The ZEST scholarship test

The Zigyan Entrance cum Scholarship Test — our flagship scholarship examination, and the route by which most students in Classes VIII to XI join. It tests concepts from your current class syllabus, with an emphasis on problem-solving rather than recall.

ZEST at a glance

Eligible classes: Class VIII, IX, X and XI
Mode: Online CBT, or offline in Sector 16
Registration: ₹200
Pattern: Objective, single correct answer
Result: Within 48 hours
Waiver range: 10% to 100%

Overview ZEST Test dates Apply

Fee₹200Registration

Result48 hrsAfter the attempt

Waiver100%Maximum

Minimum10%Lowest slab

ClassesVIII–XIStudying students

ModeBothOnline or centre

What the test covers

ZEST is set on core concepts from the student's current class syllabus. It emphasises problem-solving and conceptual clarity rather than rote memorisation, which means a student who understands their year's work can sit it without special preparation — and a student who has only memorised it will find that out.

Results are declared within 48 hours, and the scholarship offer is communicated directly to both student and parent along with the result.

The higher the score, the higher the waiver

The scholarship is tiered and decided on the paper alone — not on the programme you choose, not on when you apply, and not on anything you tell us in the interview. Seats are limited, so an early cycle is worth more than a late one.

On the day

What to expect, and how to prepare

There is no syllabus to revise for ZEST beyond the one you are already studying. The paper is set on your current class's core concepts, and it is written to reward understanding rather than recall — so an evening of cramming will not move your score, and knowing your own year's work will.

The format is objective, single correct answer, and it is the same whether you sit it online or at the centre in Sector 16. Take the sample paper for your class first: it costs nothing, it removes the format from the list of things to worry about, and it is the only preparation that reliably helps.

Results come within 48 hours and the scholarship offer arrives with them, addressed to student and parent together. The slab is derived from the score — the higher the score, the higher the waiver, up to a full fee waiver — and it is not adjusted afterwards for any reason, which is what makes it worth sitting honestly.

If the result is disappointing you can sit a later cycle. The fee is ₹200 again, the paper is comparable, and the better of your scores is the one that counts.

Before you sit it

Sample paper for your classSix papers, one per entry point — the format is the only surprise worth removingOpen

What the paper is set onYour current class syllabus — nothing extra to reviseRead

Study material and notesFree, and you do not need to be enrolledOpen

Common questions

ZEST, answered

Do I need to prepare for ZEST?

No, and there is nothing useful to cram. The paper is set on the syllabus of the class you are currently in and rewards understanding rather than recall. Sit the sample paper for your class so the format is not a surprise — that is the only preparation that reliably helps.

What happens if I do badly?

You can sit a later cycle. The fee is ₹200 again, the paper is comparable, and the better of your scores is the one that counts.

Is the scholarship the same for every programme?

The slab is decided on the score alone, so it does not depend on which programme you choose or when you apply.

Sit the next cycle

Registration is ₹200 and takes a few minutes.