Hubballi
Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL) has launched the 2026 edition of its Aakash National Talent Hunt Exam (ANTHE), aimed at helping students assess their academic potential, identify areas for improvement and prepare more effectively for competitive examinations.
ANTHE has registered more than one crore students over the past 16 years, making it one of India’s longest-running talent identification examinations. The assessment is designed to go beyond marks by evaluating subject knowledge, aptitude, analytical ability, competitive readiness and examination behaviour.
According to AESL, every question in ANTHE is purpose-driven and mapped to specific concepts and competencies. Students receive a detailed ANTHE Intelligence Report after the examination, providing subject-wise insights into their strengths and areas requiring improvement. The report also examines Competitive Exam Success Potential, Test-Taking Personality and Attempt Intelligence Quotient to provide a broader understanding of a student’s examination approach.
The company said ANTHE has also been associated with the academic journeys of several high-performing students. In NEET UG 2026, 31 of Aakash’s 41 students who secured ranks among the top 100 had previously qualified through ANTHE. In JEE Advanced 2026, seven of the 11 Aakash students ranked among the top 100 had also qualified through the talent hunt examination.
Chandra Sekhar Garisa Reddy, MD and CEO of AESL, said ANTHE was intended to help students understand their academic strengths and weaknesses rather than merely determine scholarship eligibility. He said the examination provides students with insights that can help them make informed decisions about their future academic preparation.
ANTHE also provides national-level benchmarking, allowing students to compare their performance with peers across the country. Scholarships of up to 100 per cent and cash prizes totalling Rs 2.5 crore will be available to eligible performers.
ANTHE 2026 is open to students from Classes V to XII and will be conducted in online and offline formats. The online examination will be held from October 27 to November 1, while offline examinations are scheduled for October 11, October 25 and November 1. Registrations are open through Aakash centres and the official ANTHE platform.