The 22nd edition of the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET), which CBSE announced as CTET September 2026, will now be held on 12 and 13 December 2026. It was first set for Sunday, 6 September. In late August CBSE reopened the form for eligible candidates who had missed it, and on 14 September it issued a notice with the new dates. The exam city slip comes about 15 days before the exam and the admit card about two days before it.
22nd CTET: the schedule
| Step | Date |
|---|---|
| Public notice and information bulletin | May 2026 |
| First application window | 11 May to 10 June 2026 |
| Form reopened for eligible candidates | 25 August to 1 September 2026 |
| Correction window, last date | 10 September 2026 |
| Notice of the new exam dates | 14 September 2026 |
| Exam city slip | About 15 days before the exam |
| Admit card | About two days before the exam |
| Exam | 12 and 13 December 2026 |
Why the date moved
CBSE reopened the form from 25 August to 1 September 2026. Its notice cited the Supreme Court’s emphasis on giving eligible teachers a reasonable opportunity to meet the statutory requirement of a teacher eligibility test, and the many requests from candidates who could not apply in May and June. The exam of 6 September was postponed when the form reopened, and the notice of 14 September fixed 12 and 13 December instead. Candidates who had applied earlier did not have to apply again.
NAAC A++
NIRF #2 (2025)Jawaharlal Nehru UniversityNew Delhi, DelhiAdmission: CUET UG, CUET PG, NET/JRFEst. 1969View details
NAAC A++
NIRF #4 (2025)Jamia Millia IslamiaNew Delhi, DelhiAdmission: CUET UG, CUET PG, NET/JRFEst. 1920 · 239 acresView details
NAAC A++
NIRF #5 (2025)University of DelhiNew Delhi, DelhiAdmission: CUET UG, CUET PG, JEE MainEst. 1922View details
NAAC A
NIRF #6 (2025)Banaras Hindu UniversityVaranasi, Uttar PradeshAdmission: CUET UG, CUET PG, NET/JRFEst. 1916 · 1300 acresView details
NAAC A+
NIRF #10 (2025)Aligarh Muslim UniversityAligarh, Uttar PradeshAdmission: CUET UG, NET/JRF, NEET UGEst. 1920View details
NAAC A+
NIRF #18 (2025)University of HyderabadHyderabad, TelanganaAdmission: CUET UG, CUET PG, NET/JRFEst. 1974 · 2000 acresView details
NAAC A++
NIRF #37 (2025)Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar UniversityLucknow, Uttar PradeshAdmission: CUET UG, CUET PG, NET/JRFEst. 1996View details
NAAC A+
NIRF #77 (2025)Central University of PunjabBathinda, PunjabAdmission: CUET UG, CUET PG, NET/JRFEst. 2009 · 500 acresView details
NAAC A+
NIRF #79 (2025)Tezpur UniversityTezpur, AssamAdmission: CUET UG, CUET PG, NET/JRFEst. 1994 · 262 acresView details
NAAC A
NIRF #82 (2025)Mizoram UniversityAizawl, MizoramAdmission: CUET UG, CUET PG, NET/JRFEst. 2000View detailsThe two papers
| Paper | For teaching | Questions and marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper I | Classes I to V | 150 multiple-choice questions, 150 marks | 2 hours 30 minutes |
| Paper II | Classes VI to VIII | 150 multiple-choice questions, 150 marks | 2 hours 30 minutes |
A candidate can sit one paper or both. There is no negative marking. The bulletin of this edition lists 132 exam cities.
Who can sit which paper
- Paper I (Classes I to V): Class 12 with the marks the bulletin sets and a two-year Diploma in Elementary Education, or a four-year B.El.Ed., or a student in the final year of these courses.
- Paper II (Classes VI to VIII): graduation with a two-year D.El.Ed., or graduation with the marks the bulletin sets and a B.Ed., or a four-year integrated B.A. B.Ed. or B.Sc. B.Ed., or a student in the final year of these courses.
The bulletin of the edition gives the exact combinations and the marks for each category. Read it before relying on any summary, this one included: the rules for Paper I in particular have changed over the years.
Fee
| Category | One paper | Both papers |
|---|---|---|
| General and OBC (NCL) | Rs. 1,000 | Rs. 1,200 |
| SC, ST and differently abled | Rs. 500 | Rs. 600 |
Passing CTET
A score of 60% or more, 90 out of 150, counts as CTET qualified. The bulletin lets school managements give concessions to SC, ST, OBC and differently abled candidates under their own reservation policy. The certificate is valid for life, and a candidate who has qualified can still sit again to improve the score.
Why it matters to Central University students
CTET is the step after a teaching degree. Students of the four-year ITEP that many Central Universities admit to through NCET, of the two-year B.Ed. and of the integrated B.A. B.Ed. and B.Sc. B.Ed. sit it to become eligible for teaching posts in Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodaya Vidyalayas and the many schools that accept it. The CTET page of this site lists those programmes at Central Universities along with every step of the exam.
What comes next
- The exam city slip, about 15 days before 12 December.
- The admit card, about two days before the exam, with the paper, the date and the centre.
- The exam on 12 and 13 December, then the answer key and the scanned OMR images with a challenge window, and the result on the CBSE results website.
How the application ran is in 22nd CTET application and the correction rules in 22nd CTET correction window.
