Is CTET necessary for private school jobs, or only for government schools?

CTET is mandatory for central government schools and increasingly preferred by private schools, because it is a single verifiable signal of teaching aptitude. It is not a legal requirement for most private schools — but where two candidates are otherwise equal, it decides. The certificate is now valid for life, so the cost is one-time. We wrote a longer guide on this: “CTET Explained: Eligibility, Papers and What It Means for Your Career” — /articles/ctet-eligibility-exam-pattern-explained If you have been through this yourself, please add your experience below. First-hand answers help more than ours.