CTET Exam Pattern & Syllabus
Last verified 01 Aug 2026
The CTET exam pattern is set out below. No. Every question carries one mark and there is no negative marking.
Paper I — for classes I to V (Primary Stage)
Duration: two and a half hours.
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Child Development and Pedagogy | 30 | 30 |
| Mathematics | 30 | 30 |
| Environmental Studies | 30 | 30 |
| Language I | 30 | 30 |
| Language II | 30 | 30 |
| Total | 150 | 150 |
Paper II — for classes VI to VIII (Elementary Stage)
Duration: two and a half hours.
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Child Development and Pedagogy | 30 | 30 |
| Mathematics and Science (for Maths and Science teachers) OR Social Studies / Social Science (for Social Studies teachers) | 60 | 60 |
| Language I | 30 | 30 |
| Language II | 30 | 30 |
| Total | 150 | 150 |
All questions are multiple choice with four alternatives, of which one is most appropriate. Each carries one mark. No. Every question carries one mark and there is no negative marking.
Standard of the questions
Child Development and Pedagogy focuses on the educational psychology of teaching and learning for the relevant age group — 6 to 11 years for Paper I — covering the characteristics and needs of diverse learners, interaction with learners, and the attributes of a good facilitator of learning.
Language I tests proficiency in the medium of instruction. Language II tests the elements of language, communication and comprehension. Language II must be different from Language I, and both are chosen at the application stage from the 27 available languages.
Mathematics, Environmental Studies and the Paper II subject sections test concepts, problem solving and pedagogical understanding. Questions are evenly distributed across the divisions of the NCERT syllabus for the relevant classes — classes I to V for Paper I, classes VI to VIII for Paper II — though the difficulty and linkages may go up to the senior secondary stage.
The 27 languages
English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Garo, Gujarati, Kannada, Khasi, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Mizo, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Tibetan, Urdu, Bodo, Dogri, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Santhali and Sindhi.