 "NTA National Aptitude Test (NAT) 2021: 10 Things About The New Exam")
NAT 2021: With an aim to help students acquire knowledge and skills beyond academics, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has announced a new exam, the National Aptitude Test (NAT).
The NTA said besides academic knowledge and skills, students should learn skills for the future – technical skills, creativity, emotional intelligence (EQ), analytical thinking, growth mindset, decision making, interpersonal communication, and adaptability.
NAT is an "ability profiler exam" for students aged 13 to 25 and intended to guide them to join the right institutions and skills training.
The exam will have four age clusters and it will test students in nine domains. Here are 10 things students and parents should know about this new exam.
The exam is free of cost. The registration process started on October 11 and the last date to apply is October 18. The exam will be conducted on October 23 and 24 as an internet-based test. Apply at nat.nta.ac.in.
The exam will test students in nine domains: Critical Reading Ability, Numerical Ability, Abstract Reasoning, Analytical Reasoning, Spatial Eligibility, Finding Irregularities, Data Interpretation, Verbal Ability, Physical and Mechanical Analysis.
Each domain has 10 questions of 1 mark each. The duration of the test is 2 hours and total marks is 90.
The exam will be conducted in four levels:
NAT is an Internet based test. This means candidates do not need to go to an exam centre to take the test. They can appear in it from their preferred location, using desktops, mobile phones, laptops, etc.
The NTA said “aptitude test scores are only suggestive of a student's potential. Parents should not use these scores to choose subjects for their students.”
“Many students may not score high on any of the nine domains. This does not mean that they lack the ability to pursue education or training in courses to choose a career. Such students need assistance/opportunities to understand themselves through self exploration and encouraging participation in various school activities of their interest, in addition to subjects of study,” the NTA said.
“Accordingly, s/he needs assistance in knowing future courses and occupations to make the best suitable career choices. To help such students, educational and career planning sessions may be organized and they may also be referred to school/ college counsellor for career counselling,” the agency said.
The NTA will conduct webinars on October 19 to give students orientation regarding the National Aptitude Test.
For more information about the National Aptitude Test, contact the NTA at nat@nta.ac.in or call at 01140759000.
