CTET 2026 Eligibility Criteria - Check Age Limit, Marks Required, No of Attempts, Important Factor

CTET Eligibility Criteria 2026

Candidates appearing for the CTET 2026 exam on February 7 and 8, 2026 must meet the CTET eligibility criteria 2026 prescribed by CBSE in the official information brochure. Only eligible candidates can submit the CTET application form 2026, and the eligibility rules differ for Primary (Classes I–V) and Upper Primary (Classes VI–VIII) teachers.

For CTET Paper 1 (Primary Stage), candidates must be 12th pass with at least 50% marks along with D.El.Ed/B.El.Ed or equivalent teacher training qualification. For CTET Paper 2 (Upper Primary Stage), candidates should hold a graduation degree with D.El.Ed/B.Ed or B.El.Ed. Candidates who meet the CTET eligibility and cutoff 2026 will receive the CTET eligibility certificate after the exam.

CTET Eligibility 2026 Highlights

The candidates can go through the following details about the CTET 2026 eligibility. 

CTET Eligibility Criteria 2026 for Paper I (Classes I to V)

The CTET eligibility criteria 2026 for Paper I exam can be checked below -

• The candidates who have passed the Class 12 exam with a minimum of 50% (45% for reserved categories) of marks and have passed the D.Ed (Diploma in Elementary Education) course are eligible to register for CTET exam. Candidates who are pursuing a final-year D.Ed course are also eligible to apply for CTET 2026 exam. (OR)
• Candidates who have passed Class 12 with a minimum of 45% of marks and have passed B.EI.Ed course (Bachelors in Elementary Education) are eligible to register for the CTET 2026 exam. Candidates who are pursuing final-year B.EI.Ed course is also eligible for the CTET exam. (OR)
• Candidates who have passed Class 12 with a minimum of 50% of marks and have completed D.Ed in Special Education are eligible for the CTET exam. Candidates pursuing final-year D.Ed in Special Education course can also register for the CTET exam. (OR)
• Candidates who have passed Bachelor's degree and B.Ed with a minimum of 50% of marks are eligible to register for the CTET 2026 exam.

CTET Eligibility Criteria 2026 for Paper II  (Classes VI to VIII)

CTET Paper II eligibility criteria 2026 can be checked below -

• Candidates who have completed a Bachelor's degree and have passed D.Ed course are eligible to register for the CTET exam. (OR)
• Candidates who have passed Bachelor's degree with a minimum of 50% of marks and have passed B.Ed can also register for the CTET exam. (OR)
• Candidates who have passed Class 12 and B.EI.Ed with a minimum of 50% of marks is eligible to register for the CTET exam. (OR)
• Candidates who have passed Class 12 and have passed B.A. B.Ed/ B.Sc B.Ed integrated course are eligible to register for the CTET exam. (OR)

Note: Candidates belonging to SC/ ST/ OBC/ Differently-Abled categories will be given a relaxation of 5% of marks in the minimum marks required in educational qualification. 

CTET 2026 Age Limit & Nationality

In the following section, candidates can find relevant information related to CTET exam 2026 age limit and nationality.

CTET Exam 2026 Nationality Requirement

In order to apply for CTET exam, the candidate must meet the following criteria in regard to nationality. Only those candidates who meet the following eligibility criteria can apply for CTET exam 2026.

• Candidate must be a citizen of India.
• Candidate must be either Nepalese or Bhutanese subject.
• Tibetian who came to India before 1st of January 1962 and have permanently settled in India.
• Candidates who have settled permanently in India after migrating from the following countries-Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Ethiopia, Vietnam, and Burma.

CTET Exam 2026 Age Limit

Given below are some of the important facts related to CTET exam age limit:

• Those candidates whose age is above 17 years can apply for CTET 2026 exam.
• There is no upper age limit for appearing in CTET exam.

CTET 2026 Reservation Criteria

• There is no reservation of seats for any candidate belonging to the unreserved category.
• The candidates belonging to the reserved categories of SC/ ST/ OBC/ Differently-abled get a relaxation of upto 5% in the qualifying marks of the educational qualification in eligibility criteria.

CTET 2026 Number of Attempts

Candidates appearing for CTET 2026 exam must keep the following information in mind:

• There is no age limit for applying for the exam.
• Candidates can apply any number of times for CTET exam.
• Along with that there is also no age limit as well.
• A candidate who has qualified the CTET exam can again appear for the CTET examination in order to improve the score.

Additional Information about CTET 2026 Eligibility Criteria

Some of the important points regarding the CTET 2026 eligibility criteria have been discussed below:

• Those candidates in possession of an NCTE-recognised diploma or degree in teacher education will stand a better chance of getting selected for a teaching job in a good school

• Rehabilitation Council of India or RCI-recognised programmes will be considered for a degree or diploma in Special Education

• A 6-month special programme recognised by NCTE in elementary education is a must for those candidates who have D.ed in Special Education

• The minimum educational qualifications mentioned above apply to the teachers of Languages, Social Studies/ Social Science, Mathematics, Science, etc.
• For the Physical Education teachers, the norms mentioned in NCTE regulations shall be followed.

CTET 2026 Minimum Qualifying Marks

CTET Minimum qualifying marks are equivalent to CTET cut-off. The exam authorities release CTET Minimum Qualifying Marks along with the result only. CTET 2026 Minimum Qualifying Marks are different for different categories. Given below is an estimate of CTET Minimum Qualifying Marks. Candidates can take a reference from the information provided in the following table in order to understand the CTET Minimum Qualifying Marks pattern for the CTET exam 2026.