National Talent Search Examination
National level scholarship program for class 10 students
NTSE Study Material
The National Talent Search Examination (NTSE) is a scholarship exam for Class 10 students, run under the National Talent Search (NTS) scheme of NCERT. It identifies talented students through a state-level first stage and a national-level second stage, and awards scholarships to those who qualify. Many families still search for NTSE every year, so this page starts with the most important fact: the current status of the exam.
This page explains what NTSE is, how it worked in its last full cycle, what the scholarship covered, and how Class 9 and Class 10 students can prepare in a useful way even while the scheme is on hold. Every figure below is labelled as either current or from the last published scheme, so you can tell them apart.
Table of Contents
Current status of NTSE
NTSE is not running in its usual form. NCERT's official NTSE page lists the Stage II exam of the 2021 cycle, held on 24 October 2021, as the most recent exam, and shows no notice for a newer cycle. The page lists a postponement notice for the 2021-22 cycle and does not announce a restart.
In October 2022, news reports quoted an NCERT order stating that the National Talent Search scheme was approved only up to 31 March 2021, and that its further implementation in the present form had not been approved and was stalled until further orders. Reports also said that the 2022 exam was not held. We could not find an official notice for the 2023, 2024, 2025 or 2026 cycle on the NCERT website.
Reports in the press have also mentioned that a review committee suggested changes to the scheme and that the government may bring it back in a revised form. These are media reports, not an official announcement, so treat them as unconfirmed.
What this means for you:
No national application is open: Do not pay any fee to a website or agent that claims to register you for a national NTSE today.
Check your state: Stage 1 was always run by the state or union territory. A state may announce its own talent exam, so check your State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) or education department.
Preparation is still useful: The skills tested, reasoning and NCERT-based Science, Social Science and Maths, also help in Class 10 boards and in many olympiad and scholarship exams.
NTSE at a glance
The table below describes the scheme as it was last run. It is a reference for what to expect if the exam returns, not a current notification.
Particular | Details |
|---|---|
Full name | National Talent Search Examination (NTSE) |
Conducting body | NCERT (Stage 2); states and union territories (Stage 1) |
Who it is for | Students studying in Class 10 |
Stages | Stage 1 (state or UT level), Stage 2 (national level) |
Papers | Mental Ability Test (MAT) and Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) |
Reward | Monthly scholarship, from Class 11 up to PhD level as per scheme rules |
Latest Stage 2 held | 24 October 2021 |
Current status | No new cycle announced on the official NCERT page |
Official website | ncert.nic.in |
What is NTSE and who conducts it
NTSE is the main national-level talent search at the school stage in India. The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Education, is the implementing agency for the NTS scheme. The idea is simple: find bright students early, test their reasoning and school-level knowledge, and support their studies with a scholarship.
The exam is different from board exams. Board exams test how well you remember the syllabus. NTSE tests how well you reason and apply what you know, which is why a student who only memorises answers often finds it hard.
The two stages of NTSE
Stage 1: state or union territory level
Stage 1 was held by each state or union territory, usually through its own education department or SCERT. Students applied through their school. Each state could send only a limited number of candidates to the next stage, so competition depended on the state you studied in. Stage 1 acted as a qualifying round, and its marks were not added to the final merit.
Stage 2: national level
Stage 2 was held by NCERT for the students who qualified Stage 1. Marks from this stage decided who received a scholarship. In the 2021 cycle, the Stage 2 exam was held on 24 October 2021 and the final result followed in February 2022.
Exam pattern in the last published scheme
In the cycles before the pause, Stage 2 had two papers. The pattern below is as reported for those cycles and should be confirmed against any new official brochure.
Paper | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
Mental Ability Test (MAT) | 100 | 100 | 120 minutes |
Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) | 100 | 100 | 120 minutes |
Negative marking was not applied in Stage 2, as reported for the 2020 cycle.
Eligibility in brief
Students studying in Class 10 in a recognised school, including students from Indian nationals studying abroad as reported earlier, could appear. Open and distance learning students had additional conditions, such as an age limit and not being employed.
Syllabus in brief
NCERT has not published a separate topic-wise syllabus on its NTSE page. In practice, the MAT tests reasoning, and the SAT tests Science, Social Science and Mathematics, based on the school curriculum of Class 9 and Class 10.
Scholarship details from the last published scheme
The amounts below are from the last published scheme and may change if the scheme is revised.
Level of study | Scholarship |
|---|---|
Class 11 and Class 12 | Rs. 1,250 per month |
Undergraduate and postgraduate | Rs. 2,000 per month |
PhD | As per UGC norms |
In the 2019-20 cycle, reports mention 2,000 scholarships a year. A revised scheme could change the number, the amounts and the stages. Please treat these as reference figures only.
Timeline of recent events
Event | What happened |
|---|---|
24 October 2021 | Stage 2 of the 2021 cycle held by NCERT |
February 2022 | Final result of the 2021 cycle announced |
2021-22 | Postponement notice for the next cycle on the NCERT page |
October 2022 | Reports of an NCERT order that the scheme in its present form is stalled |
After 2022 | No new cycle notice found on the official page |
Dates for any future cycle are unknown. Do not trust a date unless it appears on the official NCERT website or your state's education department.
How to prepare while the exam is on hold
The best approach is to build the skills the exam rewards. These skills help in school exams, in other scholarship exams and in later competitive tests.
Master NCERT books: Read the Class 9 and Class 10 Science, Social Science and Maths textbooks closely. The SAT draws on them.
Practise reasoning daily: Spend 20 to 30 minutes on series, analogies, coding-decoding, directions and figure-based questions.
Keep short notes: Write formulas, definitions, dates and diagrams in one place for fast revision.
Take timed tests: Practise a full paper in 120 minutes so that pace becomes a habit.
Review every mistake: Keep a log of wrong answers and the reason, whether concept, carelessness or time.
A simple plan for Class 9 and Class 10
Class 9: Build clear basics in NCERT Science, Maths and Social Science and start light reasoning practice.
Early Class 10: Add topic-wise tests, and revise the Class 9 chapters you found difficult.
Before the board exams: Give priority to boards, since they are certain and count for your future.
What to watch for and where to check
If the scheme returns, the first signs will be an official notice from NCERT, followed by state notifications for Stage 1. Check the NCERT NTSE page at ncert.nic.in and your state SCERT website. Be careful with unofficial pages that show application dates or fees for the current year, since we could not find any official cycle to support them.
Until then, treat NTSE preparation as strong groundwork for the board exams and for the many other scholarship and olympiad exams open to Class 10 students.