Important
The NTSE is no longer held. NCERT stalled the National Talent Search Scheme "till further orders" because the Ministry of Education's approval for it ran only until 31 March 2021, and no NTSE has been conducted since the 2020-21 cycle. No replacement exam has been announced; officials have spoken of reviewing the scheme, but as of 2026 it has not restarted. Check NCERT's website for any relaunch before preparing.
Overview
The National Talent Search Examination (NTSE) was India's national scholarship exam for Class 10 students. It was run by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and funded by the Ministry of Education. Students who cleared both stages received a monthly scholarship for their further studies.
In October 2022 NCERT issued a notice saying that the scheme had been approved only until 31 March 2021 and that it was stalled until further orders. The last cycle taken to completion was 2020-21, whose national stage was held on 24 October 2021, with results on 18 February 2022. NCERT's own page could not be read for this file, so the details below come from news and coaching sites and describe the exam as it was.
Who could apply
Indian students studying in Class 10 at a recognised school.
Indian nationals studying abroad could go straight to Stage 2 if they had scored at least 60% in Class 9 and planned to continue their studies in India.
Exam pattern
The NTSE had two stages: Stage 1 was set and held by each state or union territory, and Stage 2 was set by NCERT at national level. Each state was given a quota of candidates it could send forward to Stage 2.
Both stages had two papers:
| Paper | Questions | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mental Ability Test (MAT) | 100 | 100 | 2 hours |
| Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT): 40 Science, 40 Social Science, 20 Mathematics | 100 | 100 | 2 hours |
Aakash reports that there was no negative marking in the final years. Selection was based on combined MAT and SAT scores.
After the exam
Scholarships were paid each month for as long as the scholar continued studying. In the scheme's final years the amounts were ₹1,250 a month for Classes 11 and 12 and ₹2,000 a month for undergraduate and postgraduate study, with PhD amounts following University Grants Commission norms. Scholarships in the sciences and social sciences ran up to doctoral level, while those in professional courses such as medicine and engineering ran up to the second degree.
Up to 2,000 scholarships were awarded each year (up from 1,000 before 2019), with seats reserved for SC, ST, OBC and Divyang candidates.
Is the NTSE still held?
No. NCERT stalled the scheme after its approval expired on 31 March 2021, and no NTSE has been held since the 2020-21 cycle. As of 2026 no relaunch date or replacement exam has been announced.