CTET eligibility: Paper I and Paper II

Eligibility is the part of CTET that people check last and regret first. A candidate can register, sit the paper, pass it, and still find that the certificate does not help them get the job they wanted, because their training qualification did not match the paper. The bulletin says it plainly: being allowed to sit CTET does not mean your eligibility has been verified. The recruiting authority checks it later.

So it is worth ten careful minutes now. This guide explains who sets the rules, the usual routes for each paper, the B.Ed question for primary teaching, and a simple way to test your own case.

Who decides eligibility

CTET does not write its own eligibility rules. The minimum qualifications are those notified by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), as amended from time to time, together with the recruitment rules of the employer: the state or UT government where the school is, or bodies such as Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan and Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti.

Recent CTET bulletins (February and September 2026) do not print a full list of routes. They refer candidates to the NCTE website to confirm their eligibility. Older bulletins listed the routes in detail, and the summary below follows those NCTE norms.

Paper I (Classes 1–5): the usual routes

The common thread is a teacher-education qualification designed for elementary teaching.

Older bulletins also listed a route of Senior Secondary with at least 45% plus a D.El.Ed completed under the NCTE Regulations of 2002. Check whether it still applies to you.

The B.Ed question for Paper I

In 2018 NCTE issued a notification making B.Ed holders eligible to teach Classes 1–5, provided they later completed a bridge course. The Rajasthan High Court set that notification aside, and on 11 August 2023 the Supreme Court upheld that decision in Devesh Sharma v. Union of India. The Court's reasoning was that a B.Ed trains teachers for older students, while primary teaching needs the pedagogy of an elementary diploma.

The practical effect: a B.Ed on its own is not a safe route to primary teaching posts. If a B.Ed is your only teacher-training qualification, Paper II is the paper that matches it.

Paper II (Classes 6–8): the usual routes

Relaxation in the percentage

The bulletin notes that, as notified by NCTE, candidates from reserved categories such as SC, ST, OBC and differently-abled candidates get a relaxation of up to 5% in the qualifying marks of the minimum educational qualification. This relaxation applies to your Class 12 or graduation percentage. It is separate from any concession on the CTET pass mark itself, which is decided by recruiting authorities.

A worked example

Suppose an OBC candidate has 47% in graduation and has completed a one-year B.Ed, and wants to take Paper II.

1. The usual route asks for graduation with at least 50% plus a B.Ed.
2. A relaxation of up to 5% brings that requirement down to as low as 45% for this candidate.
3. 47% is above 45%, so the percentage condition is met under that route.

A general-category candidate with the same 47% could not use the 50% route. They would need to check whether the 45% route (B.Ed under the applicable NCTE regulations) covers their degree.

Final-year students

Most routes say "passed or appearing in the final year". So a candidate in the final year of D.El.Ed, B.El.Ed or B.Ed can usually take CTET. The catch is that the CTET certificate helps only once the course is completed. A recruiter will ask for the final marksheet of the training course as well as the CTET certificate.

Attempts, age and other points

• Attempts: the bulletin places no restriction on the number of attempts. A candidate who has already qualified can sit again to improve their score.
• Age: CTET itself does not set an upper age limit in its bulletin. Age limits come from the recruitment rules of each job.
• Your details: name, parents' names and date of birth must be entered as in your Class 10 certificate.
• False information: giving false or inaccurate information can lead to cancellation of the result, forfeiture of the certificate and even prosecution.

Test your own case

Work through these questions in order:

1. What is your academic qualification, and your exact percentage?
2. What is your teacher-education qualification: D.El.Ed, B.El.Ed, B.Ed, integrated B.A.Ed/B.Sc.Ed, or a special-education variant?
3. Have you passed it, or are you in the final year?
4. Which classes do you want to teach: 1–5, 6–8, or both?
5. Does a row in the tables above match all three of your answers, with any relaxation that applies to you?
6. Does the recruitment notice for your target job ask for the same paper?

Practice: which paper fits?

1. A candidate has Class 12 with 62% and is in the final year of a two-year D.El.Ed. Answer: Paper I fits. Paper II needs graduation for the D.El.Ed route, so they cannot use that route yet.
2. A graduate with 55% has passed a one-year B.Ed. Answer: Paper II fits. Paper I is not a safe choice with a B.Ed alone after the 2023 ruling.
3. A candidate with Class 12 at 58% is in the final year of a four-year B.El.Ed. Answer: both papers have a B.El.Ed route, so both are open.
4. A graduate with 52% has completed a two-year D.El.Ed. Answer: both. The D.El.Ed routes cover Paper I (graduation plus D.El.Ed) and Paper II (graduation plus D.El.Ed).

What to do next

• Write your qualification, percentage and training course on one line.
• Match it to a route above, then confirm on ncte.gov.in and in the current CTET bulletin.
• Read how the two papers differ before you decide on one or both.
• Check what the pass certificate is used for in our guide to qualifying marks and validity.