CTET eligibility explained: Paper 1 needs 10+2 with 50% plus D.El.Ed, Paper 2 needs graduation plus B.Ed, and you must score 60% (90 of 150) to qualify.
CTET eligibility depends on which paper you take: Paper I qualifies you to teach classes 1 to 5 and needs Senior Secondary (10+2) with at least 50% marks plus a teacher-training course such as D.El.Ed, while Paper II qualifies you for classes 6 to 8 and needs a graduation degree plus a teaching qualification like B.Ed. To pass, you must score at least 60% (90 out of 150 marks) in each paper, with a 5% relaxation for reserved categories. The Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) is conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), and the certificate is now valid for lifetime.
You may take Paper I only, Paper II only, or both, based on the level you want to teach. There is no upper age limit for CTET itself. This guide covers CTET Paper 1 eligibility, CTET Paper 2 eligibility, the exact CTET qualifying marks, the age rules and certificate validity, period-anchored to the CTET September 2026 session, with the exam held on 6 September 2026. Always confirm the exact combinations on the official portal ctet.nic.in before you apply.
CTET Paper 1 eligibility is for candidates who want to teach primary classes 1 to 5. The core rule is Senior Secondary (10+2) with at least 50% marks plus a recognised elementary teacher-training qualification (passed or in the final year). Reserved categories get a 5% relaxation on the minimum marks. There is no upper age limit for the test itself.
You qualify for Paper I if you meet any one of these commonly accepted combinations:
Candidates in the final year of the training course can usually apply too, but you must confirm the exact wording and percentage combinations for your case on ctet.nic.in, since the branches vary slightly by cycle.
CTET Paper 2 eligibility is for candidates who want to teach upper primary classes 6 to 8. The core rule is a graduation degree plus a professional teaching qualification such as a 1-year B.Ed or a 2-year D.El.Ed (passed or in the final year). As with Paper I, reserved categories get a 5% relaxation, and there is no upper age limit.
You qualify for Paper II if you meet any one of these commonly accepted combinations:
Because the acceptable percentage and course pairings differ by category and cycle, confirm the exact combinations on ctet.nic.in before applying. If you want to teach across both levels, you can appear for Paper I and Paper II in the same CTET session.
The CTET qualifying marks are 60%, which means you need at least 90 out of 150 marks to qualify a paper. Reserved category candidates (SC, ST, OBC and PwD) qualify at 55%, that is 82 out of 150 marks, per CBSE norms. Each paper carries 150 marks with no negative marking, so every one of the 150 questions is a scoring chance.
| Category | Minimum % | Marks out of 150 |
|---|---|---|
| General / unreserved | 60% | 90 |
| SC / ST / OBC / PwD | 55% | 82 |
These are the CBSE qualifying marks for the certificate itself. Individual states, boards and private schools that use CTET for recruitment may set their own higher cut-offs, so a qualified score is the entry ticket, not a guarantee of selection. Since CTET has no negative marking, attempt every question, because a blank answer scores 0 while a guess still has a chance to add to your 150.
There is no upper age limit for CTET itself. The minimum age is typically 18 years (some sources state 17), and once you meet the education criteria you can appear as many times as you like, with no cap on the number of attempts. The certificate you earn is what matters, not your age at the time of the test.
Keep one distinction clear: CTET is only an eligibility test, so its own age rules are minimal. The recruiting bodies that later use your CTET certificate, such as KVS, NVS, central government schools and various state and private schools, set their own age limits and relaxations for actual teacher recruitment. Confirm the CTET minimum age and any recruitment age bands on ctet.nic.in and on each recruiter's notification.
The CTET certificate is valid for lifetime for all categories. CBSE removed the earlier 7-year validity limit, so once you qualify, your CTET certificate never expires and you do not need to re-take the test to keep your eligibility. This lifetime validity applies to qualifications earned from 2011 onwards.
Lifetime validity is a major advantage: you can qualify once, then apply to teacher recruitments over many years as vacancies open across KVS, NVS and state schools. You may still choose to re-appear to improve your score, since many recruiters look at the actual marks, but you are never forced to re-qualify because your certificate lapsed.
After qualifying CTET, you become eligible to apply for teacher posts in central government schools and in the many states and private schools that accept CTET. CTET is an eligibility test and not a direct recruitment, so the certificate is the key that lets you apply where teacher vacancies open, but selection then depends on each recruiter's own process.
With a Paper I certificate you can apply for primary teacher (classes 1 to 5) posts, and with Paper II for upper primary teacher (classes 6 to 8) posts, in bodies such as KVS, NVS and central government schools, plus states and private schools that recognise CTET. For the CTET September 2026 session, the application fee is typically Rs 1000 for one paper and Rs 1200 for both papers for General and OBC candidates, and Rs 500 for one paper and Rs 600 for both for SC, ST and PwD candidates. Confirm the current fee on ctet.nic.in.
Once your eligibility is clear, the next step is scoring above the qualifying line. Quiz4Exam supports your CTET journey with full and sectional mock tests for Paper I and Paper II, child development and pedagogy practice, and detailed solutions in a trilingual interface. Start with our CTET mock tests, follow a structured CTET preparation strategy, and check the full CTET syllabus and exam pattern so your practice matches the real 150-mark paper.
Always confirm the latest eligibility branches, age rules, fees and dates on the official website before applying.
For CTET 2026, Paper I needs Senior Secondary (10+2) with at least 50% marks plus a 2-year D.El.Ed or equivalent, to teach classes 1 to 5. Paper II needs a graduation degree plus a 1-year B.Ed or 2-year D.El.Ed, to teach classes 6 to 8. Reserved categories get a 5% relaxation on the minimum marks.
The CTET qualifying marks are 60%, which is 90 out of 150 marks in each paper. Reserved category candidates (SC, ST, OBC and PwD) qualify at 55%, that is 82 out of 150 marks, per CBSE norms. There is no negative marking, so every question is a scoring chance towards the 150-mark total.
There is no upper age limit for CTET itself, and the minimum age is typically 18 years. You can appear as many times as you like with no cap on attempts. However, the recruiting bodies that later use your CTET certificate, such as KVS, NVS and state schools, set their own age limits for actual teacher recruitment.
The CTET certificate is valid for lifetime for all categories. CBSE removed the earlier 7-year validity limit, so once you qualify, your certificate never expires and you need not re-take the test. This lifetime validity applies to qualifications earned from 2011 onwards, letting you apply to teacher recruitments over many years.
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Yes, candidates in the final year of a recognised teacher-training course such as D.El.Ed, B.El.Ed or B.Ed can usually apply for CTET, both Paper I and Paper II. You appear as appearing or pursuing, but you must confirm the exact final-year combinations and percentage rules for your case on the official portal ctet.nic.in before applying.
