JAMMU, Aug 25: Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL) has announced the launch of the Aakash National Talent Hunt Exam (ANTHE) 2026, one of India’s largest student assessment and talent identification examinations. Over the past 16 years, more than one crore students have registered for ANTHE, making it a significant platform for students preparing for competitive academic examinations.
ANTHE is designed to help students understand their academic standing, identify strengths and areas requiring improvement, and assess their preparedness for competitive examinations. Rather than focusing solely on a final score, the assessment evaluates students across subject knowledge, aptitude, analytical ability and examination behaviour.
The significance of early assessment is reflected in the performance of ANTHE-qualified students in national competitive examinations. In NEET UG 2026, 31 of Aakash’s 41 students who secured ranks among the Top 100 had previously qualified through ANTHE. Similarly, seven of the 11 Aakash students in the Top 100 of JEE Advanced 2026 had qualified through ANTHE.
Speaking about the initiative, Chandra Sekhar Garisa Reddy, MD and CEO, Aakash Educational Services Limited, said ANTHE’s purpose goes beyond determining scholarships. He said the examination helps students understand their academic potential, benchmark their preparation and identify areas that require improvement, enabling them to make more informed decisions about their academic journey.
A key feature of ANTHE is the detailed ANTHE Intelligence Report provided to every participant after the examination. The report offers subject-wise insights and evaluates three key aspects of performance—Competitive Exam Success Potential (CESP), Test-Taking Personality (TTP) and Attempt Intelligence Quotient (AIQ). These parameters provide students with a broader understanding of their competitive readiness, examination behaviour, accuracy and approach to attempting questions.
The examination is intended not only for students already preparing for JEE and NEET but also for those at an earlier stage of their academic journey. Through national-level benchmarking, students can assess their performance against peers across their state and the country and identify areas they need to strengthen.
Scholarships continue to be an important component of ANTHE. For 2026, eligible students can avail scholarships of up to 100 per cent for Aakash Classroom, Hybrid and Digital programmes, along with ₹2.5 crore in cash prizes for top performers, subject to applicable criteria.
ANTHE 2026 is open to students from Classes V to XII and will be conducted in both online and offline modes. The online examination will be held from October 27 to November 1, 2026, while the offline examination will take place on October 11, October 25 and November 1, 2026.
Registrations for ANTHE 2026 are currently open through the official ANTHE portal and Aakash centres across the country. The initiative aims to help students convert assessment into meaningful academic action by providing greater clarity about their preparation, competitive potential and areas for improvement.