Failed CTET (Central Teacher Eligibility Test)? Here's Your Recovery Plan

Pro tip: Contact the exam provider directly for their specific retake policy.

• 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.

• Child Development and Pedagogy carries 30 of 150 marks
• Paper 1: Classes 1-5, Paper 2: Classes 6-8
• Study NCERT teaching methodologies
• Environmental studies for Paper 1
• Mathematics/Science or Social Studies for Paper 2
• 60% minimum to qualify