The National Means-Cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMS) is a central government-sponsored scheme with the objective of preventing class 8 dropouts and encouraging meritorious children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue secondary education by offering financial aid. You can download previous question papers of NMMS examination for the state of Kerala from the links given below.
Eligibility criteria of NMMS examination
Eligibility criteria to appear in NMMS Selection Examination
A student can appear for the examination if :
- Students whose parental income from all sources is not more than Rs. 3,50,000/- per annum.
- The student should be studying as a regular student in a government or aided school under the Government of Kerala
- Applicant should be passed in 7th standard during 2022-2023 with 55% marks.
Kerala NMMS 2026 Exam Date
The NMMS examination for the academic year 2026-27 will be held on November 7, 2026. For updates on the exam schedule, visit http://nmmse.kerala.gov.in/
NMMS Kerala- Exam pattern
The examination consists following two tests,
(i) Mental Ability Test (MAT) and
(ii) Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT).
The students must pass NMMSS Examination with an aggregate of Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and Mental Ability Test (MAT) to be taken together at a minimum of 40% (32% for SC/ST students).
NMMS Kerala previous year’s question papers
You can download the previous year’s question papers and answer keys of Kerala NMMS examination from the links given below. Both MAT and SAT question papers are available in English and Malayalam medium.
| Year of exam | Download Link |
| NMMS Kerala 2025 Question paper and answer key | Download |
| NMMS Kerala 2024 Question paper and answer key | Download |
| NMMS Kerala 2023 Question paper and answer key | Download |
| NMMS Exam 2022 Question Paper & Answer Key | Download |
| NMMS Exam 2019 Question Paper & Answer Key | Download |
| NMMS Exam 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015 papers and Answer Key | Download |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the NMMS exam in Kerala?
NMMS stands for National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship. It is a scholarship exam for Class 8 students from economically weaker families, meant to encourage bright students to stay in school after Class 8. In Kerala it is conducted by SCERT.
Are these previous year question papers free to download?
Yes. All the papers on this page are free to download, and you don’t need to register or sign in.
Which years’ question papers are available here?
You will find NMMS Kerala papers from 2015 to 2025, with MAT and SAT in both English and Malayalam medium. Answer keys are given along with the papers. Papers for a few years, such as 2020 and 2021, are not available yet. We will add them as soon as we get them.
When was the latest NMMS exam held?
The 2025-26 NMMS exam was held on 21 January 2026.
What is the exam pattern?
There are two papers, the Mental Ability Test (MAT) and the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). Each has 90 questions. MAT tests reasoning and thinking skills. SAT covers the Class 7 and Class 8 syllabus.
Who can appear for the exam?
The student should be studying in Class 8 in a government or aided school. The parents’ annual income should not be more than Rs 3,50,000, and the student should have scored at least 55% marks in Class 7. Please check the official notification each year, as the rules can change.
What marks are needed to qualify?
A student needs 40% marks in aggregate. For SC/ST students the minimum is 32%. Qualifying does not guarantee the scholarship, because it is awarded based on merit and the number of seats fixed for the state.
How much is the scholarship, and for how long?
The scholarship is Rs 12,000 per year, paid from Class 9 to Class 12.
Why do the question papers have different codes (A, B, C, D)?
The same questions are printed in a different order in each set, to prevent copying in the exam hall. So the answer key depends on your paper’s code. Always check the code printed on your question paper before using the key.
Where can I find official information and results?
Visit the SCERT Kerala NMMS website at nmmse.kerala.gov.in for notifications, dates, hall tickets and results.
How should I use previous year papers for preparation?
Solve a paper in one sitting with a timer, then check it against the answer key. Note down the questions you got wrong and go back to the textbook for those topics. Repeat this with a new paper every few days. In MAT especially, practice matters more than memorising.
I couldn’t find a paper or the download link is broken. What should I do?
Please leave a comment below or post in our forum, and we will try to fix it or add the paper.
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8 Comments
Feaver
I want objective type questions
2025 question paper and answers
2025 question paper and answers
I want to nmms exam pepper and answers
Plzz give me the 2024 question
NMMS QUESTION PAPER MALAYALAM MEDIUM
Nmms 2021 and 2000 question papers please