What's Official
The Central Board of Secondary Education is officially closing the reopened application window for the 22nd edition of the CTET today. This extension serves as the final opportunity for candidates to register and complete fee payments through the official portal at ctet.nic.in. The Board has provided no indication of further extensions, making today the definitive deadline.
While the original notification scheduled the exam for September 6, 2026, the CBSE has officially postponed this date. Aspirants should note that no revised date has been announced yet. The notification for the new schedule is expected to be released on the official website shortly after the application portal concludes its cycle today.
Eligibility at a Glance
Candidates may choose to appear for either Paper I, Paper II, or both, depending on their teaching credentials and professional goals. Since the certificate validity is now lifetime, clearing this exam is a critical requirement for long-term career stability in the teaching sector.
- ▸Paper I: Required for those intending to teach classes 1 to 5.
- ▸Paper II: Required for those intending to teach classes 6 to 8.
- ▸Age Limit: There is no upper age limit for appearing in the CTET.
- ▸Attempts: There is no cap on the number of attempts a candidate can make.
- ▸Qualification: Eligibility follows the established National Council for Teacher Education norms.
Exam Pattern & Marking Scheme
The CTET maintains a consistent offline format conducted via OMR sheets. Both papers consist of 150 multiple-choice questions carrying a total of 150 marks. Candidates are given two and a half hours per paper, and notably, there is no negative marking, which allows for a strategic approach to attempting every question.
The exam is held in two shifts on the same day: Paper II in the morning and Paper I in the afternoon. For Paper I, the syllabus covers Child Development and Pedagogy, Language I, Language II, Mathematics, and Environmental Studies. Paper II covers Child Development and Pedagogy, Language I, Language II, and a choice between Mathematics/Science or Social Studies.
Section/Subject-wise Priority Breakdown
To maximize scores, aspirants must recognize that Child Development and Pedagogy serves as the foundation for both papers, often dictating the flow of the entire exam. Following this, your core subject proficiency—Mathematics/Science or Social Studies—carries the highest marks and requires the most consistent revision.
When studying, prioritize the pedagogical aspects of every subject rather than just rote content. By practicing these complex, case-based pedagogical questions on Aspirant Arcade, you can gain a clear understanding of the 'application-style' logic CBSE prefers. Use our subject-priority dashboard to identify which chapters in Mathematics and Environmental Studies yield the highest weightage based on previous cycles.
30-Day Preparation Roadmap
- ▸Week 1: Foundations. Complete the entire syllabus of Child Development and Pedagogy and finalize your Language I and II notes.
- ▸Week 2: Targeted Revision. Focus on your elective subject (Maths/Science or Social Studies) by completing topic-wise drills.
- ▸Week 3: Simulation. Engage in full-length mock tests to practice time management under the 150-minute constraint.
- ▸Week 4: Analysis. Review incorrect answers from your mock tests and focus on weak chapters identified during the process.
Cutoff and Exam Expectations
While CTET is a qualifying examination rather than a competitive ranking exam, the estimated trend for general candidates is typically 60 percent (90 out of 150 marks) to clear the eligibility criteria. Reserved category candidates should verify specific state or board-level relaxations provided in the official information bulletin on ctet.nic.in, as these figures remain the standard benchmark for national-level certification.
Tip
Always save at least two copies of your auto-generated confirmation page; a payment transaction alone does not finalize your application status.