CTET (Central Teacher Eligibility Test)
CBSE
Complete guide to passing the CTET (Central Teacher Eligibility Test) exam on your first attempt.
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Complete Overview
CTET is the Central Teacher Eligibility Test, conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education to certify that a candidate meets the minimum eligibility to be recruited as a teacher for Classes I to VIII. General and OBC non-creamy-layer candidates pay INR 1,000 for one paper or INR 1,200 for both, while SC, ST and differently abled candidates pay INR 500 or INR 600, with GST charged extra by the bank and no refund under any circumstances.
There are two papers. Paper I is for candidates who intend to teach Classes I to V, and Paper II is for Classes VI to VIII. A candidate who wants to teach at both levels sits both. Each paper is 150 multiple choice questions for 150 marks in two and a half hours, and every question carries one mark with no negative marking. Answers are marked on an OMR sheet in blue or black ball point pen that the candidate brings; the Board does not supply pens, and OMR sheets filled in pencil are rejected.
Paper I is five compulsory sections of 30 questions each: Child Development and Pedagogy, Mathematics, Environmental Studies, Language I and Language II, so each section is 20 per cent of the paper. Paper II keeps Child Development and Pedagogy, Language I and Language II at 30 questions each and adds a 60 question subject block, either Mathematics and Science, split 30 marks each, or Social Studies and Social Science. Candidates who apply for Paper II and do not state the subject option have their application rejected and the fee forfeited.
Language I and Language II are chosen from 20 options: English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Garo, Gujarati, Kannada, Khasi, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Mizo, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Tibetan and Urdu. Language II must be different from Language I. The main question paper is bilingual in Hindi and English.
Under NCTE Notification No. 76-4/2010/NCTE/Acad dated 11 February 2011, a person who scores 60 per cent or more in a TET examination is treated as TET pass, which is 90 of 150 marks. The CTET qualifying certificate is valid for life for all categories and there is no restriction on the number of attempts. A candidate who has already qualified may sit again to improve the score.
In the February 2026 session, held on 8 February 2026, Paper II ran from 09:30 AM to 12:00 noon and Paper I from 02:30 PM to 05:00 PM. CTET applies to schools of the Central Government including Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan and Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, and to schools under the administrative control of several Union Territories. Passing does not confer any right to employment; it is one eligibility condition among several set by the recruiting agency.
Why Get CTET (Central Teacher Eligibility Test) Certified?
The CTET qualifying certificate is valid for life for all categories, so a candidate never has to re-sit it to keep eligibility current.
There is no restriction on the number of attempts, and a candidate who has already qualified may appear again purely to improve the score.
Under CBSE Affiliation Bye-Laws, teachers appointed after 6 March 2012 to teach Classes I to VIII in CBSE-affiliated schools must have passed CTET or a State TET, which makes it a gate on a large share of school teaching posts.
The pass mark is a fixed 60 per cent, or 90 of 150, rather than a rank-based cut-off, so a candidate competes against the paper rather than against the other candidates.
There is no negative marking in either paper, so every one of the 150 questions can be attempted without risk.
Language I and Language II can be chosen from 20 languages including Garo, Khasi, Mizo, Nepali, Sanskrit and Tibetan, so candidates outside the major language groups are not forced into English or Hindi.
Mark sheets for all candidates and eligibility certificates for successful ones are issued digitally to DigiLocker with a digital signature and an encrypted QR code, which makes verification at recruitment straightforward.
Exam Format & Structure
Duration
Two and a half hours per paper. Differently abled candidates may be given compensatory time of 50 minutes in each paper.
Questions
150 multiple choice questions for 150 marks in each paper. Paper I: Child Development and Pedagogy 30, Mathematics 30, Environmental Studies 30, Language I 30, Language II 30. Paper II: Child Development and Pedagogy 30, Language I 30, Language II 30, and 60 questions in either Mathematics and Science or Social Studies and Social Science.
Passing Score
60 per cent, which is 90 of 150 marks, following NCTE Notification No. 76-4/2010/NCTE/Acad dated 11 February 2011. There is no negative marking, so the score is the raw count of correct answers. School managements may consider giving concessions to SC, ST, OBC and differently abled candidates in accordance with their own reservation policy, but the 60 per cent standard is what CBSE applies for awarding the certificate.
Question Types
- Multiple choice questions with four alternatives, one of which is most appropriate
- Unseen passage comprehension in Language I, including one prose or drama passage and one poem in Paper I
- Unseen prose passage comprehension in Language II, discursive, literary, narrative or scientific
- Pedagogy questions attached to every subject section, not gathered into one block
- Content questions drawn from the NCERT syllabus for the relevant classes, with difficulty extending to the Secondary stage for Paper I and the Senior Secondary stage for Paper II
Delivery Method
Pen and paper examination with a sealed Test Booklet and an OMR answer sheet, held at CBSE-allotted centres. Candidates darken circles with their own blue or black ball point pen. Use of pencil is strictly prohibited and pencil-marked OMR sheets are rejected. Biometric authentication may be introduced at examination centres.
Exam Domains & Topics
Split into Child Development at 15 questions, Inclusive Education and children with special needs at 5, and Learning and Pedagogy at 10. Paper I frames it around the 6 to 11 age group and Paper II around 11 to 14, so the same theory is examined through different developmental stages. Weights across these domains are stated per paper: the five Paper I blocks sum to 100 per cent of Paper I, and the four Paper II blocks sum to 100 per cent of Paper II.
Key Topics to Master:
- Concept of development and its relationship with learning, and principles of child development
- Piaget, Kohlberg and Vygotsky: constructs and critical perspectives
- Influence of heredity and environment, and socialisation processes with teachers, parents and peers
- Critical perspective on the construct of intelligence and multi-dimensional intelligence
- Gender as a social construct, gender roles, gender bias and educational practice
- Assessment for learning versus assessment of learning, School-Based Assessment and Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation
- Addressing learners with learning difficulties and impairment, and talented and creative learners
- Understanding children's errors as significant steps in the learning process
- Cognition and emotions, motivation and learning
Fifteen questions on language comprehension and fifteen on pedagogy of language development. CBSE states that Language I test items focus on the proficiencies related to the medium of instruction. In Paper I the comprehension block sets two passages, one prose or drama and one poem, with questions on comprehension, inference, grammar and verbal ability.
Key Topics to Master:
- Unseen prose or drama passage with comprehension, inference, grammar and verbal ability questions
- Unseen poem with comprehension questions
- Learning and acquisition, and principles of language teaching
- Role of listening and speaking, and how children use language as a tool
- Critical perspective on the role of grammar in learning a language
- Challenges of teaching language in a diverse classroom: language difficulties, errors and disorders
- Evaluating language comprehension and proficiency across speaking, listening, reading and writing
- Teaching-learning materials: textbook, multi-media materials and multilingual classroom resources
- Remedial teaching
Fifteen comprehension questions built on two unseen prose passages, discursive, literary, narrative or scientific, plus fifteen pedagogy questions. CBSE states Language II items focus on the elements of language, communication and comprehension abilities, and Language II must be a different language from Language I.
Key Topics to Master:
- Two unseen prose passages with comprehension, grammar and verbal ability questions
- No poem in the Language II comprehension block, unlike Language I in Paper I
- Learning and acquisition, and principles of language teaching
- Function of language and the role of listening and speaking
- Critical perspective on the role of grammar for communicating ideas verbally and in writing
- Language skills and their evaluation
- Language difficulties, errors and disorders in a diverse classroom
- Multilingual resources of the classroom and remedial teaching
Fifteen content questions and fifteen pedagogy questions. The pedagogy half is examined separately from the content half in the published blueprint, so half the section is unreachable by arithmetic practice alone. Content is drawn from the NCERT syllabus for Classes I to V, though CBSE states the difficulty standard and linkages could extend to the Secondary stage.
Key Topics to Master:
- Geometry, shapes and spatial understanding, solids around us
- Numbers, addition and subtraction, multiplication and division
- Measurement, weight, time, volume and money
- Data handling and patterns
- Nature of mathematics and logical thinking, and understanding children's reasoning strategies
- Place of mathematics in the curriculum and the language of mathematics
- Community mathematics and evaluation through formal and informal methods
- Error analysis and related aspects of learning and teaching
- Diagnostic and remedial teaching
Fifteen content questions organised around six themes and fifteen pedagogy questions. The content themes are the same six that structure the NCERT EVS syllabus for the primary stage, and the pedagogy half asks about the scope of EVS and its relation to science and social science.
Key Topics to Master:
- Family and friends: relationships, work and play, animals, plants
- Food, shelter, water, travel, and things we make and do
- Concept and scope of EVS and significance of integrated EVS
- Environmental Studies compared with Environmental Education
- Learning principles and approaches to presenting concepts
- Activities, experimentation and practical work, and discussion as method
- Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation applied to EVS
- Teaching material and aids, and problems in teaching EVS
Candidates choose one of two options at application, and the choice cannot be left blank without the application being rejected. Mathematics and Science splits 30 marks each, with 20 content and 10 pedagogy questions inside each. Social Studies and Social Science is 40 content and 20 pedagogy questions across History, Geography, and Social and Political Life.
Key Topics to Master:
- Mathematics content: number system, algebra, ratio and proportion, geometry, symmetry, construction, mensuration and data handling
- Mathematics pedagogy: nature of mathematics, place in the curriculum, community mathematics, evaluation and remedial teaching
- Science content: food, materials, the world of the living, moving things people and ideas, how things work, natural phenomena and natural resources
- Science pedagogy: nature and structure of the sciences, aims and objectives of natural science, understanding and appreciating science
- History from the earliest societies and first farmers through the Delhi Sultans, company power, the Revolt of 1857-58, the nationalist movement and India after Independence
- Geography: the earth in the solar system, the globe, natural and human environment, air, water, settlement, transport, communication, resources and agriculture
- Social and Political Life: diversity, government, local government, democracy, media, gender, the Constitution, parliamentary government, the judiciary and social justice
- Social science pedagogy: concept and nature of social science, classroom processes, developing critical thinking, enquiry and empirical evidence
Recommended Study Plan
- 1Download the CTET Information Bulletin from ctet.nic.in and read the structure section, the fee table and the eligibility clause that points to NCTE regulations
- 2Decide whether you are sitting Paper I, Paper II or both, and if Paper II, whether you take Mathematics and Science or Social Studies
- 3Pick Language I and Language II from the 20 options, remembering they must be different and are locked in on the Confirmation Page
- 4Take a full untimed past paper of 150 questions to find your baseline in each section
- 5Confirm your eligibility against the NCTE regulations at ncte.gov.in before you pay the fee
- 1Cover Piaget, Kohlberg and Vygotsky including the critical perspectives, since these three names recur every session
- 2Study principles of development, heredity and environment, and socialisation processes with teachers, parents and peers
- 3Work through the construct of intelligence and multi-dimensional intelligence
- 4Read the NCERT Diploma in Elementary Education material on child development, which is written to the same syllabus
- 5Do 60 practice questions restricted to the child development block of 15 questions
- 1Cover addressing learners from disadvantaged and deprived backgrounds, learning difficulties and impairment, and talented and creative learners
- 2Study how and why children fail to achieve success in school performance, and children's errors as steps in learning
- 3Work assessment for learning versus assessment of learning, School-Based Assessment and Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation
- 4Add cognition and emotions, motivation and learning, and personal and environmental factors
- 5Take a 30 question Child Development and Pedagogy sectional in 30 minutes
- 1Practise one unseen prose passage and one unseen poem daily if you are sitting Paper I, since Paper I sets a poem and Paper II does not
- 2Revise the grammar and verbal ability that comprehension questions attach to, in the language you actually opted for
- 3Cover learning and acquisition, principles of language teaching, and the critical perspective on grammar
- 4Study language difficulties, errors and disorders, and remedial teaching
- 5Do a 30 question Language I sectional
- 1Practise two unseen prose passages daily in your Language II, covering discursive, literary, narrative and scientific types
- 2Note that the Language II pedagogy list is nearly identical to Language I, so revise it once and apply it to both
- 3Work on evaluating language comprehension and proficiency across speaking, listening, reading and writing
- 4Cover teaching-learning materials and the multilingual resources of the classroom
- 5Do a 30 question Language II sectional
- 1Paper I candidates: work the Mathematics content list from geometry and shapes through money, using NCERT Classes I to V
- 2Paper II Mathematics and Science candidates: cover number system, algebra, ratio and proportion, geometry, symmetry, construction, mensuration and data handling from NCERT Classes VI to VIII
- 3Paper II Social Studies candidates: cover History from the earliest societies to the first empire and contacts with distant lands
- 4Practise 40 content questions daily at the class level your paper is set for
- 1Paper I candidates: cover the six Environmental Studies themes of family and friends, food, shelter, water, travel, and things we make and do
- 2Paper II Mathematics and Science candidates: cover food, materials, the world of the living, moving things, how things work, natural phenomena and natural resources
- 3Paper II Social Studies candidates: cover Geography and Social and Political Life, including the Constitution, parliamentary government and the judiciary
- 4Push difficulty upward, since CBSE states Paper I linkages could reach the Secondary stage and Paper II the Senior Secondary stage
- 1Work the pedagogy half of your subject sections, which is 15 of 30 marks in Paper I Mathematics and EVS, and 10 of 30 in each of Paper II Mathematics and Science
- 2Cover error analysis, diagnostic and remedial teaching, and evaluation through formal and informal methods
- 3For EVS, learn the distinction between Environmental Studies and Environmental Education and the relation of EVS to science and social science
- 4For social science, cover concept and nature of the subject, classroom processes, critical thinking and enquiry and empirical evidence
- 5Do 100 pedagogy-only questions across all your sections
- 1Sit three full 150 question papers in exactly two and a half hours each, marking answers on a printed OMR sheet with a blue or black ball point pen
- 2Attempt every question, because there is no negative marking and a blank is worth exactly as much as a wrong answer
- 3Check whether you are clearing 90 of 150, which is the fixed 60 per cent pass standard
- 4Rework every wrong answer in the pedagogy blocks, which are 15 of the 30 marks in each Paper I subject section and 30 of the 60 in the Paper I languages
- 1Revise the theorists, assessment concepts and pedagogy vocabulary only, adding no new content
- 2Download the e-Admit Card from ctet.nic.in and check that the photograph, signature and particulars match the Confirmation Page
- 3Buy two good quality blue or black ball point pens, since the Board does not supply pens and pencil-marked OMR sheets are rejected
- 4Plan travel to reach the centre 120 minutes before the paper starts, since latecomers are not admitted
- 5If you are a differently abled candidate, arrange the disability certificate in the prescribed format to carry to the centre
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Best Study Resources
CTET official website
Official notification and application portalThe only place to apply, download the Information Bulletin, download the e-Admit Card, view the answer key and the scanned OMR sheet, and see the result. All disputes about the conduct of CTET fall within the jurisdiction of Delhi.
Free
CTET Information Bulletin
Official bulletinContains the full syllabus for both papers in Appendix I, the conduct procedure in Appendix II, the list of examination cities in Appendix III and the scribe proformas. It is the definitive source for the section-wise question counts down to the sub-topic level.
Free
NCTE website
Regulatory source for eligibilityCBSE states the minimum qualifications for appearing in CTET are as notified by NCTE and directs candidates to check their eligibility here. The 60 per cent pass standard comes from NCTE Notification No. 76-4/2010/NCTE/Acad dated 11 February 2011.
Free
NCERT textbooks for Classes I to V and VI to VIII
TextbookCBSE states that test items in Mathematics, Environmental Studies, Mathematics and Science, and Social Studies are evenly distributed over the divisions of the NCERT syllabus for the relevant classes. Reading the actual class textbooks is closer to the paper than any guide.
Around INR 50-150 per book, free as PDFs from ncert.nic.in
NCERT Diploma in Elementary Education course material
Study materialWritten to the same child development and pedagogy content the CTET syllabus lists, including Piaget, Vygotsky, inclusive education and assessment. It reads as source material rather than as exam notes.
Free from the NCERT and NIOS websites
Previous CTET question papers and official answer keys
Practice materialCBSE displays the OMR answer sheet and answer keys on ctet.nic.in after each session, usually for two to three days for challenges. Past papers show how heavily the pedagogy halves are weighted relative to content.
Free
Child Development and Pedagogy for CTET and State TETs by Disha Publications
TextbookA section-specific book covering the 30 question Child Development and Pedagogy block that appears in both papers. Useful as a question bank once the theory is read from NCERT sources.
Around INR 200-400
Printed OMR practice sheets
Practice toolCTET is an OMR examination, not a computer-based one. Practising the bubbling with a blue or black ball point pen, including the Test Booklet code entry, removes a mechanical failure mode that costs marks in the hall.
Free to print, or a few rupees per sheet
DigiLocker
Official document deliveryCBSE issues CTET mark sheets to all candidates and eligibility certificates to successful ones in digital format through DigiLocker, digitally signed and carrying an encrypted QR code. Account credentials are sent to the mobile number registered with CBSE.
Free
Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan and Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti recruitment pages
Employer notification sourceCTET applies to schools of the Central Government including KVS and NVS. Their recruitment notices state how CTET scores are weighted alongside the selection tests these bodies run separately.
Free
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Preparing the subject content and treating pedagogy as a small add-on.
In Paper I Mathematics and Environmental Studies, pedagogy is 15 of the 30 questions in each, an exact half. In Paper II Mathematics and Science, pedagogy is 10 of 30 in each subject. Across a Paper I script, the pedagogy items outnumber pure content items once Child Development and Pedagogy is included.
Leaving questions blank because they feel like guesses.
There is no negative marking anywhere in CTET. A blank scores the same as a wrong answer, which is zero. Bubble every one of the 150 circles before time is called, even on questions you have not read.
Bringing a pencil, or relying on the centre to provide a pen.
CBSE states that pens will not be supplied and that use of pencil is strictly prohibited, with pencil-marked OMR sheets rejected outright and no correspondence entertained. Carry two good quality blue or black ball point pens.
Applying for Paper II without selecting the subject option.
Candidates who apply for Paper II or for both papers and do not mention the subject offered for Paper II are declared ineligible, the application is rejected and the fee is forfeited without any further communication. Choose Mathematics and Science or Social Science explicitly.
Choosing Language II carelessly and then finding it is a language you cannot read passages in.
Language II must be different from Language I and is fixed on the Confirmation Page. Both papers set 15 comprehension marks in each language, so the choice is worth 30 marks in total. Pick the second language you can genuinely read unseen prose in, not the one that looks easiest on paper.
Reading only the exact class textbooks and expecting the questions to stay at that level.
CBSE states that Paper I questions are based on NCERT topics for Classes I to V but their difficulty standard and linkages could be up to the Secondary stage, and Paper II questions up to the Senior Secondary stage. Prepare each topic at least one stage above the class level.
Assuming a CTET pass entitles you to a teaching post.
CBSE states plainly that qualifying CTET does not confer a right to recruitment or employment and is only one of the eligibility criteria for appointment. School managements are asked to give weightage to CTET scores in recruitment, but eligibility is finally verified by the recruiting agency, not by CBSE.
Entering name or date of birth differently from the Class X certificate.
The bulletin requires name, father's name, mother's name and date of birth to match the Class X certificate. After the specified online correction date closes, no request for change is accepted under any circumstances.
Submitting more than one application to fix a mistake in the first one.
If a candidate submits more than one application online, the candidature is liable to be cancelled and the candidate may be debarred from future examinations, with no communication sent about it. Use the notified online correction window instead.
Exam Day Tips
- 1
Reach the centre 120 minutes before the paper starts. In the February 2026 session the halls opened at 07:30 AM for Paper II and 12:30 PM for Paper I, and candidates reporting after 09:30 AM and 02:30 PM respectively were not allowed to appear.
- 2
Carry the e-Admit Card downloaded from ctet.nic.in. A candidate who does not possess a valid Admit Card is not permitted to sit under any circumstances, and the invigilator checks it during the examination to verify identity.
- 3
Bring your own good quality blue or black ball point pen. The Board does not supply pens, pencil is strictly prohibited, and OMR sheets filled with pencil are rejected.
- 4
Allow extra time for biometric authentication, which CBSE states may be introduced at examination centres. Arriving at the last minute risks losing examination time.
- 5
Leave stationery and devices outside. The banned list covers textual material, bits of paper, geometry or pencil boxes, plastic pouches, calculators, scales, writing pads, pen drives, erasers, whiteners, log tables, electronic pens or scanners, cardboard, mobile phones, Bluetooth devices, earphones, microphones, pagers, health bands, any watch or wrist watch, wallets, goggles, handbags and gold or artificial ornaments.
- 6
Sit only in the seat allotted against your roll number. A candidate found to have changed room or seat on their own has their candidature cancelled with no plea accepted.
- 7
Five minutes before the paper starts, break the Test Booklet seal only when told, and check that the Test Booklet Code printed on Side-2 of the OMR Sheet matches the one on the Test Booklet. Report any discrepancy immediately so both are replaced.
- 8
Do not leave your seat or the room before the full duration ends without the invigilator's permission, and sign the attendance sheet a second time when handing over the answer sheet. A missing second signature is treated as failure to hand over the OMR sheet and dealt with as an unfair means case.
- 9
Tea, coffee, cold drinks and snacks are not allowed inside the examination room, and smoking or chewing gutka in the hall is prohibited.
- 10
Differently abled candidates should carry the disability certificate in the prescribed format issued by the competent authority, without which the compensatory time of 50 minutes and other relaxations are not granted.
Career Paths & Salary Ranges
Primary teacher, Classes I to V, in a Central Government school
Paper I qualification is the eligibility route for teaching Classes I to V in schools of the Central Government including Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti and Central Tibetan Schools. Selection is run separately by each employer.
Set by the recruiting body; CBSE does not publish pay figures in the CTET Information Bulletin
Upper primary teacher, Classes VI to VIII
Paper II qualification, with the subject block matching the subject to be taught. A Mathematics and Science option holder and a Social Studies option holder are eligible for different upper primary vacancies, so the choice made at application shapes which posts open later.
Set by the recruiting body; CBSE does not publish pay figures in the CTET Information Bulletin
Teacher in a school under a Union Territory administration
CTET applies to schools under the administrative control of Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep and the NCT of Delhi.
Set by the recruiting body; CBSE does not publish pay figures in the CTET Information Bulletin
Teacher in a CBSE-affiliated private school
Under the CBSE Affiliation Bye-Laws, teachers appointed after 6 March 2012 to teach Classes I to VIII in CBSE-affiliated schools must have qualified CTET or a State TET conducted in accordance with NCTE guidelines. Unaided private schools may also choose to consider CTET.
Set by the school; CBSE does not publish pay figures in the CTET Information Bulletin
Teacher in a State Government or aided school
Schools owned and managed by State Governments, local bodies and aided schools consider the TET conducted by that State Government. A State can also decide to consider CTET instead of running its own State TET.
Set by the State Government; CBSE does not publish pay figures in the CTET Information Bulletin
Prerequisites & Requirements
- CBSE does not print a qualification list in the Information Bulletin. It states that the minimum qualifications for appearing in CTET are as notified by NCTE, and directs candidates to ncte.gov.in to ascertain eligibility before applying.
- The governing rules are the NCTE regulations on determination of minimum qualifications for persons to be recruited as education teachers and physical education teachers in pre-primary, primary, upper primary, secondary, senior secondary or intermediate schools or colleges, as amended and notified from time to time.
- Minimum qualifications laid down in the recruitment rules of the appropriate government where the school is situated, or of Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan or Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, also apply.
- NCTE allows relaxation of up to 5 per cent in the qualifying marks in the minimum educational qualification for SC, ST, OBC and differently abled candidates.
- Candidates who apply for Paper II must state the subject offered, either Mathematics and Science or Social Science. An application without this is rejected and the fee forfeited.
- Name, father's name, mother's name and date of birth entered in the application must match the Class X certificate.
- A working mobile number and a valid personal email address, since CBSE sends updates and DigiLocker credentials to them.
- There is no age limit and no attempt limit stated in the Information Bulletin.
- Being allowed to sit CTET does not mean eligibility has been verified. Final verification rests with the recruiting agency or appointing authority.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does CTET cost?
General and OBC non-creamy-layer candidates pay INR 1,000 for Paper I or Paper II alone, and INR 1,200 for both papers. SC, ST and differently abled candidates pay INR 500 for one paper and INR 600 for both. GST is charged extra by the bank, payment is online only by debit card, credit card or net banking, and the fee is never refunded or adjusted for a future test.
What is the CTET passing score?
Sixty per cent, which is 90 of 150 marks, under NCTE Notification No. 76-4/2010/NCTE/Acad dated 11 February 2011. The standard is fixed rather than rank-based. School managements may apply their own reservation policy concessions when recruiting, but CBSE awards the certificate on the 60 per cent basis.
How long is a CTET certificate valid?
For life, for all categories. The Information Bulletin states the validity period of the CTET qualifying certificate for appointment is for life time for all categories. There is nothing to renew and no continuing education credits attached.
How many times can I take CTET?
As many times as you want. The bulletin states there is no restriction on the number of attempts a person can take for acquiring a CTET certificate. A person who has already qualified may also appear again to improve their score, which candidates commonly do because some recruiters weight the CTET score.
Is there a waiting period before I can retake CTET?
There is no waiting period beyond the examination calendar itself. CBSE conducts CTET in sessions, and a candidate who fails or wants a better score applies at the next notified session. The February 2026 session was held on 8 February 2026, with applications open from 27 November 2025 to 18 December 2025.
Is there negative marking in CTET?
No. All questions are multiple choice with four alternatives, each carries one mark, and there is no negative marking. This makes it worth marking an answer for every one of the 150 questions, since a blank and a wrong answer both score zero.
Is CTET a computer-based test?
No. CTET is a pen and paper examination. Candidates receive a sealed Test Booklet with an OMR answer sheet placed inside it fifteen minutes before the paper starts, and mark answers by darkening circles with a blue or black ball point pen they bring themselves. CBSE preserves the OMR answer sheets for only two months after the result is declared.
What can I carry into the CTET examination hall?
Only your e-Admit Card and your own blue or black ball point pens. The banned list includes textual material, bits of paper, geometry or pencil boxes, plastic pouches, calculators, scales, writing pads, pen drives, erasers, whiteners, log tables, electronic pens or scanners, cardboard, mobile phones, Bluetooth devices, earphones, microphones, pagers, health bands, any watch or wrist watch, wallets, goggles, handbags and gold or artificial ornaments.
What accommodations are available for candidates with disabilities?
A scribe, reader or lab assistant is allowed to any person with a benchmark disability under section 2(r) of the RPWD Act 2016 who has a limitation in writing including speed. For blindness, both arms affected locomotor disability and cerebral palsy the facility is given on request; other categories need a certificate of physical limitation to write from a Chief Medical Officer, Civil Surgeon or Medical Superintendent of a government health care institution in the Appendix V proforma. Differently abled candidates may be given 50 minutes of compensatory time in each paper, seating is arranged preferably on the ground floor, and visually impaired candidates get a separate large font question paper.
What qualification of scribe is allowed for CTET?
If CBSE provides the scribe, the scribe's qualification must not exceed the minimum qualification criteria for the examination, and must always be matriculate or above. If the candidate brings their own scribe, that scribe's qualification should be one step below the candidate's, and the candidate submits the scribe's details in the Appendix VI proforma.
How do I get my CTET result and certificate?
CBSE issues mark sheets to all candidates and eligibility certificates to successful candidates in digital format through DigiLocker. Both are digitally signed, legally valid under the IT Act, and carry an encrypted QR code that can be scanned and verified with the DigiLocker app. DigiLocker accounts are created for all present candidates and the credentials are sent to the mobile number registered with CBSE.
Can I ask for re-evaluation of my CTET answer sheet?
No. The bulletin states there shall be no re-evaluation or re-checking of the result and no correspondence in this regard will be entertained. The only route to contest an answer is the answer key challenge window before the result, which carries a non-refundable processing charge of INR 1,000 per question and refunds that amount if a subject expert accepts the challenge. After the result you may seek a photocopy of your OMR answer sheet with the calculation sheet for INR 500 per OMR by demand draft.
Can I choose my CTET examination city?
You give four different city options in order of preference. CBSE tries to allot one of them but reserves discretion to allot a centre anywhere in India. Once allotted, the centre is never changed. If too few candidates opt for a notified city, CBSE may not run the examination there and will move those candidates to their second, third or fourth choice or another city.
What is the difference between CTET Paper I and Paper II?
Paper I qualifies you to teach Classes I to V and Paper II qualifies you to teach Classes VI to VIII. Both are 150 questions in two and a half hours. Paper I is five 30 question sections including Mathematics and Environmental Studies. Paper II replaces those two with a single 60 question block in either Mathematics and Science or Social Studies. A candidate who intends to teach at both levels must sit both papers.
How does CTET compare with a State TET?
CTET is conducted by CBSE and applies to Central Government schools such as KVS, NVS and Central Tibetan Schools, and to schools under several Union Territory administrations. Schools owned or managed by a State Government, local bodies and aided schools consider that State's own TET, though a State may decide to accept CTET instead of running its own. Both are governed by the same NCTE guidelines and the same 60 per cent pass standard.
Does passing CTET guarantee a teaching job?
No. CBSE states that qualifying CTET does not confer a right on any person for recruitment or employment, as it is only one of the eligibility criteria for appointment. School managements are asked to give weightage to CTET scores in the recruitment process, and eligibility is finally verified by the recruiting agency or appointing authority rather than by CBSE.
Which languages can I choose for Language I and Language II?
Twenty: English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Garo, Gujarati, Kannada, Khasi, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Mizo, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Tibetan and Urdu. Language II must be different from Language I, and both are specified on the Confirmation Page. The main question paper itself is bilingual in Hindi and English.
What happens if I furnish wrong information in the application?
Furnishing false, wrong or inaccurate information may lead to cancellation of the test result, forfeiture of the certificate and even prosecution in appropriate cases. Submitting more than one online application makes the candidature liable to cancellation and may lead to debarment from future examinations, with no communication sent about it.
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