Selection and Award Process
Stage 2 Merit and Final Selection
NTSE status (checked 15 October 2026): NCERT has not conducted the National Talent Search Examination since the 2021 cycle. Its notice states that the National Talent Search Scheme was approved till 31 March 2021, and that further implementation of the scheme in its present form has not been approved and has been stalled till further orders. No NTSE 2026 notification has been issued. The details on this page come from NCERT's last official NTSE information brochure and are given for reference only.
Key Takeaways
Stage 2 was conducted by NCERT at the national level.
Final awards were based only on combined Stage 2 MAT and SAT marks.
Reservation: SC 15%, ST 7.5%, OBC 27% and PwD 4%.
NTSE Stage 2 Merit and Final Selection
Stage 2 was the decisive round. NCERT conducted the exam and prepared the national merit list from the combined marks of the MAT and SAT papers. Stage 1 marks were not counted at this stage.
Selection Rules (Last Published Brochure)
Rule | Details |
|---|---|
Papers | MAT (100 marks) and SAT (100 marks) |
Qualifying marks | 40% in each paper for General/OBC; 32% for SC/ST/PwD |
Merit | Combined MAT + SAT marks of Stage 2 |
Number of awards | Up to 2,000 scholarships |
Reservation in NTSE Scholarships
Scheduled Castes: 15%
Scheduled Tribes: 7.5%
Other Backward Classes: 27% (non-creamy layer)
Persons with benchmark disabilities: 4%
Document Verification
NCERT asked qualified candidates to submit category and disability certificates for verification before awarding reserved scholarships.
Pro Tip: Because Stage 2 merit is national, aim to do well in both papers. A strong MAT score can balance a weaker subject in SAT.
Source: NCERT NTSE Information Brochure (latest published edition).
Official Website
For authentic NTSE information, refer only to official NCERT resources:
NCERT NTSE page: ncert.nic.in/national-talent-examination.php
NTSE information brochure (last published): Download PDF
NTS scholarship portal: ntse.ncert.gov.in
Exam helpline (as listed by NCERT): 011-26560464, ntsexam.ncert@gov.in
Students should not pay any fee or share personal details on unofficial websites claiming to conduct NTSE.
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