If you dream of becoming a school teacher for classes 9 to 12, you will now have to work harder than before. CBSE has decided that passing the CTET exam will now be mandatory even for teaching classes 9 to 12. CBSE will soon release new guidelines for this.

What is CTET and who could take it earlier?
CTET (Central Teacher Eligibility Test) is a national-level exam conducted jointly by CBSE and NCTE. This exam is meant for those who want to become teachers in Kendriya Vidyalayas, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas, or schools affiliated with CBSE.

Until now, the exam was held at two levels:

Paper 1 – For classes 1 to 5
Paper 2 – For classes 6 to 8

Candidates could also choose to appear for both papers. However, now its scope is being expanded.

What changes are going to happen?
CBSE and NCTE are planning to conduct CTET at four levels:

Classes 1 to 5 (Paper 1)
Classes 6 to 8 (Paper 2)
Classes 9 to 12 (New Paper)
Bal Vatika (for pre-primary level)

This means that passing CTET will also be mandatory for teaching high school classes (9 to 12). Additionally, a separate exam may also be introduced for pre-primary teachers.

When will this new rule come into effect?
CBSE will soon release guidelines regarding this. If everything goes as planned, the rule may come into effect by the end of this year or from next year. It is likely that from 2025, CTET will be conducted in three or four levels.

What was required so far to become a teacher for classes 9 to 12?
Until now, to teach in high school, a B.Ed. and a postgraduate degree were required. In some schools, CTET was not mandatory, as it depended on the school’s policy. However, in CBSE-affiliated schools, CTET was already required. With the new rule, passing CTET will become compulsory for teaching classes 9 to 12 in all CBSE schools.