The notification for CTET exam (Central Teachers Eligibility Test) conducted by the CBSE is expected to be released soon. Millions of aspirants, who wish to pursue teaching as a profession, appear for this examination.
It is considered to be one of the most difficult and competitive entrances requiring rigorous hard work and dedication. According to statistics of the past 6 years, every year, only 8.25% of students clear the exam. CTET 2016 saw only 17% applicants successfully clearing the test. In 2012 the pass percentage was as low as 1%. So, according to the data, not less than 83% of eligible candidates with a degree or diploma in education fail to qualify the CTET examination.
All aspirants for CTET 2018 must know what makes this examination such a hard nut to crack. Here we will discuss some of the probable reasons why so many examinees fail to clear the CTET.
Extensive syllabus
The syllabus of CTET exam is quite extensive. It consists of subjects like Child Development and Pedagogy, Language I and Language II, Mathematics and Environmental Studies (Paper I) and Science (Paper II). The vast and detailed nature of the syllabus requires much effort and dedication from candidates to be able to grasp the concepts.
Also, syllabus is very much similar to the syllabus of B.Ed. course. Pedagogic studies and field assessment are part of the B.Ed. curriculum, those are included in the CTET syllabus too. You should be able to select the topics which are more important for CTET preparation, instead of trying to gobble up the entire syllabus. For example, more than 10 theories on Intelligence are included in the B.Ed curriculum and 3 of them have been repeated in the CTET papers over the years. So, you should know how to select topics according to your priority for more effective preparation.
Difficult topics in the syllabus
Many candidates find topics in the CTET syllabus difficult to understand and very complex. And, these need a thorough understanding of the concepts to be able to answer in the examination. For example, from the topic John Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development, questions were asked in CTET related to the names of different stages and of periods of those stages, also questions were asked on concepts like Animism, Decentration, Object Permanence etc. So, just grasping the basic concepts is not enough, a deeper understanding of the topics is essential.
Nature of Questions
The nature of questions in CTET exam is not simple or straightforward. The complex nature of questions sometimes makes it difficult for candidates to understand and answer correctly. Also, candidates have to attempt 150 MCQ questions (both papers combined) within two and half hours of allotted time. Some candidates find it difficult to manage the time and answer all the questions accurately. So in spite of fairly good preparation, some aspirants fail to score their desired marks and do not qualify.
Shortage of suitable books
Candidates who are interested in taking UGC NET 2018, another exam conducted by the CBSE for selection of Assistant Professors and or JRF in the universities, will have specific books available in the market to guide them in the preparation. But unfortunately, CTET candidates do not have that many reference books to guide them regarding the question pattern and the syllabus. Some of the few books that are available are either not good enough or do not cover all the topics. So, candidates appearing for CTET have to work harder to learn the concepts on their own. The lack of a proper book to guide during preparation is also a reason for poor performance by some candidates.
Candidates failing to understand the questions
Candidates opting to give CTET in the medium English sometimes fail to understand some of the questions due to lack of vocabulary. Though, most of the candidates completed their degrees and diplomas in English medium, lack of practice and usage makes them unfamiliar with the language to some extent. As a result, they fail to understand some words in the questions and cannot answer correctly. So, try to brush up your vocabulary before planning to appear for CTET.
Candidates have a varied opinion when asked about the difficulty level of the CTET. Some candidates are able to crack the exam at one go, but some fail to clear even after repeated attempts. The reasons cited above are some of the many factors that contribute to the poor statistics. The difficulty level of CTET and candidates failing to clear the same has created a dearth of qualified teachers in the country. However, if you wish to appear for the CTET you should keep in mind the above factors and work on your preparation. Remember, with hard work and discipline even the toughest exams can be aced.