National Talent Search Exam (NTSE) is the scholarship exam conducted by NCERT, under their National Talent Search Scheme. It was started in 1963 to identify talented students and nurture their talent. The NTSE is one of the most prestigious talent search exams in the country. The scheme provides financial assistance to the meritorious students in the form of a monthly scholarship and an annual book grant. Students who are awarded the scholarship receive financial assistance up to the Ph.D level in Social Sciences, Basic Sciences and Commerce. The NTSE scholars will receive a sum of Rs. 500/- per month as per NTS rules. Apart from the scholarships that can be won by the students of Class VIII , a good performance in the NTSE will be a very valuable addition to the overall credentials of a child later in his/her career. In fact, the very process of appearing for NTSE can be a very enriching experience for a child .

For the year 2011, NCERT will conduct the National Talent Search Examination for students studying in Class VIII only. A total of 1000 scholarships are to be awarded - 15% of them will be reserved for students belonging to the SC category, 7.5% for students belonging to the ST category and 3% for the Physically Challenged Group of Students

The selection process will consist of two stages. Stage I is an elimination round. Students qualifying in Stage I will be eligible to appear for Stage II.