CTET (Central Teacher Eligibility Test) is conducted twice a year by CBSE. It is required for teaching positions in KVS, NVS, central schools, and many state government schools. The certificate is valid for life (since 2021). About 20–25 lakh candidates appear each session; the qualifying mark is 90/150 (60%).
Paper 1 (Primary: Class 1–5)
- Child Development & Pedagogy: 30 questions. Focus on Piaget, Vygotsky, Kohlberg, inclusive education, learning disabilities, NCF 2005.
- Language I (English/Hindi): 30 questions. Reading comprehension + pedagogy of language teaching.
- Language II: 30 questions. Similar to Language I but in a different language.
- Mathematics: 30 questions. Content (number system, fractions, geometry, data handling — Class 1–5 NCERT level) + pedagogy (how to teach maths, error analysis, NCF recommendations).
- Environmental Studies: 30 questions. Content (family, food, shelter, water, animals, plants — Class 3–5 NCERT) + pedagogy.
Paper 2 (Upper Primary: Class 6–8)
- Child Development & Pedagogy: 30 questions (same as Paper 1 but questions are at higher cognitive level).
- Language I and II: 30 + 30 questions.
- Mathematics & Science OR Social Studies: 60 questions. Choose based on your subject.
- Maths/Science: Class 6–8 NCERT level. Physics, Chemistry, Biology basics + Maths (algebra, geometry, data). Pedagogy included.
- Social Studies: History (ancient to modern India), Geography (India and world), Civics (Constitution, government). Pedagogy of social science.
Best books
- Child Development: Arihant or Disha CTET guide (CDP section) + NCERT "Educational Psychology" summary.
- Maths/Science: NCERT textbooks Class 1–8 are the primary source. Solve all exercise questions.
- Social Studies: NCERT History, Geography, Civics (Class 6–8). Lucent GK for quick revision.
- EVS: NCERT Class 3–5 EVS textbooks — most questions come directly from these.
- Previous year papers: solve last 10 years — CTET repeats question patterns extensively.
60-day study plan
- Day 1–20: read NCERTs for your content subjects + CDP theory (Piaget, Vygotsky, Kohlberg, learning theories, inclusive education).
- Day 21–40: solve previous year papers topic-wise. Identify weak areas. Read Language pedagogy and NCF 2005 recommendations.
- Day 41–55: one full mock every alternate day. Target 110+ in both papers. Revise CDP notes and pedagogy concepts weekly.
- Day 56–60: revise error log, formula sheets, CDP mnemonics. Light practice only. No new topics.
After CTET: which jobs?
With a valid CTET score: apply for KVS PGT/TGT/PRT (centralized, Level 6–8 pay), NVS (Level 7–8), Army Public Schools, and state government teacher posts that accept CTET. Many states also conduct their own TET (UPTET, REET, HTET) — the syllabus overlaps 80% with CTET, so prepare for both together.