Gujarat NMMS 2026-27: Class 8 students can apply from 15 to 24 October for a ₹12,000-a-year scholarship; exam likely on 5 December

The State Examination Board (SEB), Gujarat has issued its notification for the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship (NMMS) exam 2026-27, dated 12 October 2026. The exam picks bright Class 8 students from low-income families. The Union Ministry of Education then pays the winners a scholarship from Class 9 to Class 12, so that they stay in school. The Board is holding the exam under the Ministry's circular of 4 June 2026.

Key dates

Step	Dates
Online application on sebexam.org	15 October (3 pm) to 24 October 2026 (11:59 pm)
Online fee payment	15 to 26 October 2026
Exam (probable date)	5 December 2026

What the scholarship is worth

• ₹1,000 a month, or ₹12,000 a year, for four years, for students who make the merit list within their district's quota for their category.
• Gujarat's total quota is 5,097 students.
• Selected students must then apply, and renew every year, on the National Scholarship Portal (NSP). The school and the district nodal officer verify the application, and the Ministry pays the money straight into the student's bank account.
• The Board only runs the exam. It does not check documents and is not responsible for the scholarship payments.

Who can apply

• Students in Class 8 this year in a government primary school, a local-body school (district panchayat, municipal corporation or municipality) or a grant-in-aid primary school.
• Students in private or self-financed schools, Kendriya Vidyalayas, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas and government residential schools that provide boarding and lodging cannot apply.
• Class 7 result: at least 55% (or equivalent grade) for general and OBC students, and at least 50% for SC and ST students.
• Parents' annual income must be no more than ₹3,50,000.

The exam

Paper	Questions	Marks	Time
Mental Ability Test (MAT): analogy, classification, number series, patterns, hidden figures	90	90	90 minutes
Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT): maths, science and social science	90	90	90 minutes

• The SAT covers the full Class 7 syllabus and the first-term Class 8 syllabus. Questions will be competency-based, in line with NEP 2020.
• All questions are multiple choice, one mark each, with no negative marking. You can take the paper in English or Gujarati. Students who write with a scribe get 60 extra minutes.
• To qualify, general and OBC students need 40% across both papers combined, and SC and ST students need 32%. Only qualifiers who fall within the district and category quota get the scholarship.
• Centres will be set up at taluka level wherever about 300 students apply. Where fewer apply, students will be sent to a centre in a nearby taluka.

Fee and the form

• Exam fee: ₹70 for general, EWS and OBC students, and ₹50 for SC, ST and students with disabilities, plus a service charge. The fee is not refunded.
• The school is responsible for filling in its students' forms online. The form is filled in English.
• Enter the student's name exactly as it appears on the Aadhaar card. The Aadhaar number is compulsory, and both sides of the card must be uploaded. The other details come from the school's U-DISE record, so the school must check that the name in U-DISE matches Aadhaar. A mismatch causes trouble later during NSP registration, and the Board says it will not correct details afterwards.
• Photo and signature: JPG files of up to 15 KB each.
• Attach to the printed form: the fee challan, a copy of the Aadhaar card, an attested copy of the income certificate, the Class 7 marksheet, and the caste and disability certificates if they apply.
• For the exam, an income certificate from the Mamlatdar, Taluka Development Officer, talati-cum-mantri or a municipal chief officer is accepted. A caste certificate from the Mamlatdar or TDO, or a bonafide certificate from the school principal's register, is also accepted. However, to receive the scholarship on NSP, students need income and caste certificates from the competent government authority. Start getting those now.

What to do now: if your child is in Class 8 at a government, local-body or grant-in-aid school, ask the class teacher this week whether the school is registering students. Check that the child's name is spelt the same way on the Aadhaar card and in the school's records, and apply for the income certificate now. The form closes at 11:59 pm on 24 October.

CareerBox News Desk — reporting on the State Examination Board, Gujarat notification for the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme 2026-27, dated 12 October 2026, issued under the Union Ministry of Education circular F.No. 1-10/2026-NMMS of 4 June 2026. Official portal: sebexam.org. Dates and eligibility change; confirm them on the official portal before you act.