CTET February 2026: Record-Breaking 25.3 Lakh Applications Received

New Delhi, December 22, 2025 — The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has officially concluded the registration process for the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) February 2026 session, recording an unprecedented surge in interest. According to official data, a staggering 25,30,436 candidates have completed their applications, marking one of the highest registration counts in the history of the exam.

This year’s figures show a significant leap compared to the 2024 cycles, which saw 20.25 lakh registrations in July and 16.72 lakh in December. The sharp rise highlights the growing competitiveness and the essential nature of the CTET qualification for aspiring educators in India.

The Final Rush: Nearly 10 Lakh Sign-ups in 72 Hours

As the deadline approached on December 18, the official portal witnessed an extraordinary “last-minute” rush. CBSE reported that over 9.6 lakh aspirants registered in just the final three days of the 22-day window:

• December 16: 1.93 lakh applications
• December 17: 3.53 lakh applications
• December 18: 4.14 lakh applications

Why the Massive Surge?

Experts point toward several key factors driving this record participation:

1. Mandatory Compliance: Following recent Supreme Court rulings and NCTE guidelines, the CTET has become strictly mandatory for in-service teachers to retain their positions and for new recruits to enter government schools like KVS and NVS.
2. Lifetime Validity: Once qualified, the CTET certificate now holds lifetime validity, encouraging many candidates to take the exam early in their careers.
3. Low Pass Rates: Historically low passing percentages in previous sessions have led to a high number of “repeaters” attempting to clear the benchmark.

Key Exam Information & Schedule

The 21st edition of the CTET will be conducted in offline (OMR-based) mode across 132 cities in 20 different languages.

Preparation and Next Steps

With over 25 lakh competitors, aspirants are advised to focus on the core sections: Child Development and Pedagogy (CDP), Language I & II, Mathematics, and Environmental Studies/Science/Social Studies. Each paper consists of 150 Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) with no negative marking, making accuracy and time management the ultimate deciding factors.

Candidates who made errors during the application process should prepare for the correction window, which opens on December 23. This will be the final opportunity to rectify personal details or educational qualifications before the admit cards are generated.