CTET 2026 Notification: September Session, Application Form, Eligibility & Exam Dates

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) conducts the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) to certify candidates for teaching positions in Classes 1 through 8 across India. The deadline for submitting applications via the official website, www.ctet.nic.in, is 10th June 2026.

The Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) is a national-level examination administered twice annually by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). It serves as the primary benchmark for recruiting teachers in Central Government schools, including KVS and NVS. Aspiring educators aiming to teach primary or upper primary grades in government-aided institutions must successfully qualify for the CTET to be eligible for future teaching vacancies.

CTET 2026 Notification Out

The official Information Bulletin for the September 2026 cycle is now available at www.ctet.nic.in, covering critical details such as the application process, eligibility requirements, exam schedule, and syllabus structure. Candidates can access the official notification directly via the link provided below. 

Download Official CTET Notification 2026 PDF - Click Here

CTET 2026 Exam Summary

The CTET exam comprises two distinct papers: Paper 1 for aspirants targeting primary classes (1 to 5) and Paper 2 for those seeking to teach upper primary classes (6 to 8). Fulfilling the CTET eligibility criteria is a vital step for candidates pursuing a professional teaching career in the public sector. 

CTET Exam 2026-Summary
Exam Conducting Body	Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)
Exam Name	Central Teacher Eligibility Test
Exam Level	National
Mode of Application	Online
Registration Dates	11th May to 10th June 2026 (11:59 pm)
Exam Mode	Offline (Pen and Paper)
Exam Duration	150 minutes
Language of Paper	English and Hindi
Attempt Limit	Unlimited
Certificate validity	Lifetime
No. of Test Cities	136 cities across India
Age Limit	There is no upper age limit,  Minimum age is 18 years.
Educational Qualification	Graduation
Exam Helpdesk No.	011-22235774
Official Website	www.ctet.nic.in

Important Dates

The CTET 2026 notification provides a comprehensive exam calendar, including key registration windows and tentative examination dates. Refer to the table below for important timeline details. 

CTET 2026- Important Dates
Events	Dates
CTET Notification 2026	11th May 2026
CTET Online Form 2026 Starts	11th May 2026
Last Date to fill Online Application	10th June 2026 (11:59 pm)
Last Date for submission of fee	10th June 2026 (11:59 pm)
Application Correction Window	15th to 18th June 2026
CTET Admit Card 2026	4th September 2026
CTET Exam Date 2026	6th September 2026

Note: Given the potential volume of applicants, the CTET September exam may also be conducted on 5th September 2026.

Eligibility Criteria for CTET 2026 Exam

The eligibility criteria differ for teaching Classes 1 to 5 and Classes 6 to 8. Below are the specific educational requirements for candidates in each category:

Educational Qualification for Classes 1-5

Candidates must have completed their Senior Secondary or equivalent with at least 50% marks and passed or be currently enrolled in the final year of a 2-year Diploma in Elementary Education OR

Candidates who have completed Senior Secondary or equivalent, securing at least 45% marks, and have passed or are appearing in the final year of a 2-year Diploma in Elementary Education, as per NCTE Regulations 2002. OR

Candidates who have completed Senior Secondary or equivalent with at least 50% marks and have passed or are appearing in the final year of a 4-year Bachelor of Elementary Education. OR

Candidates who have completed Senior Secondary or equivalent with at least 50% marks and have passed or are in the final year of a 2-year Diploma in Education. OR

Candidates holding a Bachelor’s degree and having passed or appearing in the final year of a 2-year Diploma in Elementary Education.

Educational Qualification for Classes 6-8

Candidates holding a Graduation degree and having passed or currently appearing in the final year of a Diploma in Elementary Education (2 years duration). OR

Candidates who have completed their Graduation with 50% marks and have passed or are appearing in the final year of a Bachelor in Education. OR

Candidates who have completed their Graduation with 40% marks and have passed or are appearing in the final year of a Bachelor in Education, in accordance with NCTE regulations. OR

Candidates who have completed Senior Secondary or equivalent with at least 50% marks and have passed or are appearing in the final year of a 4-year Bachelor of Elementary Education. OR

Candidates who have completed Senior Secondary or equivalent with 50% marks and have passed or are appearing in the final year of a 4-year B.A.Ed/B.Sc.Ed or B.A./B.Sc.Ed program. OR

Candidates with a Graduation degree with 50% marks who have passed or are appearing for a 1-year B.Ed program.

View Detailed CTET Eligibility Criteria 2026

CTET 2026 Application Form

Interested candidates can submit their CTET 2026 Application Form through the official portal at www.ctet.nic.in from 11th May until 10th June (11:59 pm). Ensure all necessary documents are prepared prior to registration to facilitate a smooth application process and avoid errors.

Apply for CTET 2026 - Click Here for Application Form

CTET Exam 2026 Application Fee

Candidates from the General or OBC category must pay Rs. 1000/- for a single paper (Paper I or II) or Rs. 1200/- for both papers. For SC/ST and differently-abled categories, the application fee is Rs. 600/- for one paper or Rs. 600/- for both.

CTET Application Fee Summary:

CTET 2026 Application Fee
Category	Only Paper I or II	Both Paper I & II
General/OBC	Rs. 1000/-	Rs. 1200/-
SC/ST/Diff. Abled Person	Rs. 500/-	Rs. 600/-

Note: Applicable GST will be charged by the bank during payment.

CTET 2026 Selection Process

Selection is based on the candidate's performance in the CTET exam. As an eligibility test, qualifying the CTET does not automatically grant a teaching post; rather, candidates must apply to individual schools or districts when vacancies arise. A minimum score of 60% is required to earn the CTET certificate.

CTET 2026 Exam Pattern

The CTET 2026 examination consists of two phases:

1. Paper I
2. Paper-II

Paper I is intended for those aspiring to teach Classes 1 to 5, while Paper II is for those targeting Classes 6 to 8. Candidates may apply for either or both. Both papers consist entirely of objective-type multiple-choice questions. A minimum score of 60% is required to qualify. Notably, the CTET certificate is now valid for a lifetime.

Explore the detailed CTET Exam Pattern:

CTET Paper I Exam Pattern

CTET Paper 1 Exam Pattern
Subject	Number of Questions	Total Marks
Language I (compulsory)	30	30
Language II (compulsory)	30	30
Child Development and Pedagogy	30	30
Environmental Studies	30	30
Mathematics	30	30
Total	150	150

Nature and standard of questions

• The Child Development and Pedagogy section focuses on the psychological aspects of teaching and learning for students aged 6-11 years, emphasizing diverse learner needs and effective facilitation strategies.

• Language I questions assess proficiencies relevant to the medium of instruction.

• Language II focuses on language structure, communication, and comprehension skills.

• Candidates must choose Language II to be different from Language I, specifying their choices on the confirmation page.

Select your preferred languages for the CTET exam according to the official language codes provided.

CTET 2026 Languages
Code No	Language	Code No	Language	Code No	Language	Code No	Language
01	English	06	Gujarati	11	Marathi	16	Sanskrit
02	Hindi	07	Kannada	12	Mizo	17	Tamil
03	Assamese	08	Khasi	13	Nepali	18	Telugu
04	Bengali	09	Malayalam	14	Oriya	19	Tibetan
05	Garo	10	Manipuri	15	Punjabi	20	Urdu

• Mathematics and Environmental Studies test items cover conceptual application, problem-solving, and pedagogical understanding, evenly distributed across the NCERT syllabus for classes I-V.

• Paper I questions are based on NCERT topics for classes I-V, though difficulty levels may align with secondary stage standards.

Review the Complete CTET Paper I & II Exam Pattern

CTET 2026 Syllabus 

The revised CTET Syllabus 2026 is now live. Mastering the syllabus, particularly Child Development and Pedagogy, is critical for success. The exam also covers Mathematics, Science/Environmental Studies, and two selected languages.

CTET Paper-I Syllabus: Includes Child Development and Pedagogy, Language I & II, Mathematics, and Environmental Science.

Subjects	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

CTET Paper-II Syllabus: Covers Child Development and Pedagogy, Language I & II, and either Mathematics/Science or Social Studies, depending on the candidate's chosen stream.

Subjects	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 Resource
Social Studies/Social Sciences	History, Geography, Social and Political Life, Pedagogical Issues

Access the Full CTET Syllabus 2026 (Paper I + Paper-II)

CBSE CTET Certificate Validity

The CTET certificate now features lifetime validity, effective retrospectively from 2011. Candidates with expired certificates can obtain updated versions. State and UT authorities are responsible for managing re-validations for those whose original 7-year validity period has lapsed.

Check CTET Certificate Information 2026

Download CTET Previous Year Question Papers

CTET Teacher Salary Details

Qualified candidates become eligible to apply for teaching positions in schools like NVS/KVS. Teachers typically earn a basic salary ranging from Rs. 9,300 to Rs. 34,800, with an estimated net in-hand monthly salary between Rs. 35,000 to Rs. 50,000.

CTET Teacher Salary 2026
Components	Primary Teacher	TGT	PGT
Pay Scale	9300- 34800	9300- 34800	9300- 34800
Grade Pay	4200	4600	4800
Basic Pay after 7th CPC	35400	44900	47600
HRA	3240	3400	4350
TA	1600	1600	1600
Gross Salary	40240	49900	53550
Net Salary	35000-37000	43000-46000	48000-50000

CTET 2026 Key Points

Recent updates indicate that question papers will shift focus toward conceptual understanding, critical thinking, problem-solving, and reasoning rather than mere rote factual knowledge.

1. To assess the teacher's understanding of teaching their respective subject.
2. To assess the futuristic teacher's pedagogic content knowledge.
3. To understand their knowledge of the relevance of the subject in the school curriculum.
4. Some questions will be added to assess the planning of teaching-learning experiences.
5. The question paper will be focused on the assessment methodologies specific to the concept.
6. A sample blueprint or sample question papers will be released by CBSE to make it easy for the candidates to understand the revised format

CTET 2026 Exam Centre 

Candidates must select 4 preferred exam centers during registration. While CBSE prioritizes the first choice, alternative centers may be assigned based on availability.

CTET 2026 Exam Centre
S. No	States & UT	Cities
1	Andaman & Nicobar Island	Port Blair
2	Andhra Pradesh	Anantapur, Bhimavaran, Chirala, Eluru, Guntur,Kadapa, Kakinada, Kurnool, Nandyala, Narsaraopeta,  Nellore, Proddatur, Rajamundry, Srikulam, Tirupati, Vijaywada, Visakhapatnam, Viziannagaram
3	Assam	Dibrugarh, Guwahati, Jorhat, Silchar, Tezpur
4	Bihar	Bhagalpur, Bhojpur, Gaya, Muzzafarpur, Patna, Purnea,
5	Chhattisgarh	Bhilai Nagar, Bilaspur, Raipur
6	Chandigarh	Chandigarh
7	Dadar & Nagar Haveli	Dadar & Nagar Haveli
8	Daman & Diu	Daman
9	Delhi	New Delhi
10	Goa	Panaji
11	Gujarat	Ahmedabad, Anand, Bardoli, Gandhinagar, Jamnagar, Mehsana, Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara, Valsad, Vapi
12	Haryana	Ambala, Faridabad, Gurugram, Karnal, Hisar, Kurukshetra
13	Himachal Pradesh	Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, Solan, Una
14	Jammu	Jammu, Samba, Srinagar
15	Jharkhand	Bokaro, Dhanbad, Hazaribagh, Jamshedpur, Ranchi
16	Karnataka	Belagavi, Bengaluru, Hubballi, Kalaburagi, Mangaluru, Mysuru, Shivamogga, Udupi
17	Kerala	Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Idukki, Kannur, Kasaragod, Kollam, Kottayam, Kozhikode, Malappuram,  Palakkad, Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur
18	Lakshadweep	Kavaratti
19	Madhya Pradesh	Bhopal, Gwalior, Indore, Jabalpur, Sagar, Satna, Ujjain
20	Maharashtra	Ahmednagar, Amravati, Aurangabad, Baramati, Chandrapur, Dhule, Jalgaon, Kashti, Kolhapur,  Kopragaon, Latur, Mumbai, Nagpur, Nanded, Nashik, Pandharpur, Pune, Ratnagiri, Sangmner,  Sangoli, Satara, Sindurpur, Solapur
21	Manipur	Imphal
22	Meghalaya	Shillong
23	Mizoram	Aizwal
24	Nagaland	Dimapur, Kohima
25	Odisha	Balasore, Berhampur- Ganjam, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Rourkela, Sambalpur
26	Puducherry	Puducherry
27	Punjab	Amritsar, Bhatinda, Fatehgarh Sahib, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Pathankot, Patiala, Sangrur
28	Rajasthan	Ajmer, Alwar, Bikaner, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota, Sikar, Udaipur
29	Sikkim	Gangtok
30	Tamil Nadu	Chennai, Coimbatore, Cuddalore, Dindigul, Erode, Kanchipuram, Karur, Mahurai, Kanyakumari,  Nammakal, Salem, Thanjavar, Thoothukhudi, Tiruchirappali, Tirupur, Vellore, Villupuram, Virudhunagar
31	Tripura	Agartala
32	Uttar Pradesh	Agra, Aligarh, Bareilly, Basti, Bijnor, Bilaspur, Faizabad, Firozabad, Ghaziabad, Ghazipur, Gorakhpur,  Jhansi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Meerut, Mathura, Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar, Noida, Pryagraj, Sitapur,  Varanasi
33	Uttarakhand	Almora, Dehradun, Haldwani, Pauri Garhwal, Roorkee, Rudrapur
34	West Bengal	Asansol, Burdwan, Durgapur, Howrah, Kalyani, Kolkatta, Siliguri, Siuri

View Full CTET Exam Centre List 2026