Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)
The CTET 2026 exam pattern has two papers. Paper I is for eligibility to teach Classes I-V, while Paper II is for Classes VI-VIII. Each paper contains 150 multiple-choice questions for 150 marks and lasts 2.5 hours. Every correct answer earns 1 mark, and there is no negative marking. Candidates seeking eligibility for both teaching levels must appear in both papers.
Direct answer: Paper I has five compulsory 30-question sections. Paper II has three common 30-question sections plus one 60-question subject block: Mathematics and Science or Social Studies/Social Science. Language I and Language II must be different.
Source checked: 22 August 2026. The rules below come from the CTET September 2026 Information Bulletin and public notice issued by the Central Board of Secondary Education, or CBSE.
The two papers use the same total questions, marks and duration, but they are not interchangeable. Paper I tests the structure set for the primary stage. Paper II uses the structure set for the upper-primary stage and requires the candidate to take one of its two 60-question subject blocks. Your educational qualification still has to satisfy the applicable route for the paper you select. Check the CTET eligibility criteria → separately because the pattern does not decide whether a candidate is eligible to apply.
Paper I is the paper for a candidate seeking CTET eligibility to teach Classes I-V. It has five sections, and all five are compulsory. Each section contributes 30 questions and 30 marks, so no single section carries more marks than another.
There is no optional subject block in Paper I. Mathematics and Environmental Studies are both part of the compulsory paper, alongside Child Development and Pedagogy and the two different language sections. A preparation plan that omits one of these sections leaves 30 of the paper's 150 marks uncovered.
The equal 30-mark split also makes section scores easy to compare during practice. A low score in one section cannot be replaced by choosing a different section on examination day because the official pattern requires all five. For the topics and official content scope within each section, use the CTET syllabus 2026 →.
Paper II is for a candidate seeking CTET eligibility to teach Classes VI-VIII. It contains three common 30-question sections and one 60-question subject block. The common sections total 90 questions. The selected subject block supplies the remaining 60, bringing the paper to 150 questions and 150 marks.
The word or in the subject row matters. A Paper II candidate takes one 60-question block, not both 60-question blocks within the same paper. The common sections do not change with the subject choice. Whichever block is selected, the complete Paper II total remains 150 questions, 150 marks and 2.5 hours.
Do not read the 60-question block as an extra paper. It is one part of Paper II and accounts for 40% of its marks. The other 60% comes from Child Development and Pedagogy and the two language sections.
The CTET bulletin ties the Paper II subject block to the intended teaching category. Use the rule as written instead of choosing only by which section appears easier.
For Mathematics or Science teaching, the relevant block is Mathematics and Science. For Social Studies or Social Science teaching, the relevant block is Social Studies/Social Science. A candidate in another teaching category chooses either block as allowed by the bulletin. This last rule should not be stretched into a claim that the subject choice will satisfy every future recruitment notice. A recruiting authority can have separate subject, degree and post requirements.
The subject-block decision changes 60 questions, but it does not change the common 90 questions or the paper total. It also does not convert Paper II into Paper I eligibility. If your intended level includes Classes I-V, use the both-paper rule below and check your education route on the eligibility page.
Both papers contain Language I and Language II, with 30 questions and 30 marks in each language section. The central selection rule is simple: Language II must be different from Language I. A candidate cannot use the same language for both 30-question sections.
The CTET September 2026 public notice says the examination is conducted in 27 languages. The Information Bulletin also says the main question paper is bilingual in Hindi and English. These are separate facts. The bilingual main question paper does not remove the requirement to select two different languages for Language I and Language II.
Together, the two language sections account for 60 questions and 60 marks in either paper. That is 40% of Paper I and 40% of Paper II. Candidates should therefore read their selected language details carefully and prepare both sections rather than treating the second language as a duplicate of the first. The official syllabus page explains the stated scope of each language section without inventing chapter-wise weightage.
The marking scheme is the same in Paper I and Paper II. Each correct answer receives 1 mark. No mark is deducted for an incorrect answer, and there is no negative marking. An unattempted question adds no mark. The maximum score for one paper is 150.
Under this scheme, the basic estimated score for one paper is the number of correct answers. If a candidate counts 103 correct responses, the estimated mark is 103/150. Wrong responses do not reduce that figure. The estimate must still be based on the correct Paper I or Paper II answer key and the candidate's recorded responses.
Use the CTET score calculator → to convert correct answers into a mark and percentage. If the calculation uses a provisional answer key, the total can change after CBSE reviews challenges or publishes its final position. The official result, not a personal estimate, controls the recorded score.
The bulletin states a 60% benchmark, which equals 90/150, but the benchmark and category-policy explanation belong on the CTET qualifying marks page →. Do not combine Paper I and Paper II into a single 300-mark score to test that benchmark. Each paper has its own 150-mark result.
Choose the paper according to the teaching level for which you need CTET eligibility, then verify the matching educational qualification. The pattern tells you what you will answer. The eligibility rules tell you whether you can validly choose that paper.
Paper I is not the easier version of Paper II, and Paper II is not an upgrade that automatically covers the primary stage. They serve different teaching levels. The equal 150-mark totals may look similar, but the compulsory subject structure differs. Paper I includes Mathematics and Environmental Studies as separate 30-question sections. Paper II replaces that arrangement with one 60-question subject block while keeping Child Development and Pedagogy and both language sections common.
If a candidate needs only Classes VI-VIII eligibility, taking Paper I does not replace Paper II. If the goal covers both Classes I-V and Classes VI-VIII, one paper cannot stand in for the other.
The official rule says a person intending to teach both Classes I-V and Classes VI-VIII must appear in Paper I and Paper II. This means sitting two complete papers, not selecting a combined option inside one paper. Each paper keeps its own 150 questions, 150 marks, 2.5-hour duration and section pattern.
A both-papers candidate therefore answers 300 questions across the two papers for a combined testing time of 5 hours. Those totals describe the workload only. CBSE still treats Paper I and Paper II as separate papers for marks and teaching-level eligibility. A strong mark in one paper does not fill missing marks in the other.
The September timetable places Paper II in the morning and Paper I in the afternoon. Read the CTET exam date and timings → page for reporting, checking, gate-closure and session details rather than relying on the pattern alone.
The official pattern is most useful when it controls how you divide practice time and review mock tests. Start with the exact paper and, for Paper II, the correct subject block. Then track correct, incorrect and unattempted responses by section.
The bulletin supports section totals, not a promise that a particular chapter will contribute a fixed number of questions. Use the CTET syllabus guide → for official topic scope. Avoid turning a coaching trend or an earlier paper into an invented 2026 chapter-weight rule.
This page explains the paper structure. It does not replace the bulletin, establish an individual's education eligibility, predict chapter-wise weightage, declare an estimated score official, or guarantee recruitment. Return to the CTET 2026 overview → for current cycle links and status.
Download Syllabus
Official PDF
Official Website
ctet.nic.in/
