CTET 2026 will be held on 12 and 13 December
CBSE has fixed the Central Teacher Eligibility Test for 12 and 13 December 2026. Both papers are computer-based, 150 questions in 2 hours 30 minutes, with no negative marking. City slips come 15 days before, admit cards two days before.
The Central Board of Secondary Education has announced that the Central Teacher Eligibility Test will be held on 12 and 13 December 2026, with details published at ctet.nic.in.
The exam
- Paper 1 — for candidates who want to teach Classes 1 to 5
- Paper 2 — for candidates who want to teach Classes 6 to 8
- Mode: computer-based test
- Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes per paper
- Pattern: 150 multiple-choice questions, 150 marks, no negative marking
Candidates who intend to teach across both stages sit both papers. The application window for this cycle was reopened from 25 August to 1 September 2026.
The two documents, and when they arrive
The city intimation slip is issued about 15 days before the exam and tells you which city you have been allotted — that is your cue to book travel and accommodation, and it is not an admit card. The admit card follows roughly two days before the exam with the exact centre address and reporting time. Waiting for the admit card to plan a journey to another city is how candidates end up paying triple for a last-minute ticket.
How to use three months well
No negative marking changes the strategy: every question should be attempted, and time management beats selective accuracy. The paper that decides most results is Child Development and Pedagogy — thirty marks that candidates from a subject background routinely under-prepare because it feels less technical than the content sections. It is also the section where CTET's own past papers are the best available guide, because the framing of pedagogy questions is specific to this exam.
Start with two full past papers under exam timing this month. The score will be unflattering and it will tell you exactly which of the five sections to spend October on.
CareerBox News Desk — reporting on the CTET December 2026 examination schedule notified by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Official portal: ctet.nic.in. Dates and eligibility change; confirm them on the official portal before you act.