NTSE 2025 – National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT) conducts the National Talent Search Examination for Andaman & Nicobar Islands and other states and Uts in November for Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya. Only students who passed or studying in class 10 can appear for the exam for scholarships in science and social science up to the doctoral level as well as medicine and engineering courses up to the second-degree level.
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The NTSE 2025 application form has been released separately for each state in the first week of August 2020. The exam will be conducted in two stages – stage1, to be conducted at the state level by SCERTs of the respective states on 4th November 2020, and stage 2, conducted at the national level by NCERT on 12th May 2025 across 36 states/UTs. Candidates need to qualify for NTSE 2025 stage 1 to be eligible to appear for NTSE 2025 stage 2.
Latest Update
- NTSE Stage 2 Examination Final Result Will Be Out On 10th July!
- Check Answer Key on 15th June 2025.
- NTSE 2025 Exam Has Been Postponed!
NTSE 2025: National Talent Search Examination
Below table contains some significant information related to National Talent Search Exam 2025. Interested candidates should read this information related to NTSE 2025. Any dates are subjected to change as per the requirement.
| Exam name | National Talent Search Examination stage 1 | National Talent Search Examination stage 2 |
| Known as | NTSE stage 1 | NTSE stage 2 |
| Level of examination | State level | National level |
| Conducting body | States/Uts | National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) |
| Selection procedure | Mental ability test and Scholastic aptitude test | Mental ability test and Scholastic aptitude test |
| Exam mode | Pen paper mode | Pen paper mode |
National Talent Search Exam Highlights
| Particulars | Details |
| NTSE 2025 Stage 1 Date of exam | November 2020 |
| NTSE 2025 Stage 2 Date of exam | May 2025 |
| Conducting Body | NCERT (National Council of Education Research and Training) |
| Mode of Exam | Offline |
| Medium of Exam | English and Hindi |
| Duration of Exam | 3 Hours |
| Type and Number of Questions | Objective Type Multiple Choice Questions (MAT (50 Questions), LT (50 Questions), SAT (100 Questions) |
| Sections | 3 (Mental Ability Test, Language Test, Scholastic Ability Test) |
NTSE 2025 Important Dates
Applicants will get selected based on the performance of National Talent Search Examination stage 1 and stage 2 exam. Dates of the event is provided in the table below.
| S. No | Events | Dates |
| 1. | Notification | July 2025 |
| 2. | Application begins | First week of August 2025 |
| 3. | Last date of NTSE application form | Will be announced separately by each state/UT |
| 4. | Admit card of NTSE stage 1 | September 2025 |
| 5. | NTSE stage 1 exam | November 3 and 4, 2020 |
| 6. | Result of NTSE Stage 1 | January/February 2025 |
| 7. | NTSE Stage 2 admit card release date | Third week April 2025 |
| 8. | National level NTSE Stage II exam 2025 | Second week of May 2025 |
| 9. | NTSE Stage 2 result | August 2025 |
Eligibility Criteria For National Talent Search Exam (NTSE) 2025
Candidates appearing for NTSE 2025 stage 1 and stage 2 have to possess the following eligibility criteria set by each state and NCERT. Read below to know the eligibility criteria to apply for the National Talent Search Examination.
- Students studying in class 10 in recognized schools are eligible to appear for NTSE 2025 stage 1 exam. There is no domicile restriction.
- Candidates studying under an open school or distance learning are also eligible to apply provided they do not cross 18 years of age as on 1st July of that year. One should not be employed.
- Students who clear NTSE stage 1 only can apply for stage 2 national level exams.
- Candidates must be appearing in class 10 exams for the first time.
- The Indian students studying abroad in Class 10 or equivalent class will also be eligible to apply for NTSE 2025 provided they obtained at least 60 per cent marks (in aggregate) at the previous annual examination. They shall be exempted from the Stage 1 exam and shall be permitted to appear directly at Stage 2 examination conducted by the NCERT.
NTSE 2025 Online Application Form/ National Talent Search Exam Registration
Each state UT provides their own application form for stage 1 examination of National Talent Search Examination 2025. Candidates have to fill and submit the application forms of NTSE stage 1 within the scheduled date and time. Candidates need to pay the application fee for NTSE stage 1 exam if mentioned by the state. The NTSE Application Form needs to be submitted in the offline mode at the official address of the designated state officer. Candidates appearing for NTSE stage 2 will neither have to submit an application form to NCERT nor any fee but they have to qualify stage 1 exam.
NTSE Syllabus 2025
The difficulty of National Talent Search Examination stage 1 and 2 will be based on class 9 and class 10 level. Candidates can also refer to NCERT books. Applicants must solve practice sets of question paper as it will help to get familiar with the difficulty level of question paper.
National Talent Search Exam Pattern 2025
The NTSE 2025 exam pattern is given below. Candidates must refer to the NTSE 2025 exam pattern as it makes one familiar with the number of questions, allocation of marks, time allotted and much more.
National Talent Search Examination 2025 Exam Pattern [Stage 1]
NTSE stage 1 will be conducted by the respective states and UTs on 3rd & 4th November 2025 in the offline mode. There will be two papers held for stage 1 as mentioned below. Candidates need to score 32% (for SC, ST and PWD) category and 40% for General category in order to qualify the exam. The selection criteria for the stage 2 of NTSE 2025 requires a candidate to qualify in both the papers separately. Selection of the awardees will be made on the basis of total marks scored in MAT & SAT based on merit. There will be no negative marking.
| Papers | Test | No. of questions | Marks | Duration | Timings |
| Paper I | Mental Ability Test (MAT) | 100 | 100 | 120 minutes | 9:30 am to 11:30 am (till 12 noon for visually challenged candidates) |
| Paper II | Scholastic Ability Test (SAT) | 100 (Science40, Mathematics-20, Social Science40) | 100 | 120 minutes | 13:30 pm to 15:30 pm (till 16:00 pm for visually challenged candidates) |
Exam pattern for NTSE 2025 stage 2
National Talent Search Examination 2025 stage 2 will also be divided into two parts- Mental Ability Test (MAT) and Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). To qualify the exam, candidates need to score 32% for SC, ST and PWD category and 40% for General category. The selection criteria for the stage 2 of NTSE 2025 requires a candidate to qualify in both the papers separately. Selection of the awardees will be made on the basis of total Marks scored in MAT & SAT based on merit. There will be no negative marking in Stage 2 also.
| Papers | Test | No. of questions | Marks | Duration | Timings |
| Paper I | Mental Ability Test (MAT) | 100 | 100 | 120 minutes | 9:30 am to 11:30 am |
| Paper II | Scholastic Ability Test (SAT) | 100 (Science-40, Mathematics-20, Social Science-40) | 100 | 120 minutes | 13:30 pm to 15:30 pm |
NTSE 2025: Reservation Criteria
A definite percentage of seat is reserved for the candidates who belong to reserved category. The information regarding the same has been provided below.
| S. No | Category | Reservation Criteria |
| 1. | Scheduled Caste | 15% |
| 2. | Scheduled Tribes | 7.5% |
| 3. | Physically Handicapped | 4% |
NOTE: Out of 4 % for physically challenged students, one percent shall be reserved for persons with benchmark disabilities under clauses:
- Blindness and low vision
- Deaf and hard of hearing
- Locomotor disability including cerebral palsy, leprosy cured, dwarfism, acid attack victims and muscular dystrophy.
- 1% for persons with benchmark disabilities under clauses: Autism, intellectual disability, specific learning disability and mental illness.
Multiple disabilities amongst persons under clauses (a) to (d) including deaf-blindness in the posts identified for each disability
National Talent Search Exam Admit Card 2025
The NTSE admit card 2025 will be provided to students by the authorities as per the official schedule. The admit card of National Talent Search Examination contains important information, such as candidate’s name, roll number, exam timing and dates, exam centre address. Candidates must remember that they will not be allowed to enter the NTSE 2025 examination hall without the valid admit card.
NTSE 2025 – Participating States/UTs list
All the states and UTs of India take part in National Talent Search Examination. To know the exam centre of all the states and Uts – click here.
| Center Location | Contact Number | Center Location | Contact Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arunachal Pradesh | 0360-2203509 | Himachal Pradesh | 0179-2270580 |
| Assam | 0361-2895041 | Punjab | 0161-2805551 |
| Manipur | 0385-2429214 | Rajasthan | 0294-2584904 |
| Meghalaya | 0364-2535737 | Uttar Pradesh | 0532-2622058 |
| Mizoram | 03892331559 | Uttarakhand | 013502453893 |
| Nagaland | 0370-2801550 | Chattisgarh | 07712263743 |
| Sikkim | 03592232646 | Daman & Diu | 02602630624 |
| Tripura | 03812346040 | Goa | 08322402609 |
| A&N Island | 03192225093 | Gujarat | 07923261211 |
| Bihar | – | Madhya Pradesh | 0755-2551640 |
| Jharkhand | 0651-2525601 | Maharashtra | 022-25783004 |
| Odisha | 06742748437 | Pune | 020-20271666 |
| West Bengal | 033-24865171 | Andhra Pradesh | 0863-2596124 |
| Chandigarh | 01762-288044 | Karnataka | 080-25302862 |
| New Delhi & Western UP | 011-25693499 | Kerala | 04842667102 |
| Srinagar | 01933223329 | Puducherry | 04132655745 |
| Jammu | 0191-2592007 | Tamil Nadu | 044-22240739 |
| Haryana | 0124-2309304 | – | – |
NTSE 2025 Question Paper
Candidates who will be appearing for National Talent Search 2025 state level exam can download the examination question papers for their respective state by visiting their official websites. The sample papers of NTSE 2025 stage 1 are available online. Candidates can download them as many times as they want and start practicing. The sample question paper of NTSE 2025-21 includes the sample questions and correct answers.
Official Answer key Of National Talent Search Exam (NTSE) 2025
Candidates can check the answer key for the following papers -MAT and SAT papers to verify their answers. The answer key for NTSE 2025 stage 1 will be published by the conducting authority in the online mode. The answer key for stage 1 includes the correct options as well as marking scheme for each paper. For NTSE stage 2, the answer key will be released by NCERT in online mode only. Candidates can go to the official website and download the answer key after the answer key of National Talent Search Examination is officially announced.
National Talent Search Exam Result 2025
NTSE result for stage 1 is announced separately by each conducting state/UT. Candidates can check their NTSE Result 2025 for stage 1 exam by logging in to the official website. To access the NTSE 2025 result, candidates have to enter their registration number or roll number and date of birth. Only candidates who qualify stage 1 will be eligible for appearing in NTSE stage 2 examination 2025. The result for the same will be announced in August 2025 in online mode. Qualified candidates will be granted for scholarships.
NTSE Cutoff 2025
In order to qualify NTSE 2025 Examination, candidates need to obtain the minimum cutoff marks as specified by the exam conducting bodies for both NTSE stage 1 and NTSE stage 2. The following is the criteria for stage 1.
Qualifying Criteria for NTSE stage 1 exam –
- The candidates from all Union Territories who are appearing for NTSE stage 1 need to obtain minimum 10 marks in each paper- MAT, SAT and LAT to appear for NTSE stage 2.
- Also, candidates from all states have to score at least 25 marks in each paper
- Candidates can go through the cutoff marks given below for NTSE stage 2
Subject-wise NTSE cutoff (Paper 1, 2 and 3)
| Test Papers | Maximum Marks | Qualifying Percentage/Marks | |
| General | ST/SC/PH | ||
| Paper I MAT | 49 | 40% (19.6) | 35% (17.15) |
| Paper II English | 50 | 40% (20.0) | 35% (17.5) |
| Paper II Hindi | 50 | 40% (20.0) | 35% (17.5) |
| Paper III SAT | 96 | 40% (38.4) | 35% (33.6) |
Category-wise NTSE cutoff
| S. No | Categories | NTSE Cut Off 2016 | Maximum Marks of MAT and SAT |
| 1. | ST | 52. 12 | 145 |
| 2. | PH | 53.47 | 145 |
| 3. | SC | 56.43 | 145 |
| 4. | General | 85.09 | 145 |
NTSE Selection Process 2025
The selection process for NTSE is based on two stages. Students must read below to know the criteria for the selection process for both stages.
- For students appearing for stage 1, the selection is done by States/UTs. Qualifying students will be eligible to appear for NTSE Stage 2.
- Qualifying marks for students belonging to the general category are 40% in each paper while it is 32% in each paper for candidates belonging to SC, ST and PH.
NTSE 2025 – Scholarships
Go through the table below to know the scholarships that are provided to candidates in different stages of education. Around 1000 scholarships are awarded to candidates based on NTSE.
| S. No | Level of Education | The scholarship amount for the year 2025 (in INR) |
| 1. | Class XI to Class XII | Rs.1250 pm |
| 2. | Undergraduate and postgraduate level | Rs. 2000 pm |
| 3. | Ph.D. level | As per UGC norms |
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