Skip to main content
CBSE

CTET Syllabus 2026 — Paper 1 + Paper 2 Topic-wise Pattern at ctet.nic.in

06 SepExam date
Join WhatsApp Channel Join Telegram Channel
Table Of Contents
  1. Highlights
  2. Eligibility
  3. How to Use This Syllabus
  4. Important Links
  5. FAQs
  6. Analysis & Trends
By Saurabh Kamal , State PSC & Education Editor Published Last verified
Download Syllabus PDF View Full Notification

Cross-reference with the latest exam pattern + previous year question papers for a realistic prep map.

CTET Syllabus 2026 — Paper 1 + Paper 2 Topic-wise Pattern at ctet.nic.in — Highlights

Quick highlights for CTET Syllabus 2026 — Paper 1 + Paper 2 Topic-wise Pattern at ctet.nic.in — recruiting body, post, vacancies, eligibility, salary, and key dates at a glance.
Recruiting Body Central Board of Secondary Education
Post / Position Teacher Eligibility — Primary (Classes 1-5) + Upper Primary (Classes 6-8)
Eligibility
  • 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).
  • 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.
Age Limit 18–— years (as on CTET has no specific age limit — eligibility is qualification-based.)
Important Dates Exam on 06 Sep 2026
Official Website ctet.nic.in
CTET Syllabus 2026: Paper 1 + Paper 2 Subject-wise Guide

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

  1. Visit the official portal of CBSE (linked in Important Links below).
  2. Register with a valid email and mobile number to generate login credentials.
  3. Fill the application form with personal, educational, and contact details exactly as on official documents.
  4. Upload a recent passport-size photograph and signature in the prescribed format and size.
  5. Pay the application fee through the prescribed payment mode (see Application Fee table above).
  6. Review all entries carefully, then submit the form.
  7. Download and print a copy of the submitted application for your records.

Apply on Official CBSE Portal →

Resultpedia is independent and not affiliated with Central Board of Secondary Education. Verify all details on the official portal before applying.

Before you head to the official portal — these related Resultpedia pages cover sibling cycles, the same conducting body, or comparable cadres.

✅ Result CBSE 12th Result 2026 Declared — 85.20% Pass, Direct Link to Scorecard 📝 Answer Key KVS NVS Teaching / Non-Teaching Tier-II Answer Key 2026 Out — Raise Objection by 17 May 11... 📋 Notification CTET September 2026 Online Form: Apply by 10 June, Exam on 6 September at ctet.nic.in ✅ Result CBSE Group A, B, C Tier-II Result 2026 — Scorecard + Skill Test Shortlist at cbse.gov.in
Download Syllabus PDF View Full Notification

Cross-reference with the latest exam pattern + previous year question papers for a realistic prep map.

Frequently Asked Questions

CTET 2026 ka syllabus kya hai?
CTET has two papers. Paper 1 (Classes 1-5): Child Development + Pedagogy (CDP, 30Q) · Language I (30Q) · Language II (30Q) · Mathematics (30Q) · Environmental Studies (EVS, 30Q). Paper 2 (Classes 6-8): CDP (30Q) · Language I (30Q) · Language II (30Q) · Math + Science (60Q) OR Social Studies (60Q) (you choose one based on teaching specialisation). Each paper: 150 MCQ · 150 marks · 2 hours 30 minutes · offline OMR · NO negative marking. All content drawn from NCERT Class 1-8.
CTET exam pattern + marking?
150 MCQ · 150 marks · 2 hours 30 minutes · offline OMR-based for both Paper 1 and Paper 2. Marking: +1 for correct, NO negative marking, 0 for unattempted. Qualifying: 60% (90/150) for UR + EWS, 55% (82/150) for SC/ST/OBC/PwD. No relaxation below these floors. Certificate validity: LIFETIME (changed from 7 years in 2021 per CBSE notification).
CTET certificate ki validity kitni hai?
LIFETIME validity since 2021. Earlier (before 2021), CTET certificate was valid for 7 years from the date of qualifying. CBSE retroactively extended all CTET certificates issued before 2021 to lifetime validity per its July 2021 notification. Once you qualify, you can apply for any TGT / PRT teaching post in CBSE / KVS / NVS / Central Tibetan Schools at any career stage — no need to re-take.
CTET ke liye eligibility kya hai?
Paper 1 (Classes 1-5): Class 12 with 50% (45% reserved) + 2-year D.El.Ed. OR 4-year B.El.Ed. OR Class 12 + 2-year D.Ed. Special Education OR Graduation + 2-year D.El.Ed. Paper 2 (Classes 6-8): Bachelor's degree + 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 Bachelor's + B.Ed. Special Education. No age limit for the exam itself. Final-year D.El.Ed./B.Ed. students may appear provisionally.
CTET vs STET kya antar hai?
CTET = Central Teacher Eligibility Test by CBSE. Valid for teaching jobs in CBSE-affiliated schools nationwide, KVS, NVS, Central Tibetan Schools. STET = State Teacher Eligibility Test conducted by each state board (e.g. Bihar STET by BSEB, UPTET by UP Board, MAHA-TET by Maharashtra). STET is valid only for teaching jobs in that state's government + government-aided schools. Some state recruitments (like BPSC TRE 4.0) accept either CTET OR Bihar STET; UPPSC + UPESSC accept CTET OR UPTET. Most candidates write CTET first because it has wider applicability + lifetime validity.
Math/Science ya Social Studies kaunsa lena chahiye (Paper 2)?
Pick based on your graduation specialisation + the teaching post you eventually want. Math + Science (60Q) is for candidates with science/math background applying for TGT Math + Science posts. Social Studies (60Q) is for humanities-background candidates applying for TGT Social Science posts. You cannot do both in the same CTET cycle. If you have both backgrounds, you can take Paper 2 twice (once Math+Science, once Social Studies) across two cycles to qualify for both TGT streams.
Best books for CTET prep?
CDP (both papers): Arihant CTET Child Development & Pedagogy + Lucent CTET CDP. Language I + II: NCERT language textbooks (Class 1-8) + Arihant CTET English/Hindi Language & Pedagogy. Math (Paper 1): NCERT Math Class 1-5 + Arihant CTET Mathematics & Pedagogy. EVS (Paper 1): NCERT EVS Class 3-5 + Arihant CTET EVS & 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. Previous papers: Disha CTET PYQ + Pearson CTET Master Guide.
CTET certificate se kaunse jobs apply kar sakte hain?
CTET is the eligibility floor (not the final selection) for: Kendriya Vidyalaya (KVS) PRT / TGT / PGT · Navodaya Vidyalaya (NVS) PRT / TGT / PGT · CBSE-affiliated school teaching posts (private + Government-aided) · Central Tibetan Schools Administration · EMRS (Eklavya Model Residential Schools) · Army Public Schools + Sainik Schools · Various central + state government recruitments that accept CTET. The actual selection happens through the recruiting body's own exam + interview process; CTET only certifies the eligibility. For state schools (e.g. UP Basic Education, Bihar Primary Schools), STET is typically also accepted.

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

PaperTeaching LevelEligibilitySections
Paper 1Primary teacher (Classes 1-5)Class 12 + D.El.Ed./B.El.Ed.CDP + Lang I + Lang II + Math + EVS
Paper 2Upper 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

ComponentValue
Total questions150 MCQ
Total marks150 (1 mark per Q)
Duration2 hours 30 minutes (150 minutes)
ModeOffline OMR-based pen + paper
Negative markingNone — attempt all 150 Q
Qualifying marks (UR + EWS)60% (90/150)
Qualifying marks (SC/ST/OBC/PwD)55% (82/150)
Certificate validityLIFETIME (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

CategoryMinimum %Marks (out of 150)
UR + EWS60%90
OBC-NCL55%82
SC + ST55%82
PwD55%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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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