What is CTET Exam? - Full Form, Exam Pattern & Selection Process

What is CTET Exam?

The full form of CTET exam is Central Teacher Eligibility Test. It is a national level Central Government teacher eligibility test conducted twice every year by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). This exam is for those candidates who want to become teachers in central schools. After passing CTET, candidates are given preference to apply for teaching posts in central government schools affiliated to CBSE. There are mainly three types of CTET exams.

• CTET Paper 1
• CTET Paper 2
• CTET Paper 1 + CTET Paper 2

• The candidate must have passed Senior Secondary (or equivalent) examination with at least 50% marks and should either be pursuing or have completed a 2 year Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed).
OR
• According to NCTE regulations, the candidate must have secured 45% marks in the Senior Secondary (or equivalent) examination and should either be pursuing or have completed a 2 year D.El.Ed.
OR
• The candidate must have secured 50% marks in the Senior Secondary (or equivalent) examination and should either be pursuing or have completed a 4 year Bachelor of Elementary Education (B.El.Ed).
OR
• The candidate must have secured 50% marks in the Senior Secondary (or equivalent) examination and should either be pursuing or have completed a 2 year Diploma in Special Education.
OR
• The candidate must have completed Graduation with at least 50% marks and should have obtained a B.Ed degree.

• The candidate must have completed Graduation and should either be pursuing or have completed a 2 year Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed).
OR
• The candidate must have secured 50% marks in Graduation and should either be pursuing or have completed a B.Ed degree.
OR
• As per NCTE regulations the candidate must have secured 45% marks in Graduation and should either be pursuing or have completed a B.Ed degree.
OR
• The candidate must have secured 50% marks in the Senior Secondary (or equivalent) examination and should either be pursuing or have completed a 4 year Bachelor of Elementary Education (B.El.Ed).
OR
• The candidate must have secured 50% marks in the Senior Secondary (or equivalent) examination and should either be pursuing or have completed a 4 year B.A./B.Sc.Ed or B.A.Ed/B.Sc.Ed.
OR
• The candidate must have secured 50% marks in Graduation and should either be pursuing or have completed a 1 year B.Ed (Special Education) program.

• Paper 1 (PRT Class 1 - 5)
• Paper 2 (TGT Class 6 - 8)

• Answer Key: The official answer key is released by CBSE a few days after the completion of the CTET exam.
• Result Declaration: After the completion of the answer key processing, the CTET Result is released by CBSE on the official website. It contains the marks and qualifying status of the candidate.
• Scorecard and Certificate: Candidates who successfully qualify the CTET exam are given a scorecard and CTET certificate. This certificate is valid for life (till the year 2021 its validity was only 7 years, but now it is valid for life).
• KVS/NVS Process: After qualifying the CTET exam candidates become eligible to apply for teacher posts in central government schools. After the release of CTET scorecard candidates can apply for the vacancies available in their preferred CBSE affiliated schools like KVS (Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan), NVS (Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti), Army Public Schools or CBSE affiliated private schools as per the respective notifications.
• Selection for Interview: Based on the CTET scorecard candidates are selected in the recruitment process of the school they applied for.
• Interview: Shortlisted candidates are called for an interview. The interview tests the candidates' teaching skills, subject knowledge, personal characteristics and skills for some key posts.
• Final Selection: The final merit list is declared based on the interview and skill test. On this basis, the qualified candidates are given appointment letters.

• Primary Teacher (PRT) in Government School: Candidates can apply for the post of Primary Teacher (PRT) in Kendriya Vidyalaya (KVS), Navodaya Vidyalaya (NVS) and State Government schools.
• Primary Teacher in Private School: After passing the CTET (Central Teacher Eligibility Test) candidates can teach students in many private schools especially CBSE-affiliated schools in primary teacher positions.
• TET Qualified Jobs in State School: CTET certification can also be useful for state level TET exam.
• Special Education Teacher: With additional certifications in special education candidate can work as a primary teacher for students with special needs.
• Coaching or Private Tutoring: candidate can offer coaching for students preparing for primary classes.
• Teacher in NGO or Educational Institution: Some NGO and educational organization hire certified teachers to provide education to underprivileged children.
• Education Consultant: With experience candidate can work as an education consultant, advising schools or education startups on curriculum development, teaching strategies or assessment methods for primary education.
• Content Developer for Educational Material: Many EdTech companies hire CTET qualified individuals to create learning content, lesson plans and teaching material for primary education.

• TGT (Trained Graduate Teacher) in Government School: candidate elegible to apply for TGT positions in government schools like Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodaya Vidyalayas for teaching classes 6 to 8.
• TGT in Private School: CBSE affiliated institutions require CTET certified teachers for middle school teaching positions.
• Subject Specific Teacher: With a specialization in subjects like Mathematics, Science or Social Science, candidate can work as a subject Specific Teacher.
• State TET Qualified Jobs: CTET Paper 2 certification can also be useful for applying to state level TET exams for teaching jobs in classes 6 to 8.
• Educational Content Developer: With expertise in handling middle school subjects candidate can work as a curriculum developer or educational content creator for textbooks or online platforms.
• Private Tutoring or Coaching: candidate can offer private tutoring to students from classes 6 to 8 or coach future teachers for CTET exams.
• NGO and Education Projects: Many NGO or education initiatives look for CTET qualified teachers to handle middle school education for underprivileged students.

• Teaching Career: Candidates who qualify the CTET exam are given a certificate by CBSE. with this certificate the candidate is given preference for the post of teacher in central government schools as well as private schools.
• Nationwide Validity: CTET certificate is valid all over India. Using this candidates can apply in central government and state government schools.

• High competition: Every year 30 lakh candidates apply for the CTET exam, with a success rate of 15% to 20%. This means that out of every 100 candidates only 15 to 20 candidates are able to clear the CTET exam.
• No direct job guarantee: CTET is only an eligibility criterion; clearing the CTET exam the candidate is not given a direct job by the central government. Candidates have to apply themselves for the vacant posts in Kendriya Vidyalayas. In this process also candidates have to go through the recruitment process which includes interviews and other selection rounds after getting vacancies.
• Cut off: In the CTET exam the candidate has to achieve a specific cut off mark. Getting this cut off is not easy for everyone.
• Multiple attempts: Sometimes candidates have to make multiple attempts to pass the CTET exam.
• Limited scope: The CTET exam certificate is valid only for central government schools. For state government schools, each state conducts its own TET exam. Due to this the scope of CTET in state government schools and private schools is limited or almost negligible.