CTET Eligibility Criteria 2025 - Age Limit, Minimum Qualifications & Reservation

CTET Eligibility Criteria 2025 - Age Limit, Minimum Qualifications & Reservation

Edited By Namritha Bachwal | Updated on Apr 15, 2025 02:52 PM IST | #CTET
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CTET Eligibility Criteria 2025 - The Central Board of Secondary Education will specify the CTET 2025 eligibility criteria in the official notification. Candidates can check the CTET eligibility criteria 2025 at ctet.nic.in. The CTET eligibility criteria demands that the candidates attempting the CTET exam must have passed in class 12th, and must be a diploma holder or graduate.

This Story also Contains
  1. CTET Eligibility Criteria Overview
  2. CTET Eligibility Criteria 2025
  3. CTET Eligibility Criteria 2025- Important Points
  4. CTET Qualifying Marks 2025
  5. CTET Eligibility Criteria - Application Form
  6. CTET Exam Centres 2025
CTET Eligibility Criteria 2025 - Age Limit, Minimum Qualifications & Reservation
CTET Eligibility Criteria 2025 - Age Limit, Minimum Qualifications & Reservation

The CTET eligibility criteria 2025 takes into account a candidate’s nationality, academic qualifications, percentage of marks secured in academics and other details. Candidates meeting the eligibility criteria will be eligible fill out the CTET 2025 application form. The CTET exam is held twice annually. For more details regarding the CTET eligibility criteria 2025, candidates can consult the material below.

CTET Eligibility Criteria Overview

Exam Name

Central Teacher Eligibility Test 2025

Examination Body

Central Board of Secondary Education

Official website

ctet.nic.in

Exam level

National

CTET Eligibility criteria 2025

Nationality - Indian
Age limit - No restriction
Educational Qualification - Passed class 12th, diploma or graduation.

CTET Eligibility Criteria 2025

To be eligible to attempt the CTET exam 2025, candidates must satisfy the minimum qualifications in accordance with

  • The NCTE Regulations (As per the amendments made from time to time)

  • The recruitment rules for the teachers of Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangthan or Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, or the government where the school is situated.

The authorities determined the CTET eligibility on the basis of:

  • Nationality

  • Education Qualification

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CTET Eligibility Criteria on the basis of Age

There are no age restrictions on applicants applying for the CTET exam.

CTET Educational Qualifications - CTET Paper-I (Primary Stage)

As per CTET eligibility criteria 2025, candidates who wish to become government school teachers of classes I to V must at least fulfill one of the following educational requirements.

  • A candidate must have passed class 12th with at least 50% marks and must have passed or must be appearing in the final year of a 2-year diploma in Elementary Education

OR

  • Passed class 12th with at least 50% marks and must have passed or appeared in the final year of a 2-year diploma in Elementary Education, in accordance with NCTE (Recognition Norms and Procedure), Regulations, 2002.

OR

  • At least 50% marks in class 12th and must have passed or must be appearing in the last year of a 4-year Bachelor’s in Elementary Education (B.El.Ed.)

OR

  • 50% marks in class 12th and passed or appearing in the final year of a 2-year diploma in education (Special Education)

OR

  • Graduation with 50% marks or more and a Bachelor’s in Education (B.Ed.) degree.

Note - A candidate who has a B.Ed. from any NCTE recognized institute will be considered for appointment as a primary school teacher provided that they undergo a bridge course in Elementary Education within 2 years of his/her appointment.

Check Here List of Other Government Exams

CTET Educational Qualifications - CTET Paper-II (Elementary Stage)

Those who wish to appear for CTET 2025 paper-II must at least fulfill one of the academic qualifications as listed below to become teachers for classes VI to VIII in government schools.

  • As part of CTET eligibility criteria 2025, candidates must have completed graduation in any discipline and the candidate must have passed or must be appearing in the final year of a 2-year diploma in Elementary Education

OR

  • 50% marks in graduation and passed or appearing in 1-year B.Ed. course

OR

  • At least 45% marks in graduation and passed or appearing in 1 year B.Ed. in accordance with NCTE Regulations issued from time to time in this regard.

OR

  • At least 50% marks in class 12th and passed or appearing in the final year of a 4-year B.El.Ed.

OR

  • 50% marks or more in class 12th and passed or appearing in the final year of B.A./ B.Sc.Ed. or B.A.Ed./ B.Sc.Ed

OR

  • At least 50% marks in graduation (BA, B.Com, B.Sc, BBA, BCA, B.Tech) and passed or appearing in 1-year B.Ed. (Special Education).

OR

  • Any candidate who has qualified a B.Ed. programme recognised by NCTE are eligible to appear for the exam. Moreover, anybody who’s pursuing a teachers’ education programme that is NCTE recognised can appear for the CTET exam.

CTET Eligibility Criteria 2025- Important Points

The CTET 2025 exam is conducted to test the eligibility of candidates as teachers for classes I to VIII. Candidates who wish to teach classes I to V have to appear for CTET paper-I exam, while those who want to teach classes VI to VIII have to take CTET paper-II exam.

Candidates who meet the CTET eligibility criteria for both the papers are eligible to appear for both the papers if they wish to. Candidates who apply for the CTET exam 2025 successfully will be issued CTET admit card 2025. Given below are some important points related to CTET eligibility criteria -

  1. Reserved category candidates (SC, ST, OBC and PWD) will get upto 5% relaxation in the minimum qualifying marks of the educational qualifications mentioned above.

  2. Diploma and degree courses recognised by the National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE) will only be considered.

  3. In the case of Diploma in Education (Special Education) and B.Ed. (Special Education) courses, those recognised by the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) will only be considered.

  4. A candidate with a Diploma in Education (Special Education) must undergo a 6-month NCTE recognised special programme in Elementary Education.

  5. Educational qualifications mentioned in CTET eligibility criteria are applicable to teachers of Languages, Social Studies/ Social Science, Mathematics, Science, etc.

  6. For physical education teachers, minimum qualification norms for these teachers as per NCTE regulations will be applicable.

  7. For teachers of Art Education, Craft Education, Home Science, Work Education, etc. norms set by the State Government or other managements will be applicable.

  8. If found out that a candidate does not fulfil the required CTET eligibility 2025 and is still appearing for the exam will be rejected at any stage.

  9. Post-Graduation with a minimum 55% marks or equivalent grade and three-year integrated B.Ed.-M.Ed as per the gazette notifications No. 459 and 462 issued by National Council for Teacher Education, New Delhi.

Also read: Basic Information about category-wise career exams

CTET Qualifying Marks 2025

Applicants who appear for the CTET exam must secure a certain minimum percentage of marks as per their category to clear the CTET cutoff 2025. The CTET 2025 minimum qualifying marks have been tabulated below.

CTET Qualifying Marks

Category

Cutoff percentage (out of 150)

Cutoff marks (out of 150)

General

60%

90

OBC, SC, ST

55%

82

CTET Eligibility Criteria - Application Form

Central Board of Secondary Education releases the CTET 2025 application form online at ctet.nic.in. The last CTET 2025 application form date will be mentioned in the notification. Before proceeding to fill out the CTET application form, applicants should check if they meet the CTET 2025 eligibility criteria. After checking the CTET eligibility norms, candidates need to first register themselves for the CTET 2025 exam and then proceed to fill the applications.

While filling the CTET online form, candidates have to upload scanned images of their photograph and signature. Once the application form of CTET is filled out, applicants can pay the CTET application fees depending upon their category via credit card, debit card, net banking, or UPI. Candidates who wish to appear for both the papers of CTET have to pay more than those who just want to appear for just one paper. The category-wise CTET 2025 application fee is provided below in the table below.

Other Teaching Exams:

CTET Application Fee

Categories

Fee for Paper-I or Paper-II

Fee for both Paper-I & II

General/OBC (NCL)

Rs. 1000

Rs. 1200

SC/ST/Diff. Abled Person

Rs. 500

Rs. 600

CTET Exam Centres 2025

Candidates can select CTET 2025 exam centre cities while filling the CTET 2025 application form. The CTET exam will be conducted in about 184 cities spread across various states and Union territories of the country. CTET exam centre venue and address will be mentioned in the CTET 2025 admit card.

The details mentioned in the admit card will include the state and city that candidates have selected, exam centre codes, and the address where the exam centre will be located. Applicants will be allotted CTET 2025 exam centres on a first come first serve basis. If all the seats in a particular centre are filled, candidates will be allotted the next nearest CTET exam centres 2025.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. When will the CTET application form 2025 be released?

The CTET 2025 application form date will be announced on the official website.

2. Is it essential to have a B.Ed degree to apply for CTET?

Yes, it is important to have the B.Ed degree to be eligible to apply for the CTET exam.

3. Will the CTET 2025 exam be conducted twice this time?

As of now, the CTET exam is conducted twice a year. In case, there is a change in the CTET exam cycle and schedule, the exam conducting body will inform the aspirants.

4. In which paper will I have to appear if I wish to teach the students of Class 1 to 5?

If you want to teach the students of class 1 to 5, then you will have to appear in paper 1 of CTET 2025.

5. What is the age limit of the CTET 2025 exam?

There is no age limit to appear in the CTET 2025 exam. However, one has to attain the age of 17 years to be able to apply for the CTET exam. There is no upper age limit for the CTET exam.

6. What are the minimum qualifying marks for the CTET exam?

One needs to score at least 50 percent to be able to qualify the CTET exam.

7. Is there any change in CTET eligibility criteria 2025?

Yes, CBSE has added Post-Graduation with a minimum 55% marks or equivalent grade and three-year integrated B.Ed.-M.Ed as one of the CTET eligibility criteria 2025.

8. Who prescribes the CTET 2025 eligibility criteria?

The CTET eligibility criteria is mentioned in the notification by the CBSE.

9. Is B.Ed compulsory for CTET exam?

While a B. Ed degree is not mandatory for appearing in the CTET exam, It is a mandatory qualification required for teaching in all Government Schools, Kendriya Vidyalayas, DSSSB and Army/Air force Schools.

10. What is the pass qualification for CTET?

General category candidates must score at least 60% to pass the CTET exam, while reserved category candidates must score at least 55%, according to the CBSE qualifying criteria.

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Questions related to CTET

Have a question related to CTET ?

The CTET 2025 application form has not been released yet. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is expected to release the official notification and application form soon. The exact dates for the application process have not been announced yet.

Tentative Important Dates:

CTET 2025 Notification Release: Expected in April 2025

CTET 2025 Application Start: Expected in April 2025

CTET 2025 Application End: Expected in April 2025

CTET 2025 Exam Date: Expected on July 6, 2025

Based on Karnataka’s OBC list and APDSC (Andhra Pradesh DSC) norms , here’s a structured approach:

  • APDSC follows Andhra Pradesh’s OBC list , not Karnataka’s.

  • If applying in Karnataka : Use Karnataka’s OBC certificate (e.g., Category 2A, 3A)

  • For Karnataka-Based Applications
    If you’re applying in Karnataka (assuming a typo in "APDSC"):

    • OBC Sub-Castes :

      • Category 2A : Balija, Bestha, Gangaputra

      • Category 3A : Uppara, Vishwakarma.

      • Full List : Refer to the Karnataka OBC PDF ( Result 1 (https://www.ncbc.nic.in/Writereaddata/cl/karnataka.pdf) ) for your exact sub-caste.

    • OC Option :

      • Avoid OC if you hold a valid Karnataka OBC certificate, as it reduces competition (OBC has reserved seats).

      • If opting for OC : You cannot claim reservation benefits .

  • Do Not Opt for OC : As an OBC candidate, selecting OC forfeits your reservation eligibility , increasing competition.

  • Verify Sub-Caste : Cross-check your caste in Karnataka’s OBC list ( Result 1 (https://www.ncbc.nic.in/Writereaddata/cl/karnataka.pdf) ) and match it exactly in the application.
  • Example : If your caste is Balija (2A in Karnataka), select "Balija" under OBC. Do not choose OC .

    Final Answer : Do not select OC . Choose your exact OBC sub-caste from Karnataka’s OBC list (e.g., Balija, Uppara) to retain reservation benefits. If applying in Andhra, confirm eligibility first.


As you can see choose whether to take it or not its upto you but you can opt for OBC  its the better option.However you can match your resuts from the above links provided and search further for it .always takes what's suitable for future refrences.

Hope it will help you clear your mind.


Yes, preparing for the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) in just 2-3 months starting from level zero is absolutely achievable with a focused and strategic approach. The CTET syllabus, while comprehensive, is designed to assess your understanding of fundamental teaching concepts and child psychology, which can be grasped within a dedicated timeframe.

To succeed, you'll need to create a structured study plan. Begin by thoroughly understanding the CTET syllabus for the specific level (Paper I for primary, Paper II for upper primary, or both). Divide the syllabus into manageable topics and allocate time for each based on its weightage and your familiarity. Consistent daily study is key, even if it's for a few focused hours each day.

Since you're starting from level zero, NCERT books from classes 1 to 8 (depending on the paper you're attempting) will be your foundational resources. These books provide the core concepts in subjects like Child Development and Pedagogy, Environmental Studies, Mathematics, Science, and Languages. Supplement your NCERT reading with CTET-specific guidebooks and study materials that offer concise explanations and practice questions aligned with the exam pattern.

Regular practice through previous years' question papers and mock tests is crucial. This will familiarize you with the exam format, question types, time management, and help you identify your strengths and weaknesses. Analyze your performance in these practice sessions and dedicate more time to areas where you are struggling. Effective time management during the actual exam is also something you can develop through consistent practice.

Finally, stay focused and motivated throughout your preparation. Avoid distractions and maintain a positive attitude. Consistent effort and a well-planned strategy will significantly increase your chances of clearing the CTET exam within your 2-3 month timeframe, even starting from a basic level of understanding.

I hope it helps.

Hello Pooja,

To prepare for the CTET exam , here are the best sample papers and resources:

  1. Previous Year Papers: These give insight into the exam pattern and types of questions. Available online or in books.

  2. Official Sample Papers: Download from the CTET official website (ctet.nic.in).

  3. Books:

    • "CTET & TETs" by Arihant Publications for practice questions.

    • "CTET Success Master" by Upkar Prakashan for mock tests.

  4. Online Platforms: Websites like Careers360 offer free sample papers.

  5. Mobile Apps: Apps like Unacademy , Testbook , and GradeUp provide mock tests and sample papers.

Focus on key areas: Child Development , Language , Math/Science/Environmental Studies based on the level (Primary/Upper Primary).


I hope this answer helps you. If you have more queries, then feel free to share your questions with us, we will be happy to assist you.

Thank you, and I wish you all the best in your bright future.

Yes, you can apply for CTET even if you are in the first semester of BTC . To be eligible for CTET exam, you must have passed the Senior Secondary (12th) class examination with minimum 50% marks and have a two-year Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed) or B.Ed degree, whether you are in the first semester or any other semester.

In detail:

Eligibility:

For CTET Paper 1 (Class 1-5), you must have passed Senior Secondary (12th) class examination with minimum 50% marks and two-year D.El.Ed or B.Ed. Must have a degree. BTC course is a type of D.El.Ed, so you can apply even if you are in the first semester.

BTC (D.El.Ed):

This is a two year diploma course to become a primary teacher. Even though you are in the first semester, you are eligible to apply for CTET Paper 1.

CTET Exam:

CTET is a teacher eligibility test conducted for the recruitment of primary and upper primary teachers across India.

Application Process:

You can fill the online application form by visiting the official website of CTET.

Information in the application form:

You will have to fill your educational qualification, personal details and other required information in the application form.

Last Date:

The last date for application for CTET will be given in the exam notification.

Exam Schedule:

The schedule of CTET exam will also be given in the exam notification.

So, you can apply for CTET even if you are in the first semester of BTC. Just make sure you have the required educational qualifications and fill the application form correctly.

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