Registration for the All India Talent Search Examination (AITSE) 2026 is open, and the National Teachers Council (NTC) has set September 20, 2026 as the last date to apply. The exam will be held on November 12, 2026, in offline mode inside participating schools for students of Classes 1 to 10. Forms and details are available at ntcolympiad.com.
AITSE is one of three national-level exams conducted by the Bengaluru-based NTC this year. The National Level Mathematics Olympiad (NLMO) is scheduled for November 2 and the National Level Science Olympiad (NLSO) for November 9. All three close registration on the same date.
Key Highlights
- AITSE 2026 registration last date: September 20, 2026
- AITSE 2026 exam date: November 12, 2026
- Eligibility: Students of Classes 1 to 10
- Exam fee: ₹150 per student in India; USD 8 for students outside India
- Mode: Offline, 60 minutes, held at the student’s own school
- Marking: 2 marks per correct answer, no negative marking
- Result date: January 20, 2027, as per the official 2026 brochure
- Total prize pool announced: ₹25 lakh across NLMO, NLSO and AITSE
What AITSE Tests
AITSE assesses subject knowledge along with reasoning and application skills, based on the syllabus followed by CBSE, ICSE and state boards. For Classes 1 and 2, the paper focuses on foundational concepts and basic thinking skills. For Classes 3 to 10, it tests curriculum knowledge alongside analytical ability.
Each class has a separate question paper, and the medium of examination is English. All questions are objective type.
AITSE 2026 Exam Pattern
The exam runs for 60 minutes across all classes, from 10 am to 11 am, at the respective school.
For Classes 1 and 2
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematical Reasoning | 7 | 14 |
| Environmental Awareness & Science | 6 | 12 |
| General Knowledge & Computers | 6 | 12 |
| Test of Reasoning | 6 | 12 |
For Classes 3 to 5
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 20 | 40 |
| Environmental Science | 10 | 20 |
| Computer | 5 | 10 |
| General Knowledge | 5 | 10 |
| Mental Ability & Reasoning | 10 | 20 |
For Classes 6 to 10
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 15 | 30 |
| Science | 15 | 30 |
| Social Science | 5 | 10 |
| Computer | 2 | 4 |
| General Knowledge | 3 | 6 |
| Mental Ability & Reasoning | 10 | 20 |
Note: Schools should note that the printed 2026 brochure and the official website differ in how the Class 1 and 2 section split is presented. Coordinators are advised to confirm the paper structure with NTC before the exam.
How to Register for AITSE 2026?
Registration is routed through schools. The steps listed in the official brochure are:
- The school appoints a teacher-in-charge or coordinator for NLMO, NLSO and AITSE.
- Students are informed through the school assembly, classrooms and diary notes to parents.
- The school fills the registration form and prepares the candidate name list in the prescribed format, available as a downloadable Excel file on the website.
- The examination fee is collected and either transferred to the NTC account via NEFT or RTGS, or paid by Demand Draft drawn in favour of National Teachers Council, payable at Bengaluru.
- The registration form, candidate list and fee proof are sent by speed post to the NTC office in Yelahanka, Bengaluru, or emailed to ntc.olympiad@gmail.com, on or before September 20, 2026.
Note: The brochure also states that students may register online themselves through the NTC Olympiad portal.
Fee Structure
The fee is ₹150 per student for a single examination, or ₹450 per student for all three — NLMO, NLSO and AITSE. Students outside India pay USD 8 per examination. Schools retain 20% of the total fee collected towards invigilation honorarium, postage and stationery.
Prizes and Awards
National-level first, second and third rank holders in Classes 3 to 10 receive ₹10,000, ₹5,000 and ₹2,000 respectively with a gold medal and certificate. The next 50 rank holders get a gold medal, resource book and certificate; the following 100 receive a gold medal and certificate.
A state-level award of ₹5,000 applies to states with at least 10,000 enrolments. Schools with 1,200 or more enrolments have a ₹5,000 Best Performance Award for their top scorer. All participants receive a certificate, and those scoring B2 grade or above get a Certificate of Excellence. Total prizes announced across the three exams are worth ₹25 lakh.
Official Website and Links
- Official website: ntcolympiad.com
- AITSE 2026 exam page: ntcolympiad.com/exams/aitse
- Official brochure 2026: ntcolympiad.com/downloads/pdf/2026/OLYMPIADS2026.pdf
- Registration form and name list format: available under Downloads & Resources
- Email: ntc.olympiad@gmail.com | Phone: 9037019246
