Teaching exams · PSTET · ETT and Master Cadre

PSTET Paper 1 and Paper 2: Exam Pattern, Child Development and Pedagogy, and How to Prepare

To be appointed as a teacher for Classes 1 to 8 in Punjab, you need to qualify a teacher eligibility test such as the Punjab State Teacher Eligibility Test (PSTET), conducted by the Punjab School Education Board. PSTET is not a recruitment exam by itself, but it is the gateway to ETT (primary) and Master Cadre recruitments. This guide explains the pattern and the topics that carry the most marks.

By PunjabExams Editorial Team · Updated 29 October 2026 · 6 min read · How we prepare guides

Paper 1 or Paper 2?

Candidates who want to teach both levels can take both papers. Eligibility conditions are set by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) and the state notification, so check the qualifications listed in the current PSTET notice.

The pattern used in recent PSTET exams

Both papers have 150 multiple-choice questions of one mark each, with a duration of 2½ hours, and recent PSTET papers have had no negative marking.

Because there is no negative marking, answer every question.

Qualifying marks and validity

TET qualifying marks are generally 60%, with relaxation for reserved categories as notified by the state. In 2021 the NCTE decided that the validity of TET certificates would be extended to lifetime. Read the current PSTET notification for the exact percentages and certificate rules that apply to you.

Child Development and Pedagogy (CDP): the highest-yield section

CDP appears in both papers and decides many results. Key themes:

Development and learning

• Principles of development: continuous, sequential, from general to specific, from head to toe (cephalocaudal) and from centre outwards (proximodistal), and individual differences.
• Heredity and environment — both influence development.
• Piaget's stages: sensorimotor (0–2 years), pre-operational (2–7), concrete operational (7–11) and formal operational (11+). Key ideas: schema, assimilation, accommodation, equilibration, conservation.
• Vygotsky: social construction of knowledge, Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) and scaffolding.
• Kohlberg: stages of moral development (pre-conventional, conventional, post-conventional).
• Erikson: psychosocial stages.
• Gardner: multiple intelligences.

Inclusive education and learners with special needs

Learning disabilities (dyslexia — reading; dysgraphia — writing; dyscalculia — mathematics), visual and hearing impairments, giftedness, and the principle of including all children in mainstream classrooms with appropriate support.

Learning and pedagogy

• Constructivism and child-centred learning.
• Motivation (intrinsic and extrinsic).
• Formative and summative assessment; Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE).
• Errors as windows into children's thinking.
• The role of play, activity and experience.

Policy and law

• Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (RTE) — free and compulsory education for children aged 6–14; no screening for admission; no physical punishment or mental harassment; pupil–teacher ratio norms; 25% reservation for disadvantaged groups in private unaided schools at entry level.
• Article 21A of the Constitution.
• National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 — the 5+3+3+4 structure, foundational literacy and numeracy, mother tongue or local language as the medium of instruction where possible up to Class 5.
• National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2005 — learning without burden and connecting knowledge to life outside school.

Language sections

• Language I (Punjabi): comprehension, grammar and pedagogy of language — how children acquire language, the four skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing), remedial teaching. See our Punjabi preparation guide for grammar.
• Language II (English): comprehension, grammar and English language pedagogy.

Mathematics and Environmental Studies (Paper 1)

• Mathematics: number system, operations, fractions, geometry, measurement, data handling, and pedagogy — using concrete materials, errors analysis, the place of mathematics in children's thinking.
• EVS: family and friends, food, shelter, water, travel, plants and animals, and EVS pedagogy — activity-based learning, field visits, integrated approach.

How PSTET connects to recruitment

PSTET only makes you eligible. Actual teacher appointments in Punjab government schools — ETT (primary) and Master Cadre (upper primary and secondary subject teachers) — are made through separate recruitment notices, usually published through the Education Department's recruitment portal. Those recruitments have their own written tests that include subject knowledge, pedagogy, Punjabi and general awareness.

A 60-day plan

Practice questions

1. Q1. According to Piaget, the concrete operational stage is approximately:

   • (a) 0–2 years
   • (b) 2–7 years
   • (c) 7–11 years
   • (d) 11 years onwards
   Show answer

   Answer: (c) 7–11 years — Children in the concrete operational stage (about 7–11 years) think logically about concrete objects.

2. Q2. The Zone of Proximal Development is a concept given by:

   • (a) Piaget
   • (b) Vygotsky
   • (c) Kohlberg
   • (d) Skinner
   Show answer

   Answer: (b) Vygotsky — Vygotsky described the ZPD as the gap between what a learner can do alone and with guidance.

3. Q3. The RTE Act, 2009 provides free and compulsory education to children in the age group:

   • (a) 3–6 years
   • (b) 6–14 years
   • (c) 6–18 years
   • (d) 5–15 years
   Show answer

   Answer: (b) 6–14 years — The RTE Act and Article 21A cover children aged 6 to 14.

4. Q4. Dyscalculia is a learning difficulty related to:

   • (a) Reading
   • (b) Writing
   • (c) Mathematics
   • (d) Speaking
   Show answer

   Answer: (c) Mathematics — Dyscalculia affects understanding numbers and mathematical operations.

5. Q5. Under NEP 2020, the school structure is:

   • (a) 10+2
   • (b) 5+3+3+4
   • (c) 4+4+4
   • (d) 8+4
   Show answer

   Answer: (b) 5+3+3+4 — NEP 2020 replaced 10+2 with a 5+3+3+4 structure.

6. Q6. Assessment carried out during teaching to improve learning is called:

   • (a) Summative assessment
   • (b) Formative assessment
   • (c) Norm-referenced assessment
   • (d) Terminal assessment
   Show answer

   Answer: (b) Formative assessment — Formative assessment happens during learning and guides teaching.

7. Q7. "Development proceeds from head to toe" is the principle of:

   • (a) Proximodistal development
   • (b) Cephalocaudal development
   • (c) Continuity
   • (d) Individual differences
   Show answer

   Answer: (b) Cephalocaudal development — The cephalocaudal principle describes development from the head downwards.

Frequently asked questions

Is PSTET the same as a recruitment exam?

No. PSTET is an eligibility test. Teacher posts are filled through separate recruitment notifications, for which a valid TET is one of the requirements.

Which paper should a B.Ed. graduate take?

Paper 2 is for teaching Classes 6–8 and is generally the paper for graduates with B.Ed. Check the eligibility table in the current notice.

Is there negative marking in PSTET?

Recent PSTET papers have had no negative marking. Confirm this in the notification and instructions for your exam.

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