Karnataka TET Syllabus 2026: Paper 1 and Paper 2 Guide

The Karnataka TET syllabus is published by the School Education Department, Government of Karnataka, as a subject-wise document that accompanies the KARTET notification. It covers both papers: Paper 1 for teachers of Classes 1 to 5 and Paper 2 for Classes 6 to 8. The most recent version was released with the KARTET 2025 notification in October 2025, and no newer syllabus has been issued as of 21 October 2026.

The official document is uneven. Some subjects, such as Mathematics and Science, come with detailed chapter lists, while Child Development and Pedagogy is a short list of headings, and some language syllabi are mostly reference books. This page turns it into a working checklist for each section, shows where to start, and gives a phased plan to cover the Karnataka TET syllabus before the next notification.

Table of Contents

Syllabus at a glance

Each paper has 150 questions for 150 marks in 2 hours 30 minutes. Visually impaired candidates answer 60 Social Studies questions in Paper 1 instead of Mathematics and Environmental Studies. The Karnataka TET exam pattern page explains the marking rules in detail.

Key points to know

• Level of questions: The notification says Paper 1 questions are based on the NCERT or state syllabus for Classes 1 to 8, with difficulty up to Class 10. Paper 2 is based on Classes 6 to 10, with difficulty up to PUC (Class 12).

• Pedagogy runs through every subject: Language, Mathematics, Environmental Studies and Social Studies questions test concepts, problem solving and the understanding of how to teach the subject, not content alone.

• Paper 2 Science goes deeper: The official Science list for Paper 2 includes Physics, Chemistry and Biology chapters from Classes 11 and 12.

• Medium: Apart from the language sections, question papers are printed in Kannada, English, Urdu, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Marathi, and you answer in the medium you chose while applying.

The department names subjects and topic headings but does not publish weightage within a section. The topic lists below are built from the official syllabus document and the notification. Use them as a working checklist, not as an official question-by-question breakdown.

Child Development and Pedagogy

This section is compulsory in both papers and carries 30 marks. In Paper 1 it focuses on the psychology of children aged 6 to 11, and in Paper 2 on learners aged 11 to 14. It also covers the needs of children from different learning backgrounds and how teachers can raise their learning levels.

The official reference list includes standard titles on educational psychology, learning and teaching, special education and educational technology, along with DSERT material on curriculum transaction for elementary teachers.

Language 1 and Language 2

Both languages are compulsory and carry 30 marks each. Language 1 tests proficiency in the language of instruction, while Language 2 focuses on basic elements of the language, communication and comprehension. The official document carries syllabi for Kannada, English, Hindi, Urdu, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi and Sanskrit.

English

• Comprehension: Unseen passages of prose, drama or poetry with questions.

• Language development: Learning and acquisition, principles of language teaching, role of listening and speaking, and how children use language as a tool.

• Grammar and skills: The role of grammar in communicating ideas, language skills, and the challenges of teaching in a diverse classroom.

• Teaching resources: Textbooks, multimedia and multilingual resources, and remedial teaching.

Kannada

• Language and literature: Origin and growth of Kannada, and the history of Kannada literature across Halegannada, Nadugannada and Hosagannada.

• Grammar: Alphabet, sandhi, samasa, krudanta and taddhitanta, avyaya, idioms, punctuation, sentence types, gender, number and case endings, synonyms and antonyms, tatsama and tadbhava, alankara and chandassu.

• Teaching Kannada: Aims of teaching, techniques for different literary forms, lesson planning, language skills, teaching resources, evaluation, mother tongue teaching methods and action research.

For other languages, the official document mainly lists reading comprehension, grammar and teaching methods along with reference books, so the state textbooks for Classes 6 to 10 are the practical base.

Mathematics

Mathematics carries 30 marks in Paper 1 and forms half of the 60-mark Mathematics and Science section in Paper 2. The official syllabus gives a separate chapter list for each paper.

Start with arithmetic and commercial mathematics, because they are quick to score and appear at both levels. The reference list includes the Karnataka state board and NCERT textbooks up to Class 10 and NCERT material on the pedagogy of mathematics.

Environmental Studies (Paper 1)

The official document lists Science content from the high school syllabus as the reference for Paper 1 Environmental Studies. It covers the primary (Classes 6 to 8), Class 9 and Class 10 science topics below.

• Matter and chemistry: States of matter, atoms and molecules, structure of the atom, chemical reactions, acids, bases and salts, metals and non-metals, carbon compounds, periodic classification.

• Living world: Cell and tissues, diversity of organisms, life processes, control and coordination, reproduction, heredity and evolution, health and diseases, food production.

• Physics: Motion, force and work, gravitation, sound, light and the human eye, electricity, magnetic effects of current, sources of energy.

• Environment: Ecosystems, pollution, water and soil, natural resources and their conservation, habitats and adaptation.

Science (Paper 2)

Paper 2 Science is part of the 60-question Mathematics and Science section. The official syllabus lists Physics, Chemistry and Biology chapters from Classes 11 and 12, along with pedagogy references for physical science.

Questions are pitched up to PUC level, so revise school-level concepts first and then move to Class 11 and 12 depth.

Social Studies (Paper 2)

Social Studies carries 60 marks for Social Science teachers in Paper 2, and the same syllabus applies to visually impaired candidates in Paper 1. The official list is detailed and has a strong Karnataka focus.

• History: Sources of history, ancient civilisations, Jainism and Buddhism, Karnataka dynasties, Vijayanagara and the Bahmani kingdom, the Bhakti and Sufi traditions, British rule, resistance in Karnataka such as Kittur Rani Chennamma and Sangolli Rayanna, social reform movements, the freedom struggle, post-independence India and the unification of Karnataka.

• Geography: The earth and its features, atmosphere and hydrosphere, Karnataka's physical features, climate, soils, water resources, agriculture, minerals, industries and transport, India's geography and the continents.

• Political Science: Citizenship, democracy, the Constitution, central and state governments, judiciary, elections, local self-government, national integration and international organisations.

• Sociology, Economics and Business Studies: Society and culture, family and social change, basic economic concepts, money and banking, the Indian economy, rural development, business organisation and marketing.

Overlap between Paper 1 and Paper 2

If you plan to write both papers, 90 marks of content (two languages and pedagogy) are shared, so you can prepare those once.

How to cover the syllabus

1. Weeks 1 to 6: Read Child Development and Pedagogy theory and the state textbooks for your subject section. Keep short notes of theorists, definitions and formulas.

2. Weeks 4 to 10: Work through grammar and unseen passages for both languages, and solve chapter-wise questions in your subject section.

3. Weeks 8 to 12: Take topic tests and timed sectional tests to fix weak chapters.

4. Final phase: Take full-length tests, analyse them the same day and revise from an error log.

You can read the full official KARTET syllabus document and the KARTET 2025 notification on the School Education Department website.