CTET
Eligibility certificate needed to teach Classes 1–8 in central government schools (KVS, NVS, Army and central Union Territory schools). Many private schools and several states also accept it. It is a qualifying test, not a recruitment exam.
Eligibility
Paper I (Classes 1–5): Class 12 with at least 50% plus a 2-year D.El.Ed or 4-year B.El.Ed (final-year students may apply). Since the Supreme Court's 2023 ruling, B.Ed holders are not eligible for primary posts. Paper II (Classes 6–8): graduation plus B.Ed or D.El.Ed, or a 4-year integrated B.A./B.Sc.Ed. There is no upper age limit and no cap on attempts, and the certificate is valid for life.
Age limit: No upper age limit
Exam pattern
Offline pen-and-paper test on an OMR sheet. Each paper has 150 MCQs worth 150 marks and lasts 2.5 hours, with no negative marking. Paper I has five 30-mark sections: Child Development & Pedagogy (CDP), Language I, Language II, Mathematics and Environmental Studies (EVS). Paper II has CDP (30), Language I (30), Language II (30), plus either Mathematics & Science (60) or Social Studies/Social Science (60). The pass mark is 60% (90/150). Each state can allow concessions to reserved categories when recruiting.
Syllabus at a glance
CDP covers child development, learning theories (Piaget, Vygotsky, Kohlberg), inclusive education and assessment. Language sections test comprehension and language pedagogy. Content and pedagogy for Mathematics, EVS, Science and Social Studies follow NCERT Classes 1–8 for Paper I and Classes 6–8 for Paper II, with a strong slant towards how to teach each subject.
Upcoming dates
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 22nd edition: exam (CBSE public notice of 14 Sep 2026; originally planned for September) | 12–13 Dec 2026 | confirmed |
| Exam city and date slip (15 days before the exam) | Late Nov 2026 (around 27 Nov) | expected |
| Admit card (2 days before the exam) | About 10 Dec 2026 | expected |
| Provisional answer key and OMR challenge | Late Dec 2026 – Jan 2027 | expected |
| Result | Feb 2027 | expected |
| 23rd edition notification | Mid-2027 | expected |
Expected dates follow the usual calendar; confirm on the official notification before planning.
Free prep material
Standard books
- Child Development and Pedagogy for CTET & TETs – Shalini Punjabi (Arihant)
- Success Master CTET Paper I / Paper II – Arihant Experts (Arihant)
- CTET and TETs Paper I / Paper II guide – Pearson Editorial Board (Pearson)
- NCERT textbooks, Classes 1–8 (Mathematics, EVS, Science, Social Science)
- CTET Previous Years Solved Papers – Arihant / Disha Experts
How toppers play it
- CDP and the two language sections together make up 90 of the 150 marks in either paper. Practise these first, because they repeat concepts heavily from one edition to the next.
- Pedagogy questions make up roughly half of each subject section. Learn the NCF 2005 and NEP 2020 vocabulary (constructivism, formative assessment, inclusive classroom), because the 'best' option is usually the child-centred one.
- There is no negative marking, so answer every question. Leave 10 minutes at the end to fill any OMR bubbles you skipped.
- Choose your Language I and Language II carefully. A language you studied up to Class 12 usually scores better than one you only speak.
- Solve the last 8–10 papers under a 150-minute limit. The pass mark of 90/150 is a fixed target, so track your section-wise score rather than overall percentile.