CTET Exam Pattern 2026: Paper 1 and Paper 2, No Negative Marking
CTET Exam Pattern 2026: Paper 1 and Paper 2, No Negative Marking
The CTET exam pattern is simple on paper: 150 multiple choice questions, 150 marks, 2 hours 30 minutes, and no negative marking. The details inside that pattern are what decide your score. How many questions are really about pedagogy? Which optional section should a Paper 2 candidate pick? What happens if you leave a bubble blank?
This page answers those questions using only the CTET September 2026 Information Bulletin and the CBSE public notice dated 14 September 2026. The exam was postponed from 6 September and will now be held on 12 and 13 December 2026, so you have roughly 14 extra weeks. Use them to practise the pattern, not just to read about it.
For dates, eligibility and everything else in one place, keep the CTET complete guide open in another tab.
CTET Exam Pattern 2026 at a Glance
Both papers follow the same basic structure. Only the sections and the class level change.
The bulletin list of languages is: English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Garo, Gujarati, Kannada, Khasi, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Mizo, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Tibetan, Urdu, Bodo, Dogri, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Santhali and Sindhi.
CTET Negative Marking: None, and Here Is How to Use That
This is the single biggest scoring advantage in the CTET exam pattern. Each correct answer gives you 1 mark. A wrong answer gives you zero. A blank bubble also gives you zero. So a guess can only add marks, never take them away.
Many candidates come to CTET after banking or SSC exams, where every wrong answer costs a fraction of a mark. They carry that habit of leaving doubtful questions blank. In CTET that habit has no benefit at all.
Rule 1: Attempt all 150 questions
Leaving a question blank and marking it wrong give you exactly the same result on the OMR: zero. So every blank bubble is a mark you gave away without even trying. Your target on exam day should be 150 filled bubbles, not 150 correct answers.
Rule 2: Guess smartly, not blindly
- First remove options you know are wrong. With two options gone, your chance moves from 1 in 4 to 1 in 2.
- In pedagogy questions, options that sound rigid (punishment, rote memory, "only the teacher decides") are often weaker than child-centred options. Treat this as a hint, not a rule.
- Do not change an answer at the last minute without a clear reason. You cannot use an eraser or whitener on the OMR anyway.
Rule 3: Plan the last 15 minutes
With 150 questions in 150 minutes you get exactly one minute per question. Try to finish your first full round in about 135 minutes. Then use the last 15 minutes like this:
- Minutes 1 to 5: scan the OMR for any question you skipped. Match the question number on the booklet with the bubble row.
- Minutes 6 to 12: go back to the doubtful questions you marked in the booklet. Eliminate what you can and fill one option for each.
- Minutes 13 to 15: fill every remaining blank with your best guess. Check that each row has exactly one dark bubble.
Keep your doubt marks in the question booklet, never on the OMR. The bulletin does not allow rough work on the answer sheet.
Illustrative arithmetic: what 30 blank bubbles cost
The numbers below are an example to show the logic. They are not a promise of any score.
Same knowledge, same preparation, different result. Pure random guessing on 30 questions would give about 7 or 8 correct on average (one in four). After removing even one wrong option, the average goes up further. That is the whole case for filling every bubble.
An honest caveat: guessing cannot rescue weak preparation. If you are truly sure of only 50 questions, lucky guesses will not reach 90. No negative marking helps a candidate who is already close to the line, which is most serious candidates.
CTET Paper 1 Exam Pattern (Classes I to V)
Paper 1 is for those who want to teach at the primary stage, Classes I to V. All five sections are compulsory and carry equal weight.
Paper 1 sub-split (Bulletin Appendix I)
Topic lists for each sub-part are in the detailed syllabus. For a section-by-section plan built only for primary level, read the CTET Paper 1 guide.
CTET Paper 2 Exam Pattern (Classes VI to VIII)
Paper 2 is for the elementary stage, Classes VI to VIII. Three sections are common to everyone. The fourth section depends on the subject you want to teach.
Paper 2 sub-split (Bulletin Appendix I)
Maths and Science or Social Studies: which one?
The bulletin rule is plain. A Mathematics or Science teacher takes the Mathematics and Science section. A Social Studies or Social Science teacher takes the Social Studies section. Any other teacher (for example a language teacher) can choose either one.
- Pick Maths and Science if your graduation and B.Ed teaching subjects are in science or maths. It has 20 content questions each in two subjects, so number work and science concepts must both be solid.
- Pick Social Studies if your background is in history, geography or political science. It has 40 content questions across three areas, which means more reading.
- If you are a language teacher, choose the side you scored better in at school level. In our view, the section you can revise twice before December beats the section that looks "easier" to others.
Also check the recruitment notice you are aiming for, because the subject post you apply for later usually has to match. The CTET Paper 2 guide covers both options in more depth.
Content vs Pedagogy Weightage: The Hidden Pattern
Look closely at the sub-splits and you will see that CTET tests teaching ability more than subject knowledge. Here is how we counted it.
How we counted: all 30 CDP questions are counted as pedagogy-related, because CDP is about how children develop and learn. From every subject and language section, only the part the bulletin labels "Pedagogical issues" or "Pedagogy of Language Development" is added. Content and comprehension parts are counted as content.
Paper 1 weightage
So in Paper 1, 30 + 15 + 15 + 15 + 15 = 90 of 150 questions are pedagogy-related. That number equals the 60% pass mark. It does not mean pedagogy alone will pass you, but it shows where your hours should go.
Paper 2 weightage
Paper 2 is more balanced, with more subject content. Still, 80 questions come from the teaching side.
If you are on Paper 1, the free CTET Paper 1 Pedagogy Master Book covers CDP and subject pedagogy together. Paper 2 candidates can use it for the language pedagogy part and for CDP theory, keeping in mind that their CDP focus is the 11 to 14 age group.
Difficulty Level as Stated in the Bulletin
In plain words: a Paper 1 question may start from a Class 4 topic but expect the understanding of a student who has finished the secondary stage. The bulletin also says that for the detailed syllabus you should refer to NCERT syllabus and textbooks of Classes I to VIII. That makes NCERT books your first source, not an optional extra.
Language I and Language II Rules
- Language I tests proficiency in the medium of instruction you plan to teach in.
- Language II must be a language different from Language I. It tests elements of language, communication and comprehension.
- Both are compulsory in both papers, 30 questions each, split into 15 comprehension and 15 pedagogy questions.
- Comprehension is based on unseen prose passages and poems.
A common choice for Hindi-medium candidates is Hindi as Language I and English as Language II, but pick what you can actually read fast. Unseen passages eat time if the language is weak.
OMR Sheet Rules You Must Follow
CTET is not a computer-based test. Your marks depend on how cleanly you fill the OMR. These points come from the bulletin's exam-day instructions:
Visually impaired candidates can get a large-font question paper, as per the bulletin.
Shift Timings: Reference Only
The bulletin schedule for the original 6 September date was as below. CBSE has not yet said which paper will be held on 12 December and which on 13 December, and the December timings will be confirmed on the admit card.
Practical tip: practise mocks at both times of day. If Paper 1 falls in an afternoon slot again, you want your brain used to working at 3 PM.
Qualifying Marks and What Your Score Means
As per the NCTE notification dated 11 February 2011, a person who scores 60% or more is treated as TET pass. In CTET that means 90 out of 150 in the paper you took.
- School managements (government, local bodies, aided and unaided) may give concessions to SC, ST, OBC, differently abled and other categories as per their own reservation policy. The bulletin does not fix a separate reserved-category mark.
- Many recruiting bodies use 55% for reserved categories, but that is the employer's rule, not a CBSE rule.
- CTET has no merit list and no rank. It is a pass or fail test at 60%.
- Passing CTET does not give a right to a job. It is one eligibility condition, and schools are asked to give weightage to CTET scores.
The full explanation, including how recruitment cut-offs differ, is in our page on qualifying marks.
Can You Take Both Papers?
Yes. The bulletin says a person who wants to teach both levels (Classes I to V and Classes VI to VIII) has to appear in both papers. The fee for General/OBC(NCL) is Rs 1000 for one paper and Rs 1200 for both; for SC/ST/Differently abled it is Rs 500 and Rs 600 (GST extra).
If you take both, the CDP and language pedagogy preparation overlaps a lot. The main extra load is the Paper 2 subject content. Since the two papers are on separate shifts, stamina matters, especially if both fall on the same day.
How to Practise This Pattern Before December
Knowing the pattern is one thing. Finishing 150 questions in 150 minutes with a pen is another. Try this:
- Take one full 150-question mock every week, timed at 2 hours 30 minutes, in one sitting.
- Answer on a printed or hand-drawn bubble sheet so you get used to OMR timing.
- After each mock, count how many bubbles you left blank. Bring that number to zero.
- Track section-wise scores and put extra time into the weakest pedagogy part.
The free CTET Paper 1 Full Test Series 2026 has 10 full tests in Hindi and English. With about 14 weeks left, one test a week fits well, with time left for revision. For a week-by-week plan, read our preparation strategy.
Your next step today: write the five Paper 1 sections (or four Paper 2 sections) on a sheet, mark your weakest sub-part from the tables above, and give it the first hour of study tomorrow.
FAQs
Is there negative marking in CTET 2026?
No. The CTET September 2026 Information Bulletin says there is no negative marking. Each correct answer gets 1 mark and a wrong or blank answer gets zero, so you should attempt all 150 questions.
How many questions are there in CTET Paper 1 and Paper 2?
Each paper has 150 MCQs of 1 mark each, for 150 marks. Each paper is 2 hours 30 minutes long.
Is CTET online or offline?
As per the bulletin, CTET is a pen and paper test. You mark answers on an OMR sheet with a blue or black ball point pen. Pencil is not allowed on the OMR.
How many marks are needed to pass CTET?
You need 60%, which is 90 out of 150. Any concession for reserved categories is decided by the school management or recruiting body under its reservation policy, not fixed by the bulletin.
Can a Paper 2 candidate choose both Maths-Science and Social Studies?
No. You take one 60-question section. Maths and Science teachers take the Maths and Science section, Social Studies teachers take Social Studies, and other teachers can choose either.
What are the CTET December 2026 shift timings?
CBSE has not announced them yet. In the original schedule, Paper 2 was from 9:30 AM to 12:00 noon and Paper 1 from 2:30 PM to 5:00 PM. Check your admit card, which comes two days before the exam.
Has the CTET exam pattern changed after the postponement?
The CBSE public notice dated 14 September 2026 changed the exam dates to 12 and 13 December 2026. It does not mention any change in the pattern, so prepare as per the September 2026 Information Bulletin.