CTET 2026: Mandatory eligibility test for teaching positions in Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodaya Vidyalayas, and other central government schools.Papers: Paper 1 & 2. Validity: Lifetime. For Classes: 1–8. Mode: Online CBT.CTET (Central Teacher Eligibility Test) is conducted by CBSE to certify candidates for teaching positions in central government schools — Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVS), Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (NVS), Army Schools, Tibetan Schools, and schools under the Delhi administration. CTET qualification is mandatory — you cannot be appointed as a teacher in these schools without clearing CTET.
Registration OpenUpdated: March 2026
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CTET 2026
Mandatory eligibility test for teaching positions in Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodaya Vidyalayas, and other central government schools
Papers
Paper 1 & 2
Validity
Lifetime
For Classes
1–8
Mode
Online CBT
📋Key Details
Conducting BodyCBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education)
Paper 1 (Classes 1-5)Eligibility: 12th pass with 50%+ AND D.El.Ed/BTC/B.Ed (or appearing in final year)
Paper 2 (Classes 6-8)Eligibility: Graduation with 50%+ AND B.Ed (or appearing in final year). OR Graduation with 45% + NCTE-recognized teacher training
Qualifying marks60% (90/150) for General. 55% (82/150) for OBC/SC/ST/PwBD.
ValidityLifetime (no expiry)
AttemptsUnlimited — no restriction on number of attempts
Exam ModeComputer Based Test (CBT) — online
📝Paper 1 — Primary (Classes 1-5) — 2.5 hours
150 MCQs across 5 sections. All questions carry 1 mark. No negative marking.
Child Development & Pedagogy30 Qs · 30 marks
Language I (e.g., Hindi)30 Qs · 30 marks
Language II (e.g., English)30 Qs · 30 marks
Mathematics30 Qs · 30 marks
Environmental Studies (EVS)30 Qs · 30 marks
Total150 Qs · 150 marks · 150 minutes
⚠️ Negative marking: No negative marking
📝Paper 2 — Upper Primary (Classes 6-8) — 2.5 hours
150 MCQs. Same structure but with subject-specific section (Math/Science OR Social Studies) instead of EVS.
Child Development & Pedagogy30 Qs · 30 marks
Language I30 Qs · 30 marks
Language II30 Qs · 30 marks
Mathematics & Science OR Social Studies60 Qs · 60 marks
Total150 Qs · 150 marks · 150 minutes
⚠️ Negative marking: No negative marking
💰Posts & Salary
PRT (Primary Teacher) — KVS/NVS(Kendriya Vidyalaya / Navodaya Vidyalaya)
₹38,000–48,000/monthTGT (Trained Graduate Teacher) — KVS/NVS(Kendriya Vidyalaya / Navodaya Vidyalaya)
₹48,000–60,000/month📈CTET → KVS/NVS Teaching — Career Path
Step 1: Clear CTET Paper 1 (for PRT) and/or Paper 2 (for TGT eligibility).
Step 2: Apply for KVS, NVS, or DSSSB teaching vacancies when notifications are released. These organizations conduct their own recruitment exams where CTET is a mandatory eligibility criterion.
Step 3: Clear the organization-specific exam (KVS PRT exam, NVS TGT exam, etc.) and attend interview.
KVS/NVS teaching positions are among the best government jobs in India — salary at Level 6-7 (₹38,000-60,000/month starting), posting at schools across India, summer and winter vacations, pension, medical, and housing. Teacher to Vice Principal to Principal promotions are available.
KVS PRT salary comparison: Starting basic ₹35,400 + DA (~50%) + HRA + Transport = ₹38,000-48,000/month. This is higher than many banking and SSC posts. Combined with school timings (8 AM-2 PM typically) and 2+ months of annual vacation, teaching is an excellent career choice.
📅Important Dates
CTET 2026Conducted twice a year (check ctet.nic.in for exact dates)
ApplicationUsually 1-2 months before exam
ValidityLifetime — no expiry date
KVS/NVS recruitmentSeparate notification — check kvs.ac.in and navodaya.gov.in
📚Preparation Strategy
1.Child Development & Pedagogy (CDP) is common to both papers and is CTET-specific — you won't find this in any other competitive exam. Study Piaget, Vygotsky, Kohlberg, NCF 2005, RTE 2009, inclusive education, and learning theories. This section is scoring if you understand the concepts.
2.For Paper 1 Math and EVS, questions are at Class 1-5 level — very basic arithmetic, shapes, measurement, and environmental science. The tricky part is the pedagogy sub-questions in each section — how to TEACH the concepts, not just know them.
3.For Paper 2 Math/Science or Social Studies, questions are at Class 6-8 NCERT level. Read NCERT textbooks for Classes 6-8 thoroughly. Focus on understanding pedagogy — how students learn, common misconceptions, and activity-based learning approaches.
4.No negative marking means you should attempt ALL 150 questions. Even intelligent guessing helps. Don't leave any question unanswered — there's no penalty for wrong answers.
❓Frequently Asked Questions
🔗Related Exams
CTET Official Website
ctet.nic.in