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Updated By Nikkil Visha on 01 Dec, 2025 12:15
The CTET 2026 syllabus for Paper 1 includes topics Child Development and Pedagogy, Language-I, Language-II, Mathematics, and Environmental Studies. The syllabus for Paper 2 comprises topics from Child Development and Pedagogy, Language-I, Language-II, Mathematics, and either Science or Social Studies/Social Sciences.
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The CTET syllabus 2026 has been released by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) as per the NCTE guidelines. For Paper 1, the CTET syllabus includes topics Child Development and Pedagogy, Language I, Language II, Mathematics, and Environmental Studies. The syllabus for Paper 2 comprises topics from Child Development and Pedagogy, Language-I, Language-II, Mathematics, and either Science or Social Studies/Social Sciences. The CTET 2026 syllabus and exam pattern have remained unchanged in the past few years.
Studying the CTET syllabus is crucial for aspiring educators who aim to secure teaching positions in central government schools in India. CTET exam is conducted to recruit candidates as teachers in Classes 1 to 8 in government schools such as KVS, NVS, private schools, and schools run by the state governments. If you want to teach Classes 1 to 5, you should take CTET 2026 Paper 1, and for Classes 6 to 8, you should take Paper 2. Check out the detailed CTET syllabus 2026 for Paper 1 and Paper 2 below. We have also provided the CTET 2026 syllabus PDF download link for your reference!
For a better understanding of the CTET Syllabus 2026, candidates can view the key highlights listed in the table below detailing the topics for Paper I and Paper II.
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Conducting Body | Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) |
| Duration | 2 hours 30 minutes (for each paper) |
| Language | English and Hindi |
| Language under CTET Exam 2026 | 20 languages |
| CTET Paper 1 Syllabus | 5
|
| CTET Paper 2 Syllabus | 4
|
| Total Number of Questions | 150 questions |
| Maximum Marks | 150 marks (for each paper) |
| Type of Questions | Multiple Choice Questions; 4 options with only 1 correct option |
| Mode of Exam | Offline (OMR Based) |
| Marking Scheme | +1 mark for each correct answer |
| Negative Marking | No negative marking for incorrect answers |
CTET 2026 syllabus for Paper 1 and Paper 2 was released by the CBSE on the official website at ctet.nic.in in PDF format. The direct link to access the CTET syllabus PDF 2026 for both papers has been provided below.
| CTET 2026 Paper 2 Syllabus PDF Download |
|---|
Given below are the main topics of each section of the CTET 2026 Paper 1 syllabus from which questions are asked in the exam:
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 |
In Child Development and Pedagogy section, a total of 30 MCQs are asked from the given topics:
Subject/Unit | Topics | Best Books |
|---|---|---|
Child Development (Primary School Child) (15 MCQs) | • Concept of development and its relationship with learning • Principles of the development of children • Influence of Heredity & Environment • Socialization processes: Social world & children (Teacher, Parents, Peers) • Piaget, Kohlberg and Vygotsky: constructs and critical perspectives • Concepts of child-centred and progressive education • Critical perspective of the construct of Intelligence • Multi-Dimensional Intelligence • Language & Thought • Gender as a social construct; gender roles, gender-bias and educational practice • Individual differences among learners, understanding differences based on diversity of language, caste, gender, community, religion etc. • Distinction between Assessment for learning and assessment of learning; • School-Based Assessment, Continuous & Comprehensive Evaluation: perspective and practice • Formulating appropriate questions for assessing readiness levels of learners; enhancing learning and critical thinking in the classroom and for assessing learner achievement. |
|
Concept of Inclusive Education and Understanding Children with Special Needs (5 MCQs) | • Addressing learners from diverse backgrounds including disadvantaged and deprived • Addressing the needs of children with learning difficulties, ‘impairment’ etc. • Addressing the Talented, Creative, Specially abled Learners | |
Learning and Pedagogy (10 MCQs) | • How children think and learn; how and why children ‘fail’ to achieve success in school performance. • Basic processes of teaching and learning; children’s strategies of learning; learning as a social activity; social context of learning. • Child as a problem solver and a ‘scientific investigator’ • Alternative conceptions of learning in children, understanding children’s ‘errors’ as significant steps in the learning process. • Cognition & Emotions • Motivation and learning • Factors contributing to learning – personal & environmental |
The Language-I section tests candidates' knowledge related to the medium of instruction. The topics from which questions are asked are:
| Subject/Unit | Topics | Best Books |
|---|---|---|
Language Comprehension (15 MCQs) | Reading unseen passages – two passages one prose or drama and one poem Questions will be from comprehension, inference, grammar and verbal ability (Prose passage may be literary, scientific, narrative or discursive) |
|
Pedagogy of Language Development (15 MCQs) | • Learning and acquisition • Principles of language Teaching • Role of listening and speaking; function of language and how children use it as a tool • Critical perspective on the role of grammar in learning a language for communicating ideas verbally and in written form • Challenges of teaching language in a diverse classroom; language difficulties, errors and disorders • Language Skills • Evaluating language comprehension and proficiency: speaking, listening, reading and writing • Teaching- learning materials: Textbook, multi-media materials, multilingual resource of the classroom • Remedial Teaching |
Language II syllabus is a bit different from Language I. The syllabus is as follows:
| Subject/Unit | Topics | Best Books |
|---|---|---|
Language Comprehension (15 MCQs) | Two unseen prose passages (discursive or literary or narrative or scientific) Questions on comprehension, grammar and verbal ability |
|
Pedagogy of Language Development (15 MCQs) | • Learning and acquisition • Principles of language Teaching • Role of listening and speaking; function of language and how children use it as a tool • Critical perspective on the role of grammar in learning a language for communicating ideas verbally and in written form; • Challenges of teaching language in a diverse classroom; language difficulties, errors and disorders • Language Skills • Evaluating language comprehension and proficiency: speaking, listening, reading and writing • Teaching – learning materials: Textbook, multi-media materials, multilingual resource of the classroom • Remedial Teaching |
In the Mathematics section, candidates' concepts, problem-solving abilities and pedagogical understanding will be tested. Given below is the complete syllabus for Maths:
| Subject/Unit | Topics | Best Books |
|---|---|---|
Content (15 MCQs) | • Geometry • Shapes & Spatial Understanding • Solids around Us • Numbers • Addition and Subtraction • Multiplication • Division • Measurement • Weight • Time • Volume • Data Handling • Patterns • Money |
|
Pedagogical Issues (15 MCQs) | • Nature of Mathematics/Logical thinking; understanding children’s thinking and reasoning patterns and strategies of making meaning and learning • Place of Mathematics in Curriculum • Language of Mathematics • Community Mathematics • Evaluation through formal and informal methods • Problems of Teaching • Error analysis and related aspects of learning and teaching • Diagnostic and Remedial Teaching |
Check below the detailed syllabus for the Environmental Studies (EVS):
| Subject/Unit | Topics | Best Books |
|---|---|---|
Miscellaneous (15 MCQs) | • Family and Friends: Relationships, Work and Play, Animals, Plants • Food • Shelter • Water • Travel • Things We Make and Do |
|
Pedagogical Issues (15 MCQs) | • Concept and scope of EVS • Significance of EVS, integrated EVS • Environmental Studies & Environmental Education • Learning Principles • Scope & relation to Science & Social Science • Approaches of presenting concepts • Activities • Experimentation/Practical Work • Discussion • CCE • Teaching material/Aids • Problems |
Also Read:CTET Previous Year Question Papers
Given below are the main topics of each section of CTET 2026 Paper 2 syllabus from which questions are asked in the exam:
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 Issues |
In Child Development and Pedagogy section, questions will test candidates' educational psychology of teaching and learning, relevant to the 11-14 years of age group. Have a look at the syllabus in the table below:
| Subject/Unit | Topics |
|---|---|
Child Development (Elementary School Child) (15 MCQs) | • Concept of development and its relationship with learning • Principles of the development of children • Influence of Heredity & Environment • Socialization processes: Social world & children (Teacher, Parents, Peers) • Piaget, Kohlberg and Vygotsky: constructs and critical perspectives • Concepts of child-centred and progressive education • Critical perspective of the construct of Intelligence • Multi-Dimensional Intelligence • Language & Thought • Gender as a social construct; gender roles, gender-bias and educational practice • Individual differences among learners, understanding differences based on diversity of language, caste, gender, community, religion etc. • Distinction between Assessment for learning and assessment of learning; • School-Based Assessment, Continuous & Comprehensive Evaluation; • Assessing readiness levels of learners; enhancing learning and critical thinking in the classroom and for assessing learner achievement. |
Concept of Inclusive Education and Understanding Children with Special Needs (5 MCQs) | • Addressing learners from diverse backgrounds including disadvantaged and deprived • Addressing the needs of children with learning difficulties, ‘impairment’ etc. • Addressing the talented, creative, specially-abled Learners |
Learning and Pedagogy (10 MCQs) | • How children think and learn; how and why children ‘fail’ to achieve success in school performance. • Basic processes of teaching and learning; children’s strategies of learning; learning as a social activity; social context of learning. • Child as a problem solver and a ‘scientific investigator’ • Alternative conceptions of learning in children, understanding children’s ‘errors’ as significant steps in the learning process. • Cognition & Emotions • Motivation and learning • Factors contributing to learning – personal & environmental |
The Language-I section tests candidates' knowledge related to the medium of instructions. The topics from which questions are asked are mentioned in the table below:
| Subject/Unit | Topics |
|---|---|
Language Comprehension (15 MCQs) | Reading unseen passages – two passages one prose or drama and one poem Questions will be from comprehension, inference, grammar and verbal ability (Prose passage may be literary, scientific, narrative or discursive) |
Pedagogy of Language Development (15 MCQs) | • Learning and acquisition • Principles of language Teaching • Role of listening and speaking; function of language and how children use it as a tool • Critical perspective on the role of grammar in learning a language for communicating ideas verbally and in written form • Challenges of teaching language in a diverse classroom; language difficulties, errors and disorders • Language Skills • Evaluating language comprehension and proficiency: speaking, listening, reading and writing • Teaching- learning materials: Textbook, multi-media materials, multilingual resource of the classroom • Remedial Teaching |
The topics of Language-II section from which questions are asked are mentioned in the table below:
| Subject/Unit | Topics |
|---|---|
Language Comprehension (15 MCQs) | Two unseen prose passages (discursive or literary or narrative or scientific) Questions on comprehension, grammar and verbal ability |
Pedagogy of Language Development (15 MCQs) | • Learning and acquisition • Principles of language Teaching • Role of listening and speaking; function of language and how children use it as a tool • Critical perspective on the role of grammar in learning a language for communicating ideas verbally and in written form; • Challenges of teaching language in a diverse classroom; language difficulties, errors and disorders • Language Skills • Evaluating language comprehension and proficiency: speaking, listening, reading and writing • Teaching – learning materials: Textbook, multi-media materials, multilingual resource of the classroom • Remedial Teaching |
The topics of the Mathematics section from which questions are asked are mentioned in the table below:
| Subject/Unit | Topics |
|---|---|
Content (20 MCQs) | • Number System • Knowing our Numbers • Playing with Numbers • Whole Numbers • Negative Numbers and Integers • Fractions • Algebra • Introduction to Algebra • Ratio and Proportion • Geometry • Basic geometrical ideas (2-D) • Understanding Elementary Shapes (2-D and 3-D) • Symmetry: (reflection) • Construction (using Straight edge Scale, protractor, compasses) • Mensuration • Data handling |
Pedagogical Issues (10 MCQs) | • Nature of Mathematics/Logical thinking • Place of Mathematics in Curriculum • Language of Mathematics • Community Mathematics • Evaluation • Remedial Teaching • Problem of Teaching |
The topics of the Science section from which questions are asked are mentioned in the table below:
Subject/Unit | Topics |
|---|---|
Content (20 MCQs) | • Food • Sources of food • Components of food • Cleaning food • Materials • Materials of daily use • The World of the Living • Moving Things People and Ideas • How things work • Electric current and circuits • Magnets • Natural Phenomena • Natural Resources |
Pedagogical issues (10 MCQs) | • Nature & Structure of Sciences • Natural Science/Aims & objectives • Understanding & Appreciating Science • Approaches/Integrated Approach • Observation/Experiment/Discovery (Method of Science) • Innovation • Text Material/Aids • Evaluation – cognitive/psychomotor/affective • Problems • Remedial Teaching |
The topics of the Social Studies section from which questions are asked are mentioned in the table below:
Subject/Unit | Topics |
|---|---|
Content (40 MCQs) | History • When, Where and How • The Earliest Societies • The First Farmers and Herders • The First Cities • Early States • New Ideas • The First Empire • Contacts with Distant lands • Political Developments • Culture and Science • New Kings and Kingdoms • Sultans of Delhi • Architecture • Creation of an Empire • Social Change • Regional Cultures • The Establishment of Company Power • Rural Life and Society • Colonialism and Tribal Societies • The Revolt of 1857-58 • Women and reform • Challenging the Caste System • The Nationalist Movement • India After Independence Geography • Geography as a social study and as a science • Planet: Earth in the solar system • Globe • Environment in its totality: natural and human environment • Air • Water • Human Environment: settlement, transport and communication • Resources: Types-Natural and Human • Agriculture Social and Political Life • Diversity • Government • Local Government • Making a Living • Democracy • State Government • Understanding Media • Unpacking Gender • The Constitution • Parliamentary Government • The Judiciary • Social Justice and the Marginalised |
Pedagogical issues (20 MCQs) | • Concept & Nature of Social Science/Social Studies • Class Room Processes, activities and discourse • Developing Critical thinking • Enquiry/Empirical Evidence • Problems of teaching Social Science/Social Studies • Sources – Primary & Secondary • Projects Work • Evaluation |
Also Read:Best Books for CTET 2026
Check out the CTET exam pattern 2026 for Paper 1 and Paper 2 provided below.
Section | No. of Questions | Total Marks |
|---|---|---|
Child Development and Pedagogy | 30 | 30 |
Language I | 30 | 30 |
Language II | 30 | 30 |
Mathematics | 30 | 30 |
Environmental Studies | 30 | 30 |
TOTAL | 150 | 150 |
Section | No. of Questions | Total Marks |
|---|---|---|
Child Development and Pedagogy | 30 | 30 |
Language I | 30 | 30 |
Language II | 30 | 30 |
Mathematics and Science (for Mathematics and Science teachers) OR Social Studies/Social Science (for Social Studies/Social Science teacher) OR Mathematics, Science and Social Studies/Social Science (for teachers of any other subject) | 60 | 60 |
TOTAL | 150 | 150 |
Also Read:CTET Important Questions, Topics and Preparation Strategy 2026
Completing for the CTET syllabus 2026 successfully involves strategic planning and diligent execution. Here are a few CTET preparation tips 2026 to ensure success in the exam:
Want to know more about CTET
To initiate preparation of the CTET syllabus, here are some effective preparation tips and strategies for CTET 2025:
Yes, mathematics is a compulsory subject for CTET Paper I. CTET Paper I includes five subjects: Child Development and Pedagogy, Language I, Language II (Comprehension), Mathematics, and Environmental Studies.
Covering the CTET syllabus is not a challenging task with proper preparation and strategy. A good strategy involves covering important topics outlined in the CTET syllabus within the stipulated time and dedicating ample time for practicing mock tests.
The CTET exam is generally perceived as easy to moderate in terms of difficulty level. However, the level of difficulty depends on the nature of the questions asked. Each paper, whether Paper 1 or Paper 2, consists of 150 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) carrying 1 mark each.
The CTET Paper 1 syllabus encompasses five sections, including Child Development and Pedagogy, Language I, Language II, Mathematics, and Environmental Studies.
No, the syllabus for both CTET 2025 papers is mostly similar. While the syllabus remains largely consistent across both papers, Paper II is distinguished by its heightened level of complexity compared to Paper-I.
In Paper-I, the Child Development and Pedagogy section carries the highest weightage. Conversely, in Paper-II, the Mathematics & Science or Social Science/Social Studies section holds the highest weightage.
Some of the Important topics for CTET are Child Development and its relation to learning, Influence of Heredity & Environment, Reading comprehension and Poems, Moving Things People and Ideas, Natural Resources, Social and Political Life, Measurement, Algebra, Etc.
No, the CTET syllabus for every year remains the same. Although, the questions asked in both Paper 1 and Paper 2 of CTET are different.
There will be 5 major subjects for CTET: Child Development and Pedagogy, Language I, Language II, Mathematics & Science or Social Science/Social Studies, and Environmental studies.
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