CTET
Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)Closed
CTET 2026 (22nd edition) — applications reopened 25 Aug–1 Sep 2026 and are now closed.The examination is scheduled for 12–13 Dec 2026 under CBSE public notice F.No. CBSE/CTET/2026.
Important Dates
Check against the official notification ↗
Vacancies & Posts
Some details below are not confirmed — check the official notification ↗
Total VacanciesN/A (qualifying test)Reported pay Not confirmed
Not taken from an official pay circular — treat as approximate.
| Pay Level | Pay Band | Posts |
|---|---|---|
| Paper I (qualifies for Classes 1–5, Primary Teacher) | ~7th CPC Level 6, from ₹35,400 basic — coaching-site estimate, not verified against an official pay-matrix notification | Primary Teacher (PRT) posts in central government schools (KVS/NVS) and many state recruitment exams that accept CTET |
| Paper II (qualifies for Classes 6–8, Trained Graduate Teacher) | ~7th CPC Level 7, from ₹44,900 basic — same caveat as above | Trained Graduate Teacher (TGT) posts, same recruiting bodies |
CTET is a certification, not a recruitment exam — passing it doesn't itself pay a salary.It's a lifetime-valid eligibility certificate required before you can apply to actual teacher-recruitment exams (KVS, NVS, Central Tibetan Schools Administration, and most state TET-equivalent recruitment).
Who Can Apply
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Application fee
What You Need
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- 📷 Photo3.5 cm × 4.5 cm · 10–100 KB · JPG/JPEG — recent passport-size colour photo, light/white background
- ✍️ Signature3.5 cm × 1.5 cm · 3–30 KB · JPG/JPEG
- 💳 Application Fee₹1,000 (either Paper I or II) / ₹1,200 (both papers) — General/OBC;₹500 / ₹600 — SC/ST/Persons with Disability (secondary-sourced: testbook.com and careers360.com independently agree on these figures; ctet.nic.in itself could not be fetched directly — confirm against the live application form before paying) Not confirmed
How to Apply
Check against the official notification ↗
View Official Notification ↗- Apply online at ctet.nic.in during the notified window
- Upload your photo and signature to spec
- Pay the fee online
- Download and keep your confirmation page
Exam Pattern
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2 hours 30 minutes per paper · Negative Marking: None, per secondary reporting — not independently confirmed against a primary CBSE document · Passing Marks: 60% for General category, 55% for SC/ST/OBC/PwD — a qualifying cutoff, not a competitive rank, since CTET has no fixed number of seats
| Section | Details |
|---|---|
| Paper I (Classes 1–5) | 150 MCQs / 150 marks — Child Development & Pedagogy (30), Language I (30), Language II (30), Mathematics (30), Environmental Studies (30) |
| Paper II (Classes 6–8) | 150 MCQs / 150 marks — Child Development & Pedagogy (30), Language I (30), Language II (30), then EITHER Mathematics & Science (60, for Maths/Science teachers) OR Social Studies (60, for SST teachers) |
Syllabus
Want the complete topic-by-topic syllabus for this exam?
View Full Syllabus →Selection Process
Offline, OMR-based (pen-and-paper)
Career
Not applicable in the usual sense.
- CTET itself has no promotion path — career progression happens after you're recruited into an actual teaching post, under that employer's own service rules
Source & Verification
FAQs
Is CTET itself a government job?
No — CTET only certifies that you're eligible to be considered for a teaching post. Clearing it doesn't hire you or pay a salary; you still have to apply separately to KVS, NVS, DSSSB or a state recruitment exam that accepts CTET.
How long does a CTET certificate stay valid?
For life, per CBSE's current rule (secondary-sourced — this has changed before, so it's worth confirming against your own certificate/the current Information Bulletin rather than assuming it'll never change again).
Do I need to clear both Paper I and Paper II?
No. Take Paper I alone if you only want to teach Classes 1–5, Paper II alone for Classes 6–8, or both (each has its own fee) if you want to keep both age groups open.
Is there negative marking?
No, per secondary reporting — every question is multiple-choice with no penalty for a wrong answer. Not independently confirmed against a primary CBSE document, so double-check your admit card / Information Bulletin.
Important Links
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