CTET rewards understanding of how children learn more than hard facts. About half of Paper I and a third of Paper II's subject section is pedagogy, and Child Development & Pedagogy alone is 30 marks. Target 100+ marks to be safe above the 90-mark line.
3–4 months out
- Download the latest bulletin and write the syllabus for your paper on one page.
- Start with Child Development & Pedagogy: read one standard book cover to cover and make short notes on Piaget, Vygotsky, Kohlberg, inclusive education and assessment.
- Read NCERT textbooks for Classes III–V (EVS, Maths) for Paper I, or Classes VI–VIII (Science, Maths, History, Geography, Civics) for Paper II. One subject per week.
- Pick your two languages early and practise one unseen passage a day in each.
2 months out
- Study the pedagogy part of each subject (maths, EVS/science/social science, language teaching). Link each concept to an NCERT/NCF idea.
- Solve CTET previous papers section-wise (available on ctet.nic.in archive). Note which pedagogy ideas keep repeating.
- Keep an error notebook: write why the correct answer is 'child-centred' and why your choice was not.
Last 30 days
- Take one full 150-question mock every 2–3 days in 2.5 hours, on an OMR-style sheet.
- Since there is no negative marking, practise answering every question.
- Revise notes on CDP theories and language pedagogy terms every week.
- If you take both papers, practise one morning and one afternoon mock on the same day at least twice.
Exam week
- Download the city slip and admit card as soon as they are out and visit the centre route if possible.
- Revise only notes and the error notebook; no new books.
- Carry the admit card and a valid photo ID; follow the dress code in the admit card.
Books and resources
- NCERT textbooks, Classes I–VIII (EVS, Maths, Science, Social Science) — Questions are based on the NCERT syllabus for these classes.
- National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2005 and NCF-SE 2023 summaries — Many pedagogy answers follow NCF ideas such as child-centred learning and continuous assessment.
- A standard Child Development & Pedagogy guide — Gives organised notes on learning theories, inclusive education and assessment.
- CTET previous year papers (ctet.nic.in archive) — Best guide to the style and repeated ideas in pedagogy questions.
Mistakes to avoid
- Treating pedagogy as common sense and not studying it — it is half the paper
- Picking options that are teacher-centred, punishing or rote-based; CTET favours child-centred answers
- Skipping the language pedagogy part and only practising passages
- Leaving questions blank when there is no negative marking
- Studying from too many books instead of NCERT plus one guide and past papers