CTET September 2026

About CTET September 2026

The Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) is a national-level eligibility test conducted twice a year by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to assess candidates aspiring to teach Classes I to VIII in schools run or aided by the Central Government (such as Kendriya Vidyalayas and Navodaya Vidyalayas), as well as many state-government and private schools that accept CTET as a qualifying benchmark. It comprises two papers — Paper 1 for Primary Teachers (Classes I–V) and Paper 2 for upper-primary/Trained Graduate Teachers (Classes VI–VIII) — and candidates aiming to teach both levels must appear for both papers. CTET is an eligibility test, not a recruitment exam, and the qualifying certificate carries lifetime validity. For the 22nd edition (September 2026 session), online applications were accepted from 11 May to 10 June 2026, with the portal briefly reopened from 25 August to 1 September 2026; the exam was held on 6 September 2026 across 132 cities in 27 languages.

Important Dates

Eligibility Criteria

• Paper 1 (Classes I–V): Senior Secondary (Class 12) with at least 50% marks and a 2-year Diploma in Elementary Education, or a 4-year Bachelor of Elementary Education (B.El.Ed.), or a Bachelor's degree with a 2-year Diploma in Elementary Education
• Paper 2 (Classes VI–VIII): Graduation with at least 50% marks and a B.Ed., or Senior Secondary with 50% marks and a 4-year B.A./B.Sc.Ed. or B.A.Ed./B.Sc.Ed., or Graduation with a 2-year Diploma in Elementary Education
• Candidates who wish to teach both Classes I–V and VI–VIII must appear for both Paper 1 and Paper 2
• Open to Indian nationals; there is no upper age limit to apply
• No limit on the number of attempts — candidates may appear as many times as they wish
• CTET is an eligibility test, not a recruitment exam; qualifying it is a mandatory criterion for teaching posts in CBSE-affiliated and many other schools

Exam Pattern

• Exam is held offline in pen-and-paper (OMR-based) mode
• Paper 1 and Paper 2 each carry 150 multiple-choice questions for 150 marks, one mark per question
• No negative marking for wrong answers
• Duration is 2 hours 30 minutes (150 minutes) per paper
• Candidates appearing for both papers sit them on the same day in separate shifts
• Question papers are offered in 27 languages across exam centres
• Paper 1 covers Child Development & Pedagogy, Language I, Language II, Mathematics, and Environmental Studies
• Paper 2 covers Child Development & Pedagogy, Language I, Language II, and Mathematics & Science (for Maths/Science teachers) or Social Studies (for Social Studies teachers)

Syllabus Highlights

How to Apply

Previous Year Cutoff (Percentile)

Percentile cutoffs shown are for illustration and vary each year based on difficulty and number of candidates.

Frequently Asked Questions