How to be Successful in CTET Exams

Every year lakhs of students appear for CTET exams, which are conducted by CBSE. Clearing CTET has become crucial for those who have an aspiration of becoming a teacher at school level. However, the overall percentage of students who are successful in clearing CTET is quite low. Very few students are able to crack CTET in the first attempt. Most students end up taking CTET for about 2-3 times before they finally become successful.

However, success in CTET won’t be difficult to achieve if you prepare for the exam methodically and get right guidance from some of the best CTET coaching in Delhi. With 3-4 months of disciplined preparation you should be able to clear the exam. You must focus your attention on the following aspects which will be really helpful:

1. Theories of Child Development – You need to be thorough with the theories of child development. The theories that you have read as a student of a teaching diploma such as B.Ed, JBT, DIET, B.El.Ed etc. Questions are very frequently asked on:

• Piaget’s theory of Cognitive Development
• Vygotsky’s theory of Socio-Cultural Development
• Kohlberg’s theory of Moral Development
• Pavlov’s Theory of Classical Conditioning
• Skinner’s Theory of Operant Conditioning
• Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences

2. Fundamentals of Teaching Methodology – As a teacher, it is expected from you to be an expert on teaching methodology or pedagogy. Therefore, CTET has a lot of emphasis on checking your understanding of this area. Nearly 50-55% questions asked in CTET are somewhere or the other related to it. So you must not neglect exam relevant topics like:

• Thorndike’s laws of learning
• Bloom’s Taxonomy
• Assessment & Evaluation
• Formal learning, Informal learning & Non-formal learning
• Inclusive Education
• Child centered & Progressive education

3. National Curriculum Framework 2005 – NCF 2005 is available online and has around 160 pages. You must read NCF 2005 at least a couple of times to fully grasp the ideology and approach towards education given in it. A total of around 6-8 questions are always there from it. These questions are fairly easy to answer and can get you some sure-shot marks.
4. NCERT Books – Depending on whether it is Paper-I or Paper – II you are attempting and what is your choice of subjects in Paper-II, you should study these NCERT Books

• For Paper I: Environmental Studies text book – “Looking Around” or “Aas-Paas” (in hindi) for Classes III to V
• For Paper II (Maths & Science Teacher): Science text book for Classes VI to VIII
• For Paper II (Social Studies Teacher): All Social Science text books for Classes VI to VIII

“History – Our Past” or “Hamare Ateet” (in hindi)

“The Earth – Our Habitat” or “Prithvi Hamara Aavas” (in hindi)

“Social & Political Life” or “Samajik Evam Rajnitik Jivan” (in hindi)

“Our Environment” or “Hamara Paryavaran” (in hindi)

5. Reading Comprehension (Passages & Poetry) – Out of the150 questions that are there in CTET, a total of 60 questions are from the two languages which you have to opt for. For most students these languages are Hindi and English. Each language section has 30 questions. This section puts a lot of stress on testing your ability to understand the written language. So, make sure that you have had sufficient practice of answering comprehension questions based on both prose and poetry.
6. Previous CTET Question Papers – Going through previous CTET question papers and solving them carefully is essential. You must analyze whichever mistakes you make while doing so. For analysis of these mistakes you should use the official answer key which is provided on the website: www.ctet.nic.in. This analysis will take your preparation to a different level altogether and make you exam ready.
7. Mock Tests – Take adequate number of mock tests before appearing for the final exam. This will help you develop the time management skills required to crack CTET. Experience gained from these mock tests will bring down the level of nervousness and make you confident while facing the exam. You can approach a CTET Coaching Institute to access these mock tests.

Conclusion: Being successful in CTET exam requires dedicated effort from your side. The aspects of CTET exam preparation described above will help you in developing a systematic approach and stand you in a good stead.