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If you study science in West Bengal, one scholarship test is worth knowing about early: the talent search run by Jagadis Bose National Science Talent Search (JBNSTS) in Kolkata. It has a junior test for Class 11 students and a senior test for students starting a science, engineering or medical degree, and both lead to a monthly stipend and enrichment programmes. This post explains the 2026 rules from JBNSTS's official notice.
What is JBNSTS?
JBNSTS describes itself, in its 2026 examination notice, as an autonomous institute under the Department of Higher Education, Government of West Bengal. It is named after Jagadis Chandra Bose; our profile of J. C. Bose covers his work. Alongside each talent search test it lists a parallel award with the same test, the Junior or Senior Bigyani Kanya Medha Britti.
Who can apply for the junior and senior tests?
From the 2026 notice:
Junior Talent Search Test (JTST)
Passed Class 10 in 2026 with at least 75% marks (or equivalent CGPA) in aggregate.
Now in Class 11 science in any school in West Bengal, with at least three subjects from physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology, statistics, electronics and computer science.
Senior Talent Search Test (STST)
Passed or appeared in Class 12 (WBCHSE, CBSE, ISC or Visva-Bharati board) in 2026.
Studying or aiming to study science (Hons.) in subjects covered by the DST INSPIRE scholarship, BS-MS, B.Stat-M.Stat, engineering or medicine in West Bengal. General, diploma and nursing course students are not eligible.
What is the exam pattern?
Both tests are three hours long and carry 90 marks:
Junior: physical science, life science and mathematics, 15 questions each, all compulsory, based on the Class 10 syllabus.
Senior: physics, chemistry, mathematics and biology, 15 questions each, based on Class 12. You answer any three subjects.
Marking (both): 2 marks for a correct answer, 0.5 deducted for a wrong one.
Check: 3 subjects × 15 questions × 2 marks = 90 marks.
For 2026 the JBNSTS home page gave the exam date as 20 December 2026 and the last date for the application form as 30 November 2026. The junior test ran from noon to 3 pm and the senior from 10 am to 1 pm. Successful candidates then face interviews, and senior candidates also take a scientific creativity test.
What do the scholarships pay? A worked example
The 2026 notice lists:
Junior scholars: Rs 1,250 a month for two years plus a Rs 2,500 annual book grant.
Senior scholars: Rs 4,000 a month plus a Rs 5,000 annual book grant, for four, four and a half or five years depending on the course.
Working it out. Junior over two years: 1,250 × 24 = Rs 30,000 in stipend, plus 2 × 2,500 = Rs 5,000 in book grants, so Rs 35,000 in all. Senior for one year: 4,000 × 12 = Rs 48,000 plus Rs 5,000 = Rs 53,000. For a four-year B.Tech or B.Sc. that is 4 × 53,000 = Rs 2,12,000.
The notice also says the top 10 boys and top 10 girls in the senior test receive a laptop, and scholars join workshops, science camps and research projects.
Should you guess when wrong answers cost 0.5?
A right answer earns 2 and a wrong one costs 0.5. If a question has four options, a blind guess is worth 1/4 × 2 − 3/4 × 0.5 = 0.5 − 0.375 = +0.125 marks on average. After ruling out one option it rises to 1/3 × 2 − 2/3 × 0.5 = 0.667 − 0.333 = +0.33. With only 45 questions, each mark matters, so guess only after eliminating at least one option.
How to prepare
Junior: revise the full Class 10 physical science, life science and maths syllabus; with only 15 questions per subject, there are no "safe" chapters to skip.
Senior: do timed 15-question sets per subject in about 60 minutes, the average time available per subject.
For the interview: be ready to explain one experiment or idea you found interesting, in your own words.
Track related scholarships: our post on the INSPIRE scholarship explains another option for science degree students.
If a topic is stopping you in practice, revise that idea on its own. The Fermi Concept Library covers every concept in physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics, each with its own lesson.
Read the current JBNSTS examination notice on jbnsts.ac.in and note the form deadline before it closes.
