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NTSE Syllabus 2026

 

The NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training) has not published a separate syllabus for an NTSE 2026 examination. As of 2026, the official NCERT NTSE page does not list a new NTSE 2026 examination notification, syllabus or exam schedule. The latest NTSE materials available on the official NCERT page relate to earlier examination cycles.

Under the earlier National Talent Search Examination scheme, students were generally tested on concepts corresponding to the Class IX and Class X curriculum. The NTSE Stage 1 and Stage 2 examinations followed the same broad syllabus framework.

 

NTSE Exam Format

 

Under the earlier NTSE scheme, the examination was conducted in two stages. The first stage was conducted at the State/UT level, while the second stage was conducted at the national level. Students who qualified in the first stage were eligible to appear for the second stage.

Both NTSE Stage 1 and Stage 2 examinations included two major papers - MAT and SAT - consisting of multiple-choice questions. Candidates selected the correct option and marked their answers on the OMR sheet.

Under the earlier examination pattern, each question carried one mark and there was no negative marking. Merit was determined using the combined performance in the applicable papers, subject to qualifying requirements.

Since NCERT has not announced an NTSE 2026 examination, the earlier examination pattern should not be treated as the confirmed pattern for NTSE 2026.

  1. Mental Ability Test (MAT) assessed reasoning, analytical and mental ability through objective-type questions.
  2. Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) assessed students on subjects including Science, Mathematics and Social Sciences, along with the language component under the earlier pattern.

The exact number of questions, marks, duration, language options and other examination specifications for any future NTSE cycle will depend on the official notification issued by NCERT.

 

Mental Ability Test (MAT) Syllabus

 

Under the earlier NTSE examination, the Mental Ability Test assessed students on areas such as:

  1. power of reasoning,
  2. thinking ability,
  3. ability to judge, evaluate and discriminate,
  4. spatial orientation, and 
  5. visualization ability.

The questions included in the earlier MAT paper covered areas such as:

  • analogies,
  • assembling blocks,
  • classification,
  • coding-decoding,
  • hidden figures,
  • problem-solving,
  • pattern perception,
  • series, etc.

These topics represent the earlier NTSE MAT framework. NCERT has not released a separate MAT syllabus for NTSE 2026.

 

Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) Syllabus

 

Under the earlier NTSE scheme, the Scholastic Aptitude Test assessed students on their understanding of subjects studied at the secondary-school level.

The Language Test assessed students’ language skills, including reading, comprehension, logical sequencing and other language-related abilities. The applicable language options were specified in the examination guidelines for the relevant NTSE cycle.

The Social Science questions were broadly based on the NCERT curriculum for Classes IX and X. The subjects included areas such as History, Geography, Political Science and Economics.

The Science syllabus broadly covered concepts from Physics, Chemistry and Biology based on the Class IX and X curriculum.

The Mathematics syllabus included topics such as:

  • Number System
  • Algebra
  • Geometry
  • Coordinate Geometry
  • Graphs
  • Mensuration
  • Statistics,
  • Trigonometry, etc.

Under the earlier NTSE framework, questions were generally based on concepts at the Class IX and Class X level. However, students preparing for any future NTSE examination in 2026 should check the latest official NCERT notification before relying on the earlier syllabus or examination pattern.

 

How to prepare for NTSE Mental Ability Test?

 

AskIITians experts suggest that students preparing using the earlier NTSE MAT framework should:

  1. Start by understanding the NTSE examination structure and the topics covered under the earlier syllabus.
  2. Focus on understanding concepts and solving questions from different reasoning topics.
  3. Practice sample papers and previous years’ question papers to become familiar with the types of questions asked in the earlier examination.
  4. Take mock tests to improve time management and accuracy.
  5. For analogy questions, understand different types of relationships such as synonyms, antonyms, cause and effect, and other logical relationships.
  6. For series and pattern-perception questions, practise identifying patterns, sequences, odd-one-out relationships and figure matrices.
  7. For coding-decoding questions, practise different coding techniques involving letters, numbers, directions and other logical relationships.

Students should remember that the preparation strategy and topics may change if NCERT announces a new NTSE examination pattern or syllabus for 2026.

We offer study material and mock tests to help students strengthen their reasoning and problem-solving skills. Students can also avail of personalized mentorship for competitive examination preparation.

 

How to prepare for NTSE Scholastic Aptitude Test?

 

For the Language Test component followed under the earlier NTSE pattern, students should:

  1. Develop a strong understanding of the grammar of the chosen examination language.
  2. Improve reading comprehension skills by reading material from different genres and practising passage-based questions.
  3. Revise important areas of grammar, including parts of speech, tenses, active and passive voice, direct and indirect speech, etc.
  4. Solve previous years’ question papers and sample papers to understand the types of questions asked under the earlier pattern.

To prepare for the earlier NTSE SAT Social Sciences, Sciences and Mathematics sections, students should:

  1. Prepare concise notes while studying the relevant NCERT Class IX and X textbooks for quick revision.
  2. Practise the exercise questions given at the end of relevant textbook chapters.
  3. Solve sample papers and previous years’ question papers to improve speed and accuracy.
  4. Focus on understanding concepts rather than simply memorising information.
  5. Practise applying concepts by solving different types of objective questions.

Our NTSE instructors help students strengthen their concepts and prepare effectively using study material, practice questions, mock tests and personalized mentorship.