My CTET Journey: 97 Days, 3 Breakdowns, and Finally "Qualified"
My CTET Journey: 97 Days, 3 Breakdowns, and Finally "Qualified"
By a student who realized that teaching isn't about knowing answers—it's about understanding children
Let me be honest with you. When I first decided to take the CTET (Central Teacher Eligibility Test), I thought it would be easy. I mean, I'd been a good student my whole life. How hard could a teaching exam be?
I failed my first attempt by 4 marks. Four. Marks.
I sat in my room in Patna, staring at the screen, wondering if I was even meant to be a teacher. My mother, a government school teacher herself, didn't say much. She just made tea and sat with me. After twenty minutes of silence, she said something I'll never forget: "Beta, teaching isn't about passing an exam. It's about understanding how a child's mind works. You'll get there."
She was right. I didn't just need to study—I needed to understand.
This blog isn't another recycled list of CTET tips from coaching websites. This is what actually happens inside the preparation, inside the exam hall, and inside your head during those 97 days of madness. If you're preparing right now, this is for you.
The Two Papers: What Nobody Tells You
Before I understood CTET, I thought it was one exam. It's actually two separate papers, and choosing the wrong one wastes a year:
| Paper | For Teaching | Classes | Who Should Take |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper I | Primary Stage | Classes I-V | Those who want to teach young children |
| Paper II | Elementary Stage | Classes VI-VIII | Those who want to teach older students |
| Both | Both stages | I-VIII | If you want flexibility |
Here's what nobody told me: Your graduation subject matters for Paper II. If you're a science graduate, you can't suddenly decide to teach social studies. The rules are strict. Check them before you register, not after.
The Syllabus Trap: Less Is More
In my first attempt, I bought 7 books for Child Development alone. Seven. By the end, I was so confused that I forgot the basic theories I'd learned in week one.
What actually works:
Child Development & Pedagogy (30 questions, 30 marks)
This is the heart of CTET. Not because it has the most questions, but because this is where they test if you understand children, not just textbooks.
The big topics that actually appear:
- Piaget, Vygotsky, Kohlberg, Erikson – Their theories come every time. But here's the trick: don't just memorize names and years. Understand application. If a question says "Rohan is 7 years old and thinks a tall glass has more water than a short wide glass"—that's Piaget's conservation. If it's about social learning—that's Vygotsky.
- Intelligence theories – Gardner's multiple intelligences, Sternberg's triarchic theory. These come frequently.
- Inclusive education – This is becoming more important every year. Questions about teaching children with disabilities, creating inclusive classrooms, understanding diversity.
- Learning difficulties – Dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia. Know the difference. One teacher I interviewed said: "Most candidates mix up dyslexia and dyscalculia. They're different. Dyslexia is reading, dyscalculia is math."
The 80/20 rule: 80% of questions come from 20% of the syllabus. Focus on high-weightage topics. Don't get lost in obscure theorists.
Mathematics (30 questions, 30 marks) – Paper I
If you're like me and math wasn't your strongest subject, this section feels terrifying. But here's the secret: CTET math is not JEE Advanced.
Topics that actually matter:
- Number system, LCM, HCF, fractions – Basic stuff, but tricky questions
- Pedagogy of math – How to teach concepts like place value, how to handle math anxiety in students. This is 50% of the math paper
- Geometry and measurement – Basic shapes, area, perimeter
- Data handling – Simple graphs, averages
Environmental Studies (30 questions, 30 marks) – Paper I
EVS is beautiful because it's everything around you. But that's also what makes it overwhelming.
Focus areas:
- Family and friends, food, shelter, water, travel – These themes repeat
- EVS pedagogy – How to teach EVS through activities, projects, observations
- Local environment questions – They often ask about things specific to your region. Know your local plants, animals, festivals
Language I & II (30 questions each, 30 marks each)
Most candidates ignore language papers. Big mistake. They're free marks if you prepare right.
The two parts:
- Language comprehension – Reading passages, answering questions. Your English/Hindi/Sanskrit reading speed matters.
- Pedagogy of language – How to teach language, develop skills, assess learning. This is where most people lose marks because they don't prepare it.
Paper II: The Subject Specialization Challenge
If you're taking Paper II (classes VI-VIII), you need to choose your subjects wisely:
- Math & Science – For math/science teachers
- Social Studies – For social studies teachers
- Any two from: Languages, Science, Math, Social Studies, etc.
Each subject section has 60 questions (60 marks), plus the mandatory Child Development and Languages.
The mistake I made: I thought being good in my subject was enough. It's not. 50% of the subject paper is pedagogy—how to teach that subject. You need to know both content and teaching methods.
The Preparation Timeline That Finally Worked
After two failures, this is the schedule that got me through:
Phase 1: Foundation (45 days)
- Days 1-15: Child Development & Pedagogy – One theorist per day, with application-based practice
- Days 16-25: Math/EVS (Paper I) or Subject specialization (Paper II) – Basic concepts only
- Days 26-35: Language papers – Reading comprehension practice daily, pedagogy on weekends
- Days 36-45: Full subject revision + start previous year questions
Daily routine: 4 hours study, 1 hour practice questions, 30 minutes revision of previous day.
Phase 2: Practice (30 days)
- Daily: 50 MCQs from each section, alternating subjects
- Weekly: 2 full-length mock tests
- Focus: Identify weak areas and revise those topics
Phase 3: Revision (22 days)
- Static subjects: Revised 3 times
- Pedagogy: Made one-page notes for each theorist and teaching method
- Previous year papers: Solved 5 years' papers, analyzed every mistake
- Mocks: 1 every alternate day, with detailed analysis
The last week: No new topics. Only revision and confidence building.
The Exam Day Reality: What Actually Happens
I've been to CTET twice. Let me tell you what the experience is really like:
Before the exam:
- Reach at least 1 hour early. The gates close exactly on time.
- Carry admit card, photo ID, and a passport-size photo (even if they said not needed, carry it)
- No electronics allowed. Not even basic watches sometimes.
Inside the hall:
- 150 questions, 150 minutes. That's exactly 1 minute per question.
- The OMR sheet needs careful filling. One wrong bubble and that question is gone.
- Negative marking? No. But that doesn't mean guess blindly. Smart guessing is okay.
What surprised me: The environment is strict. Not like college exams. It's like a government job exam—serious, silent, intimidating. Don't let it shake you.
The mental game: In my first attempt, I panicked in the last 30 minutes and rushed through 40 questions. Made 15 silly mistakes. In my second attempt, I kept a watch and maintained a steady pace—50 questions per hour. Finished with 5 minutes to check.
Resources That Actually Work (Without Overwhelming You)
Books that are enough:
- Child Development: NCERT Class 11-12 Psychology + one good guide (I used Arihant, but any standard one works)
- Math: NCERT Class 6-8 + previous year questions
- EVS: NCERT Class 3-5 (yes, the actual school textbooks) + your own observations
- Languages: Wren & Martin for basic grammar + newspaper reading daily
- Pedagogy: No single book. I made notes from multiple sources and past papers
Free resources that saved me:
- YouTube: There are teachers who upload free topic-wise videos. I watched one theorist explanation daily during breakfast.
- Telegram channels: For daily MCQs and current updates about exam dates
- Previous year papers: The most underrated resource. Patterns repeat. Questions repeat. Solve them.
The Mistakes That Cost Me My First Two Attempts
Mistake 1: Ignoring pedagogy
I thought "I know history, I can teach it." CTET doesn't care. They want to know if you understand how children learn history—through stories, timelines, projects, or lectures? Pedagogy is half the paper.
Mistake 2: Not solving enough MCQs
Reading is passive. Solving is active. In my first attempt, I'd read for hours but solved only 20-30 questions daily. In my successful attempt, I solved 100+ questions daily, even on "off" days.
Mistake 3: Overconfidence in language papers
"I speak English daily, how hard can it be?" Famous last words. The language paper tests specific things—comprehension, grammar, teaching methods. Prepare it like any other subject.
Mistake 4: Not managing time in exam
The clock doesn't stop. Practice with a timer at home. Get used to the pressure.
Mistake 5: Ignoring health
In my second attempt, I studied 10 hours daily for a month before the exam. By exam day, I had a fever and couldn't focus. This time, I studied smart, slept 7 hours, ate properly. The exam is 150 minutes of intense focus—your brain needs fuel.
What Teachers Say About CTET (The Honest Truth)
I interviewed several government school teachers for this blog. Here's what they want you to know:
On why CTET matters:
"CTET doesn't just certify you—it prepares you. The things you study—child development, inclusive education, pedagogy—you actually use them in the classroom. A child not understanding fractions? That's Piaget. A student with dyslexia? That's your inclusive education chapter." – Mrs. Sharma, Primary Teacher, 15 years experience
On the interview that never happens:
"Unlike other exams, CTET has no interview. Your marks are your destiny. So focus everything on the OMR sheet. That single sheet decides."
On what makes a good teacher:
"CTET can test your knowledge. It can't test your patience, your love for children, your creativity. Those you bring yourself. The certificate is just the beginning."
The 97 Days That Changed Me
When I look back at my CTET journey, I don't remember the marks. I remember:
- The morning my mother found me crying because I couldn't understand Vygotsky's scaffolding theory
- The evening I finally scored 25/30 in a math mock test and danced in my room
- The night before the exam when I couldn't sleep and just sat looking at my notes
- The moment I saw "Qualified" on the screen and called my mother, both of us crying
CTET taught me something important: Teaching is not about being the smartest person in the room. It's about understanding the people in the room.
If you're preparing right now, wherever you are—in your hostel room, in your village home, in a crowded city—remember why you started. You want to shape young minds. You want to be that teacher a child remembers forever.
CTET is just the first step. But it's an important one.
Final Words: Practical Checklist Before Exam
One week before:
- Revise all pedagogy notes
- Solve 2 full mocks with timer
- Identify 3 weakest topics and revise them daily
One day before: