CTET 2026 (22nd Edition): Exam Pattern, Syllabus, Eligibility, Dates and Preparation

CTET at a glance

These facts are as per the CTET-September 2026 Information Bulletin of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the CTET public notices of 8 May, 25 August, 7 September and 14 September 2026. They describe the 22nd edition of CTET. The notice of 14 September 2026 fixes its exam for 12 and 13 December 2026.

Structure of the test

CTET is an eligibility test, not a recruitment exam. Under the RTE Act, NCTE has made passing a Teacher Eligibility Test one of the minimum qualifications for a teacher of Classes I to VIII. Qualifying CTET gives no right to a job. It is only one of the eligibility criteria for appointment.

1. Choose the paper. Paper I is for a person who intends to teach Classes I to V. Paper II is for Classes VI to VIII. A person who wants to teach at both levels must take both papers.
2. Choose the subject for Paper II. A Mathematics and Science teacher takes Mathematics and Science. A Social Studies/Social Science teacher takes Social Studies/Social Science. Any other teacher may take either. An application for Paper II without a subject is rejected and the fee forfeited.
3. Choose two languages. Language I tests proficiency in the medium of instruction. Language II tests the elements of language, communication and comprehension. Language II must differ from Language I. Questions must be answered in the languages shown on the admit card.
4. Apply online on ctet.nic.in or cbse.gov.in, and pay the fee by debit card, credit card or net banking.
5. Take the exam. Each paper has 150 questions in 2 hours 30 minutes. CBSE allots the exam city at random, and it cannot be changed.
6. Answer key and result. CBSE displays the answer keys and scanned OMR sheets on its website. A challenge costs ₹1,000 per question. The result is prepared on the final answer key. There is no re-evaluation or re-checking.
7. Certificate. All candidates get a mark sheet, and successful candidates an eligibility certificate, in DigiLocker. Both are digitally signed and carry a QR code.

CTET applies to Central Government schools such as KVS, NVS and Central Tibetan Schools. It also applies to schools under the Union Territories of Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep and the NCT of Delhi. Unaided private schools may choose to consider it. State government schools consider the State TET, but a State may consider CTET if it does not hold its own. Teachers of Classes I to VIII appointed in CBSE-affiliated schools after 6 March 2012 must pass CTET or a TET held under NCTE guidelines.

Exam pattern

All questions are multiple-choice, with four options and one most appropriate answer. Each question carries one mark. There is no negative marking.

Paper I (Classes I to V, Primary Stage)

Questions follow the NCERT syllabus for Classes I to V. Their difficulty and linkages can go up to the Secondary stage. Child Development and Pedagogy covers learners aged 6 to 11 years.

Paper II (Classes VI to VIII, Elementary Stage)

Questions follow the NCERT syllabus for Classes VI to VIII. Their difficulty and linkages can go up to the Senior Secondary stage. Child Development and Pedagogy covers learners aged 11 to 14 years.

The bulletin schedules Paper II in the morning shift (9:30 AM to 12 noon) and Paper I in the evening shift (2:30 PM to 5:00 PM). Candidates must report 120 minutes before the start. No one is admitted after the paper begins. Eligible candidates with benchmark disabilities can get a scribe and 50 minutes of compensatory time.

Where GK24 helps for CTET

CTET has no general awareness or current affairs section. A large share of every subject is pedagogy, and GK24 does not teach pedagogy or languages. The table below is GK24's guidance, not part of the bulletin.

Daily current affairs are not tested in CTET. They still help a teacher stay current and bring recent examples into lessons on the environment, health, government and science. GK24 marks the daily items on education, environment, nutrition and health for this purpose.

Eligibility

The CTET-September 2026 bulletin does not print a qualification table. It says the minimum qualifications for appearing in CTET are those notified by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE). Candidates are asked to check their eligibility on ncte.gov.in.

• The bulletin and the eligibility page of ctet.nic.in name two references. The first is the NCTE (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) Regulations, as amended from time to time. The second is the Recruitment Rules of the appropriate Government where the school is situated, or of Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan or Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti.
• Paper I is for those qualified to teach Classes I to V, and Paper II for Classes VI to VIII. The application form asks for a code for the minimum educational qualification at each level.
• The form also asks for the college of the B.Ed. degree or the Diploma in Elementary Education.
• As notified by NCTE, SC, ST, OBC and differently abled candidates get a relaxation of up to 5% in the qualifying marks of the minimum educational qualification.
• Candidates appearing in the final exam of their qualifying course can apply. The form has an option for this.
• The bulletin does not prescribe an age limit. There is no limit on the number of attempts.

Being allowed to sit CTET does not mean eligibility has been verified. The recruiting agency or appointing authority verifies it finally. A candidate who is not eligible is personally responsible.

Important dates

The bulletin first fixed the exam for 6 September 2026 (Sunday), with 5 September as a possible extra day. On 25 August 2026 CBSE reopened applications. It cited a Supreme Court judgment that stressed a reasonable opportunity for eligible teachers to acquire the required TET qualification. Candidates who had already applied did not need to apply again. The notice of 14 September 2026 then set 12 and 13 December 2026. CBSE allots each candidate's city and date, and the bulletin says requests to change them are not accepted. The bulletin's tentative result date, the end of October 2026, was tied to the September date. No new result date has been announced.

How to prepare EVS and Social Studies with GK24

This plan is GK24's guidance. It covers only the content part of Environmental Studies, Social Studies and Science. Child Development and Pedagogy, the pedagogy questions and the two languages need the NCERT textbooks and the bulletin syllabus.

1. Read the NCERT textbooks first. The bulletin bases Paper I on the NCERT syllabus for Classes I to V and Paper II on Classes VI to VIII.
2. Revise with GK24's GK notes. For Paper I EVS, read the geography, general science and environment notes, such as the Earth and the solar system, and ecosystems and food chains. For Paper II Social Studies, read Indian history from the earliest societies to India after Independence, Indian geography, and the Indian polity notes on the Constitution, Parliament and the judiciary.
3. Test recall with GK24 quizzes. Take the topic quiz after each note, and reread only what you got wrong.
4. Solve previous-year questions. GK24's previous-year questions show how facts from history, geography, polity and science are framed. Add the answer keys CBSE publishes on ctet.nic.in to see CTET's own style.
5. Study pedagogy alongside. Half of the 30 EVS questions in Paper I and 20 of the 60 Social Studies questions in Paper II are on pedagogical issues. For EVS these include the concept and scope of EVS, activities, experimentation and CCE. For Social Studies they include primary and secondary sources, project work, critical thinking and evaluation.
6. Read daily current affairs briefly. It is not tested, so give it ten minutes a day at most.

Qualifying marks and certificate validity

As per NCTE Notification No. 76-4/2010/NCTE/Acad dated 11 February 2011, a person who scores 60% or more in the TET is considered TET pass. In CTET that means 90 or more marks out of 150.

The bulletin does not lower this mark for any category. It says school managements, whether government, local body, government-aided or unaided, may consider concessions for SC, ST, OBC and differently abled persons under their reservation policy. It also says they should give weightage to CTET scores in recruitment.

The CTET qualifying certificate is valid for life for all categories. There is no limit on attempts. A candidate who has passed may sit again to improve the score.

The 21st edition, held on 7 and 8 February 2026, was declared on 30 March 2026 with these figures.