Scholarship Exam Preparation for Class 5 and Class 8
Practise for the Maharashtra Pre-Upper Primary (Class 5) and Pre-Secondary (Class 8) scholarship exams and for NMMS with timed papers, intelligence-test practice and simple explanations.
Maharashtra scholarship exams
The Maharashtra State Council of Examination (MSCE), Pune conducts the scholarship exams for students in Class 5 (Pre-Upper Primary) and Class 8 (Pre-Secondary). The exams reward strong basics in language and Mathematics and good reasoning skills.
There are two papers, each of 150 marks. Questions are multiple choice and the answers are marked on an OMR sheet.
Scholarship exam paper pattern
Based on recent MSCE notices:
| Paper | Subjects | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | First language (Marathi / medium language) | 25 | 50 |
| Paper 1 | Mathematics | 50 | 100 |
| Paper 2 | Third language (English) | 25 | 50 |
| Paper 2 | Intelligence test | 50 | 100 |
Check the MSCE Pune website for the current year’s pattern, dates and eligibility.
NMMS (National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship)
NMMS is for Class 8 students and is conducted in Maharashtra by MSCE. It has two papers: the Mental Ability Test (MAT) and the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), with science, Mathematics and social science questions from Classes 7 and 8. Selected students receive a scholarship for Classes 9 to 12, subject to the income and school criteria in the official notice.
How to prepare
- Mathematics: master the school syllabus first, then practise speed with mental-maths shortcuts.
- Intelligence test: practise a little every day: series, analogies, odd one out, coding, directions, figure puzzles.
- Language papers: read a short passage daily and learn grammar rules with examples.
- From two months before the exam: one full paper a week under exam timing, marking answers as you would on an OMR sheet.
Sample scholarship-style questions
Which number is the odd one out? 16, 25, 36, 42, 49
Show answer
Answer: C. 42
16, 25, 36 and 49 are perfect squares (4², 5², 6², 7²). 42 is not a perfect square.
If CAT is written as DBU, how is DOG written?
Show answer
Answer: A. EPH
Each letter moves one step forward: C→D, A→B, T→U. So D→E, O→P, G→H gives EPH.
The LCM of 4, 6 and 8 is:
Show answer
Answer: B. 24
Multiples of 8: 8, 16, 24… 24 is the first one also divisible by 4 and 6, so the LCM is 24.
Frequently asked questions
Which classes write the Maharashtra scholarship exam?
Students in Class 5 (Pre-Upper Primary) and Class 8 (Pre-Secondary) write the scholarship exam conducted by MSCE, Pune.
When should preparation start?
Starting in the previous academic year (Class 4 or Class 7) gives time to build speed and reasoning. Regular practice for 6 months before the exam also works well.
Are there practice tests for the intelligence paper?
Yes. Reasoning sets cover series, analogies, classification, coding–decoding, directions and figure-based questions, with explanations.
Adhar-AI EduTech is an independent practice platform and is not affiliated with MSCE Pune, the Government of Maharashtra or the Ministry of Education.