Teaching

CTET Paper 1 2026

Central Teacher Eligibility Test - Paper 1 (Classes I-V)

CTET Paper 1 is for candidates aspiring to teach Classes I-V (Primary Level). Conducted by CBSE, the CTET certificate is valid for life. 150 MCQs across 5 sections with no negative marking.

Official Website

Age Limit

No upper age limit.

Fee

₹1000

Salary Range

₹35,000 - ₹80,000

Pay Level

Varies by state/school

Salary Range (Monthly)

₹35,000 - ₹80,000

Key Posts

Teacher eligibility for Classes I to V (Primary Level) in central government schools (KVS, NVS) and other schools

National-level eligibility test for candidates aspiring to become teachers for Classes I to V (Primary Stage) in Central Government Schools (KVS, NVS, DSSSB, Army Schools, etc.)Primary Stage Teacher (Classes I-V)Not a recruitment exam — it is an eligibility test. CTET certificate is mandatory for appointment as teacher in Central Government Schools.

Pay Levels & Salary

Pay Level	Monthly Range
Level 6 (PRT in KVS/NVS)	₹₹35,400 - ₹₹1,12,400

Application Fee

₹1000

General/OBC

Free

SC/ST/Women

Free

PwBD/ESM

Tie-Breaking Rules

Not applicable — CTET is qualifying, not ranking-based

Start Free Mock Test

Eligibility

Educational Qualification

Senior Secondary (12th) with at least 50% + 2-year D.El.Ed/B.El.Ed, or Bachelor's degree with B.Ed, or Senior Secondary with 4-year B.El.Ed.

Age Limit

No upper age limit.

Age Relaxation by Category

Category	Relaxation
General	No relaxation
SC/ST	+5 years
OBC (NCL)	+3 years
PwD	+10 years
Ex-Servicemen	+5 years

Application Fee

Category	Fee
General / OBC / EWS (Male)	₹1000
SC / ST / PwD / Ex-Servicemen	₹500

Exam Pattern

Paper 1 (Classes I-V)

150 Questions150 minsTotal Marks: 150

Section	Questions	Max Marks	Duration
Child Development & Pedagogy	30	30	—
Language I	30	30	—
Language II	30	30	—
Mathematics	30	30	—
Environmental Studies	30	30	—

Syllabus

Child Development (Primary School Child)
Concept of Inclusive Education
Learning & Pedagogy
Piaget, Kohlberg, Vygotsky
Assessment & Evaluation

Posts & Pay Levels

Vacancies

NaN

Tentative Total

Nationality & Citizenship

✓No specific nationality restriction — open to all who meet educational qualifications

Educational Qualification

Age Limits & Relaxation

Age Bands

Age Band	DOB Not Earlier Than	DOB Not Later Than
No age limit

Age Relaxation by Category

Category	Relaxation
SC/ST	5 years
OBC (Non-Creamy Layer)	3 years
PwBD (Unreserved/EWS)	10 years
PwBD (OBC)	13 years
PwBD (SC/ST)	15 years
Ex-Servicemen	3 years after deduction of military service from actual age (or as per rules)
Widows/Divorced Women/Women judicially separated and not remarried	Up to 35 years (UR), 38 (OBC), 40 (SC/ST)

Ex-Servicemen (ESM) Rules

Sons/Daughters/DependentsNot eligible

Non-Graduate ESM for Group BNot eligible

Category Certificate Rules

How to Apply

Apply viaOnline at https://ctet.nic.in

Photo Rules

• Recent photograph in JPG/JPEG format (10KB-100KB)
• Signature in JPG/JPEG format (3KB-30KB)

Application Fee

₹1000

General

₹undefined

Women

₹500

SC/ST

₹500

PwBD

₹undefined

ESM

Payment: Online — Debit Card, Credit Card, Net Banking, UPI

Non-refundable

Correction Window

Opens

Closes

₹

1st Correction

₹

2nd Correction

Max corrections allowed. Latest corrected application treated as valid.

Admission Certificate & Exam Day

Admit CardDownload As notified on ctet.nic.in before exam before exam

PrintoutRequired

Accepted Photo IDs

Aadhaar CardVoter's ID CardDriving LicensePAN CardPassportCollege/University ID

Paper 1 (Primary Stage) — CTET Paper 1 — Classes I to V

150 Questions150 Marks150 min

+1 per correct−0 per wrongSectional timingObjective, Multiple ChoiceEnglish and Hindi (bilingual). Questions on Language I and Language II in respective languages.

Section	Questions	Marks	Per Q
Child Development and Pedagogy	30	30	1
Language I (Hindi/English/other scheduled language)	30	30	1
Language II (Hindi/English/other scheduled language)	30	30	1
Mathematics	30	30	1
Environmental Studies	30	30	1
Total	150	150	1

Answer Key Policy

Tentative KeyReleased for candidate review

Challenge Fee₹As notified by CBSE per question

Fee RefundableNo

Final KeyUsed for result calculation

Normalization & Re-evaluation

NormalizationApplied if multiple shifts. Purpose: NTA normalization method if conducted in multiple shifts

Re-evaluationNot allowed

Minimum Qualifying Marks

Stage	UR	OBC/EWS	SC/ST/Others
sc
st
obc
note
pwbd
general

Shortlisting & Merit Rules

No Ranking

No ranking or merit list — candidates either qualify or do not qualify.

Appointment Basis

Appointment is by respective recruiting bodies (KVS, NVS, DSSSB, etc.) through their own recruitment process where CTET is a mandatory eligibility condition.

Qualifying Nature

CTET is qualifying in nature — it does not determine merit for appointment.

Certificate Validity

CTET certificate is valid for lifetime (amended from earlier 7-year validity).

Scribe & Compensatory Time

Extra Time20 minutes per hour of examination for eligible candidates

Own ScribeAllowed

Opt-inMust opt during application form

Auto-eligible for Scribe

✓PwBD blindness
✓PwBD locomotor disability (both arms affected-BA)
✓PwBD cerebral palsy

Scribe Requirements

• Scribe must not be a candidate of the same examination
• Scribe qualification must be one step below the qualification prescribed for the post
• Scribe cannot assist more than one candidate in the same examination
• Candidate must opt for scribe in the application form
• Scribe arrangement at own expense if own scribe opted

Additional Rules

• Even eligible candidates not availing scribe still get compensatory time
• No attendant other than scribe allowed inside examination hall

Document Verification

Required Documents

Matriculation/Secondary Certificate (for DOB proof)
Educational Qualification Certificate(s) as prescribed
Caste/Category Certificate if applicable (in prescribed format)
PwBD Certificate if applicable
EWS Certificate if applicable (valid for relevant financial year)
Ex-Servicemen Certificate/Discharge Certificate if applicable
NOC from present employer if already in Government service
Experience Certificate if applicable
Name change documents if applicable (Gazette notification, marriage certificate etc.)
Two recent passport-size colour photographs
Any other document as specified in the call letter

Tie-Breaking Rules

1Not applicable — CTET is qualifying, not ranking-based

Misconduct & Debarment

Post-exam Analysis Methods

Log analysisPhotograph verificationBiometric verificationCCTV review

Offense	Debarment
Using unfair means of any kind — copying, electronic devices, written material on body/paper	Permanent debarment / 3-7 years
Impersonation / procuring impersonation by any person	7 years / permanent
Possession of mobile phone, bluetooth devices, wireless devices, spy cameras, electronic gadgets inside exam hall	3-5 years
Taking away exam material (rough sheets, question paper) from exam hall	1-3 years
Leaving examination venue before completion of due exit procedure	1-2 years
Misbehaving, intimidating or threatening exam functionaries	2-3 years
Obstructing conduct of examination / instigating others not to take examination	3 years
False statements / fabricated documents / suppressing material information	1-5 years
Appearing in exam with forged admit card / identity proof	3-5 years
Possession of firearms/weapons or threatening exam functionaries with force	7 years
Taking snapshots, making videos of question papers or exam material	7 years
Sharing exam terminal through remote desktop / LAN / VAN	7 years
Attempt to hack or manipulate examination servers / data / systems	7-10 years
Candidate acting as scribe in same examination or providing false scribe declaration	3-5 years

⚠ Cases may be referred to police or investigating agencies.

Public Disclosure Policy

Disqualification Rule

Candidates found using unfair means or submitting false information will have their CTET certificate cancelled.

Important Warnings

⚠CTET certificate is now valid for lifetime (earlier it was 7 years).

⚠No negative marking — attempt all 150 questions.

⚠CTET is only an eligibility test — it does not guarantee a teaching job.

⚠Candidates can appear for both Paper 1 and Paper 2 in the same cycle.

⚠CTET is mandatory for teaching in Central Government Schools (KVS, NVS, DSSSB, etc.). State TET may be required for state government schools.

⚠Language I and Language II must be different languages.

⚠There is no limit on the number of attempts for CTET.

⚠Candidates qualifying CTET can apply for PRT positions in any Central Government school across India.

2025 Cycle — Complete Timeline

Year2025

Notification2025-09-15

Registration Start2025-09-15

Registration End2025-10-10

⚠ All dates are tentative and subject to change.

Previous Year Cut-Offs

No cut-off data available yet.