Media Release
Mangaluru, Sep 1: Centre for Advanced Learning (CFAL) has announced the launch of CFAL Scholar Selection Test (CST) 2026, an aptitude-based entrance and scholarship examination for students currently studying in grade 10.
Designed as an aptitude-based assessment, the examination will be held on September 13, at CFAL, Mangaluru, with two-hour examination slots scheduled between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM. The assessment will cover three common subjects: Physics, Chemistry, and Logical Reasoning. Students can then choose a fourth subject, either Biology or Mathematics, based on their area of interest. Students who perform strongly in the examination will be eligible for merit scholarships, based on their performance.
While CST serves as an entry and scholar-selection examination for CFAL, the institution intends the test to offer students something more than another score. Its questions focus on reasoning, analytical ability, conceptual application, and problem-solving, challenging students to think carefully rather than simply recall what they have learned.
Why This Initiative Matters
1. Assessing Reasoning Over Recall
As students move towards higher education and competitive examinations, they are increasingly expected to interpret information, connect ideas, reason through unfamiliar situations and apply what they know. CST is designed around this idea, offering students an opportunity to experience a different kind of academic challenge and reflect on how effectively they can use what they know, rather than how many marks they can score.
2. Identifying CFAL Scholars
CST forms part of CFAL's process of identifying students who demonstrate strong academic promise and the ability to engage with challenging problems. High-performing students will have the opportunity to receive merit scholarships and gain early recognition as CFAL Scholars, joining a long-standing record of CFAL students who have progressed to the IITs and IISc, pursued higher education at institutions such as Stanford and Harvard, and represented India at international Olympiads.
3. Supporting an Important Academic Transition
Grade 10 represents a significant transition in a student's academic journey, as students begin making choices about streams, subjects, competitive examinations, and future areas of study. CST offers exposure to questions that require deeper reasoning and application, helping students recognise areas of strength and opportunities for further development at this important stage.
CST 2026 – Examination Details
• Examination: CFAL Scholar Selection Test (CST) 2026
• Eligibility: Students currently studying in Grade 10
• Date: September 13
• Duration: 2 hours
• Exam Slots: Between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM
• Venue: CFAL, Mangaluru
• Scholarships: Merit scholarships based on performance (T&C apply)
• Registration: Mandatory, via QR code on the official CST poster or through the CFAL website
A Message to Parents
As a parent, marks naturally offer one way to understand a child's progress. CST offers a second lens: how your child reasons through a problem they haven't seen before. It's a low-stakes way to see this side of their thinking well before board exams or entrance tests raise the stakes, with merit scholarships and CFAL Scholar recognition for those who perform well.
The Bigger Picture
With CST 2026, CFAL aims to identify and support promising students while encouraging Grade 10 learners to look beyond conventional marks and experience an examination built around a simple but important idea: what matters is not only what a student knows, but how effectively they can think with what they know. More than a single examination, CST reflects CFAL's broader effort to nurture curiosity and academic potential, creating pathways to scholarships, mentorship, and further opportunities at CFAL.
About CFAL
Centre for Advanced Learning (CFAL) builds strong foundations in mathematics and science and prepares students for premier national examinations including JEE, NEET, and Olympiads, as well as entrance exams for institutes such as ISI, CMI, and IISER. The institution is built around a culture of curiosity, discipline and science learning.
For more information, contact:
CFAL India, Mangaluru
+91 99005 20233
office@cfalindia.com
www.cfalindia.com