How to prepare for Teaching exams
Teacher eligibility tests (CTET and state TETs) and teacher recruitment exams (KVS, NVS, state TGT/PGT) test two things: your subject knowledge and how to teach it. Child Development and Pedagogy is common to almost all of them.
CTET pattern
150 questions, 150 marks, 2 hours 30 minutes, no negative marking. Qualifying marks are 60%, with relaxation for reserved categories.
| Paper | Sections (30 questions each unless noted) | For |
|---|---|---|
| Paper I | Child Development & Pedagogy, Language I, Language II, Mathematics, Environmental Studies | Classes 1–5 |
| Paper II | Child Development & Pedagogy, Language I, Language II, Maths & Science or Social Studies (60) | Classes 6–8 |
What each part asks
- Child Development & Pedagogy: theories of Piaget, Vygotsky and Kohlberg, inclusive education, learning and motivation, assessment (CCE), questions about classroom situations.
- Languages: unseen passages and poems, plus how to teach a language (pedagogy).
- Subject sections: half content at the level you would teach, half pedagogy of that subject.
- Recruitment exams (KVS, NVS, state TGT/PGT) add general awareness, reasoning, computer literacy and a deeper subject paper.
How to score well
- Pedagogy questions describe a classroom; pick the child-centred answer that encourages thinking, not memorising.
- Use NCERT textbooks of the classes you will teach for the content part.
- There is no negative marking in CTET: attempt every question.
A simple 12-week plan
- Weeks 1–2: read the official syllabus and solve one previous year paper without preparation, to see where you stand.
- Weeks 3–8: one subject block a day (for example Maths and Reasoning on alternate days), plus 30 minutes of current affairs and 30 minutes of revision of the previous day.
- Weeks 9–10: one full mock test every second day. After each mock, spend as long reviewing the mistakes as you spent taking the test.
- Weeks 11–12: a full mock every day in the same time slot as the real exam, and revise only your own short notes.
Common mistakes
- Guessing blindly where there is negative marking. Attempt a question only when you can rule out at least two options.
- Collecting many books instead of finishing one. One standard book per subject plus previous papers is enough.
- Skipping the official notification. Age, qualification and the exact pattern are printed there, and they change between years.
- Leaving the photo, signature and documents for the last day. Keep them ready in the sizes the form asks for.
Next steps
- Confirm the exact pattern in the official notification of your exam: it can change from one year to the next.
- Practise with previous year papers and keep your photo, signature and documents ready in the sizes forms ask for.
- Other guides: SSC exams, Railway exams, Bank exams, Police exams, State PSC exams, Defence exams, UPSC exams, Government job exams.