What's the Latest Update on CTET 2026?
CBSE has officially released the provisional answer key for CTET February 2026, along with scanned images of every candidate's OMR answer sheet. This was announced on 12th March 2026 through a public notice by the Director, CTET.
If you appeared in the exam on 7th or 8th February 2026 — whether for Paper 1 or Paper 2 — this update applies to you. You now have a limited window to review your answers and raise objections if you believe the official key has a mistake.
The window opens on 12th March 2026 and closes on 15th March 2026 at 11:59 PM. After that, the portal shuts and no challenges will be accepted under any circumstances.
How to Login to the CTET Answer Key Challenge Portal
The first step is logging into the official challenge portal. When you open the link, you'll land on a simple login page that reads "Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) – Submission of Key Challenges – CTET February 2026."
Step 1 – Go to the direct link: https://cbseit.in/cbse/2026/ctetkey/ (You can also reach it via https://ctet.nic.in/ → Answer Key Challenge link)
Step 2 – Enter your CTET Roll Number in the first field.
Step 3 – Enter your Date of Birth in DD/MM/YYYY format.
Step 4 – Click the Login button.
If you see "Invalid Credentials" in red, double-check that your date of birth is in DD/MM/YYYY format and not DD/MM/YY. Also confirm your roll number from your CTET admit card. A small typo is the most common reason login fails.
What You See After Logging In
Once you log in successfully, you land on the Candidate Details page. This dashboard shows your Roll Number, your full name, and your paper details including the subject combination and book codes assigned to you.
The dashboard will display something like:
- PAPER code and Subject
- LANGUAGE 1 and LANGUAGE 2 with their respective book codes
- MAIN BOOK CODE
From this single page, you can do everything — download the answer key, download your OMR sheet, submit a challenge, and make the payment. All options are available right there without navigating to any other page.
How to Download Your Answer Key
On the candidate dashboard, click "Download Answer Key" under the yellow-highlighted section that says DOWNLOAD ANSWER KEYS.
This downloads a PDF of the answer key specific to your book code.
This is a very important point — CTET uses different question paper sets with different codes (A, B, Y, etc.), and the answers differ accordingly.
Always use the key downloaded from this portal after logging in. Do not rely on answer keys circulating on WhatsApp groups or coaching websites, as they may belong to a different book code than yours.
How to Download Your OMR Sheet
On the same candidate dashboard, scroll down and click "Download OMR Sheet" for the relevant paper.
Your scanned OMR sheet will open as a downloadable file. Go through it carefully and check:
- Whether all your bubbles were correctly captured by the scanner
- Whether any question shows two bubbles marked, which would make it invalid
- Whether there are any stray marks that could have caused misreading
Only after comparing your OMR sheet against the downloaded answer key should you decide which questions — if any — you want to challenge.
6. How to Submit a Key Challenge — Step by Step
Once you have identified the questions you believe are incorrectly answered in the official key, here is how to formally raise an objection:
Step 1 – On the candidate dashboard, click "Submit Key Challenge" under the blue-highlighted section.
Step 2 – Select the question number(s) you want to challenge.
Step 3 – Mention your objection — which answer you believe is correct and the reasoning behind it.
Step 4 – After submitting, click "Make Payment" on the same dashboard.
Step 5 – Pay ₹1,000 per question via credit or debit card.
Step 6 – Save your payment confirmation as proof.
One very important thing to remember here — each paper can only be challenged once. Once you click submit, your challenge is locked and cannot be edited or modified. So take your time, prepare all your objections together, and submit everything in one go.
Important Dates at a Glance
CTET Exam Held : 7th & 8th February 2026
Answer Key & OMR Available From : 12th March 2026
Last Date to Challenge : 15th March 2026 (11:59 PM)
Challenge Fee : ₹1,000 per question
Official Website : https://ctet.nic.in/
Direct Challenge Portal : https://cbseit.in/cbse/2026/ctetkey/
Important Instructions from CBSE
CBSE has published the following official instructions on the portal itself. Read them carefully before you proceed:
- The answer key that applies to you depends on your book code. If your code is "Y", only the "Y" answer key is relevant to you — not any other.
- Challenges can only be submitted through the official portal. There is no other accepted mode.
- You can submit a challenge for each paper only once. It cannot be changed after submission.
- A challenge is considered valid only after the fee is paid successfully. No fee means no challenge.
- The answer key is subject to revision based on the merit of challenges.
- The decision of CBSE as the examining body is final and binding on all candidates.
Tips Before You File a Challenge
Verify from a reliable source first. Before spending ₹1,000, cross-check the question and your expected answer from NCERT textbooks or trusted study material. A gut feeling alone is not enough justification.
Always use the key for your own book code. The portal automatically gives you the correct key after login — use only that one.
Submit all challenges in one sitting. Since you get only one submission per paper, list out all your objections beforehand and submit them together rather than going one by one.
Use your own card for payment. Refunds, if any, go back to the same card. Avoid using someone else's card to prevent complications.
Don't wait till 15th March evening. Government portals often get overloaded near deadlines. Try to complete everything by the night of 14th March to be on the safe side.
FAQs
Q1. Where do I go to challenge the CTET February 2026 answer key? You can access the challenge portal directly at https://cbseit.in/cbse/2026/ctetkey/ or through the official CTET website https://ctet.nic.in/
Q2. What do I need to log in to the portal? Your CTET Roll Number and Date of Birth in DD/MM/YYYY format — the same details from your admit card.
Q3. I'm getting "Invalid Credentials" — what should I do? Check that your date of birth is in DD/MM/YYYY format. Try a different browser or clear your cache. Make sure the roll number matches exactly what is printed on your admit card.
Q4. What is the last date to submit the challenge? 15th March 2026 at 11:59 PM. No challenges will be accepted after this deadline.
Q5. How much is the challenge fee and how do I pay it? The fee is ₹1,000 per question, paid via credit or debit card through the "Make Payment" link on your candidate dashboard.
Q6. Is the challenge fee refundable? Only if CBSE's experts find a genuine error and accept your challenge. If the challenge is rejected, the fee is non-refundable.
Q7. Can I challenge multiple questions? Yes, you can challenge as many questions as you want. Each question requires a separate payment of ₹1,000.
Q8. Can I edit my challenge after submitting? No. Once submitted for a paper, it cannot be changed. Finalize all your objections before clicking the submit button.
Q9. Which answer key should I check against — my book code or a general one? Always use the key for your specific book code, which is shown on your candidate dashboard. Never rely on general keys from outside sources.
Q10. Does this apply to both Paper 1 and Paper 2 candidates? Yes. All candidates who appeared on 7th and 8th February 2026 for either paper can view their OMR sheet and challenge the answer key through the same portal.
Q11. When will the final answer key be released? CBSE has not announced a specific date. The final key will be published after all challenges are reviewed, and any revisions will be officially notified.
Q12. What happens after CBSE reviews my challenge? If accepted, the answer key will be revised and your fee will be refunded. If rejected, no further communication will be sent by CBSE on the matter.
