A lot of candidates confuse this slip with the admit card, download it late, or miss the login details entirely — small mistakes that can cause unnecessary panic right before exam day. This guide walks you through everything: when the slip is expected, how to download it once it’s live, the full CTET exam pattern, passing marks by category, eligibility rules, and the important dates you shouldn’t miss. Think of this as your one-stop reference so you’re not scrambling across ten browser tabs closer to the exam.

CTET City Intimation Slip?

The city intimation slip is a short, informational document CBSE releases before the admit card. It tells you two things:

City Slip Status

Here’s where things stand as of late August 2026:

• CBSE has not yet announced the exact release date for the city intimation slip, but multiple education portals report it is expected “soon.”
• The CTET September 2026 examination is scheduled to be conducted on September 6, 2026, in two shifts.
• Paper 1 will run from 9:30 am to 12 noon, and Paper 2 from 2:30 pm to 5 pm.
• CBSE generally releases the exam city slip around 10 days before the exam, so candidates should start checking the portal closely as September approaches.
• Once the link goes live, you’ll need your login credentials to view and download the slip from ctet.nic.in.

Keep in mind this is a “LIVE” situation — CBSE can activate the link on the portal any day without a prior public announcement, so it’s worth bookmarking the official site and checking it every couple of days once you’re within two weeks of the exam.

Why This Slip Matters (Importance)

It’s easy to dismiss the city slip as “just a formality,” but it genuinely saves you money and stress:

• Travel planning: If your allotted city is different from your hometown, you get a head start on booking trains, flights, or buses before prices spike.
• Accommodation: Early knowledge of the city means you can book a hotel or arrange a stay with relatives well in advance.
• Peace of mind: Knowing roughly where you’ll be tested removes one layer of exam-day anxiety.
• Error correction window: If there’s a factual mismatch (like a wrong name spelling carried over from your application), spotting it early on the city slip gives you time to raise it with CBSE before the admit card is finalized.

How to Download the City Intimation Slip

Once CBSE activates the link, here’s how to get your copy:

1. Visit the official website — go to ctet.nic.in. Avoid third-party sites that ask for extra personal details.
2. Find the city slip link on the homepage — it usually appears as “CTET September 2026 City Intimation Slip.”
3. Enter your login details — this is typically your application number along with your date of birth or password, plus a security captcha.
4. Submit the form — your slip will appear on screen showing your name, application number, exam city, and exam date.
5. Download and save — save it as a PDF and also take a screenshot as backup. Don’t rely on just one saved copy.
6. Print a hard copy — while it isn’t mandatory to carry it to the exam hall, having a printout helps if you’re using it for travel bookings or visa-style ID verification at a hotel.

City Intimation Slip vs Admit Card

Candidates often assume these two documents are the same thing. They’re not.

Never assume the city slip is your entry ticket — you must download the actual admit card separately when it’s released.

Exam Pattern

Understanding the exam structure helps you plan your final revision weeks better.

• The CTET paper consists of 150 multiple-choice questions carrying a total of 150 marks.
• The exam is conducted in offline, OMR-based mode.
• There are two papers:
  • Paper 1 — for candidates aiming to teach Classes 1 to 5 (Primary level)
  • Paper 2 — for candidates aiming to teach Classes 6 to 8 (Upper Primary level)
• Candidates who want to be eligible for both levels can appear for both papers on the same day, in two separate shifts.
• No negative marking applies, so it’s always safer to attempt every question rather than leave anything blank.

Subject-wise structure (broad view):

• Paper 1: Child Development & Pedagogy, Language I, Language II, Mathematics, Environmental Studies
• Paper 2: Child Development & Pedagogy, Language I, Language II, and either Mathematics & Science (for Maths/Science teachers) or Social Studies/Social Science (for Social Science teachers)

Each section generally carries 30 questions worth 30 marks, adding up to the total 150.

Passing Marks (Category-Wise)

Qualifying marks have stayed consistent across recent CTET cycles:

• General category: candidates need to score 90 out of 150 marks, which is 60%. This benchmark applies to both Paper 1 and Paper 2.
• OBC/SC/ST/PwD categories: candidates need 55%, or 82 marks out of 150.
• These thresholds apply equally regardless of gender — qualifying marks for female candidates are the same as for male candidates in each respective category.
• There is no seat reservation in CTET itself, but reserved category candidates are granted a 5% marks relaxation in the qualifying score.
• Clearing CTET doesn’t guarantee a teaching job — final recruitment depends on individual school or authority requirements. The certificate simply makes you eligible to apply.

A practical tip: aim to score at least 5–8 marks above the minimum cutoff as a safety buffer, since normalization or last-minute question drops (in rare disputed-question cases) can shift your effective score slightly.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility differs slightly depending on which paper you’re targeting.

For Paper 1 (Classes 1–5):

• Senior secondary (12th) pass with at least 50% marks, along with a 2-year Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed), OR
• Graduation with a minimum of 50% marks plus a 2-year D.El.Ed diploma

For Paper 2 (Classes 6–8):

• Graduation with a minimum 50% aggregate along with a B.Ed degree, OR
• Senior secondary with 50% marks plus a 4-year B.El.Ed / B.A-B.Ed / B.Sc-B.Ed integrated degree

General conditions:

• Minimum age to apply is 18 years, and there is no upper age limit.
• Candidates must be Indian citizens.
• There’s a 5% relaxation in qualifying marks for SC/ST/OBC/PwD candidates as per NCTE regulations.
• Candidates who wish to teach both primary and upper-primary levels must clear both Paper 1 and Paper 2.

If your qualification doesn’t perfectly match the list above (say, you have a postgraduate degree with a B.Ed-M.Ed integrated course), a minimum of 55% marks in post-graduation with a 3-year integrated B.Ed–M.Ed course from an NCTE-recognised institution also makes you eligible.

Important Dates

Bookmark ctet.nic.in and set a recurring reminder to check it every alternate day once you’re two weeks out from the exam date.

Best Practices

• Keep your application number and password handy — store them in your phone notes so you’re not digging through old emails at the last minute.
• Register your correct mobile number and email on the CTET portal, since CBSE typically sends the city slip and admit card notifications directly there.
• Don’t wait until the last day to download documents — servers get overloaded closer to the exam when lakhs of candidates log in simultaneously.
• Cross-check your allotted city against your application form details. If there’s a mismatch, raise a grievance with CBSE through the official helpline immediately.
• Plan travel conservatively — if your city is far from home, book refundable tickets in case the final admit card shows a different reporting time than expected.

Common Mistakes

• Confusing the city slip with the admit card and assuming you’re ready for exam day once you’ve downloaded it.
• Ignoring spam or promotions folders — CBSE’s email notifications sometimes land there instead of your primary inbox.
• Using unofficial third-party websites that ask for extra personal or payment details — always use the official ctet.nic.in domain.
• Not saving a backup copy — a single browser crash or phone reset shouldn’t cost you your only saved slip.
• Panicking over “expected soon” status — CBSE doesn’t always pre-announce exact release dates, so repeatedly refreshing the page won’t speed things up. Check once or twice a day instead.

Key Takeaways

• The CTET September 2026 exam is scheduled for September 6, 2026, in two shifts.
• The city intimation slip is expected soon at ctet.nic.in and typically arrives about 10 days before the exam.
• It only confirms your city and date — not the venue address; that comes with the admit card.
• CTET has 150 questions for 150 marks, no negative marking, and two separate papers for Primary and Upper Primary teaching eligibility.
• Passing marks are 60% (90/150) for General and 55% (82/150) for OBC/SC/ST/PwD candidates.
• Eligibility depends on your academic qualification (12th + D.El.Ed for Paper 1; graduation + B.Ed for Paper 2), with a minimum age of 18 and no upper age cap.

Conclusion

The CTET city intimation slip might seem like a small administrative step, but it’s your earliest concrete signal for planning travel, accommodation, and mental preparation ahead of exam day. With the September 6, 2026 exam approaching, keep checking ctet.nic.in regularly, have your application details ready, and use the weeks before the slip’s release to revise the exam pattern and brush up on qualifying-mark expectations. Being organized about the small logistics now means one less thing to worry about when it’s time to focus purely on your performance in the exam hall.