minutes per paper) · official source
| Section | QsQuestions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1: Mental Ability Test (MAT) | 90 | 90 | 11:00 to 12:30 |
| Paper 2: Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)History, Geography, Civics, Economics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics | 90 | 90 | 1:30 to 3:00 |
NMMSS/SNSS/SMSS Examination 2025-26 (held 16 December 2025) · official source
| Section | QsQuestions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mental Ability Test (MAT) | 90 | 90 | 90 minutes |
| Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) | 90 | 90 | 90 minutes |
NMMS Examination 2025 (held 6 December 2025) · official source
PYQSathi lists 196 NMMS papers from 2009 to 2026, each linked to its official source. Open the paper library above and pick a year.
NMMS is conducted by the Ministry of Education (Department of School Education & Literacy) scheme; selection exam conducted by each State/UT. Notifications, dates and results are published on its official website.
No. PYQSathi is independent. We summarise official documents and link to them, last checked 12 Oct 2026. Always confirm on the official website before applying.
Last verified 12 Oct 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
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