Bengal: State Directorate of School Edu to hold NMMS exam on December 21

Kolkata: The West Bengal Directorate of School Education will conduct the state-level National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Examination (NMMSE) 2025 for Class VIII students on December 21 across multiple centres. The online application process is open until September 9. Candidates must print the filled-in form, have it certified by their school head with the official seal and upload it along with the required documents.

Eligibility is limited to Class VIII students of recognised government, government-aided, local body and government-sponsored schools, including non-residential Madrasahs. Students of Kendriya Vidyalayas, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas, state-run residential schools and private institutions are not eligible. Applicants must have secured at least 55 per cent marks in their Class VII final examination, with a relaxation of 5 per cent for SC, ST and disabled students. The annual parental income should not exceed Rs 3.5 lakh. The examination will be held in two sessions, the Mental Ability Test (MAT) and the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), each comprising 90 multiple-choice questions to be completed in 90 minutes.

The SAT will cover Mathematics, Physical Science, Life Science, History and Geography. There will be no negative marking, and extra time will be provided to disabled candidates. No examination fee is applicable.

For 2025, 7,250 scholarships have been allotted to Bengal, to be distributed across 23 administrative districts and two special education districts, Barrackpore (covering Barrackpore and Bidhannagar subdivisions) and Siliguri (covering the Siliguri subdivision). Students must apply under the district in which their school is located.

In the event of a tie at the cut-off mark, selection will be based on the candidate’s date of birth, with preference given to the younger student. Admit card notifications will be issued later through the scholarship portal.