CTET Syllabus

Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) is conducted twice every year providing opportunities to thousands of applicants looking forward to beginning their career in the teaching industry. To score good marks in the CTET Exam, a proper strategy and preparation is mandatory. The latest knowledge of the CTET Syllabus is the first step for preparation. The below information talks about the complete exam pattern along with syllabus for the CTET exam.

CTET Syllabus / CTET Exam Pattern

Before preparation, the candidate must be aware of everything about the CTET exam and the Syllabus. We have provided completed details about CTET Syllabus in the below table.

CTET Syllabus – Highlights
OrganizationCentral Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)
Name of ExaminationCTET Exam
Duration of CTET Exam2.5 hours (for each paper)
Language of Exam20 languages
CTET Exam DateTo be notified
Maximum Marks150 marks (for each paper)
Type of QuestionsMultiple Choice Questions
Mode of ExamOnline
Marking Scheme1 mark for each correct answer
Negative MarkingNo negative marking for wrong answers

CTET Exam Pattern

CTET is usually conducted in two phases: Paper 1 for Class 1st – 5th and Paper 2 for Class 6th – 8th.

  • There will be 150 MCQs in each paper with no negative marking for any incorrect answers.
  • CTET Paper 1 is divided into 5 sections: Child Development and Pedagogy, Language I & II, Mathematics and Environmental Science.
  • CTET Paper 2 is divided into 4 sections: Child Development and Pedagogy, Language I & II, Science or Social Studies/Mathematics. The choice will be available between Science and Social Studies/Matrgba(0,0,0,.085)hematics.
  • For Paper 1, the difficulty level will be of the second stage.
  • For Paper 2, the difficulty level will be of the senior secondary stage.

CTET Syllabus for Paper I 

In this section, we have covered the subject-wise detailed syllabus as released by CBSE for Central Teacher Eligibility Test. It is important for the candidates who are going to appear in the upcoming CTET Exam to be updated with the latest syllabus to save both time and hard work. Bookmark this page for CTET Syllabus and cover the syllabus topic-wise.

CTET Syllabus for Paper I (Classes I to V):

I. Child Development and PedagogyIV. Mathematics
II. Language – IV. Environmental Studies
III. Language – II

The Paper I exam of CTET is an offline exam for testing a candidate on the basis of their Language I & II, Child Development and Pedagogy, Mathematics and Environmental Studies.

CTET Syllabus for the Primary Stage (Classes 1st to 5th):

I. Child Development and Pedagogy Syllabus- 30 Questions

A) Child Development (Primary School Child): 15 Questions

  1. Concept of development and its relationship with learning.
  2. Principles of the development of children.
  3. Influence of Heredity & Environment.
  4. Socialization processes: Social world & children (Teacher, Parents, Peers).
  5. Piaget, Kohlberg and Vygotsky: constructs and critical perspectives.
  6. Concepts of child-centered and progressive education.
  7. Critical perspective of the construct of Intelligence.
  8. Multi-Dimensional Intelligence.
  9. Language & thought.
  10. Gender as a social construct; gender roles, gender-bias and educational practice.
  11. Individual differences among learners, understanding differences based on diversity of language, caste, gender, community, religion etc.
  12. The distinction between Assessment for learning and assessment of learning; School-Based Assessment, Continuous & Comprehensive Evaluation: perspective and practice.
  13. Formulating appropriate questions for assessing readiness levels of learners; for enhancing learning and critical thinking in the classroom and for assessing learner achievement.

B) Concept of Inclusive education and understanding children with special needs: 5 Questions

  1. Addressing learners from diverse backgrounds including disadvantaged and deprived
  2. Addressing the needs of children with learning difficulties, ‘impairment’ etc.
  3. Addressing the Talented, Creative, especially abled Learners

C) Learning and Pedagogy: 10 Questions

  1. How children think and learn; how and why children ‘fail’ to achieve success in school performance.
  2. Basic processes of teaching and learning; children’s strategies of learning; learning as a social activity; social context of learning.
  3. Child as a problem solver and a ‘scientific investigator’
  4. Alternative conceptions of learning in children, understanding children’s ‘errors’ as significant steps in the learning process.
  5. Cognition & Emotions.
  6. Motivation and learning.
  7. Factors contributing to learning – personal & environmental.

II. Language I Syllabus- 30 Questions

A) Language Comprehension: 15 Questions

Reading unseen passages – two passages one prose or drama and one poem with questions on comprehension, inference, grammar and verbal ability (Prose passage may be literary, scientific, narrative or discursive)

B) Pedagogy of Language Development: 15 Questions

  1. Learning and acquisition.
  2. Principles of language Teaching.
  3. Role of listening and speaking; function of language and how children use it as a tool.
  4. A critical perspective on the role of grammar in learning a language for communicating ideas verbally and in written form.
  5. Challenges of teaching language in a diverse classroom; language difficulties, errors and disorders.
  6. Language Skills.
  7. Evaluating language comprehension and proficiency: speaking, listening, reading and writing.
  8. Teaching-learning materials: Textbook, multi-media materials, multilingual resource of the classroom.
  9. Remedial Teaching.

III. Language II Syllabus- 30 Questions

A) Comprehension: 15 Questions

Two unseen prose passages (discursive or literary or narrative or scientific) with questions on comprehension, grammar and verbal ability

B) Pedagogy of Language Development: 15 Questions

  1. Learning and acquisition.
  2. Principles of language Teaching.
  3. Role of listening and speaking; function of language and how children use it as a tool.
  4. A critical perspective on the role of grammar in learning a language for communicating ideas verbally and in written form.
  5. Challenges of teaching language in a diverse classroom; language difficulties, errors and disorders.
  6. Language Skills.
  7. Evaluating language comprehension and proficiency: speaking, listening, reading and writing.
  8. Teaching-learning materials: Textbook, multi-media materials, multilingual resource of the classroom.
  9. Remedial Teaching.

IV. Mathematics Syllabus- 30 Questions

A) Content: 15 Questions

  • Geometry, Shapes & Spatial Understanding, Solids around Us, Numbers, Addition and Subtraction, Multiplication, Division, Measurement, Weight, Time, Volume, Data Handling, Patterns, Money

B) Pedagogical issues: 15 Questions

Nature of Mathematics/Logical thinking; understanding children’s thinking and reasoning patterns and strategies of making meaning and learning:

  • Place of Mathematics in Curriculum, Language of Mathematics, Community Mathematics, Valuation through formal and informal methods, Problems of Teaching, Error analysis and related aspects of learning and teaching, Diagnostic and Remedial Teaching

V. Environmental Studies Syllabus- 30 Questions

A) Content: 15 Questions

Family and Friends: Relationships, Work and Play, Animals, Plants, Food, Shelter, Water, Travel, Things We Make and Do

B) Pedagogical Issues: 15 Questions

  1. Concept and scope of EVS, Significance of EVS, integrated EVS, Environmental Studies & Environmental Education, Learning Principles, Scope & relation to Science & Social Science, Approaches of presenting concepts, Activities, Experimentation/Practical Work, Discussion, CCE, Teaching material/Aids, Problems

CTET Syllabus for Paper II

The candidates preparing to appear for Paper-2 in CTET shoukd go through the detailed syllabus for CTET Paper-II from the below section.

CTET Syllabus for Paper-II (For Classes 6th to 8th) Elementary Stage:

I. Child Development and PedagogyIV. Mathematics and Science
II. Language – IV. Social Studies/Social Sciences 
III. Language – II 

The Paper II exam of CTET is an offline exam for testing a candidate on the basis of their Language I & II, Child Development and Pedagogy and Mathematics & Science / Social Studies & Social Science. Let’s have a look for CTET Syllabus for Elementary Stage (Classes VI-VIII):

I. Child Development and Pedagogy Syllabus- 30 Questions

This topic is common in Paper-1 and Paper-2 which is compulsory to be attempted. Through this section, the candidate’s knowledge about Child development and Concept of Inclusive education will be covered. Go through the topics below to understand the syllabus in a clear manner.

A) Child Development (Elementary School Child): 15 Questions

  1. Concept of development and its relationship with learning.
  2. Principles of the development of children.
  3. Influence of Heredity & Environment.
  4. Socialization processes: Social world & children (Teacher, Parents, Peers).
  5. Piaget, Kohlberg and Vygotsky: constructs and critical perspectives.
  6. Concepts of child-centered and progressive education.
  7. Critical perspective of the construct of Intelligence.
  8. Multi-Dimensional Intelligence.
  9. Language & thought.
  10. Gender as a social construct; gender roles, gender-bias and educational practice.
  11. Individual differences among learners, understanding differences based on diversity of language, caste, gender, community, religion etc.
  12. The distinction between Assessment for learning and assessment of learning; School-Based Assessment, Continuous & Comprehensive Evaluation: perspective and practice.
  13. Formulating appropriate questions for assessing readiness levels of learners; for enhancing learning and critical thinking in the classroom and for assessing learner achievement.

B) Concept of Inclusive education and understanding children with special needs: 5 Questions

  1. Addressing learners from diverse backgrounds including disadvantaged and deprived.
  2. Addressing the needs of children with learning difficulties, ‘impairment’ etc.
  3. Addressing the Talented, Creative, especially abled Learners.

C) Learning and Pedagogy: 10 Questions

  1. How children think and learn; how and why children ‘fail’ to achieve success in school performance.
  2. Basic processes of teaching and learning; children’s strategies of learning; learning as a social activity; social context of learning.
  3. Child as a problem solver and a ‘scientific investigator’
  4. Alternative conceptions of learning in children, understanding children’s ‘errors’ as significant steps in the learning process.
  5. Cognition & Emotions.
  6. Motivation and learning.
  7. Factors contributing to learning – personal & environmental.

II. Language I Syllabus- 30 Questions

To test the candidate’s knowledge in the language there will be 30 questions in the CTET Paper-I and Paper-II.

A) Language Comprehension: 15 Questions

  • Reading unseen passages – two passages one prose or drama and one poem with questions on comprehension, inference, grammar and verbal ability.

C) Pedagogy of Language Development: 15 Questions

  1. Learning and acquisition.
  2. Principles of language Teaching.
  3. Role of listening and speaking; function of language and how children use it as a tool.
  4. A critical perspective on the role of grammar in learning a language for communicating ideas verbally and in written form; Challenges of teaching language in a diverse classroom; language difficulties, errors and disorders.
  5. Language Skills.
  6. Evaluating language comprehension and proficiency: speaking, listening, reading and writing.
  7. Teaching-learning materials: Textbook, multi-media materials, multilingual resource of the classroom.
  8. Remedial Teaching.

III. Language II Syllabus- 30 Questions

  • The second language test will be for accessing the candidate’s knowledge of the English language. There will be 30 questions in the CTET Paper-I and Paper-II.

A) Comprehension: 15 Questions

  • Two unseen prose passages (discursive or literary or narrative or scientific) with questions on comprehension, grammar and verbal ability

B) Pedagogy of Language Development: 15 Questions

  1. Learning and acquisition.
  2. Principles of language Teaching.
  3. Role of listening and speaking; function of language and how children use it as a tool.
  4. A critical perspective on the role of grammar in learning a language for communicating ideas verbally and in written form; Challenges of teaching. language in a diverse classroom; language difficulties, errors and disorders
  5. Language Skills.
  6. Evaluating language comprehension and proficiency: speaking, listening, reading and writing.
  7. Teaching-learning materials: Textbook, multi-media materials, multilingual resource of the classroom.
  8. Remedial Teaching.

IV. (A) Mathematics and Science Syllabus- 60 Questions

  • The candidates can check the topics to be covered in Mathematics and Science section. The questions of Mathematics should be attempted with tricks and accuracy. There will be 30 questions from Mathematics subject and 30 from the Science subject.

Mathematics: 30 Questions

A) Content: 20 Questions

  • Number System, knowing our Numbers, Playing with Numbers, Whole Numbers, Negative Numbers and Integers, Fractions, Algebra, Introduction to Algebra, Ratio and Proportion, Geometry, Basic geometrical ideas (2-D), Understanding Elementary Shapes (2-D and 3-D), Symmetry: (reflection), Construction (using Straight edge Scale, protractor, compasses), Mensuration, Data handling

B) Pedagogical issues: 10 Questions

  • Nature of Mathematics/Logical thinking, Place of Mathematics in Curriculum, Language of Mathematics, Community Mathematics, Evaluation, Remedial Teaching, Problems of Teaching

Science: 30 Questions

A) Content: 20 Questions

Food – Sources of food, Components of food, cleaning of food

Materials – Materials of daily use

The World of the Living

Moving Things People and Ideas

How things work – Electric current and circuits, Magnets

Natural Phenomena & Natural Resources

B) Pedagogical issues: 10 Questions

  • Nature & Structure of Sciences, Natural Science/Aims & objectives, Understanding & Appreciating Science, Approaches/Integrated Approach, Observation/Experiment/Discovery (Methods of Science), Innovation, Text Material/Aids, Evaluation – cognitive/psychomotor/affective, Problems, Remedial Teaching

V. Social Studies/Social Sciences Syllabus- 60 Questions

In this subject, the topics are divided into two parts: One includes History, Geography, Social & Political Life and the Second one includes Pedagogical issues. The ratio of questions will be 40:20 respectively.

a) Content: 20 Questions

I. History

A strong catch on historical events, days, and dates to score good marks in this section. The questions will be asked from the below topics:

When, Where & How, The Earliest Societies, The First Farmers and Herders, The First Cities, Early States, New Ideas, The First Empire, Contacts with Distant Lands, Political Developments, Culture and Science, New Kings and Kingdoms, Sultans of Delhi, Architecture, Creation of an Empire, Social Change, Regional Cultures, The Establishment of Company Power, Rural Life and Society, Colonialism and Tribal Societies, The Revolt of 1857-58, Women and reform, Challenging the Caste System, The Nationalist Movement, India After Independence.

II. Geography

Though it is difficult for anyone to understand the complete geography of India unless they go deep into it. However, CBSE has included a Geography subject for CTET Paper-II but no worries, you have to prepare only for a few topics that have been provided below.

Geography as a social study and as a science, Planets, Earth in the solar system, Globe, Environment in its totality: Natural and Human Environment, Air & Water, Human Environment: settlement, transport and communication, Resources: Types – Natural and Human, • Agriculture

III. Social and Political Life

This section will test the candidate’s knowledge about its surroundings and the topics that a candidate must be knowledgeable about has been listed below.

Diversity, Government, Local Government, making a Living, Democracy, State Government, Understanding Media, Unpacking Gender, The Constitution, Parliamentary Government, The Judiciary, Social Justice and the Marginalized

b) Pedagogical issues: 20 Questions

There will be 20 questions from this section and the motive of this section will be to understand the candidate’s intelligence and presence of mind for Pedagogical issues. The topics that will be covered in this section are mentioned below:

• Concept & Nature of Social Science/Social Studies, Classroom Processes, activities and discourse, Developing Critical thinking, Enquiry/Empirical Evidence, Problems of teaching Social Science/Social Studies, Sources – Primary & Secondary, Projects Work, Evaluation.