CTET September 2026 Notification: Reopened Application, Exam Date, Eligibility & Fee

CTET September 2026 Recruitment 2026 Overview

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has issued a Public Notice dated 25th August 2026 (F. No. CBSE/CTET/Sept./2026/e-73233) reopening the online application window for the 22nd Edition of the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET), also referred to as CTET September 2026. This step follows a Supreme Court judgment (Review Petition Civil Diary No. 53434/2025 in Civil Appeal No. 1385/2025) that emphasised giving eligible teachers a reasonable opportunity to acquire the prescribed TET qualification.

• Who is recruiting/conducting the exam: Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), CTET Unit
• Exam name: Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) – September 2026, 22nd Edition
• Papers: Paper I (Classes I–V) and Paper II (Classes VI–VIII)
• Who can apply: Candidates who satisfy the minimum qualifications notified by the NCTE for teacher eligibility
• Reopened application window: 25.08.2026 to 01.09.2026
• Original application window: 11.05.2026 to 10.06.2026
• Application mode: Online only, through https://ctet.nic.in or https://www.cbse.gov.in
• Exam location: Pan-India (city allotted by CBSE on a random basis)
• Note: Candidates who have already successfully submitted their application in the earlier window need not apply again.

CTET September 2026 Important Dates

As per the Public Notice dated 25.08.2026, CBSE has opened a fresh window for candidates who could not apply earlier. The original schedule from the Information Bulletin is also provided for reference, since it applies to candidates who already applied in the first window.

Because the exam date for the reopened window is not yet announced, candidates applying between 25.08.2026 and 01.09.2026 should keep checking ctet.nic.in for the revised schedule.

CTET September 2026 Paper I & Paper II Structure (In Place of Vacancy Details)

CTET is a qualifying eligibility test, not a post-based recruitment, so there are no numerical vacancies. Instead, candidates choose one or both of the following papers based on the teaching level they wish to qualify for:

Candidates who intend to teach both levels (I–V and VI–VIII) must appear for both Paper I and Paper II. All questions are Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) with four options, one mark each, and there is no negative marking. The main question paper is bilingual (Hindi/English).

CTET September 2026 Eligibility Criteria & Qualification

The Information Bulletin states that the minimum qualifications for appearing in CTET are as notified by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), and candidates are advised to check the NCTE website (ncte.gov.in) to confirm their eligibility. In summary, eligibility is based on:

• National Council for Teacher Education (Determination of Minimum Qualifications) Regulations, as amended and notified from time to time
• Minimum qualifications laid down in the Recruitment Rules of the appropriate State/Central Government, or of Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan / Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, as applicable

The Bulletin explicitly states that being allowed to appear in CTET does not mean a candidate's eligibility has been verified, and it does not confer any right to appointment — final eligibility verification rests with the recruiting/appointing authority. A relaxation of up to 5% in qualifying marks in the minimum educational qualification is allowed for SC/ST/OBC/Differently-abled candidates, as notified by NCTE.

Age limit: The provided CTET Information Bulletin does not specify a minimum or maximum age limit for appearing in the exam.

CTET September 2026 Qualifying Marks & Certificate Validity

As per NCTE Notification No.76-4/2010/NCTE/Acad dated 11.02.2011, a candidate who scores 60% or more in the CTET exam is considered TET Pass. Qualifying CTET does not confer any right to recruitment or employment, as it is only one of the eligibility criteria for appointment. There is no restriction on the number of attempts a candidate can take, and a candidate who has already qualified may reappear to improve their score. The CTET certificate is valid for a lifetime for all categories.

CTET September 2026 Application Fee

GST as applicable will be charged extra by the bank. Fee can be paid only through the online mode (Debit Card, Credit Card, or Net Banking). Fee submitted through any offline mode such as money order, demand draft, or IPO will be rejected, and the fee once paid is non-refundable and non-adjustable for a future test under any circumstances.

CTET September 2026 Exam Procedure (Selection Process)

CTET is a qualifying test rather than a competitive recruitment exam, so there is no separate multi-stage "selection process." The process consists of the following steps:

1. Online submission of the application form along with photograph, signature, and fee
2. Download of e-Admit Card from the CTET official website
3. Appearing for the written examination (Paper I and/or Paper II) at the allotted centre
4. Display of scanned OMR sheets and provisional answer keys, with an option to challenge answers on payment of a non-refundable fee of Rs. 1000/- per question
5. Declaration of result based on the final answer key
6. Candidates scoring 60% or more are declared TET Pass and issued a digital mark sheet/eligibility certificate via DigiLocker

Candidates should note there is no provision for re-checking or re-evaluation of the CTET result, and no correspondence in this regard will be entertained.

How to Apply for CTET September 2026

CTET September 2026 Apply Online Steps

1. Log on to the CTET official website (ctet.nic.in) or the CBSE website (cbse.gov.in)
2. Click on the "Apply Online" link and open the application form
3. Fill in the Online Application Form and note down the Registration Number/Application Number
4. Upload the latest scanned photograph and signature in JPG/JPEG format
5. Pay the examination fee through debit card, credit card, or net banking
6. Print and retain the Confirmation Page for future reference (it is not required to be sent to the CTET Unit)

Documents/Files Needed Before Applying

• Scanned photograph (10 KB to 100 KB; dimension 3.5 cm width x 4.5 cm height)
• Scanned signature (3 KB to 30 KB; dimension 3.5 cm length x 1.5 cm height)
• Valid mobile number and email ID (registered updates/alerts are sent only to these)

Candidates who have already successfully completed and submitted their application in the earlier window (11.05.2026 to 10.06.2026) do not need to apply again during the reopened window.

CTET September 2026 Important Instructions

• The candidate's particulars cannot be changed once the examination fee has been submitted, except during a specified correction period notified on the CTET website.
• If a candidate submits more than one online application, the candidature may be cancelled, and the candidate may be debarred from future examinations.
• Candidates cannot select their own exam city; it is allotted by CBSE on a random basis, and requests for change of allotted city or date will not be accepted.
• Furnishing false, wrong, or inaccurate information may lead to cancellation of the test result, forfeiture of the certificate, and prosecution in appropriate cases.
• Records of CTET, including the OMR Answer Sheet, are preserved only for two months from the date of declaration of result.
• All disputes pertaining to the conduct of CTET fall within the jurisdiction of Delhi only.

CTET September 2026 Important Links

• Reopen Notification: Click Here
• Official Notification: Click Here
• Official Public Notice / Apply Online: https://ctet.nic.in
• CBSE Official Website: https://www.cbse.gov.in
• NCTE Eligibility Reference: https://ncte.gov.in