CTET Exam Pattern 2026, Paper 1 & 2 Weightage, Marking Scheme & Duration

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The CTET Exam Pattern 2026 is important for candidates preparing for the Central Teacher Eligibility Test. The exam is conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) for candidates who want to become teachers for Classes 1 to 8. CTET has two papers, Paper 1 for Classes 1 to 5 and Paper 2 for Classes 6 to 8. Candidates should understand the number of questions, marks, subject-wise weightage, marking scheme, and exam duration before starting their preparation.

CTET Exam Pattern 2026

The CTET 2026 examination consists of Paper 1 and Paper 2. Each paper carries 150 questions for a total of 150 marks. All questions are multiple-choice questions (MCQs), and candidates get 1 mark for every correct answer. There is no negative marking for incorrect answers.

Particulars	Details
Exam Name	Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET)
Conducting Body	Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)
Exam Level	National Level
Papers	Paper 1 and Paper 2
Type of Questions	Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
Questions in Each Paper	150
Maximum Marks	150
Marks Per Correct Answer	1 Mark
Negative Marking	No
Duration	150 Minutes
Paper 1	For Classes 1 to 5
Paper 2	For Classes 6 to 8

CTET Paper 1 Exam Pattern 2026

CTET Paper 1 is for candidates who want to become teachers for Classes 1 to 5. The paper contains five subjects: Child Development and Pedagogy, Language I, Language II, Mathematics, and Environmental Studies. Each section contains 30 questions carrying 30 marks, making the total 150 questions for 150 marks.

Subject	Questions	Marks	Weightage
Child Development and Pedagogy	30	30	20%
Language I	30	30	20%
Language II	30	30	20%
Mathematics	30	30	20%
Environmental Studies	30	30	20%
Total	150	150	100%

CTET Paper 1 Weightage (Subject-Wise)

The weightage in CTET Paper 1 is equally divided among all five subjects. Each subject carries 30 marks, which means every section contributes 20% of the total marks. Candidates should therefore give proper time to all five sections instead of focusing only on one or two subjects.

Child Development and Pedagogy: 30 marks
Language I: 30 marks
Language II: 30 marks
Mathematics: 30 marks
Environmental Studies: 30 marks

CTET Paper 2 Exam Pattern 2026

CTET Paper 2 is meant for candidates who want to teach Classes 6 to 8. It includes Child Development and Pedagogy, Language I, Language II, and a 60-mark subject section. Candidates take Mathematics and Science or Social Studies/Social Science in the subject section according to the applicable option.

Subject	Questions	Marks	Weightage
Child Development and Pedagogy	30	30	20%
Language 1	30	30	20%
Language 2	30	30	20%
Mathematics and Science OR Social Studies/Social Science	60	60	40%
Total	150	150	100%

CTET Paper 2 Weightage (Subject Wise)

The subject section carries the highest weightage in CTET Paper 2. Mathematics and science or social studies/social science carries 60 marks, which is 40% of the complete paper. The remaining three sections carry 30 marks each.

Child Development and Pedagogy: 30 marks or 20%
Language I: 30 marks or 20%
Language II: 30 marks or 20%
Mathematics and Science/Social Studies: 60 marks or 40%

CTET Marking Scheme 2026

The CTET marking scheme is simple. Each correct answer carries 1 mark. There is no deduction for an incorrect answer, and no marks are given for unanswered questions. Since there is no negative marking, candidates can attempt all questions if time permits.

Response	Marks
Correct Answer	+1 Mark
Incorrect Answer	0 Mark
Unanswered Question	0 Mark
Negative Marking	No

CTET Exam Duration 2026

Candidates get 2 hours and 30 minutes (150 minutes) to complete each CTET paper. Both Paper 1 and Paper 2 contain 150 questions, so candidates need to manage their time carefully during the examination.

Paper	Questions	Marks	Duration
CTET Paper 1	150	150	150 mi
CTET Paper 2	150	150	150 min

CTET Paper 1 vs Paper 2 Exam Pattern 2026

The main difference between CTET Paper 1 and Paper 2 is the teaching level and subject structure. Paper 1 is for Classes 1 to 5, whereas Paper 2 is for Classes 6 to 8. Candidates intending to be eligible across Classes 1 to 8 need to take both papers, subject to meeting the prescribed eligibility requirements.

Particulars	CTET Paper 1	CTET Paper 2
Teaching Level	Classes 1 to 5	Classes 6 to 8
Purpose	For Primary Teacher (PRT)	For Elementary Teacher (TGT Level)
Total Questions	150	150
Total Marks	150	150
Exam Duration	150 Minutes	150 Minutes
Question Type	Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)	Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
Child Development & Pedagogy	30 Questions (30 Marks)	30 Questions (30 Marks)
Language I	30 Questions (30 Marks)	30 Questions (30 Marks)
Language II	30 Questions (30 Marks)	30 Questions (30 Marks)
Mathematics	30 Questions (30 Marks)	Included in Mathematics & Science (60 Questions)
Environmental Studies	30 Questions (30 Marks)	Not Included
Mathematics & Science	Not Included	60 Questions (60 Marks) (for Mathematics & Science teachers)
Social Studies/Social Science	Not Included	60 Questions (60 Marks) (for Social Studies teachers)
Marks per Question	1 Mark	1 Mark
Negative Marking	No	No
Exam Mode	Offline (OMR-Based)	Offline (OMR-Based)
Medium of Exam	Bilingual (English & Hindi) except language papers	Bilingual (English & Hindi) except language papers