NTSE Status: No Exam Since 2021 — What Class 10 Students Can Do Instead
Is NTSE happening in 2026? No — NCERT has held no NTSE since 2021. What the exam was, what happens to existing scholars, and which scholarships to aim for.
There is no NTSE in 2026. The National Talent Search Scheme was approved only until 31 March 2021, NCERT put the exam on hold in 2022, and it has not been held since. Existing scholars continue to be paid. If you are in Class 8, 9 or 10 now, below are the scholarships and exams that are actually running — and how to prepare for them.
What NTSE was
| Detail | How it worked |
|---|---|
| Conducted by | NCERT, with Stage 1 run by each state/UT |
| Eligibility | Class 10 students |
| Papers | Mental Ability Test (MAT) and Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) |
| Scholarships | About 2,000 per cycle |
| Amount (last revision) | ₹1,250/month in Classes 11–12; ₹2,000/month in UG and PG |
| Status now | On hold since 2021; no new cycle announced |
What to aim for instead
| Class | Scholarship or exam | What you get | Who can apply |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class 8 | NMMS (state-conducted exam) | ₹12,000 a year from Class 9 to 12 | Government, aided and local-body school students with 55%+ in Class 7 (50% SC/ST) and family income up to ₹3.5 lakh |
| Classes 9–10 | Olympiads — NSEJS (junior science) and IOQM (maths) | The route to the Indian and international olympiads; medallists later qualify for INSPIRE-SHE | Check each exam's class limits on the organiser's site |
| After Class 12 | INSPIRE-SHE | ₹80,000 a year for natural-science degrees | Top 1% of your board, JEE Advanced/NEET top 10,000, and other routes |
| After Class 12 | Central Sector Scheme of Scholarships (PM-USP) | ₹12,000 a year in UG (first three years) | Top 20% of your board's Class 12 results, family income up to ₹4.5 lakh, applied through the National Scholarship Portal |
Also see our National Scholarship Portal guide and scholarship guide for Indian students.
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Chapter summaries, revision notes and practice quizzes for every NCERT chapter in your class — the base for NMMS, olympiads and your board exams. Free trial, no card needed.
Start freeMental ability practice (useful for NMMS and more)
NMMS uses the same two-paper idea NTSE did — a Mental Ability Test and a Scholastic Aptitude Test. The MAT is where most students lose marks. Practise these question types:
| Type | How to prepare |
|---|---|
| Verbal analogies | Practise word relationships (synonym, antonym, part-whole, cause-effect) |
| Number and letter series | Look for differences, squares, alternating patterns |
| Non-verbal series | Spot rotation, reflection and added/removed elements in figure sequences |
| Classification | Find the odd one out by a shared property |
| Coding-decoding | Letter shifts, number coding, symbol substitution |
| Blood relations and directions | Always draw the family tree or the path before answering |
| Mirror and water images | Left-right flip for mirrors, up-down flip for water |
- Do 15–20 reasoning questions a day — mental ability improves with regular practice.
- Read your NCERT textbooks thoroughly for the scholastic paper — every example and diagram.
- Solve your state's previous NMMS papers under time limits.
NTSE status is based on NCERT's notices. If NCERT announces a revamped scheme, its notice on ncert.nic.in is the only official source.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is NTSE being conducted in 2026?
No. The National Talent Search Scheme was approved only until 31 March 2021, and NCERT put the exam on hold 'till further orders' in 2022. No NTSE has been held since 2021 and NCERT has not announced a new cycle. Check ncert.nic.in for any official notice.
Will existing NTSE scholars still get their scholarship?
Yes. NCERT continues to pay scholarships to students who were already selected, subject to the scheme's rules on continuing studies.
What was the NTSE scholarship amount?
Under the last revision, NTSE scholars received ₹1,250 a month in Classes 11–12 and ₹2,000 a month during UG and PG, with PhD support as per UGC norms. About 2,000 scholarships were awarded each cycle.
What can Class 8–10 students take instead of NTSE?
In Class 8, the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship (NMMS) exam — ₹12,000 a year from Class 9 to 12 for students in government and aided schools whose family income is up to ₹3.5 lakh. In Classes 9–10, the science and maths olympiads (such as NSEJS and IOQM) that lead to the international olympiads. After Class 12, INSPIRE-SHE and the Central Sector Scheme of Scholarships.
Is it still worth practising NTSE papers?
Old NTSE MAT and SAT papers are good practice for NMMS, which uses the same two-paper format, and for reasoning sections in other exams. Just don't prepare for NTSE itself until NCERT announces a new cycle.