NMMS: Telangana, Himachal candidates, download admit cards by Nov 1 exam

The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) of Telangana and Himachal Pradesh have released their National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS) admit cards for the 2026-27 examination in October 2026. Uttar Pradesh is also expected to issue its admit card soon for the examination.

The NMMSS examination is scheduled for November 1, 2026, in states including Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh. This scholarship scheme, launched in 2008 by the Ministry of Education, aims to support Class 8 students from economically weaker sections by providing ₹12,000 per annum for Classes 9 to 12.

NMMS Admit Card Access and Examination Schedule

SCERTs are releasing the NMMS admit cards for 2026-27 in both online and offline formats. Students can download their admit cards from the official website of their respective state by entering required credentials such as application number, username, and password. For some states, the hall ticket will be distributed offline through the respective schools.

All students taking the NMMS exam must carry their hall ticket to the examination hall and arrive at the centre at least 30 minutes before the scheduled start time. The examination dates vary by state, with several states conducting the exam in November and December 2026, while others have scheduled it for early 2027.

Scholarship Eligibility and Application Deadlines

The NMMSS is a Ministry of Education scheme that awards one lakh fresh scholarships annually. To be eligible, a student must clear their state’s NMMS selection exam in Class 8, study in a Government, Government-aided, or local body school, and have a parental income of not more than ₹3.5 lakh per year. Students who qualify receive ₹12,000 per annum for Classes 9 to 12 via Direct Benefit Transfer.

The Ministry of Education has extended the NMMSS 2026-27 application deadline on the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) to October 31, 2026. This marks the second extension, as the portal opened on June 1, 2026, with original and first extended deadlines of August 31, 2026, and September 30, 2026, respectively. Schools must verify applications by November 15, 2026, and district officers by November 30, 2026.

NMMS Examination Pattern and Scoring Criteria

The NMMS exam consists of two papers: a Mental Ability Test (MAT) and a Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), each with 90 multiple-choice questions and a duration of 90 minutes. The MAT assesses verbal and non-verbal reasoning, covering topics such as analogy, classification, numerical series, pattern perception, and hidden figures. The SAT covers Science, Social Science, and Mathematics content from Classes 7 and 8 NCERT syllabi.

There is no negative marking in the NMMS exam. Students must score at least 40% in each paper individually to qualify, with a relaxed criterion of 35% for SC/ST candidates. In addition, a minimum aggregate score of 40% in MAT and SAT combined (32% for SC/ST) is required. Students must also have a minimum of 55% marks in Class 7 and Class 8 (50% for SC/ST) to be eligible for the scholarship.

Further reading

• STET 2026 November 4 exam postponed to November 21; download new admit cards on October 24
• BSEB STET 2026: Download revised admit cards from Oct 24; exam on Nov 21
• NMMS 2026-27 exam dates announced for Odisha, admit card download from 30 November
• NMMS admit card 2026-27 download from 30 November; exam on 06 December
• CBSE Class 12 West Asia: Download admit cards from October 12. Exams Oct 23-28

Written by Nishit Kumar

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

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