Class X and XII question papers were not the only controversies that the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) found itself in of late. Recently, the board also had to postpone the ongoing Central Teachers’ Eligibility Test (CTET). The CTET, held in two shifts a day, was scheduled between 16th December 2021 and 11th January 2022. However, the very shift of the first day of the exam witnessed significant technical issues. With complaints being registered by examinees after the first shift, the council was forced to postpone the second shift along with the exams scheduled for 17th, 18th and 19th December. It is yet to announce the revised dates. This is the first time CTET is being conducted online by the Tata Consultancy Services on behalf of the CBSE. Today, on 20th December, CTET is being resumed.
CTET is a national level entrance exam for teaching aspirants who aim to secure jobs in government schools across India for classes I to VIII. It is organised by the CBSE. However, this year, the council had shifted the responsibility to a unit of Tata Consultancy Services. This entrance exam has been happening since 2011 and was initiated by the Government of India to hire skilled and qualified teachers to improve the quality of school education across the country. Here’s everything aspiring candidates need to know about this prestigious entrance test.
Eligibility
The eligibility criteria for CTET have been set by the CBSE. They are as follows:
Exam pattern
CTET consists of two papers. Paper I is for candidates who wish to teach classes I to V, whereas, paper II is for candidates who wish to teach classes VI to VIII. Both papers comprise of 150 multiple-choice questions (MCQs).
Paper I is divided into five sections, namely: Child Development and Pedagogy, Language I, Language II, Mathematics and Environmental Studies. All sections and questions are compulsory. Each section has 30 MCQs each.
Paper II is also divided into five sections, namely: Child Development and Pedagogy, Language I, Language II, Mathematics/Science and Social Science/Social Studies. The first three sections have 30 MCQs each, however, the last two sections have 60 MCQs each, out of which only 30 each need to be attempted.
Marking scheme
All questions in both papers I and II contain 1 mark each. There are no negative markings for incorrect answers or unattempted questions. The total marks of both the papers are 150 each.
Mode and duration
The CTET will be conducted online through computer-based mode. Candidates can answer the papers in English only. The duration of the exam is 2 hours and 30 minutes for each paper.