SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549


                                    FORM 8-K


               Current Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
                      the Securities Exchange Act of 1934


Date of report (Date of earliest event reported): March 4, 1996.




                        NATIONAL COMPUTER SYSTEMS, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


           Minnesota                   0 -3713                41-0850527
State or other jurisdiction of       (Commission          (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)       File Number)        Identification No.)


11000 Prairie Lakes Drive, Eden Prairie, Minnesota             55344
(Address of principal executive offices)                     (Zip Code)



Registrant's telephone number, including area code:   (612) 829-3000

                                 Not Applicable
         (Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)




Item 5.  Other Events

     Reference  is  made to the  press  releases  issued  by  National  Computer
Systems,  Inc. on March 4, 1996,  copies of which are attached hereto as Exhibit
99.

Item 7.  Financial Statements and Exhibits

         (c)      Exhibits

                  99       Press Releases, dated March 4, 1996



Signature

         Pursuant to the  requirements of Section 12 of the Securities  Exchange
Act of 1934,  the  registrant  has duly  caused  this report to be signed on its
behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.


Dated: March 13, 1996

                                                 NATIONAL COMPUTER SYSTEMS, INC.



                                                 By:  /s/ J. W. Fenton, Jr.
                                                      J.W. Fenton, Jr.
                                                      Secretary and Treasurer






INDEX TO EXHIBITS

Exhibits

   99                 Press Releases, dated March 4, 1996