CTET 2026 exam date is 6 September 2026, conducted by CBSE at ctet.nic.in. The admit card is expected around 4 September 2026. Full dates, pattern and qualifying marks.
The CTET 2026 exam date is Sunday, 6 September 2026, and the test is conducted by CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) through the official portal ctet.nic.in. This is the September 2026 session, held in offline OMR (pen-and-paper) mode, with 5 September 2026 kept as a reserve date. If you have already applied, the admit card is expected around 4 September 2026, about two days before the exam.
This guide gives you every confirmed CTET 2026 date in one table, the admit card timeline, the notification and application schedule, how many CTET sessions there are in 2026, and the exact exam pattern with qualifying marks. CTET (Central Teacher Eligibility Test) is an eligibility test: qualifying earns you a lifetime certificate to apply for teacher posts in KVS, NVS and central-government schools, and it is accepted by many states.
The CTET September 2026 exam is on Sunday, 6 September 2026, in offline OMR pen-and-paper mode, with 5 September 2026 held as a reserve date. CBSE conducts it in two shifts on the exam day: Paper II in the morning and Paper I in the afternoon. It is the second of the two CTET sessions in 2026, after the February 2026 session that was already held.
Lock 6 September 2026 into your calendar as the main exam day. Treat the reserve date (5 September 2026) and the result date as expected until CBSE confirms them on ctet.nic.in.
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification released | 11 May 2026 |
| Application window | 11 May to 10 June 2026 |
| Correction window | 15 to 18 June 2026 |
| Admit card (expected) | Around 4 September 2026 |
| Exam day | Sunday, 6 September 2026 |
| Reserve date | 5 September 2026 |
| Result (expected) | About one month after the exam |
The CTET 2026 admit card is expected around 4 September 2026, roughly two days before the 6 September 2026 exam. CBSE releases it on ctet.nic.in, and you download it using your application number and date of birth. A separate exam city intimation slip comes a few days earlier so you can plan travel to your centre.
Your admit card carries the exam date, shift and reporting time, centre address and exam-day instructions. Carry a printout plus a valid photo ID to the centre. Since the admit card lands only a couple of days before the exam, keep your login details ready and check ctet.nic.in daily in the first week of September 2026 so you do not miss the download window.
CBSE released the CTET September 2026 notification on 11 May 2026, and the online application window ran from 11 May to 10 June 2026, with a correction window from 15 to 18 June 2026. Applications were accepted online only at ctet.nic.in. If you missed this window, the next chance is the February 2027 session (expected on the twice-yearly cadence).
The application fee for the September 2026 session was Rs 1,000 for one paper and Rs 1,200 for both papers (General and OBC), and Rs 500 for one paper and Rs 600 for both papers (SC, ST and PwD). Fees can change between cycles, so always check the fee on ctet.nic.in before you pay.
| Category | One paper | Both papers |
|---|---|---|
| General / OBC | Rs 1,000 | Rs 1,200 |
| SC / ST / PwD | Rs 500 | Rs 600 |
There are two CTET sessions in 2026, because CBSE conducts CTET twice a year, in February and September. The February 2026 session was held on 7 to 8 February 2026, with its result declared on 30 March 2026. The September 2026 session is the upcoming one, on 6 September 2026. So if you did not appear in February, September 2026 is your second chance this year.
This twice-yearly cadence means the next window after September 2026 is the February 2027 session, expected early in 2027 (dates not yet announced). Two attempts a year lowers the pressure on any single sitting, but the certificate you earn is the same and it is valid for life.
CTET has two independent papers: Paper I to teach classes 1 to 5, and Paper II to teach classes 6 to 8. Each paper has 150 MCQs for 150 marks in 150 minutes, with +1 per correct answer and NO negative marking. The qualifying mark is 60 percent (90 out of 150), relaxed to 55 percent (82 out of 150) for reserved categories, and the CTET certificate is valid for LIFETIME.
Each paper covers Child Development and Pedagogy, Language I, Language II, and subject sections (Mathematics and Environmental Studies in Paper I; Mathematics and Science or Social Studies in Paper II), each block carrying 30 marks. Across the CTET 2019-2024 papers we analysed, Child Development and Pedagogy is the discriminating 30-mark section: pedagogy questions decide who clears, because most aspirants handle the subject content but lose marks on child psychology and teaching-method application.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Papers | Paper I (classes 1 to 5), Paper II (classes 6 to 8) |
| Questions per paper | 150 MCQs |
| Marks per paper | 150 |
| Duration | 150 minutes |
| Marking | +1 correct, 0 wrong, 0 blank (no negative marking) |
| Qualifying | 60 percent (90/150); 55 percent (82/150) reserved |
| Certificate validity | Lifetime |
Because there is no negative marking, you should attempt every one of the 150 questions: a blank scores the same as a wrong answer (zero), so a reasoned guess only ever helps. This single rule shapes CTET strategy: maximise attempts and accuracy, never leave a question empty.
After the September 2026 session, the next CTET is the February 2027 session, expected early in 2027 on CBSE's twice-yearly cadence (dates not yet announced). Once you qualify, the CTET certificate is valid for life, so you never have to re-take CTET; you use it to apply for teacher recruitments in KVS, NVS, central-government schools, and the many states and private schools that accept CTET.
CTET is an eligibility test, not a direct recruitment: qualifying does not by itself give you a job, it makes you eligible to apply. To convert the certificate into a posting, track the recruitment notifications (for example KVS and NVS teacher drives) that open after the CTET result. Prepare on a paper that behaves like the real one: our CTET mock tests on Quiz4Exam mirror the 150-question, no-negative-marking format for both Paper I and Paper II, and for a full study plan read our CTET preparation strategy guide. If you are deciding which paper to target, our Quiz4Exam exam blog covers eligibility and syllabus in depth.
When is the CTET 2026 exam date? The CTET September 2026 exam is on Sunday, 6 September 2026, in offline OMR mode, with 5 September 2026 as a reserve date.
What is the CTET admit card date 2026? The admit card is expected around 4 September 2026, about two days before the exam, on ctet.nic.in.
Is there negative marking in CTET? No. CTET has +1 per correct answer and no negative marking, so you should attempt all 150 questions.
What are the CTET qualifying marks? You need 60 percent (90 out of 150), relaxed to 55 percent (82 out of 150) for reserved categories.
How many times is CTET held in 2026? Twice: the February 2026 session (7 to 8 February) and the September 2026 session (6 September).
The CTET September 2026 exam is on Sunday, 6 September 2026, conducted by CBSE in offline OMR pen-and-paper mode, with 5 September 2026 kept as a reserve date. It is the second CTET session of 2026, after the February 2026 session. Both Paper I and Paper II are held on the same exam day in two shifts.
The CTET 2026 admit card is expected around 4 September 2026, roughly two days before the 6 September 2026 exam. CBSE releases it on ctet.nic.in and you download it using your application number and date of birth. A separate exam city intimation slip comes a few days earlier so you can plan your travel.
No, there is no negative marking in CTET. Each correct answer earns +1 mark, and a wrong or blank answer scores zero. Because a blank counts the same as a wrong answer, you should attempt all 150 questions in each paper, using a reasoned guess wherever you are unsure. This makes attempt maximisation the core CTET strategy.
To qualify CTET you need 60 percent, which is 90 out of 150 marks in a paper. Reserved categories (SC, ST, OBC and PwD) get a relaxation to 55 percent, which is 82 out of 150. Qualifying earns a CTET certificate that is valid for lifetime and is used to apply for teacher posts in KVS, NVS and central-government schools.
One focused email a week: notifications, current-affairs recaps and prep strategies built for working aspirants.
CTET is held twice in 2026 because CBSE conducts it twice a year, in February and September. The February 2026 session was held on 7 to 8 February 2026 with its result on 30 March 2026, and the September 2026 session is on 6 September 2026. The next session after that is expected in February 2027.
