Job application · 10 min read
CTET eligibility and preparation: a complete 90-day plan
CTET — the Central Teacher Eligibility Test — is the single most important certification for anyone targeting CBSE schools or central government teaching roles in India. It is also one of the most teachable exams: with a structured 90-day plan, working teachers and final-year B.Ed students routinely clear both papers on the first attempt. Here's what you need to know and how to prepare.
Who can sit for CTET
Paper 1 (Classes 1–5): graduation + D.El.Ed / B.El.Ed / NTT (or final-year students of any of these). Paper 2 (Classes 6–8): graduation in your subject + B.Ed (or final-year students). You can attempt both papers in the same sitting if you meet both eligibilities.
There is no age limit and no attempt limit. Validity is lifetime since 2021. CBSE conducts CTET twice a year, typically July and December.
What each paper covers
Paper 1 (150 MCQs, 150 minutes): Child Development & Pedagogy (30), Language I (30), Language II (30), Mathematics (30), Environmental Studies (30). Paper 2: Child Development & Pedagogy (30), Language I (30), Language II (30), and then EITHER Mathematics + Science (60) OR Social Studies (60) depending on what you teach.
Qualifying mark is 60% (90 / 150) for general candidates; 55% for reserved categories. There is no negative marking.
90-day preparation plan
Days 1–30 — foundations. NCERT Class 1–8 textbooks for the subjects you'll attempt. Do not skip the EVS and Maths NCERTs even if they look basic; CTET tests pedagogy ON these texts, not standalone academic knowledge.
Days 31–60 — pedagogy. Cover child development (Piaget, Vygotsky, Kohlberg, Gardner), inclusive education, assessment principles. Recommended books: NCERT Pedagogy & Child Development guides, or one structured prep book — Disha or Pearson are reliable.
Days 61–90 — practice. One full mock paper every 3 days, with timed conditions. After each mock, spend twice as long reviewing the wrong answers as you spent solving the paper. Track which question type repeatedly fails and drill it specifically.
Common mistakes
Skipping pedagogy and over-preparing the subject content (especially common among working teachers — pedagogy is roughly 30–40% of marks and is the section most candidates lose on). Not practising in the Hindi medium when Hindi is your Language I. Studying from outdated material — NCERT updates regularly, ensure your texts are from the current edition.
After clearing CTET
Apply directly to CBSE-affiliated private schools — most will treat CTET as the qualifying filter. For central government schools (KV, NVS, AWES army schools, central tribal schools / EMRS), CTET is the eligibility prerequisite for the actual recruitment exam, which is a separate stage.
Browse live CBSE openings by city, role and board on School Jobs India to identify roles that explicitly require CTET — apply within 7 days of the posting to maximise response rate.