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Updated By Nikkil Visha on 01 Dec, 2025 12:11
As per the CTET 2026 exam pattern, the exam has two papers Paper I and Paper II, each consisting of 150 MCQ. A +1 mark will be given to the correct response. For unattempted or incorrect responses, no penalty will be imposed, so you will not lose marks for any wrong/unattempted answers. The CTET 2026 exam will be conducted online with questions on the above concepts that test your knowledge.
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The CTET exam includes two papers, Paper 1 and Paper 2. The CTET Paper 1 is designed for candidates aspiring to become teachers for classes 1 to 5, and Paper 2 is for candidates applying for the position of teachers of classes 6 to 8. For CTET Paper 1, candidates will have to prepare different topics including Child Development and Pedagogy, Language-I, Language-II, Mathematics and Environmental Studies subjects. For CTET Paper 2, candidates will have to study Child Development and Pedagogy, Language-I, Language-II, Mathematics and Science or Social Studies/Social Sciences. While preparing for the exam, check the latest exam pattern to get knowledge of the types of questions.
The main details of the CTET 2026 exam pattern for Paper I and Paper II are broken down here. The following table will provide you with a clear understanding of the exam pattern of the CTET 2026 exam and a thorough rundown of what to expect.
Particulars | CTET Paper I Highlights | CTET Paper II Highlights |
|---|---|---|
Exam Mode | Offline | Offline |
Number of Subjects/ Sections | 5 | 4 |
Names of Subjects |
|
|
CTET Exam Time Duration | 2.5 hours (150 minutes) | 2.5 hours (150 minutes) |
Total Questions | 150 | 150 |
Type of questions | MCQs; 4 options with only 1 correct option | MCQs; 4 options with only 1 correct option |
Total marks | 150 | 150 |
Marking Scheme | +1 for a correct answer 0 for an incorrect answer | +1 for a correct answer 0 for an incorrect answer |
Language of Paper | English and Hindi (candidates can write the paper in either of the languages) | English and Hindi (candidates can write the paper in either of the languages) |
CTET 2026 exam pattern is different for Papers I & II. Compared to the previous year's exam pattern of the CTET exam, there are no major or minor changes. CTET 2026 exam pattern for Paper I & II can be checked below:
The Paper I exam pattern of CTET is as follows:
S. No. | Sections | Total Number of Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Language I (Compulsory) | 30 | 30 |
2 | Language II (Compulsory) | 30 | 30 |
3 | Child Development and Pedagogy | 30 | 30 |
4 | Mathematics | 30 | 30 |
5 | Environmental Studies | 30 | 30 |
Total | 150 | 150 |
The Paper II exam pattern of the CTET exam can be checked below:
S. No. | Sections | Total Number of Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Language I (compulsory) | 30 | 30 |
2 | Language II (compulsory) | 30 | 30 |
3 | Child Development & Pedagogy (compulsory) | 30 | 30 |
4 | Mathematics and Science | 60 | 60 |
5 | Social Studies/Social Science *For any other teacher – Section 4 or 5 (either of the two) will be relevant | 60 | 60 |
Total | 150 | 150 |
Candidates can go through the following CTET 2026 marking scheme that has been mentioned below:
For each correct answer, candidates are awarded 1 mark.
There is no negative marking in the entrance exam.
Type of Answer | Marks |
|---|---|
For Correct Answer | + 1 Mark |
For Wrong Answer | No Negative Marking |
The following are the different languages listed in the CTET 2026 exam. Candidates can choose any of the below languages as one of the options in the CTET 2026 exam.
Language | Code No. | Language | Code No. |
|---|---|---|---|
English | 01 | Marathi | 11 |
Hindi | 02 | Mizo | 12 |
Assamese | 03 | Nepali | 13 |
Bengali | 04 | Oriya | 14 |
Garo | 05 | Punjabi | 15 |
Gujarati | 06 | Sanskrit | 16 |
Kannada | 07 | Tamil | 17 |
Khasi | 08 | Telugu | 18 |
Malayalam | 09 | Tibetan | 19 |
Manipuri | 10 | Urdu | 20 |
The CTET 2026 exam has been divided into two parts, Paper I and Paper II respectively. So, both papers have separate time slots. You will have 2 hours 30 minutes to complete each paper. Here is a glance at what the timings for the CTET 2026 exam look like:
Paper | Time | Duration |
|---|---|---|
Paper I | 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM | 2 hours 30 minutes |
Paper II | 2:00 PM to 4:30 PM | 2 hours 30 minutes |
Handling the OMR sheet initially must be done under some supervision to avoid mistakes while providing the basic details of the applicants. Hence, here are the easy guidelines an applicant must follow to be user-friendly with the Optical Mark Recognition in CTET 2026.
Candidates will have to use blue or black ballpoint pens to mark in the OMR sheet. Usage of the pencil is strictly prohibited. Candidates will have to mark the following details on sheet side 1:
Candidates will have to mark the following details on sheet side 2:
The Central Board of Secondary Education has clearly stated the CTET 2026 syllabus for both Paper I and Paper II. The syllabus consists of all the important topics under specific heads like Child Development & Pedagogy, Mathematics, Environmental Studies, Science, and Social Studies/Social Science. You must read the syllabus before applying for this test. It will give you a clear idea of the exam structure, which topics are important, and how the marks are distributed.
The exam is divided into two papers:
Subjects | Important Topics |
|---|---|
Child Development and Pedagogy | Child Development, Learning and Pedagogy |
Language-I | Comprehension, Pedagogy of Language Development |
Language-II | Comprehension, Pedagogy of Language Development |
Mathematics | Geometry, Shapes & Spatial Understanding, Solids around Us, Numbers, Addition and Subtraction, Multiplication, Division |
Environmental Studies | Family and Friends, Food, Shelter, Water, Travel |
Subject | Important Topics |
|---|---|
Child Development and Pedagogy | Child Development, Learning and Pedagogy |
Language-I | Comprehension, Pedagogy of Language Development |
Language-II | Comprehension, Pedagogy of Language Development |
Mathematics | Number System, Algebra, Geometry, Mensuration |
Science | Food, Materials, Natural Phenomena, Natural Resources |
Social Studies/Social Sciences | History, Geography, Social and Political Life, Pedagogical Issue |
Want to know more about CTET
According to the NCTE guidelines, the validity period was 7 years earlier. Now the certificate is valid for lifetime, unless the government issues any notice related to it.
There will be two papers in CTET exams. Paper 1 will be for classes I to V, Paper II will be for Classes VI to VIII. To teach students from classes I-VIII, he/she has to appear in both Papers.
There is no limit to the number of attempts for the CTET exam. Candidates can appear for the next exam by filling the form. As per CTET age eligibility criteria, candidates should be at least 18 years of age and there is no upper age limit.
CTET exam will be conducted in 236 exam centres throughout India. The list of CTET exam centre cities will be published in advance through the official notification. While filling out the CTET application form, candidates can make a choice of four exam cities.
The candidates will have the option to choose a language for CTET Language-I and Language-II. There will be a list of 20 languages, from which they can choose the language.
Yes, both language papers are compulsory in the CTET 2025 exam. The choice of language for language I and II should be different. Candidates can choose from a prescribed set of 20 languages as language-I and -II.
In the CTET 2025 exam, 150 questions will be asked in Paper 1 and Paper 2 each.
The total time duration for the CTET 2025 Paper 1 exam is 2.5 hours.
Typical response between 24-48 hours
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