CTET Preparation Tips 2021, Important Topics and Books

CTET is the most sought exam and the only gateway for getting a teaching job in the schools at the junior and elementary level. Qualifying the exam is the minimum eligibility requirement defined for teachers who are working at any government, public or private school. To crack the exam, candidates must have a proper strategic plan based on their abilities. A good preparation plan provides a defined path to the candidates. Therefore, we have come up with some tips and tricks that candidates can follow to crack the exam.

The exam is conducted at two levels on a single day in separate sessions in over 2935 CTET Exam Centers. The exam is of two and a half hour duration and the question paper will be bilingual (Hindi and English). CTET qualifiers will get recruited in various schools run by the central government, schools under the control of UT’s, private schools, schools owned and managed by the state government/local bodies. CTET Eligibility Certificate will be valid for 7 years from the declaration of the result which will be given to candidates scoring more than 60%. Candidates can check CTET CutOff according to which they can further plan.

How to Prepare & Crack CTET 2021?

Know the CTET 2021 Exam Pattern

• CTET 2020 will be held in offline mode.
• The question papers will be bilingual (Hindi & English) which will carry Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs).
• Both papers - I and II will carry 150 marks each.
• Each question will carry 1 mark.
• There will be no negative marking.
• The time duration to attempt both papers - I and II will be 2 hours 30 minutes each.

Check CTET Exam Pattern

CTET Syllabus

• The syllabus of CTET 2020 for papers I and II will have topics prescribed in the syllabus of the NCERT for classes I to V and V to VIII respectively.
• The difficulty level and linkages can be up to the level of the senior secondary stage.
• Candidates will be tested for two languages, one as a medium of instruction and another language that they can choose.
• For language II, aspirants will be tested on the elements of language, communication, and comprehension abilities.
• CTET syllabus for Child Development and Pedagogy section will include topics related to teaching ability and students that they will be teaching after qualifying CTET and recruitment as teachers in primary and elementary schools in India.

Check CTET Syllabus

CTET Preparation for Child Development and Pedagogy

• 15 questions from each of the subsections will be asked from the child development section.
• The questions will be asked related to the ideology and principle of thinkers under the child development section.
• The concept of Inclusive education and understanding children with special needs is important as 5 questions are asked from the topic.
• Preparation of topic thinkers' thoughts and principles well.
• Revise the CTET Previous Year Question Papers.  Download Now

Important topics for Child Development and Pedagogy:

• Theories of Intelligence
• Theories of Child Development
• Learning theories
• Intelligence theories
• Assessment & Evaluation
• Concepts of Psychology

CTET Books for Child Development and Pedagogy:

Know More How to Prepare for Child Development and Pedagogy?

CTET Preparation for Language I and II

Usually, language 1 is the Local Language used by you, and Language II is the Second Language used by people for Communication.

How to Prepare for CTET Language I?

• The medium of instruction (language which is used to give instructions in classes) proficiency will be checked in the language I section.
• A lot of practice is needed to master the language I section.
• The language I is usually the regional language, in our case, it is Hindi selected by most of the candidates.
• Online test series must be practiced to excel in the section.
• Time management and planning must be done to improve the performance of the section.
• Two unseen passages will be asked- one will be prose and the other the drama. Prose question can be literally, scientific, narrative or discursive.
• One question will come on the basis of a poem given in the question paper.
• Inference based questions will be asked.
• Questions on grammar and verbal ability.

How to Prepare for CTET Language II?

• Language II is the second primary language used in the region.
• Questions will be similar in pattern to the language I.
• Questions will be asked to test the grammatical skills in language II.
• Two unseen prose questions will come, which can be discursive, literary, narrative, or scientific.

Common Tips for Both Languages

• Do a lot of practice in order to excel in the language.
• Buy a basic grammar book and learn about the various parts of speeches for both part I and part II.
• Regular reading is an important habit for both languages I and language II.
• Read the syllabus guidelines carefully before jumping to the practice.
• Do practical training for the teaching methods, so you can answer the questions innovatively.

CTET Books for Language I and Language II:

CTET Preparation for Mathematics Paper I and II

As mathematics questions are asked in both paper I and paper II, thus a planned strategy must be made on the basis of the important guidelines defined for the teachers. The basic questions will be asked from the syllabus and the following must be used for preparation. 

• Revise NCERT Books: Students appearing for the paper I/paper II must revise the NCERT books of mathematics prescribed by the CBSE authorities from class I - V/ VI-VIII depending upon the paper code.
• Practice Mock Tests: Previous year papers are important to excel in the CTET exam. A lot of websites are offering mock practice exams. Enroll in an online CTET program or join a coaching center to excel in the exam.
• Sample Papers: Before the exam, CBSE will produce sample papers that must be practiced so that the exam type, pattern, and format of the questions can be easily understood.
• Questions on Pedagogy: Mathematics paper will also have questions on pedagogy, students must have good knowledge and understanding of these questions. Practical methods with their practical implementation and ability to teach these methods must be understood. Sound knowledge of formative and non-formative assessment should be learned here.
• All Questions must be Attempted: As there is no negative marking so all questions must be attempted as every mark counts.

Know More How to Prepare for Mathematics in CTET?

CTET Books for Mathematics Paper I & II:

CTET Preparation for Environmental Studies

• The questions asked will be General and basic, study the NCERT books of Class I to V and Geography books of Class VI to VIII.
• Watch the Daily News Clips and read the newspaper every day.
• Prepare for the previous year’s sample papers and question papers available online.
• Join online test series where the questions are asked related to the topic.
• Take a random quiz on General awareness and environmental studies to perform well in the exam.
• Time management is important to attempt the questions, as they all appear easy but answering can be tricky sometimes as proximate data is available.
• Join online test groups for preparation and keep referring to the blogs related to CTET.

CTET Books for Environmental Studies:

CTET Preparation Tips for Science

• Only 30 questions will be asked in this section of MCQ type which will be from basic class VI to VIII syllabus.
• NCERT books from class I to VIII must be studies to perform well.
• Solve all problems given in Science books from class VI to VIII.
• Questions on pedagogy and practical problem-solving questions will be asked.
• Solve the practice problems in the online test series and sample papers defined for CTET.
• Join online test groups to prepare for the science section.
• Questions on unit conversion and basic of cell formation will be asked.
• Very few questions on chemistry.

CTET Books for Science:

CTET Preparation Tips for Social Science Paper-II

• Class I- VIII syllabus defined under environmental science and social science must be covered.
• Questions will be asked on fundamental concepts of cultural, economic and political skills.
• Social science questions will be designed on how our society works.
• Prepare micro notes on ancient history, medieval history, and modern history to excel in the history section.
• To enhance the performance of the economy and polity sections, one must regularly read newspapers and see news on news channels.
• Basic questions can be asked on the constitution of India.
• Make short notes of the historical data especially the dates and the era.
• Do a lot of online practice to identify your weak areas and to perform well in the section.
• A mock test designed especially for the section must be done.
• A lot of hard work is needed to perform well in the section as plenty of data is available.

CTET Books for Social Science:

CTET 2021 Preparation Tips: FAQs

Q.1) Is it necessary to refer to any standard book before attempting practice tests?

Ans.: No. It is not required. You can attempt a practice test first to check your level and then start the preparation accordingly.

Q.2) How many practice papers should I attempt before appearing for the exam?

Ans.: There is no such number defined. However, generally, 40 papers are sufficient to attempt before appearing in such CTET.