Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) Preparation Guide

Want to join one of the most important jobs which will shape the future of India? Well, then you can join the teaching profession. To join this profession at the Primary and Upper Primary level, the CTET exam is important. Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) Exam is a national recruitment process conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education twice a year. Passing CTET exam is a mandatory qualification for teachers of Primary and Upper Primary classes in government schools. Even private schools prefer this qualification while hiring for the same.

CTET Exam Dates 2020:

In view of the ongoing pandemic, CTET exam dates are tentative as of now. However, please take a look at the table below to get some idea about relevant dates this year.

CTET Exam Eligibility Criteria:

Depending on the grades applied for, following are the CTET Exam eligibility criteria:

Age: There is no maximum age limit for CTET exam 2020.

Nationality: Candidate must be a citizen of India

Educational Qualifications:

(i) Primary Level

Candidates must fulfill one of the following: 

(ii) Upper Primary Level

Candidate must fulfill one of the following:

Note: As per new rules, B.Ed candidates have also been deemed to be eligible to fill the CTET online form.

CTET 2020 Vacancy:

Vacancy shall be declared as soon as the final CTET notification for the year is out.

CTET Exam Application Process:

Application for CTET is a fairly simple process. Here are the steps that you would have to do once the CTET online form is out.

1. Go to the CTET official website www.ctet.nic.in.
2. Click on “Apply Online”.
3. Fill all personal and professional details in the CTET online form.
4. Make sure you note down the registration and application numbers in a safe space. These will be needed for all future steps and stages of the application.
5. Upload scanned images of your latest photograph and signature.
6. Pay application fee (details given below) through e-challan or debit card/credit card/net banking.
7. Print the  CTET online form and receipt for future reference.

CTET Exam Application Fee:

For general/OBC category:

1. Rs. 1000 for only paper I or paper II
2. Rs. 1200 for both papers I and II

For SC/ST/Differently Abled category:

1. Rs. 500 for only paper I or paper II
2. Rs. 600 for both papers I and II

CTET 2020 Admit Card:

CTET 2020 admit card will be published once dates are finalised. We shall be updating the information soon. Till then, stay prepared with your registration number and password. Then you only have to download and print it!

Salary Structure:

Salary for teachers as per 7th pay commission are:

For Primary Teachers: 

For Trained Graduate Teachers: 

For Post Graduate Teachers:

CTET Exam 2020 Selection Process:

CTET exam has two test papers. Candidate teachers have to select and qualify the papers as per the classes they want to teach. Following is the division: 

Anyone who scores more than 60% in the respective paper is considered CTET pass. Validity of CTET is of 7 years from date of qualification.

CTET Syllabus:

For the CTET Preparation guide, you need to get to know the entire syllabus that will help to boost your CTET preparation.

CTET Syllabus- Paper I :

1. CTET Child Development and Pedagogy Syllabus

1. Child Development (Primary School Child)
2. The concept of Inclusive education and understanding children with special need
3. Learning and Pedagogy

2. CTET Language I Syllabus

1. Language Comprehension
2. Pedagogy of Language Development

3. CTET Language II Syllabus

1. Language Comprehension
2. Pedagogy of Language Development

4. CTET Syllabus for Maths

1. Math Content
2. Pedagogical issues

5. Environmental Studies

1. EVS Content
2. Pedagogical Issues

CTET Syllabus- Paper II:

1. Child Development and Pedagogy Syllabus

1. Child Development (Elementary School Child)
2. Concept of Inclusive education and understanding children with special needs
3. Learning and Pedagogy

2. Language - I Syllabus

1. Language Comprehension
2. Pedagogy of Language Development

3. Language-II Syllabus

1. Comprehension
2. Pedagogy of Language Development

4. Mathematics Syllabus

1. Content
2. Number System
3. Algebra
4. Geometry
5. Pedagogical issues

5. Science Syllabus

1. Content
2. Food
3. Materials
4. The World of the Living
5. Moving Things People and Ideas
6. How things work
7. Natural Phenomena
8. Natural Resources
9. Pedagogical Issues

6. Social Studies/Social Sciences

Content

1. History
2. Geography
3. Social and Political Life
4. Pedagogical Issues

Note:

Language I and II have to be selected by the applicant, and cannot be the same.

For detailed syllabus, please refer to Annexure I.

CTET 2020 Exam Pattern:

CTET exam Paper I is a 2.5 hours long offline exam with 150 Multiple Choice Questions. Following is the pattern for it:

CTET Paper 2 is also a 2.5 hours long offline exam with 150 Multiple Choice Questions. Following is the pattern for it:

CTET Exam 2020 Cut Off:

General category candidates need to score at least 60% marks, or 90 out of 150 to qualify for the exam. OBC/SC/ST category candidates need to score at least 55% marks, or 82 out of 150 to qualify for the exam.

Annexure I:

Paper I Syllabus for CTET:

1.Child Development and Pedagogy (30 questions):

a) Child Development (Primary School Child) (15 questions)

• Concept of development and its relationship with learning 

• Principles of the development of children 

• Influence of Heredity & Environment 

• Socialization processes: Social world & children (Teacher, Parents, Peers) 

• Piaget, Kohlberg and Vygotsky: constructs and critical perspectives 

• Concepts of child-centered 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, understanding differences based on diversity of language, caste, gender, community, religion etc. 

• Distinction between Assessment for learning and assessment of learning; School-Based Assessment, Continuous & Comprehensive Evaluation: perspective and practice 

• Formulating appropriate questions for assessing readiness levels of learners; for enhancing learning and critical thinking in the classroom and for assessing learner achievement. 

b)Concept of Inclusive education and understanding children with special needs (5 Questions) 

• Addressing learners from diverse backgrounds including disadvantaged and deprived 

• Addressing the needs of children with learning difficulties, ‘impairment’ etc. 

• Addressing the Talented, Creative, Specially abled Learners 

c) Learning and Pedagogy (10 Questions) 

• How children think and learn; how and why children ‘fail’ to achieve success in school performance. 

• Basic processes of teaching and learning; children’s strategies of learning; learning as a social activity; social context of learning. 

• Child as a problem solver and a ‘scientific investigator’ 

• Alternative conceptions of learning in children, understanding children’s ‘errors’ as significant steps in the learning process. 

• Cognition & Emotions • Motivation and learning 

• Factors contributing to learning - personal & environmental 

2. Language I (30 Questions):

a) Language Comprehension (15 Questions)

1. Reading unseen passages - two passages one prose or drama and one poem with questions on comprehension, inference, grammar and verbal ability (Prose passage may be literary, scientific, narrative or discursive) 

b) Pedagogy of Language Development (15 Questions) 

• Learning and acquisition 

• Principles of language Teaching 

•Role of listening and speaking; function of language and how children use it as a tool 

• Critical perspective on the role of grammar in learning a language for communicating ideas verbally and in written form 

• Challenges of teaching language in a diverse classroom; language difficulties, errors and disorders 

• Language Skills 

• Evaluating language comprehension and proficiency: speaking, listening, reading and writing 

• Teaching- learning materials: Textbook, multi-media materials, multilingual resource of the classroom 

• Remedial Teaching 

3. Language - II (30 Questions):

a) Comprehension (15 Questions) 

1. Two unseen prose passages (discursive or literary or narrative or scientific) with question on comprehension, grammar and verbal ability 

b) Pedagogy of Language Development (15 Questions) 

• Learning and acquisition 

• Principles of language Teaching 

• Role of listening and speaking; function of language and how children use it as a tool 

• Critical perspective on the role of grammar in learning a language for communicating ideas verbally and in written form; 

• Challenges of teaching language in a diverse classroom; language difficulties, errors and disorders 

• Language Skills 

• Evaluating language comprehension and proficiency: speaking, listening, reading and writing 

• Teaching - learning materials: Textbook, multimedia materials, multilingual resource of the classroom 

• Remedial Teaching 

4. Mathematics (30 Questions):

a) Content (15 Questions) 

Geometry • Shapes & Spatial Understanding • Solids around Us • Numbers • Addition and Subtraction • Multiplication • Division • Measurement • Weight • Time • Volume • Data Handling • Patterns • Money 

b) Pedagogical issues (15 Questions)

Nature of Mathematics/Logical thinking; understanding children’s thinking and reasoning patterns and strategies of making meaning and learning • Place of Mathematics in Curriculum • Language of Mathematics • Community Mathematics • Evaluation through formal and informal methods • Problems of Teaching • Error analysis and related aspects of learning and teaching • Diagnostic and Remedial Teaching 

5. Environmental Studies (30 Questions):

a) Content (15 Questions) 

i. Family and Friends: 

1.1 Relationships 1.2 Work and Play 1.3 Animals 1.4 Plants ii. Food iii. Shelter iv. Water v. Travel vi. Things We Make and Do 

b) Pedagogical Issues (15 Questions) 

Concept and scope of EVS • Significance of EVS, integrated EVS • Environmental Studies & Environmental Education • Learning Principles • Scope & relation to Science & Social Science • Approaches of presenting concepts • Activities • Experimentation/Practical Work • Discussion • CCE • Teaching material/Aids • Problems 

Syllabus for Paper II (for classes VI to VIII) Elementary Stage 

1. Child Development and Pedagogy (30 Questions) 

a) Child Development (Elementary School Child) (15 Questions) 

• Concept of development and its relationship with learning 

• Principles of the development of children 

• Influence of Heredity & Environment 

• Socialization processes: Social world & children (Teacher, Parents, Peers) 

• Piaget, Kohlberg and Vygotsky: constructs and critical perspectives 

• Concepts of child-centered 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, understanding differences based on diversity of language, caste, gender, community, religion etc. 

• Distinction between Assessment for learning and assessment of learning; School-Based Assessment, Continuous & Comprehensive Evaluation: perspective and practice 

• Formulating appropriate questions for assessing readiness levels of learners; for enhancing learning and critical thinking in the classroom and for assessing learner achievement. 

b) Concept of Inclusive education and understanding children with special needs (5 Questions) 

• Addressing learners from diverse backgrounds including disadvantaged and deprived 

• Addressing the needs of children with learning difficulties, ‘impairment’ etc. 

• Addressing the Talented, Creative, Specially abled Learners 

c) Learning and Pedagogy (10 Questions) 

• How children think and learn; how and why children ‘fail’ to achieve success in school performance. 

• Basic processes of teaching and learning; children’s strategies of learning; learning as a social activity; social context of learning. 

• Child as a problem solver and a ‘scientific investigator’ 

• Alternative conceptions of learning in children, understanding children’s ‘errors’ as significant steps in the learning process. 

• Cognition & Emotions

• Motivation and learning 

• Factors contributing to learning - personal & environmental II. 

2. Language I (30 Questions) 

a) Language Comprehension (15 Questions) 

Reading unseen passages - two passages one prose or drama and one poem with questions on comprehension, inference, grammar and verbal ability (Prose passage may be literary, scientific, narrative or discursive) 

b) Pedagogy of Language Development (15 Questions) 

• Learning and acquisition 

• Principles of language Teaching 

• Role of listening and speaking; function of language and how children use it as a tool 

• Critical perspective on the role of grammar in learning a language for communicating ideas verbally and in written form; 

• Challenges of teaching language in a diverse classroom; language difficulties, errors and disorders

• Language Skills 

• Evaluating language comprehension and proficiency: speaking, listening, reading and writing 

• Teaching- learning materials: Textbook, multi-media materials, multilingual resource of the classroom 

• Remedial Teaching

3. Language-II (30 Questions): 

a) Comprehension (15 Questions) 

Two unseen prose passages (discursive or literary or narrative or scientific) with question on comprehension, grammar and verbal ability 

b) Pedagogy of Language Development (15 Questions) 

• Learning and acquisition 

• Principles of language Teaching 

• Role of listening and speaking; function of language and how children use it as a tool 

• Critical perspective on the role of grammar in learning a language for communicating ideas verbally and in written form; 

• Challenges of teaching language in a diverse classroom; language difficulties, errors and disorders 

• Language Skills 

• Evaluating language comprehension and proficiency: speaking, listening, reading and writing 

• Teaching - learning materials: Textbook, multi-media materials, multilingual resource of the classroom 

• Remedial Teaching 

4. Mathematics and Science (60 Questions) 

(i) Mathematics (30 Questions)

a) Content (20 Questions) 

Number System • Knowing our Numbers • Playing with Numbers • Whole Numbers • Negative Numbers and Integers v• Fractions Algebra • Introduction to Algebra • Ratio and Proportion Geometry • Basic geometrical ideas (2-D) • Understanding Elementary Shapes (2-D and 3-D) • Symmetry: (reflection) • Construction (using Straight edge Scale, protractor, compasses) • Mensuration • Data handling 

b) Pedagogical issues (10 Questions) • Nature of Mathematics/Logical thinking • Place of Mathematics in Curriculum • Language of Mathematics • Community Mathematics • Evaluation • Remedial Teaching • Problem of Teaching 

ii) Science (30 Questions) 

a) Content (20 Questions) 

Food • Sources of food • Components of food v• Cleaning food Materials v• Materials of daily use v The World of the Living v Moving Things People and Ideas How things work • Electric current and circuits v• Magnets v Natural Phenomena Natural Resources b) Pedagogical issues 10 Questions • Nature & Structure of Sciences • Natural Science/Aims & objectives • Understanding & Appreciating Science • Approaches/Integrated Approach • Observation/Experiment/Discovery (Method of Science) • Innovation • Text Material/Aids • Evaluation - cognitive/psychomotor/affective • Problems • Remedial Teaching 

5. Social Studies/Social Sciences (60 Questions) 

a) Content (40 Questions) 

History• When, Where and How • The Earliest Societies • The First Farmers and Herders • The First Cities • Early States • New Ideas • The First Empire • Contacts with Distant lands • Political Developments • Culture and Science • New Kings and Kingdoms • Sultans of Delhi • Architecture • Creation of an Empire • Social Change • Regional Cultures • The Establishment of Company Power • Rural Life and Society • Colonialism and Tribal Societies • The Revolt of 1857-58 • Women and reform • Challenging the Caste System • The Nationalist Movement • India After Independence, Geography: as a social study and as a science • Planet: Earth in the solar system • Globe • Environment in its totality: natural and human environment • Air • Water • Human Environment: settlement, transport and communication • Resources: Types-Natural and Human • Agriculture Social and Political Life • Diversity • Government • Local Government • Making a Living • Democracy • State Government • Understanding Media • Unpacking Gender • The Constitution • Parliamentary Government • The Judiciary • Social Justice and the Marginalised 

b) Pedagogical issues (20 Questions) 

• Concept & Nature of Social Science/Social Studies • Class Room Processes, activities and discourse • Developing Critical thinking • Enquiry/Empirical Evidence • Problems of teaching Social Science/Social Studies • Sources - Primary & Secondary • Projects Work • Evaluation

This was the entire Central Teacher Eligibility Test Preparation Guide that candidates should know to be aware of the CTET Exam. Clearing this exam will open many gates for teachers as they can apply anywhere they want. Good luck to all!