Somdatta Roy
Senior Content Writer | Updated on - Mar 16, 2026

The official window opened by Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to check the scanned OMR answer sheets and provisional answer keys for the CTET February 2026 (21st Edition) is now closed. The final answer key will be issued soon once the objections have been raised and reviewed by an expert panel. 

ctet

The OMRs and the provisional answer keys are available till March 15, 2026, until 11:59 PM on the official website, ctet.nic.in. During this window, you may challenge any answer key by submitting a non-refundable fee of INR 1,000 per question via credit or debit card. If a challenge is accepted by subject experts after a policy review, the fee will be refunded to the original payment account. 

The CTET Paper 2 held on February 7, 2026, was reported to be Easy to Moderate in terms of overall difficulty. The examination remained largely NCERT-centric, rewarding those with strong conceptual clarity rather than rote memorization. While the Language sections were generally straightforward and scoring. The Mathematics and Social Science portions were described as moderately challenging due to their analytical nature and a few lengthy, statement-based questions. Most experts suggest that an attempt of 115–130 questions with high accuracy should be considered a safe range for qualifying. 

Steps to View and Challenge CTET 2026 Provisional Answer Key 

Check the steps for viewing and challenging the CTET 2025 provisional answer key: 

  • Step 1: Go to the website ctet.nic.in.
  • Step 2: Under the "Candidate Activity" section on the homepage, click on the "View/Challenge Answer Key – CTET Feb 2026" link.
  • Step 3: A login page will appear. Enter your credentials as mentioned on your admit card.
  • Step 4: After signing in, your candidate dashboard will show links for both the Main Answer Key and your scanned OMR Sheet.
  • Step 5: Choose the specific Paper (Paper 1 or Paper 2) and the Question Paper Set (e.g., Set A, B, C, or D) you appeared for.
  • Step 6: Click on the download button to save the CTET 2026 Answer Key PDF for your records.
  • Step 7: To initiate challenge, click on the link available for submitting challenges
  • Step 8: Choose the specific question(s) you wish to object to and click on the "Click to Enter Your Answer" link. 
  • Step 9: Select what you believe is the correct answer option and click the "Update" link to save your selection. 
  • Step 10: Finalize your challenge and proceed to the payment gateway and after a successful transaction, submit the challenge and download/save the confirmation page for future reference.
 
ctet-login-portal

CTET 2026 Candidate Portal 

Details Mentioned on CTET Answer Key 2026

When you download the CTET 2026 provisional answer key, the PDF will contain specific identifying information as below:

  • Exam Name
  • Exam Date
  • Paper Name
  • Set Name
  • Question Numbers
  • Correct Answer Option
  • Subject Sections

Exam Pattern for CTET 2026 Paper 1 & 2

Check the CTET 2026 Exam Pattern details for both papers:

CTET 2026 Paper 1 (Primary Stage: Classes 1 to 5)

This paper is designed for those aiming to teach students in the primary age group (6–11 years). The five mandatory sections are:

SectionSubjectMCQsTotal Marks
IChild Development and Pedagogy3030
IILanguage-I (Compulsory)
IIILanguage-II (Compulsory)
IVMathematics
VEnvironmental Studies (EVS)
Total150150

CTET 2026 Paper 2 (Elementary Stage: Classes 6 to 8)

This paper is for candidates seeking to teach upper primary students (11–14 years) consists of an extra specialization:

SectionSubjectMCQsTotal Marks
IChild Development & Pedagogy3030
IILanguage-I (Compulsory)
IIILanguage-II (Compulsory)
IV

Choice A: Mathematics and Science OR

Choice B: Social Studies/Social Science

6060
Total150150

Read More: 

Frequently Asked Questions

Ans: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announces the CTET 2026 Answer Key on the official website at ctet.nic.in. Candidates can download a scanned copy of their OMR Answer Sheet along with the provisional answer key by logging into the portal using their Roll Number and Date of Birth

Ans: In CTET 2026, for each correct response, candidates are awarded +1 mark. There is no negative marking in this exam, meaning 0 marks are deducted for incorrect or unattempted questions. Because of this, candidates can attempt all 150 questions to maximize their potential scores.

Ans: To qualify for the CTET 2026, candidates must meet the minimum score criteria set by the CBSE based on their category. General category candidates are required to score 60%, which equals 90 out of 150 marks. Candidates belonging to OBC, SC, and ST categories are granted a 5% relaxation, requiring a 55% score, which equals 82 out of 150 marks. Scoring even one mark below these marks will result in failing the exam.

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