NSTC registration open till April 30

Islamabad : The aspiring students can register for National Science Talent Contest (NSTC)-18 till April 30 for showcasing their talents in order to get selected for representing Pakistan in the International Science Olympiads.

NSTC is a joint venture of Higher Education Commission (HEC) and Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS) under the Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Careers Programme.

The test will be held in the month of August after which the successful students will be given proper training.

The selected candidates will be able to participate in the International Biology Olympiad to be held in Armenia, International Chemistry Olympiad in China, and International Mathematics Olympiad in Norway and International Physics Olympiad in Belarus.

According to the eligibility criteria to register for NSTC, students of Pre 9th ,9th,10th or Intermediate (Part-I), who scored an aggregate of 60% or more mark in Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics in last exam can register to participate in the contest.

Students of O-Levels (Part-I, II, III) or A-Level (Part-I), who scored an aggregate of 60% or more mark in Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics in last exam can also register.

The age of the students should be less than 20 years on 2022-06-30.The students who are currently studying in FSC (Part-II)/A- Level (Part-II) and University students are not eligible to apply. Students of Sindh Board/Technical Boards/O-Level Part-1/A Level Part-1 intended to complete the online registration form, may first enter the marks of optional Science subjects and then enter the marks of any other subjects (if required).

For O/A Levels Students, equivalent percentages for grades are as: A*= 90, A=85, B= 75, C=65, D = 55, E= 45. An official of NSTC told APP that the screening test will be held in Islamabad/Rawalpindi, Multan, Sargodha, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Faisalabad, Lahore, Dera Ismail Khan, Peshawar, Abbottabad, Sukkur, Chitral, Swat, Hyderabad, Karachi, Muzaffarabad, Gilgit and Quetta.

Top 50 students will be invited for one week fully residential training camps in each of the NSTC subject on the basis of their performance in the screening test.

The grooming or selection process gradually narrows down this number up to 4-6 best students.

Olympiad teams of 4-6 students will be selected through a series of subsequent training camps during a year for participation in the international Science Olympiads to represent their country.

The students winning Gold medal will be given cash prize of Rs120,000 silver medal Rs80,000, Bronze medal Rs60,000 and for honorable mention 50,000 and International participation Rs20,000, the official informed.