The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has officially opened the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) 2026 application window. Eligible candidates can register for the CTET 2026 exam from November 27 to December 18, 2025, by 11:59 PM through the official website, ctet.nic.in. The 21st CTET exam is scheduled to be conducted on Sunday, February 8, 2026. The CTET 2026 exam has two papers: Paper I for candidates who want to teach classes 1 to 5, and Paper II focuses on classes 6 to 8.
The CTET examination 2026 will be conducted in two shifts. The morning shift will take place from 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM and the evening shift will start from 2:30 PM to 5:00 PM. Before applying for the CTET 2026 exam, candidates should read the eligibility criteria required for the CTET examination. To be eligible for the examination, candidates must be Indian citizens. Candidates who have a post-graduation degree with a minimum of 55 % or other equivalent 3-year integrated B.Ed.-M.Ed are also eligible to apply. Also, the minimum age to apply for the CTET examination 2026 is 17 years.
CTET 2026 Registration: Application Fee
Candidates can check the required application fee for the CTET 2026 examination from the table below:
| Category | Only Paper I or II | Both Paper I and II |
| General/OBC (NCL) | INR 1000 | INR 1200 |
| SC/ST/Differently Abled Person | INR 500 | INR 600 |
The CTET 2026 application window is open from November 27 to December 18, 2025. The last date to submit the application fee is also December 18, 2025.
CTET Application Form 2026: Steps to Apply
To register for the CTET examination 2026, candidates can follow the steps mentioned below:
Step 1: Visit the official CTET website – ctet.nic.in
Step 2: Select the “Apply Online” link on the homepage
Step 3: Fill out the application form by entering the required details
Step 4: Upload the latest scanned photograph and image
Step 5: Submit the application fee via the credit/debit card or net banking
Step 6: Download the confirmation page for future reference
It is advisable to download the confirmation page and keep it safe for future use.
CTET 2026 Application: Documents Required
To apply for the CTET 2026, candidates must have these documents handy with them while filling out the CTET 2026 application form:
- Scanned photograph (JPG/JPEG format)
- Scanned signature (JPG/JPEG format)
Candidates are advised to fill out the CTET 2026 application form before the deadline and start preparing for their exam, scheduled to be held on February 8, 2026.
