The National Talent Search Examination (NTSE) is one of the most prestigious bursary examinations in India. The purpose of this exam is to identify talented students across the country and to award them with a bursary program so that they can further their studies. The assessment was conducted by the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT).
Students are identified through a two-phase assessment process namely Phase I and Phase II. Only students who have completed the Stage 1 examination are not allowed to sit for the Stage 2 examination. Therefore, students should prepare hard for the test and should be thoroughly familiar with the NTSE Syllabus in order to get good marks in the exam.
The NTSE exam syllabus is one of the most important parts of exam preparation. The NTSE Syllabus (NTSE phase 1 syllabus and phase 2 syllabus) are provided here so that students can prepare for the exam in a better way. The NTSE test is for students in the 10th grade. Only 10 level students (under the age of 18) are eligible to appear for the examination.
| NTSE Syllabus for MAT | |
| Verbal and Non Verbal Analogy | Verbal and Non-Verbal Series |
| Classification | Coding-Decoding |
| Alphabet and Number Test | Blood Relations |
| Distance and Direction | Paper Cutting and Folding |
| Venn Diagrams | Mathematical Operations |
| Calendar, Time and Clock | Missing Characters |
| Embedded Figures | Ranking and Arrangements |
| Word Problems | Cube and Dice |
| Water and Mirror Images | |
| NTSE Syllabus for Science | |
| Physics | Magnetism and Electricity |
| Motion and Force | |
| Measurements | |
| Work and Energy | |
| The Universe | |
| Light and Sound | |
| Source of Energy | |
| Chemistry | Acid, Bases, Salt |
| Metals and Non-metals | |
| Periodic Classification of Elements | |
| Structure of Atom | |
| Carbon and its Compounds | |
| Physical and Chemical Changes | |
| Fibres and Plastics | |
| Biology | Air |
| Soil | |
| Water | |
| Micro-organisms | |
| Life Processes | |
| Reproduction | |
| Heredity and Evolution | |
| Food Production and Management | |
| Plant and Animal Nutrition | |
| Diversity in Living Organisms | |
| Cellular Level of Organisation | |
| Human Body | |
| Some Common Diseases | |
| Our Environment | |
| NTSE Syllabus for Social Science | |
| History | French Revolution |
| Industrial Revolution | |
| Mughal Empire | |
| British Raj | |
| Maurya Empire | |
| Indian Freedom Struggle | |
| Medieval Architecture and Culture | |
| Early Medieval Period | |
| Early States | |
| Indus Valley Civilization | |
| Conquerors from Distant Lands | |
| Jainism and Buddhism | |
| Popular Movements and Social Reforms | |
| Nationalism in Various Countries | |
| Introduction and Sources of Ancient Indian History | |
| World War I and II | |
| Vedic Period | |
| New Empires and Kingdoms | |
| World History | |
| UN and International Agencies | |
| Geography | Biosphere |
| Water Resources | |
| Atmosphere | |
| Agriculture | |
| Diversity and Livelihood | |
| Resources and Development | |
| Internal Structure of the Earth and Rocks | |
| Maps and Globe | |
| Natural Vegetation | |
| Our Country – India | |
| Motion of the Earth | |
| India and its Neighbors | |
| Climate – India and World | |
| Indian Physiographic Division | |
| Drainage in India | |
| Solar System | |
| Major Domains and landforms | |
| Population | |
| Civics | Indian Constitution |
| Local and State Government | |
| Indian Government | |
| Judiciary | |
| NTSE Syllabus for Mathematics | |
| Arithmetic Progressions | Number Systems |
| Polynomials | Real Numbers |
| Quadratic Equations | Percentage |
| Square Roots and Cube Roots | Direct and Inverse Variation |
| Mensuration | Rational Numbers |
| Circles | Trigonometry |
| Surface Areas and Volumes | Simple and Compound Interest |
| Triangles | Arithmetic |
| Coordinate Geometry | Statistics and Probability |
| Introduction to Euclid’s Geometry | Linear Equations in Two Variables |
| Quadrilateral | Parallelogram |
Test questions are multiple-choice questions. The NTSE exam pattern 2025 is the same in both phase 1 and phase 2. The test consists of three tests:
Assess the learner’s ability to solve problems and the ability to think. The questions are designed to test students’ mental abilities in a variety of settings. This section provides questions that require logical reasoning and analysis. This section assesses the learner’s ability to think, reason, evaluate, discriminate and visualize.
There are 150 questions in this section, including Science, Mathematics, Social Sciences, and English Language. This section assesses the learner’s ability to read, interpret, evaluate, and general subject knowledge. To improve their preparation, candidates must have a complete understanding of the NTSE Syllabus.
| Test | Time Duration | Total no. of Questions | Marks Allotted |
| Mental Ability Test (MAT) | 120 | 100 | 100 |
| Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) | 120 | 100 | 100 |
Students can follow the following points to increase the effectiveness of their preparation-
The following are the eligibility criteria for State-level assessment (Phase 1) – Class X students at any recognized school, such as Kendriya Vidyalaya, Navodaya Vidyalaya, or Sainik School, are eligible to undertake the District Level Examination in the province in which the school is located. However, you will be free to stay wherever you wish. Other methods of exam testing, such as a small percentage of marks in a previous year’s exam, can be set by the government. If they are under 18 (from 1 July of that year), are unemployed, and are entering Class X for the first time, students participating in Open and Distance Learning (ODL) are also eligible for the bursary.