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CTET: What the Certificate Qualifies You For

CTET (Central Teacher Eligibility Test, conducted by CBSE) is not a job and has no salary of its own. It is an eligibility test: passing it gives you a certificate that counts toward being appointed as a teacher for classes I to VIII. This page sticks to what the CTET information bulletin says about that, and nothing about pay.

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An eligibility test, not a post

The bulletin explains that the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) made passing a Teacher Eligibility Test one of the essential qualifications for a person to be appointed as a teacher for classes I to VIII, and that the Ministry of Education gave CBSE the job of conducting the Central Teacher Eligibility Test.

A person who scores 60% or more is considered to have passed. Qualifying does not give anyone a right to recruitment or employment; it is only one of the eligibility criteria for appointment. The bulletin adds that school managements should give weightage to CTET scores in the recruitment process.

Which paper for which classes

Paper I

For a person who intends to be a teacher for classes I to V (primary stage).

Paper II

For a person who intends to be a teacher for classes VI to VIII (elementary stage).

Both papers

A person who wants to teach both levels appears in Paper I and Paper II.

After you qualify: validity and re-attempts

The CTET certificate is valid for life for all categories. There is no limit on the number of attempts, and a person who has qualified may appear again to improve the score. The bulletin does not describe any career progression or promotion, because CTET is not a service.

Pay

CTET is an eligibility test, not a post, and the bulletin gives no pay or salary figures. For pay, see the recruitment notice of the school or authority you apply to.

The official information bulletin is the authority for the paper pattern, qualifying percentage and where CTET applies, and it can change between editions. Confirm current details on the official CTET website.

Where the CTET certificate counts

As the bulletin states: CTET applies to schools of the Central Government (KVS, NVS, Central Tibetan Schools and others) and to schools under the administration of the UTs of Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep and NCT of Delhi. Unaided private schools may choose to consider it. Schools owned by state governments or local bodies, and aided schools, consider the State TET, although a state can consider CTET if it decides not to conduct its own TET. Teachers appointed since 6 March 2012 to teach classes I to VIII in CBSE-affiliated schools must have qualified CTET or a TET conducted by the appropriate government.

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