CTET September 2026 Apply Online – 22nd Edition, Paper I & II | Last Date 10 June 2026

Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is an autonomous national board of education under the Ministry of Education, Government of India, responsible for conducting national-level school examinations and teacher eligibility tests. CBSE administers the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) — India's primary national-level qualifying examination for teacher recruitment in central government schools — twice a year. Its official CTET portal is ctet.nic.in.

CTET September 2026 – Overview

Registration opens today — and the CTET certificate you earn lasts a lifetime. Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has officially launched the online application for the 22nd edition of the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) — September 2026. Applications are open from 11 May 2026 to 10 June 2026 (11:59 PM) at ctet.nic.in. The exam is scheduled for 6 September 2026 (Sunday) — Paper II in the morning shift (9:30 AM – 12:00 Noon) and Paper I in the evening shift (2:30 PM – 5:00 PM) — across 132 cities in 27 languages nationwide. Candidates aspiring to teach in KVS, NVS, EMRS, Central Tibetan Schools, and CBSE-affiliated schools for Classes I–V (Paper I) or Classes VI–VIII (Paper II) must hold a valid CTET certificate — and the certificate earned this cycle is now valid for life.

Source: CTET September 2026 Official Information Bulletin, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), released 8 May 2026 at ctet.nic.in .

CTET September 2026 – Important Dates

The CTET September 2026 schedule is listed below. The correction window runs immediately after the application closes — candidates who need to fix errors in their submitted form should note the 15–18 June window. The backup exam date of 5 September may be activated if candidate registration volume exceeds capacity for a single day.

Source: CTET September 2026 Official Information Bulletin, CBSE, May 2026. All dates are subject to revision — monitor ctet.nic.in for updates.

CTET September 2026 – Eligibility Criteria

Age Limit for CTET September 2026

The minimum age to appear in CTET is 18 years. There is no upper age limit for CTET — candidates of any age who meet the educational qualification can apply. There is also no restriction on the number of attempts. Candidates who have already qualified CTET can also appear again to improve their score.

Educational Qualification – CTET Paper I (Primary Level: Class I–V)

Candidates currently appearing in the final year of a qualifying teacher training programme are also eligible to apply for CTET. For complete eligibility details, refer to the CTET September 2026 Information Bulletin at ctet.nic.in.

Educational Qualification – CTET Paper II (Upper Primary Level: Class VI–VIII)

CTET September 2026 – Application Fee

Source: CTET September 2026 Official Information Bulletin, CBSE. GST as applicable will be charged extra by the bank. Application fee is non-refundable under any circumstances.

How to Apply Online for CTET September 2026 – Step by Step

Applications are accepted online only at ctet.nic.in. No offline mode is available. Because exam centre slots are limited city-wise and visible in real-time during form filling, early applications have a better chance of securing a preferred nearby centre.

1. Visit the Official CTET Portal: Open ctet.nic.in or cbse.gov.in and click on "Apply for CTET September 2026" on the homepage.
2. Register: Click the new registration link and fill in basic details (name, date of birth, mobile number, email ID) to generate your Registration Number / Application Number. Note this number carefully — it is required for all subsequent logins and for future admit card and result access.
3. Fill the Application Form: Log in using the Registration Number and complete the application form — Authentication → Personal Details → Language Selection → Educational Qualifications. Select Paper I (Class I–V), Paper II (Class VI–VIII), or Both as applicable to your eligibility and career intent. Select your language of exam medium from the 27 available languages.
4. Upload Photograph and Signature: Upload a recent scanned passport-size photograph (10–100 KB, 3.5 cm × 4.5 cm, JPG/JPEG) and your scanned signature (3–30 KB, 3.5 cm × 1.5 cm, JPG/JPEG). Verify both are clearly visible before proceeding.
5. Exam City Allotment: Exam centres are allotted by CBSE based on available slots city-wise. The live seat availability per city is shown during form filling. No request for city changes will be entertained after allotment — apply early if you prefer a nearby centre.
6. Preview and Submit: Check all filled details carefully on the preview screen before final submission. Errors can be partially corrected during the Correction Window (15–18 June 2026) — but structural details like paper choice and category should be verified before submitting.
7. Pay the Application Fee: Pay via Debit Card, Credit Card, Net Banking, or e-Challan. After successful payment, the system generates a Confirmation Page. Download and print it for future reference. Do not send the hard copy to CBSE — retain it for your own records only.

CTET September 2026 – What Applicants Should Know

CTET is a qualifying eligibility test — not a recruitment test. Passing CTET earns you a certificate that remains valid for a lifetime and makes you eligible to apply for teaching posts in central government schools whenever vacancies are notified. Understanding the exam structure and what the certificate actually opens up is essential before investing preparation time.

CTET September 2026 Exam Pattern – Paper I (Class I–V)

Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes | Mode: Offline (OMR-based pen-and-paper) | No negative marking | Syllabus based on NCERT curriculum for Classes I–V (difficulty up to Class II level). Shift: Evening — 2:30 PM to 5:00 PM.

CTET September 2026 Exam Pattern – Paper II (Class VI–VIII)

Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes | Mode: Offline (OMR-based pen-and-paper) | No negative marking | Syllabus based on NCERT curriculum for Classes VI–VIII (difficulty up to Senior Secondary stage). Shift: Morning — 9:30 AM to 12:00 Noon.

CTET September 2026 – Qualifying Marks and Certificate

CTET is not a ranking exam — there is no merit list. Every candidate who reaches the minimum qualifying marks in a paper receives a CTET Eligibility Certificate for that paper, which is now valid for life (permanently) for all categories. This replaces the earlier 7-year validity rule — candidates who held lapsed certificates under the old rule have also had their certificates reinstated as permanently valid under the Government of India's revised policy. There is no limit on the number of times a candidate can appear; candidates who have already qualified may appear again to improve their score, and the higher score certificate is considered during merit-based recruitment.

Qualifying CTET does not guarantee a teaching job — it is one of the mandatory eligibility criteria for appointment as a teacher. Recruitment is conducted separately by individual schools and organisations (KVS, NVS, etc.) who notify their own vacancies, and CTET qualification is a prerequisite to apply. The CTET certificate is mandatory for teaching posts in: Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS); Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS); Central Tibetan Schools; Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS); Army Public Schools; schools under the administrative control of UTs including Chandigarh, Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, and Daman & Diu; and is also accepted or preferred by many CBSE-affiliated private schools across India. As per CBSE Affiliation Bye-Laws, it is mandatory for teachers appointed after 6 March 2012 in CBSE-affiliated schools to have qualified CTET or State TET.

The CTET September 2026 question paper will be developed to assess conceptual understanding, application, problem-solving, reasoning, and critical thinking rather than factual recall — as per the updated CBSE assessment philosophy. Candidates are advised to use NCERT textbooks as the primary preparation resource: Classes I–II NCERT for Paper I and Classes VI–VIII NCERT for Paper II, with particular attention to Child Development and Pedagogy, which appears in both papers and is often the section that differentiates qualifiers from non-qualifiers. Paper II takers must choose their Section IV subject (Maths & Science vs. Social Studies) carefully before applying — this selection appears in the application form and determines which question set you receive on exam day.

CTET September 2026 – Official Links

Admit card, answer key, and result links will be activated on ctet.nic.in as per the official schedule. Candidates should not rely on third-party portals for admit card or result downloads.

CTET September 2026 – Frequently Asked Questions