CTET — Central Teacher Eligibility Test
CTET is the national-level teacher eligibility test conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), typically twice a year. It certifies eligibility for teaching posts in central government schools such as Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVS) and Navodaya Vidyalayas (NVS), and is also accepted by many state governments — including, in recent Uttar Pradesh cycles, as an alternative to UPTET for UPSTET (Super TET) eligibility.
Notification
CBSE releases the CTET notification and opens applications on the official website, usually with sessions around February and September each year. Watch for the exact application window, as CBSE has in recent cycles moved to random allocation of exam city and date, with no option to choose a preferred centre.
Eligibility & age limit
Paper 1 (Classes 1–5)
Senior secondary with at least 50% marks and a 2-year Diploma in Elementary Education, or graduation with a B.Ed, as per NCTE norms.
Paper 2 (Classes 6–8)
Graduation with at least 50% marks and a B.Ed, or senior secondary with a 4-year B.El.Ed / B.A.Ed / B.Sc.Ed, as per NCTE norms.
Age limit
There is no upper age limit for CTET, and candidates may attempt it as many times as they wish to improve their score.
Exam pattern
CTET is conducted offline in pen-and-paper mode across two papers of 150 objective-type questions each, worth 150 marks, in 2 hours 30 minutes. Paper 1 covers Child Development & Pedagogy, Language I, Language II, Mathematics, and Environmental Studies (30 marks each); Paper 2 covers Child Development & Pedagogy, Language I, Language II, and Mathematics & Science or Social Studies depending on the subject stream.
Qualifying marks
| Category | Minimum qualifying marks |
|---|---|
| General | 60% (90 / 150) |
| OBC / SC / ST | 55% (82–83 / 150) |
Like UPTET, the CTET certificate currently carries lifetime validity once you clear it.
Answer key
CBSE typically releases a provisional answer key with a short objection window, followed by the final answer key and result.
Result
Results are declared on the official CTET website using your roll number and other login details. See our Results page for general download steps.
Official site
ctet.nic.in is the official CTET website for notifications, applications, admit cards and results.