The National Talent Search Examination (NTSE) is a highly prestigious scholarship program in India, designed to identify and nurture talented students at the secondary school level. Conducted by the national council of education research and training (NCERT), the NTSE aims to recognize students with high intellectual abilities and academic excellence. It is open to students studying in class 10 and provides financial support for their continued education. NTSE is conducted in two stages:

Stage 1 at the state/UT level and Stage 2 at the national level. The Stage 1 exam is organized by various starts and union territories, while the Stage 2 exam is conducted by NCERT, Students who qualify in Stage 1 are eligible to appear for Stage 2. The exam is designed to assess students scholastic abilities as well as their mental aptitude, taking it a comprehensive test of overall academic potential.

The NTSE exam consists of two papers: 

1. The Mental Ability Test (MAT)
2. The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)

The MAT paper evaluates the logical reasoning, analytical skills, and problem-solving abilities of the students. It includes questions on analogies, classification, series pattern perception, and coding-decoding, among others.

The SAT paper, on the other hand, assesses the students' knowledge of subjects like Science, Mathematics, Social Studies, and English. It is aligned with the Class 9 and Class 0 curriculum of various boards, making it a test of both conceptual understanding and retention of knowledge. The Scholarship awarded through NTSE is highly coveted, as it provides financial assistance throughout the academic career of the student, from Class 11 to PhD.