Paper Analysis
MAT Pattern
NTSE status (checked 15 October 2026): NCERT has not conducted the National Talent Search Examination since the 2021 cycle. Its notice states that the National Talent Search Scheme was approved till 31 March 2021, and that further implementation of the scheme in its present form has not been approved and has been stalled till further orders. No NTSE 2026 notification has been issued. The details on this page come from NCERT's last official NTSE information brochure and are given for reference only.
Key Takeaways
MAT: 100 questions, 100 marks, 120 minutes.
Four-option multiple-choice questions, 1 mark each, no negative marking.
Tests reasoning and critical thinking, not school chapters.
NTSE MAT Pattern
The Mental Ability Test (MAT) measured a student's ability to reason, analyse, see patterns and think critically. It did not depend on any school subject, so regular practice made a big difference.
Feature | MAT (last published brochure) |
|---|---|
Number of questions | 100 |
Total marks | 100 |
Duration | 120 minutes (Stage 2: 9:30 am – 11:30 am) |
Question type | Multiple choice, four options |
Negative marking | None |
Qualifying marks | 40% (General/OBC), 32% (SC/ST/PwD) |
Question Types Commonly Seen in MAT
NCERT's sample MAT paper and previous papers included questions such as:
Number and letter series
Analogies and classification (odd one out)
Coding–decoding
Blood relations and direction sense
Figure series, mirror and water images, embedded figures
Venn diagrams and pattern completion
See the MAT Syllabus for a topic list and Previous Year Papers for official samples.
How to Approach MAT
Start with question types you are fastest at.
Skip and return to time-consuming puzzles.
Because there is no negative marking, attempt every question before time runs out.
Pro Tip: Practise 20–25 reasoning questions daily with a timer. Speed in MAT comes from recognising patterns quickly.
Source: NCERT NTSE Information Brochure (latest published edition).
Official Website
For authentic NTSE information, refer only to official NCERT resources:
NCERT NTSE page: ncert.nic.in/national-talent-examination.php
NTSE information brochure (last published): Download PDF
NTS scholarship portal: ntse.ncert.gov.in
Exam helpline (as listed by NCERT): 011-26560464, ntsexam.ncert@gov.in
Students should not pay any fee or share personal details on unofficial websites claiming to conduct NTSE.
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