293 students clear NMMS exam in Tiruchi

A total of 293 students in the Tiruchi district have cleared the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship (NMMS) examination conducted in February for the academic year 2024-25.

The district secured the ninth place in Tamil Nadu. Last year, about 283 students cleared the exam and the district secured seventh place. “Although the district’s performance has improved compared to the previous year, the district has slipped in the table from seventh place to ninth,” said D. Dakshinamoorthy, Deputy Inspector of School Education, Tiruchi.

The NMMS examination is conducted annually across the States through the Central government to support meritorious students from economically weaker sections studying in government and aided schools in continuing their secondary education.

Students of Class VIII in government and aided schools appeared for the exam conducted in February. The students had to score an aggregate of 40% to clear the exam and the selected candidates will receive a monthly scholarship of ₹1,000 for the next four years till Class XII.

A team of subject experts trained the teachers on the nuances of the exam constituting the Scholastic Ability Test (SAT) and Mental Ability Test (MAT) to coach the students. “The training sessions for students were held after school hours and even during holidays. Everyday tests, weekly revision, and model exams were conducted. The scores of the tests were reviewed regularly, and the student’s progress was closely monitored,” said S. Udhayakumar, in-charge of higher secondary school, Tiruchi.

Among the government schools in the district, Panchayat Union Middle School at Urudaiyapatti stood out, with 18 students clearing the examination from the same school. Since 2013-14, about 69 students from the school have cleared the exam.

“We had been training the students since Class VII. A separate booklet containing important and previous years’ questions was prepared to coach the students. They were taught to use the OMR sheets as well,” said V. Rani, the headmistress.

In terms of success rate in the NMMS, Thanjavur, has secured the 10th place with 241 students succeeding in the test, 194 in Pudukottai, 139 in Tiruvarur, 64 in Nagapattinam, 49 in Perambalur, 37 in Karur, 33 in Ariyalur, and 28 in Mayiladuthurai. A total of 6,695 candidates in Tamil Nadu gained eligibility this year, fulfilling the allotted quota for the State.