National Talent Search for Teachers of Secondary Science and Mathematics

Yes. Teachers from government, government-aided, private and other recognised schools in India, of any board, can take part. On 15 February 2027 you must:

• be at least 18 years old;
• be teaching Science (Physics, Chemistry or Biology) or Mathematics to Classes 9 or 10 at a school in India; and
• have a valid email address and a mobile number that can receive WhatsApp messages.

See clause 3 of the Terms and Conditions for the full eligibility rules.

Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics. Each teacher selects one subject.

₹500 + 18% GST (₹590 per teacher, inclusive). The fee is the same for individual and school registrations, and there are no bulk discounts.

The fee is non-refundable once your Admit Card (Exam Ticket) is issued, including if you withdraw, miss your slot or are disqualified. You will get a full refund only if:

• you are charged twice for the same registration, or charged without an Admit Card being issued (write to us within 30 days of payment);
• we refuse your registration for a reason that is not your fault; or
• we cancel the competition, or move it to a date you cannot attend. In that case, ask for a refund within 15 days of our notice.

Approved refunds are paid to your original payment method within 15 working days. See clause 5.5 of the Terms and Conditions.

Registration opens on 10 November 2026 and closes on 15 February 2027.

On 27 and 28 February 2027, from 4:00 to 6:00 PM IST on each day. Each teacher selects one of the two available examination slots.

Yes, once. You can change your subject or examination slot one time, free of charge, by writing to us at team@centa.org before 11:59 PM IST on 15 February 2027.

After that, no changes are possible, and you cannot switch slots on the examination day. See clauses 5.3 and 6.2 of the Terms and Conditions.

The examination has 50 multiple-choice questions, to be answered in 2 hours:

• Subject Expertise: 20 questions
• Pedagogical Content Knowledge: 15 questions
• General Pedagogy: 8 questions
• Professional Competencies: 7 questions

The subject questions are aligned with the Classes 9–10 curriculum and draw on S Chand textbooks in your chosen subject.

We will email you a system check and a practice test at least 7 days before the examination. Please use them: problems you could have found with them are not grounds for a re-test. See clauses 6.1 and 6.3 of the Terms and Conditions.

The examination is conducted in English only.

Yes. You can use a laptop, a desktop computer or a smartphone. You will need:

• a working front camera and microphone;
• the latest version of Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge (or Safari on Apple devices);
• a stable internet connection of at least 1 Mbps;
• a quiet, well-lit room where you are alone; and
• a valid government photo ID, if we ask for it during check-in.

The examination is remotely proctored. For the whole session, video and audio from your camera and microphone and your screen activity may be recorded, and photographs may be taken of you and of your ID if requested. A trained person reviews anything flagged; no misconduct decision is made by an automated tool alone. See clause 6.4 of the Terms and Conditions, and the Privacy Policy for how this data is handled.

You enter your details, verify your phone, select your subject and examination date, and pay online. Your Admit Card is shown on screen after payment: save or print it.

A school appoints a coordinator, who enters the school's details. The coordinator then either enters each teacher's details now, or buys licences now and adds teachers later. With licences, teachers can be added on the school dashboard, or given a code to register themselves without paying. One licence covers one teacher.

Each teacher receives their own Admit Card. For a school registration, the coordinator receives a copy. Admit Cards are shown on screen once issued, so please save or print them. In the Terms and Conditions, the Admit Card is called the “Ticket”.

Results and scorecards are expected to be announced and sent by 31 March 2027. See clause 8.5 of the Terms and Conditions.

Yes. Every candidate who completes the examination receives a confidential scorecard and a participation certificate. In the case of school registration, the scorecard is also shared with the school. National Ranks 1–100 also receive an S Chand–CENTA rank-holder certificate.

A ₹1,00,000 cash award for the National Winner (National Rank 1). A ₹25,000 cash award for Subject Rank 1 in each of the four subjects; if the National Winner tops a subject, that award goes to the next-ranked candidate in the subject. A further ₹25,000 cash award for the highest National Rank who has not already won one of these cash awards. An international trip for National Ranks 1 and 2. Invitations to CENTA's Global Teacher Meet for the four subject cash-award winners. For National Ranks 1–20: a one-year CENTA teacher support program (worth ₹8,000), an online meeting with author Mr. Lakhmir Singh and inclusion in relevant S Chand books. Direct entry to the CENTA International TPO Finals for National Ranks 1–50, an S Chand–CENTA rank-holder certificate for National Ranks 1–100 and an Amazon voucher worth ₹2,000 for each of National Ranks 101–200. A candidate can receive more than one award. Schools are recognised separately; see For Schools above.