Table Of Contents
CTET Syllabus 2026 — Paper 1 + Paper 2 Topic-wise Pattern at ctet.nic.in — Highlights
| Recruiting Body | Central Board of Secondary Education |
|---|---|
| Post / Position | Teacher Eligibility — Primary (Classes 1-5) + Upper Primary (Classes 6-8) |
| Eligibility |
|
| Age Limit | 18–— years (as on CTET has no specific age limit — eligibility is qualification-based.) |
| Important Dates | Exam on 06 Sep 2026 |
Eligibility & Age Limit
Age Limit: 18–— years as on CTET has no specific age limit — eligibility is qualification-based.
Not applicable. CTET certificate validity is now lifetime, removing the practical age constraint.
Educational Qualification:
- Paper 1 (Classes 1-5): Senior Secondary (Class 12) with at least 50% marks (45% SC/ST/OBC) AND passed or appearing in the final year of 2-year Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed.), OR Class 12 with 50% + 4-year Bachelor of Elementary Education (B.El.Ed.), OR Class 12 with 50% + 2-year Diploma in Education (Special Education), OR Graduation + 2-year D.El.Ed. (NCTE Recognition Norms 2002).
- Paper 2 (Classes 6-8): Bachelor's degree + passed or appearing in the final year of 2-year D.El.Ed., OR Bachelor's with 50% (45% reserved) + 1-year B.Ed., OR Senior Secondary with 50% + 4-year B.A./B.Sc.Ed or B.A.Ed./B.Sc.Ed., OR Bachelor's with 50% + B.Ed. (Special Education), OR Class 12 with 50% + 4-year B.El.Ed.
Nationality: No nationality restriction for CTET itself — anyone with the qualifying education can appear. However teaching job eligibility (the practical use of CTET certificate) requires Indian citizenship per most central + state government recruitment rules.
How to Apply Online
- Visit the official portal of CBSE (linked in Important Links below).
- Register with a valid email and mobile number to generate login credentials.
- Fill the application form with personal, educational, and contact details exactly as on official documents.
- Upload a recent passport-size photograph and signature in the prescribed format and size.
- Pay the application fee through the prescribed payment mode (see Application Fee table above).
- Review all entries carefully, then submit the form.
- Download and print a copy of the submitted application for your records.
Resultpedia is independent and not affiliated with Central Board of Secondary Education. The official application link is in the Important Links section at the bottom of this page — verify all details on the official portal before applying.
Important Links
Frequently Asked Questions
CTET 2026 ka syllabus kya hai?
CTET exam pattern + marking?
CTET certificate ki validity kitni hai?
CTET ke liye eligibility kya hai?
CTET vs STET kya antar hai?
Math/Science ya Social Studies kaunsa lena chahiye (Paper 2)?
Best books for CTET prep?
CTET certificate se kaunse jobs apply kar sakte hain?
CTET Syllabus 2026 — Paper 1 + Paper 2 Topic-wise Pattern at ctet.nic.in — Analysis & Trends
📚 CTET Syllabus 2026 — Paper 1 + Paper 2 · LIFETIME certificate validity
The Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) is the entry-level qualification for teaching positions in CBSE-affiliated schools, Kendriya Vidyalaya (KVS), Navodaya Vidyalaya (NVS), and Central Tibetan Schools. Since 2021, the CTET certificate has lifetime validity (previously 7 years) — once qualified, you can apply for teaching jobs at any career stage. No negative marking in either paper — a major scoring advantage if you're disciplined with attempt strategy.
Paper 1 vs Paper 2 — which to take
| Paper | Teaching Level | Eligibility | Sections |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | Primary teacher (Classes 1-5) | Class 12 + D.El.Ed./B.El.Ed. | CDP + Lang I + Lang II + Math + EVS |
| Paper 2 | Upper Primary teacher (Classes 6-8) | Graduation + D.El.Ed./B.Ed. | CDP + Lang I + Lang II + (Math + Science) OR Social Studies |
You can apply for either paper, or both. Many candidates take both to maximise their teaching-job application range. Same exam day, different shifts.
Exam pattern — both papers
| Component | Value |
|---|---|
| Total questions | 150 MCQ |
| Total marks | 150 (1 mark per Q) |
| Duration | 2 hours 30 minutes (150 minutes) |
| Mode | Offline OMR-based pen + paper |
| Negative marking | None — attempt all 150 Q |
| Qualifying marks (UR + EWS) | 60% (90/150) |
| Qualifying marks (SC/ST/OBC/PwD) | 55% (82/150) |
| Certificate validity | LIFETIME (since 2021) |
Paper 1 (Classes 1-5 / Primary) — Section-wise syllabus
Child Development + Pedagogy (CDP) — 30 Q / 30 marks
The differentiator section. Topics:
- Development of children: Physical, cognitive, social, emotional, moral development principles (ages 6-11)
- Theories of learning: Piaget · Vygotsky · Kohlberg · Bruner · constructivism · social learning theory
- Concept of inclusive education: Children with special needs, gifted children, identifying + addressing diverse learners
- Gender constructs in education: Gender as a social construct, role of school in gender equity
- Learning + pedagogy: How children think and learn · how children learn from peers · motivation + drive
- Assessment of learning: Formative + summative assessment, evaluation tools, school-based assessment
Language I + Language II — 30 Q / 30 marks each (60 Q total)
Language I = the medium of teaching the candidate has chosen (typically Hindi or English). Language II = the candidate's chosen second language (must be different from Language I). Both languages must be on the CBSE list of 20 supported languages: Assamese, Bengali, Garo, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Khasi, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Mizo, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Tibetan, Urdu, English.
Content (both Language I and II):
- Unseen passages (prose / poetry / drama excerpt) — 15 Q on comprehension, grammar, vocabulary, inference
- Language pedagogy — 15 Q on teaching principles, language acquisition, listening/speaking/reading/writing skills, language difficulties, multilingual classrooms
Mathematics — 30 Q / 30 marks
Content (15 Q):
- Geometry — shapes, basic constructions
- Numbers — natural numbers, whole numbers, place value, decimals
- Operations — addition, subtraction, multiplication, division
- Measurement — length, weight, capacity, time, money
- Fractions, patterns, data handling
Pedagogy (15 Q): How children learn math · activity-based teaching · problem solving · errors made by children · diagnostic assessment in math · teaching aids + materials.
Environmental Studies (EVS) — 30 Q / 30 marks
Content (15 Q): Family + relationships · Food + water · Shelter · Travel + transport · Things we make + do · Living things and their environment.
Pedagogy (15 Q): Significance of EVS · integrated approaches · learning principles · how children construct understanding of the world · activities + experiments · CCE (Continuous + Comprehensive Evaluation) for EVS · teaching materials + aids.
Paper 2 (Classes 6-8 / Upper Primary) — Section-wise syllabus
Child Development + Pedagogy (CDP) — 30 Q / 30 marks
Same broad topics as Paper 1 but pitched at upper-primary level child psychology (ages 11-14). Adolescent development, peer influence, identity formation, transitioning from concrete to formal operational thinking (Piaget). Inclusive education + diverse learners + special needs identification + assessment + multi-grade teaching.
Language I + Language II — 30 Q / 30 marks each (60 Q total)
Same structure as Paper 1 but at upper-primary depth. Unseen passages drawn from Class 6-8 NCERT-level texts. Pedagogy emphasises language acquisition theories, role of grammar, vocabulary development, reading + writing skills development, listening + speaking skills, teaching of remedial language.
Content section (60 Q) — Math + Science OR Social Studies
Candidate chooses ONE based on their teaching specialisation. You cannot do both.
If you choose Math + Science (30 + 30 split)
Mathematics (30 Q):
- Number system — integers, rational numbers, ratio + proportion, percentage
- Algebra — exponents, powers, factorisation, simple equations + inequalities, simultaneous linear equations
- Geometry — angles, lines, triangles, quadrilaterals, circles, constructions, congruence + similarity, mensuration (2D + 3D)
- Statistics + Data Handling — measures of central tendency, bar graphs, pie charts
- Pedagogy — how children learn math, problem solving, errors + diagnostic assessment, formal vs informal mathematics, math + everyday life
Science (30 Q):
- Food + nutrition — sources, components, deficiencies, food preservation
- Materials — properties of materials, separation of substances, changes around us
- The world of the living — plants, animals, microorganisms, cellular life, body systems
- Moving things, people, ideas — motion, measurement of motion, force, friction
- How things work — electric circuits, magnets, gravity, simple machines
- Natural phenomena — light, sound, weather, climate, water cycle
- Natural resources — air, water, mineral resources, biodiversity
- Pedagogy — nature + scientific method, observation + experimentation, problem solving, innovation, types of curriculum (constructive, activity-based)
If you choose Social Studies / Social Science (60 Q)
- History (~20 Q): Pre-Mauryan to Mauryan period · Kingdoms + Empires · The first cities · New ideas + religions · Medieval India · Modern India · Colonialism · Nationalism + Freedom Movement · Post-Independence India
- Geography (~15 Q): Earth + universe · Maps + globes · Climate + weather · Resources (natural, human, agriculture, industry) · India — physical + economic + cultural geography · World — major regions, climate types, biomes
- Social + Political Life (~15 Q): Diversity, government, local government, parliamentary government, democracy, judiciary · Social justice + marginalised groups · Constitutional values · Citizenship · Media + advertising
- Pedagogy (~10 Q): Concept + nature of Social Science · Teaching with sources · primary + secondary · projects + visits · CCE in Social Science · history vs social studies
Qualifying marks + certificate
| Category | Minimum % | Marks (out of 150) |
|---|---|---|
| UR + EWS | 60% | 90 |
| OBC-NCL | 55% | 82 |
| SC + ST | 55% | 82 |
| PwD | 55% | 82 |
No further relaxation below these floors. Both Paper 1 and Paper 2 use the same qualifying threshold. Certificate validity is LIFETIME since 2021 — once qualified, no need to re-take.
Preparation strategy — 3-month framework
- Foundation (month 1): CDP textbooks + NCERT Class 1-8 syllabus pass-through for the content sections (Math, EVS, Science, Social Science depending on the paper). Pedagogy concepts are NEW for most candidates — start them early.
- Pedagogy + practice (month 2): Read pedagogy books for each subject (Arihant CTET CDP, EVS, Math, Science, Social Studies). Solve previous 10 years of CTET papers (Paper 1 + Paper 2 separately). Mark recurring topics; weightage patterns are extremely consistent.
- Mocks + revision (month 3): 15-20 full-length mocks at exam-day timing. Identify weak sections; revise CDP especially (the differentiator). Final 2 weeks: NCERT one final pass + CDP theories revision.
Recommended books per section
- CDP (both papers): Arihant CTET Child Development & Pedagogy · Lucent CTET CDP
- Language I + II: NCERT Class 1-8 language textbooks (for the language you chose) · Arihant CTET English Language & Pedagogy · Arihant CTET Hindi Bhasha Evam Shikshan (Hindi candidates)
- Mathematics (Paper 1): NCERT Math Class 1-5 + Arihant CTET Mathematics & Pedagogy
- EVS (Paper 1): NCERT EVS Class 3-5 + Arihant CTET Environmental Studies & Pedagogy
- Math + Science (Paper 2): NCERT Math + Science Class 6-8 + Arihant CTET Maths & Science
- Social Studies (Paper 2): NCERT Class 6-8 (History · Geography · Civics) + Arihant CTET Social Studies / Social Science
- Previous papers: Disha CTET Previous Year Solved Papers · Pearson CTET Master Guide
- Mock tests: Adda247 / Career Power / Testbook CTET test series
Related teaching + education pages
- CTET September 2026 Notification — apply for the September 2026 cycle
- BPSC TRE 4.0 (Bihar Teacher Recruitment) — 46,882 posts requiring TET certification
- KVS + NVS Tier-II 2026 — KV / NVS recruitment for which CTET is mandatory
- NTA NTET 2026 Result — National Teachers Eligibility Test for AYUSH + Homoeopathy assistant professors