What is CTET Exam 2023?

The Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) also known as the CTET is a nationwide test conducted to determine the eligibility of prospective teachers. The Exam is conducted twice every year for eligible applicants. 

• The CTET Selection Process is based on an offline examination. A candidate is required to obtain a minimum of 60% to qualify for the exam.
• Candidates qualified in the exam 2023 can apply for teaching posts in government schools. They will have to undergo the selection process as specified by the respective school, before being shortlisted for the appointment.
• There are two papers in the offline examination and each paper will be 150 marks. Candidates can attempt either Paper I (for teaching classes 1-5) or Paper II (for classes 6-8) or both papers.

CTET Application Form 2023 – Apply Online

You can only apply for the exam by filling in the CTET Application Form online. The steps to complete the CTET application process are given below.

CTET Application Fee 2023

Candidates should be well aware of the CTET Application Fee for their respective category. The details of the same are listed below. The CTET Application Fee can be paid online through Debit Card / Credit Card / Net Banking. The last date for the payment of the CTET application form fee will be announced by governing body.

CTET Selection Process 2023

The CTET is a qualifying examination. Candidates who qualify the exam can apply for teaching posts at Government Schools across the country.  However, candidates must note that they can appear for either Paper I, Paper II, or both depending on the teaching posts they wish to apply for. Details of the same are as follows:

• Paper I: Teachers for classes 1-5
• Paper II: Teachers for classes 6-8
• Both Papers I & II- Teachers for classes 1-8

After qualifying for the exam, candidates can apply for teaching posts for the respective classes in various Government schools. The selection process for final appointment will depend upon the school the candidate has applied to.

Number of CTET Applicants and Qualified Candidates

The Central Teachers Eligibility Test is a national-level exam, and teaching job aspirants across the country apply for the same. Knowing the number of applicants and qualified candidates in previous years will help you estimate the level of competition for this examination. Below are the details of number of CTET applicants and qualified candidates for the past few years.

CTET 2023 Eligibility Criteria 

In order to apply for the exam candidates must fulfil the CTET eligibility criteria as specified by the authorities The eligibility criteria consist of educational qualifications, age, etc. Any candidate that does not match up with the set criteria will be disqualified.

CTET Educational Qualification for Paper 1 (Classes 1-5)

• The candidates should have passed the senior secondary (or its equivalent) exam with at least 50% marks and have passed or appearing in the final year of a 2-year Diploma in Elementary Education. 
• The applicants should have cleared senior secondary (or its equivalent) exam with at least 45% marks and have passed or appearing in the final year of 2-year Diploma in Elementary Education, in accordance with the NCTE (Recognition Norms and Procedure), Regulations, 2002.
• The aspirants must have passed the senior secondary (or its equivalent) exam with at least 50% marks and have cleared or are appearing in the final year of 4-year Bachelor of Elementary Education (B.EI. Ed) *.
• The candidates should have cleared the senior secondary (or its equivalent) exam with at least 50% marks and have passed or appeared in the final year of the 2-year Diploma in Education (Special Education).
• The applicants must have cleared the Graduation (with at least 50% marks) and Bachelor of Education from a recognized University/Institution

CTET Educational Qualification for Paper 2 (Classes 6-8)

• The applicants must have graduated and should have passed or appeared in the final year of a 2-year Diploma in Elementary Education (by whatever name known).
• The candidates should have graduated with at least 50% marks and have passed or appeared in a 1-year Bachelor in Education (B.Ed.). 
• The aspirants must have cleared graduation with at least 45% marks and have passed or appeared in a 1-year Bachelor in Education (B.Ed.), in accordance with the NCTE (Recognition Norms and Procedure).
• The candidates should have cleared the senior secondary (or its equivalent) exam with at least 50% marks and passed or appear in the final year of a 4-year Bachelor in Elementary Education (B.EI. Ed).
• The applicants must have passed the senior secondary (or its equivalent) exam with at least 50% marks and cleared or appearing in the final year of 4- a year B.A/B.Sc. Ed or B.A.Ed./B.Sc. Ed.
• The candidates should have graduated with at least 50% marks and passed or appeared in 1-year B.Ed. (Special Education) *.
• Any candidate having a qualified B.Ed. Programs recognized by the NCTE are eligible to appear in TET/CTET.

Moreover, as per the existing TET guidelines, circulated vide NCTE letter dated 11-02-2011, a person who is pursuing any of the teacher education courses (recognized by the NCTE or the RCI, as the case may be) specified in the NCTE Notification dated 23rd August 2010 is also qualified to appear in the TET/CTET.

NOTE:

• Relaxation up to 5% in the qualifying marks in the minimum Educational Qualification for eligibility shall be allowed to the candidates belonging to reserved categories, such as SC/ST/OBC/Differently abled.
• Training to be undergone: A person with D.Ed. (Special Education) or qualification shall undergo, after appointment, an NCTE-recognized 6-month Special Programme in Elementary Education.
• The candidate should satisfy his/her eligibility before applying and shall be personally responsible in case he/she is not eligible to apply as per the given eligibility criteria. It is to be noted that if a candidate has been allowed to appear in the Central Teacher Eligibility Test it does not imply that the candidate’s eligibility has been verified. It does not vest any right with the candidate for appointment. The eligibility shall be finally verified, by the concerned recruiting agency / appointing authority.

Age Limit for CTET 2023 Exam

As such, there are no age-limit criteria mentioned in the Official CTET Notification 2023. Candidates must be in possession of a required educational qualification to appear in CTET 2023. However, Teachers who already are in service can also appear in the examination to test their knowledge and skills. It is always good to test and update the present knowledge. 

CTET Exam Events

The important events of the examination like the notification release, admit card release, result-related announcements, etc play a very crucial role for aspirants. Many times, students are so indulged in their preparation that they do not get enough time to check for important notifications released by the CBSE. For your convenience, the important exam events that the candidate must keep in mind are discussed below.

Notification

The notification for the CTET July 2023 has been released by the Central Board of Secondary Education on 27th April 2023. Candidates can check the important dates, eligibility, application fee, and other details about the CTET Exam in this notification.

Application Form

The CTET Application Form for July 2023 has been released. The application window will remain active from 27th April to 26th May 2023.

Exam Date

The exam for CTET July 2023 will be conducted on 20th August 2023 in OMR-based offline pen and paper mode. 

CTET Exam City Information (Pre-Admit Card)

The CBSE has released the CTET pre admit card on 1st August 2023. The purpose of exam city intimation slip is to inform candidates well in advance so that they can make the necessary arrangements required for travel and accommodation.

Download CTET Admit Card 

Now that the CTET city intimation slip has been released, the candidates can be sure of their admittance in the exam. The admit card has been officially released on 18th August 2023 through which the candidates got to know about the details of exam centre and exam timings.

CTET Exam Shift Timings

After downloading the CTET hall ticket, candidates will be able to know the exam shift timing details such as reporting time, exam commencing and end as given below. 

Answer Key Release

After the successful conduction of the exam, candidates will have to wait for 10 to 15 days for the official answer key. Along with the answer key the candidate’s response sheet is also released, so that the candidate can tally their responses with the correct answers and get a rough idea of their raw marks.

Result

The result is released after one month of exam conduction. The result is released on the official CBSE website. The CTET result is released in the form of a scorecard. The candidates will be able to see their raw mark, normalized marks (if any) and the final result statement.

Release Cut off marks 

The CTET cut-off marks are released by the CBSE after the result is announced. And the cut-off marks are different for different category students. On the basis of the cutoff marks the final admission is based.

CTET 2023 Syllabus  

The CTET syllabus is the most important component of the study and preparation. It has got a broad syllabus and candidates must prepare for each and every topic to score well. Each year, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) conducts the CTET to recruit candidates for teacher posts. This is also known as the Teachers Eligibility Test exam. According to CBSE, questions in Paper 1 will be from the prescribed syllabus of NCERT for classes 1 to 5 but difficulty level and linkages could be up to the secondary stage. For Paper 2, questions will be from the prescribed syllabus of NCERT for classes 6 to 8 but difficulty level and linkages could be up to the Senior secondary stage.

CTET Paper I Syllabus with Topic-wise Weightage 

Given below is the detailed topic-wise weightage of all the topics from different sections of Paper I. As per the past trend followed in the CTET, 15 questions from the Development of a Primary School Child topic from Child Development and Pedagogy have been asked.

CTET Paper II Syllabus with Topic-wise Weightage 

The Paper II syllabus will have Child Development and Pedagogy, Language I, Language II, Math and Science as sections. The exam will be of 150 marks and the questions asked will be of elementary stage level.

CTET Exam Pattern 2023

As far as the CTET exam pattern is concerned, there will be two papers, and candidates can appear for either one or both. The exam pattern for both these exams will be different.

• Paper-I will be for a person who intends to be a teacher for classes I to V.
• Paper II will be for a person who intends to be a teacher for classes VI to VIII
• Candidates who want to teach from class I to Class VIII need to attempt both Paper I and Paper II.

The details of the exam pattern for each of these are presented further.

CTET Paper I Exam Pattern (for Classes I to V) 

The Paper I will be an objective type test for 150 marks. The topic-wise weightage for the same is as follows.

• The exam duration will be 2 hours 30 minutes
• Each question will be for 1 mark.
• All questions will be MCQs.
• There will be no negative marking.

Nature and Standard of Questions

The test items on the Child Development and Pedagogy paper will focus on the educational psychology of teaching the age group of 6-11 years. They will focus on understanding the characteristics and needs of diverse learners, interaction with learners, and the attributes and qualities of a good facilitator of learning. The language I test items will focus on the proficiencies related to the medium of instruction. Language II test items will focus on the elements of language, communication, and comprehension abilities.

Exam Pattern of Paper-II (for Classes VI to VIII) Elementary Stage

• There will be 150 questions of 1 mark each.
• The exam duration will be 2 hours 30 minutes.
• All questions will be MCQs.
• There will be no negative marking

Nature and Standards of questions

The test items on the Child Development and Pedagogy paper will focus on the educational psychology of teaching the age group of 11-14 years. They will focus on understanding the characteristics and needs of diverse learners, interaction with learners, and the attributes and qualities of a good facilitator of learning. The language I test items will focus on the proficiencies related to the medium of instruction. Language II test items will focus on the elements of language, communication, and comprehension abilities. 

The test items in Mathematics and Science and Social Studies/Social Science will focus on the concepts, problem-solving abilities, and pedagogical understanding and applications of the subjects. The questions in the test for Paper II will be based on the topics prescribed in the syllabus of the NCERT for classes VI-VIII 

Language II will be a language other than Language I. A candidate may choose any one language as Language I and other as Language II from the available language options and will be required to specify the same on the Confirmation Page. opt two languages in which you wish to appear for CTET: The list of languages and code are as follows:

Language of the Question Paper

The CTET question paper will be bilingual in nature i.e., both in English and Hindi.

Qualifying Marks and CTET Certificate

As per NCTE Notification, A person who scores 60% or more in the TET exam will be considered a TET pass.

• School managements (Government, local bodies, government-aided and unaided) may consider giving concessions to people belonging to SC/ST, OBC, differently-abled persons, etc., in accordance with their extant reservation policy. 
• Should give weightage to the scores in the recruitment process, however, qualifying the CTET would not confer a right on any person for recruitment/employment as it is only one of the eligibility criteria for appointment.

CTET Applicability

• The CTET shall apply to schools of the Central Government (KVS, NVS, Central Tibetan Schools, etc.) and schools under the administrative control of UTs of Chandigarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, and NCT of Delhi.
• A candidate aspiring to clear the KVS TGT and the KVS PRT examinations must meet the eligibility criteria defined by Sangathan. The specifications mentioned for Trained Graduate Teacher or TGT is Graduate + B.Ed. + CTET, i.e., a candidate who has cleared their graduation in a specific field along with their Bachelor in Education with the qualifying marks from the CTET examinations. Whereas for KVS Primary Teachers, the qualification is 12th pass in any stream with their D.Ed./ JBT/ B.Ed. (Diploma in Elementary Education/Junior Basic Training/ Bachelor in Education) clearance degree and the qualifying marks from the CTET examinations.
• Aspirants wishing to clear the NVS TGT and the NVS TGT in Third Language exams must have all the minimum qualifications defined by the selection committee. For both NVS exams the qualifications are graduation in any discipline along with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education and CTET qualified.
• CTET may also apply to unaided private schools, which may exercise the option of considering the CTET. 
• Schools owned and managed by the State Government/local bodies and aided schools shall consider the TET conducted by the State Government. However, a State Government can also consider the CTET if it decides not to conduct the State TET. 
• According to CBSE Affiliation Bye-Laws, prescribing the minimum qualifications for teachers to teach various subjects in Classes I to VIII in the schools affiliated to CBSE stands amended to that extent and it shall be mandatory that the teachers appointed hereinafter i.e. 6 March 2012 to teach classes I to VIII in the Schools affiliated to the CBSE shall qualify/pass the Central Teacher Eligibility Test or Teacher Eligibility Test (TET), conducted by the appropriate Central/State Government in accordance with the Guidelines framed by the NCTE for this purpose. 

CTET Salary 

The candidates who have passed the exam and are working as Primary Teachers (PRT), Trained Graduate Teachers (TGT), or Post Graduate Teachers (PGT) can get a handsome salary. As CTET is a qualifying exam in nature, the candidates can approximately get a salary as illustrated below:

CTET Certificate Validity Period

• The validity period of the CTET Certificate is for lifetime.
• There is no restriction on the number of attempts one can give on the CTET. A person who has appeared for the exam is also eligible to apply for the next time in order to improve his or her scores. 

CTET Exam Date 2023

Candidates preparing for the CTET 2023 exam can check all important dates for the exam such as application start, last date to apply, etc., from the table given below. Keep in mind these CTET Exam Dates to avoid missing out on any important stage of the examination.

CTET Admit Card 2023

The CTET Admit Card has been released on 18th August 2023 (from 12:00 hours) at the official website. Candidates must carry the admit card to the exam centre, or they will not be able to enter the exam hall. Applicants are advised to review all information on the admit card for errors and to notify any corrections to the authority. 

CTET Cut Off 

Here is the category-wise cut-off of the year 2019 for your reference. Candidates must take note of this and align their preparation accordingly as the CTET 2021 Cut off will be affected by past year trends:

CTET Answer Key 2023

CTET Answer Key 2023 will allow the candidates to check the answers to the questions that were asked during their shift. Once the tentative answer key is out, candidates can check these responses after logging in and raise objections if they find any corrections that are to be made. The Central Board of Secondary Education then goes through all the raised objections & makes changes if they find a valid mistake. After this, a final CTET answer key 2023 will be published by the board. The final answer key is only released after the correction of the provisional answer key if there is any mistake.

CTET Previous Year Papers

If you want to practice for the CTET exam, there is nothing better than solving CTET Previous year papers. It helps you in getting hands-on with the actual exam paper and also helps you in revising your syllabus. The best this is that we provide you with all the available CTET Previous year papers free to download which have their answer key.

Study Materials to Prepare for CTET Exam

It is important for the candidates preparing for the exam to have proper CTET study material in order to prepare in a robust manner. This exam qualifies you for teaching in govt-run and some private-run schools. The whole preparation of any competitive examination revolves around the notes. Below we have mentioned some of the best resources that will help you complete your preparation in the best way possible.

Online Coaching

Taking CTET coaching is one of the best options for students and working professionals. It will help them save a lot of time and will also help them tackle any problem they face in the preparation phase. MYExamGuru in collaboration with highly skilled educators across the country has launched CTET Coaching which will guide you through your entire exam preparation. It is one of the best coaching in the country for CTET and is available at a very minimal fee. 

Notes

Notes form the base of your preparation. Candidates can refer to a variety of sources for making their notes comprehensive. Although self-prepared notes are the best resources, aspirants can refer to faculty-curated notes as well. Teachers provide self-prepared comprehensive notes for completing your CTET preparation.

Test Series

Candidates can appear for chapter-wise tests, subject tests, and previous years-based tests in order to prepare the best for the examinations. These papers provide practical knowledge as well as application-based solutions to the theories covered in the syllabus. A candidate can train themselves to their best ability with the help of CTET mock tests and series.

Previous Year Paper

Every aspirant can test their knowledge of theories and chapters with the help of the previous year’s papers. They can test themselves and understand how much time they take to solve the CTET previous year’s papers and what allotment can be done for simple to difficult level of questions. Moreover, these previous years’ papers are for free. Candidates can download old papers within minutes and test their knowledge. 

Books

While preparing for the CTET exam, candidates must get a hold of the right study material to structure their preparation. Candidates starting their preparation can read through the basic books of respective subjects. Apart from the basic books, they will also have to cover some advanced reference material. We have provided a detailed booklist for the CTET exam in the article.

CTET Books 2023

Given below are some of the recommended books by the experts for your reference. Applicants can avail of these CTET books through online sites or the nearest stationery. You can find many more books online but these are some of them shortlisted just for you.

CTET Exam Centres

CTET exam centres are the venues where the CTET exam is conducted. Candidates who wish to appear for the CTET exam must select the exam centre of their choice while filling the CTET application form. The exam centre is mentioned on the CTET Admit Card. The exam centre selected by the candidates should be a convenient one, as they will not be allowed to change it later. Get the list of following CTET Exam Centres with the City and city code given below in the table:

CTET Result 2023

The step-by-step process to download your results is mentioned below. The link to check your results will be updated soon after the organization releases it. 

Career Scope After CTET 2023

Candidates who will qualify the CTET exam will become eligible for teaching students from classes 1 to 8 in the CBSE affiliated schools. Candidates will become eligible to apply for teacher recruitment. If you clear the CTET 2023, you can pursue a career in teaching in Central Government schools such as Kendriya Vidyalayas and Navodaya Vidyalayas. Here are some career opportunities that you can explore after clearing the CTET 2023:

1. Teacher in Central Government Schools: CTET qualified candidates can apply for teaching positions in Central Government schools such as Kendriya Vidyalayas and Navodaya Vidyalayas.
2. State Government Schools: Many State Government schools also consider CTET scores for recruitment of teachers. So, you can also apply for teaching positions in state government schools.
3. Private Schools: Private schools also consider CTET scores for hiring teachers. If you clear the CTET 2023, you can apply for teaching positions in private schools.
4. TGT and PGT: After clearing the exam, you can also appear for the TGT (Trained Graduate Teacher) and PGT (Post Graduate Teacher) exams. These exams are conducted by different state and central government bodies, and they offer teaching positions in various subjects.
5. Educational Institutes: You can also explore career opportunities in educational institutes such as coaching centres and private institutes.