CTET Syllabus 2026, Know Primary & Upper Primary Exam Pattern

CTET Syllabus 2026: The Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) 2026 is a national-level examination conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to assess the eligibility of candidates aspiring to become teachers in primary and upper primary schools across India. It serves as a gateway for teaching positions in government, central, and private schools such as Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVS) and Navodaya Vidyalayas (NVS). The CTET exam comprises two papers – Paper I for classes I to V (Primary Stage) and Paper II for classes VI to VIII (Elementary Stage). Candidates who wish to teach both levels need to appear for both papers.

The CTET 2026 syllabus is designed to evaluate a candidate’s conceptual understanding, pedagogical knowledge, and teaching aptitude. It covers essential subjects such as Child Development and Pedagogy, Language I & II, Mathematics, Environmental Studies, Science, and Social Studies. Each section tests both subject knowledge and the ability to apply educational psychology in classroom situations. A deep understanding of the CTET syllabus helps candidates prepare effectively and improve their chances of success. Clearing the CTET exam not only enhances teaching credentials but also opens up vast opportunities for a stable and respected career in education across India.

CTET Syllabus 2026 for Papers 1 and 2

The syllabus for the CTET 2026 is for both Primary Level (Classes I–V, Paper 1) and Upper‐Primary Level (Classes VI–VIII, Paper 2). The syllabus is based on the latest available information and previous years’ editions (the official 2026 version is expected shortly).

CTET Paper 1 Syllabus for Primary Stage (Classes I-V)

Subjects (150 questions, 150 marks, 2½ hours).

1. Child Development & Pedagogy

Focus: Children aged ~6-11 years (Primary school).
Key topics:

• Concept of development and its relationship with learning.

• Principles of the development of children.

• Influence of heredity & environment.

• Socialisation processes: social world & children (Teacher, Parents, Peers).

• Piaget, Kohlberg and Vygotsky: constructs and critical perspectives.

• Concepts of child-centred and progressive education.

• Critical perspective of the construct of intelligence.

• Multi-dimensional intelligence.

• Language & thought.

• Gender as a social construct; gender roles, gender-bias and educational practice.

• Individual differences among learners (diversity: language, caste, gender, community, religion).

• Assessment: distinction between Assessment for Learning and Assessment of Learning; School-Based Assessment, Continuous & Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE): perspective & practice.

• Teaching-learning process: how children think & learn; how children’s development is reflected in classroom practice; what motivates children; how children construct knowledge; how children learn language; alternative conceptual frameworks; cognition & experiences. (Typically included though not always explicitly itemised in all summaries.)

• Inclusive education: children with special needs, addressing diverse needs, learning styles.

• Teaching-learning materials, evaluation, remediation, and improvement of learning. (Often part of pedagogy section.)

2. Language I (Compulsory)

Focus: Proficiency in the language of instruction (e.g., English/Hindi).
Key topics:

• Reading comprehension: one unseen passage.

• Pedagogy of language development: Language skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing), function of language and how children use it for thinking and learning.

• Vocabulary, grammar and usage in context.

• Errors and correction, sentence structure.

• Role of grammar; language for thinking and learning; bilingualism/multilingualism.

• Teaching and learning of language: children’s difficulties in writing, reading; difference between first and second language; stages of language acquisition; role of listening and speaking in language development.

• Remedial teaching.

• Reading aloud, classroom interaction; teaching of listening.

3. Language II (Compulsory)

Focus: A second language (different from Language I) selected from the options.
Key topics:

• Reading comprehension: one or two unseen passages (prose and/or poetry).

• Pedagogy of language development (similar to Language I but second language context).

• Grammar & usage, vocabulary, figurative expressions.

• Teaching learning materials and resources; addressing learners’ difficulties; teaching language through role‐play, dramatization, peer learning.

• Language & thought; language across the curriculum.

4. Mathematics

Focus: For primary classes (I-V) teaching.
Key topics:

• Number system: whole numbers, integers, fractions, decimals, etc.

• Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division.

• Geometry: shapes & spatial understanding, solids around us.

• Data handling: collection, organisation, interpretation of data.

• Measurement: length, area, volume, time, money, etc.

• Pedagogical issues: what children learn, how they learn, how to teach mathematics, problems children face, error analysis.

• Patterns, shapes, spatial sense, operations, problem solving in everyday life.

5. Environmental Studies (EVS)

Focus: For primary level (I-V).
Key topics:

• Family and friends.

• Food: types of food, sources, balanced diet.

• Shelter: homes, types of houses, basic amenities.

• Water: sources, water cycle, conservation.

• Travel: means of transport, safety, journeys.

• Things we make and do (work people do, how things are made).

• Pedagogical issues: connecting environment with local context, addressing children’s experiences, observation and hands‐on learning.

• Environmental awareness and inter-relationship between components of environment.

• Resources: natural and manmade, interactions, basic climatic aspects.

CTET Paper 2 Syllabus for Upper Primary Stage (Classes VI-VIII)

Subjects (150 questions, 150 marks, 2½ hours).

1. Child Development & Pedagogy

Focus: Children aged ~11-14 years (Upper Primary).
Key topics:

• Growth and development during adolescence; physical, cognitive, social, emotional changes.

• Learning theories & processes: constructivism, Piaget/Vygotsky, Kohlberg etc.

• Motivation, principles of learning, transfer of learning.

• Individual differences among learners (including those with special needs).

• Inclusive education, children with special needs, addressing diversity.

• Teaching–learning process: how adolescents learn; how teachers facilitate; role of peers, teachers, parents, community.

• Classroom management, assessment of learning, remediation, evaluation.

• Continuous & comprehensive evaluation; assessment for learning; teaching strategies for different subjects.

• ICT in education, educational psychology in upper primary context.

2. Language I (Compulsory)

Focus: Medium of instruction language for upper primary.
Key topics:

• Reading comprehension: often one prose/drama passage and one poem.

• Pedagogy of language development: listening & speaking, reading & writing, role of grammar, vocabulary, language across curriculum.

• Issues in language teaching: multilingualism, bilingualism, error analysis, remediation.

• Strategies to teach language: cooperative learning, peer tutoring, use of technology.

• Teaching grammar & usage in context; role of communication; functions of language.

3. Language II (Compulsory)

Focus: A different language chosen as second language at upper primary level.
Key topics:

• Reading comprehension: usually two prose passages (literary/discursive/narrative).

• Pedagogy of language development (similar to Language I but in second language context).

• Grammar & usage, teaching vocabulary, error analysis, multilingual classroom issues.

• Teaching resources, materials, strategies for language learning, reading aloud, dramatization, language across curriculum.

4. Mathematics & Science OR Social Studies / Social Science

Candidates choose one of the two based on their subject‐specialisation.

If you choose Mathematics & Science

Key topics:
Mathematics:

• Number system, algebra, geometry, mensuration.

• Data handling, ratio & proportion, percentage, profit & loss, statistics. (In some detailed outlines.)

• Pedagogy of mathematics teaching for upper primary: problem-solving, reasoning, connection between concepts, error analysis.

Science:

• Food, materials, natural phenomena, natural resources.

• The world of the living (plants, animals, human body), electricity & magnetism, light, sound, force, motion, energy, environment, chemical substances.

• Scientific inquiry & pedagogy: how children learn science, laboratory activities, concept visualization, experiment‐based learning, assessment in science.

If you choose Social Studies / Social Science

Key topics:

• History: major periods of Indian history, medieval & modern history, freedom movement.

• Geography: physical geography, resources, climate, human geography, Indian geography.

• Political Science / Civics: democratic politics, government, rights and duties, social justice.

• Economics (upper primary level): basic concepts of economy, resources, production, consumption.

• Pedagogical issues: social science teaching, sources of information, maps & atlases, children’s experiences and local context, evaluation in social science.

CTET Preparation / Study Tips

• The syllabus for CTET 2026 remains almost the same as previous years.

• Make sure you refer to NCERT textbooks for Classes I–VIII because most of the content is drawn from them.

• Focus not only on subject knowledge but also on pedagogical aspects (how to teach, how children learn) — this is very important for the pedagogy sections.

• Practice previous years’ CTET papers and sample questions for time management.

• For Languages I & II: practice reading comprehensions and grammar/usage in the context of teaching.

• For Mathematics, Science, EVS, Social Studies: focus on concepts + pedagogy + how you would teach that concept to children.

• For Child Development & Pedagogy: understand theories of learning and development, inclusive education, assessment methods, children’s differences.

CTET Syllabus in Hindi

यहाँ CTET (Central Teacher Eligibility Test) के Paper 1 और Paper 2 का पूरा सिलेबस हिंदी में दिया गया है, जो CBSE CTET 2025 परीक्षा के अनुसार है।

CTET पेपर 1 सिलेबस (कक्षा 1 से 5 के लिए – प्राथमिक शिक्षक)

1. बाल विकास और शिक्षाशास्त्र (Child Development and Pedagogy) – 30 अंक

उद्देश्य: शिक्षण और बाल विकास की समझ का मूल्यांकन करना।

(A) बाल विकास (6 से 11 वर्ष आयु समूह)

• विकास की अवधारणा और इसका शिक्षण से संबंध

• बाल विकास के सिद्धांत (पियाजे, कोहल्बर्ग, व्यगोत्स्की)

• व्यक्तिगत भिन्नताएँ और सीखने में भूमिका

• सीखने के प्रभावकारी कारक

(B) शिक्षाशास्त्र

• सीखने की प्रक्रिया और प्रकार

• सीखने के सिद्धांत (स्किनर, पावलोव, थॉर्नडाइक)

• प्रेरणा और सीखने का संबंध

• शिक्षण विधियाँ और बाल केंद्रित दृष्टिकोण

(C) समावेशी शिक्षा और विशेष आवश्यकताओं वाले बच्चे

• विशेष आवश्यकता वाले बच्चों की पहचान

• समावेशी शिक्षा की अवधारणा

• बहुसांस्कृतिक समाज में शिक्षण

2. भाषा – I (Language I) – 30 अंक

(आमतौर पर हिंदी)

• भाषा की प्रकृति, विकास, और उपयोग

• भाषा कौशल: सुनना, बोलना, पढ़ना, लिखना

• व्याकरण और भाषा शिक्षण की पद्धतियाँ

• रचनात्मक लेखन, वाचन कौशल

• शिक्षण सामग्री और संसाधन

3. भाषा – II (Language II) – 30 अंक

(जैसे – अंग्रेज़ी / संस्कृत / उर्दू)

• दूसरी भाषा सीखने की प्रक्रिया

• संप्रेषण कौशल और व्याकरण

• भाषा शिक्षण की रणनीतियाँ

• पठन समझ (Comprehension)

• शिक्षण में भाषा का प्रयोग

4. गणित – 30 अंक

अवधारणा + शिक्षण पद्धति

• संख्याएँ, जोड़, घटाव, गुणा, भाग

• ज्यामिति की मूल बातें

• माप, समय, लंबाई, भार, आयतन

• पैटर्न और डेटा हैंडलिंग

• शिक्षण के लिए समस्या समाधान पद्धति

• गणितीय अवधारणाओं का दैनिक जीवन में उपयोग

5. पर्यावरण अध्ययन (EVS) – 30 अंक

अवधारणा + शिक्षण पद्धति

• हमारे आस-पास का पर्यावरण

• परिवार और मित्र

• भोजन, जल, पौधे, जानवर

• कार्य और यात्रा

• विज्ञान और पर्यावरण की बुनियादी अवधारणाएँ

• EVS शिक्षण में स्थानीय संसाधनों का उपयोग

CTET पेपर 2 सिलेबस (कक्षा 6 से 8 के लिए – उच्च प्राथमिक शिक्षक)

1. बाल विकास और शिक्षाशास्त्र (Child Development & Pedagogy) – 30 अंक

(पेपर 1 के समान लेकिन 11–14 वर्ष आयु समूह के लिए)

(A) बाल विकास

• किशोरावस्था में विकास और परिवर्तन

• बौद्धिक और सामाजिक विकास

• शिक्षण अधिगम के सिद्धांत और अनुप्रयोग

(B) समावेशी शिक्षा

• विशेष आवश्यकता वाले बच्चों की शिक्षा

• लैंगिक भेदभाव, समानता और शिक्षा

(C) शिक्षण-अधिगम की प्रक्रिया

• अधिगम की प्रेरणा, दृष्टिकोण

• कक्षा में व्यवहार प्रबंधन

• शिक्षण के सिद्धांत और विधियाँ

2. भाषा – I (Language I) – 30 अंक

(जैसे हिंदी)

• भाषा का स्वभाव, व्याकरण, और शिक्षण

• भाषा कौशलों का एकीकृत विकास

• शिक्षण रणनीतियाँ और पद्धतियाँ

• रचनात्मक लेखन, वाचन, श्रवण कौशल

3. भाषा – II (Language II) – 30 अंक

(जैसे अंग्रेज़ी)

• दूसरी भाषा का शिक्षण

• संप्रेषण आधारित शिक्षण

• पठन समझ, लेखन कौशल

• शिक्षण-सामग्री और मूल्यांकन

4. विषय-वस्तु एवं शिक्षणशास्त्र (Subject Specific) – 60 अंक

(A) गणित और विज्ञान (Maths & Science Teachers)

गणित:

• संख्याएँ, बीजगणित, अनुपात और समानुपात

• क्षेत्रफल, आयतन, रेखाएँ, कोण, त्रिभुज

• आँकड़े और प्रायिकता

• गणित शिक्षण की विधियाँ

विज्ञान:

• पदार्थ, ऊर्जा, बल, गति

• जीव विज्ञान की मूल अवधारणाएँ

• पर्यावरण संतुलन

• विज्ञान शिक्षण की प्रक्रिया और प्रयोग

(B) सामाजिक अध्ययन / सामाजिक विज्ञान (Social Studies Teachers)

• इतिहास: भारत और विश्व का इतिहास, सभ्यताएँ

• भूगोल: पृथ्वी, जलवायु, संसाधन, पर्यावरण

• राजनीतिक विज्ञान: भारतीय संविधान, शासन व्यवस्था

• शिक्षण पद्धतियाँ, मानचित्र कौशल

FAQs

Q1. What is the CTET Exam 2026?
The Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) is a national-level exam conducted by CBSE to determine the eligibility of candidates for teaching positions in Classes I–VIII in central government schools and other affiliated institutions.

Q2. How many papers are there in CTET 2026?
There are two papers in CTET 2026:

• Paper 1: For candidates who wish to teach Classes I–V (Primary Level).

• Paper 2: For candidates who wish to teach Classes VI–VIII (Upper Primary Level).

Candidates who wish to teach Classes I–VIII must appear in both papers.

Q3. What are the main subjects in CTET Paper 1?
CTET Paper 1 (for Classes I–V) includes:

1. Child Development and Pedagogy

2. Language I (compulsory)

3. Language II (compulsory)

4. Mathematics

5. Environmental Studies

Q4. What are the subjects in CTET Paper 2?
CTET Paper 2 (for Classes VI–VIII) includes:

1. Child Development and Pedagogy

2. Language I (compulsory)

3. Language II (compulsory)

4. Subject-specific section:

   • Mathematics & Science (for Science/Maths teachers)

   • Social Studies/Social Science (for Social Science teachers)

Q5. What is the total number of questions and marks in CTET 2026?
Each paper contains 150 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) carrying 1 mark each, with no negative marking.

• Total Marks: 150

• Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes

Q6. What is the syllabus for the Child Development and Pedagogy section?
This section tests understanding of educational psychology, learning theories, child-centered teaching, and inclusive education.
Key topics:

• Concept of development and its relationship with learning

• Principles of child development

• The concept of inclusive education

• Learning and motivation theories (Piaget, Vygotsky, Kohlberg, etc.)

Q7. What topics are covered in the Language sections?

• Language I: Focuses on proficiency in the medium of instruction (comprehension, grammar, pedagogy of language).

• Language II: Emphasizes comprehension, grammar, and language pedagogy, usually in a second language (e.g., English or Hindi).

Q8. What is included in the Mathematics syllabus for Paper 1 and Paper 2?

• Paper 1: Basic concepts of Arithmetic, Geometry, Measurement, and Data Handling.

• Paper 2: Advanced Mathematics including Algebra, Geometry, Mensuration, and Pedagogical issues.

Q9. What does the Environmental Studies (EVS) section cover in Paper 1?
The EVS section focuses on environmental awareness, social studies, and science-based concepts such as:

• Family and Friends

• Food and Shelter

• Water, Travel, Things We Make and Do

• Pedagogical issues related to EVS teaching.

Q10. What are the main topics in Social Studies/Social Science for Paper 2?
It includes:

• History, Geography, Social and Political Life

• Pedagogical issues in Social Science teaching

• Basic understanding of social and cultural context, civics, and economics.

Q11. Is there any negative marking in CTET 2026?
No, there is no negative marking. Candidates should attempt all questions.

Q12. What is the qualifying percentage for CTET 2026?

• General Category: 60% (90 marks out of 150)

• OBC/SC/ST: 55% (82 marks out of 150)

Q13. Is the CTET 2026 syllabus different from the previous year?
No, the CTET syllabus 2026 remains largely the same as previous years. However, candidates should refer to the latest CBSE CTET notification for any minor updates.

Q14. What type of questions are asked in CTET?
All questions are objective (MCQs) based on conceptual understanding, pedagogy, and application of teaching methods.

Q15. Which books are best for CTET syllabus preparation?

• Child Development & Pedagogy: Shashi Bhushan or Arihant Publication

• Language I & II: NCERT Grammar Books and CTET Language Guides

• Mathematics & EVS: NCERT Books (Class 1–8)

• Social Studies: NCERT Books (Class 6–8)

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