KVS PGT Syllabus 2026: Tier 1 and Tier 2 Guide

The KVS PGT syllabus has two parts. Tier 1 is a common screening test in reasoning, numeric ability, computer literacy, general knowledge and two languages. Tier 2 is a subject knowledge test in the subject you applied for. Both are set by CBSE under Recruitment Notification 01/2025, the combined recruitment for Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) and Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS).

KVS has published a detailed, subject-wise Tier 2 syllabus for every PGT subject. For Tier 1, the notification names the sections and the expected level (post graduation) but gives no topic list. The Tier 1 topics on this page are a working checklist built from the section names and from what similar recruitment tests usually cover, not an official list. The Tier 2 topics are summarised from the official document, so use this page to plan, and the official PDF to check details.

Table of Contents

KVS PGT syllabus at a glance

Marking rules, negative marking and weightage are covered on the KVS PGT exam pattern page.

Key changes to know

• Two tiers instead of one written test: The current cycle uses a Tier 1 screening test and a separate Tier 2 subject test. Older pages may still show the previous cycle's single written test, so follow Recruitment Notification 01/2025.

• No pedagogy section for PGT in Tier 2: The official PGT topic lists are subject content only. Teaching and leadership sections appear in the syllabi for Principal, Vice-Principal and Assistant Commissioner, not PGT.

• Language choice matters: In Tier 1, one language section is in English and the other is in the Modern Indian Language you chose while applying. The choice cannot be changed later.

• Descriptive questions: 40 of the 100 Tier 2 marks come from 10 descriptive questions, so reading alone is not enough.

Tier 1 syllabus

The expected level for PGT candidates in Tier 1 is post graduation, but the questions test general aptitude rather than your subject. Use this checklist as a starting point.

Each Tier 1 section has 20 questions except the two language sections, which have 10 each. Reasoning and numeric ability usually reward regular practice more than reading, so give them daily time from the first week.

Tier 2 syllabus by subject

The official Tier 2 document lists topics for each PGT subject. For most science, commerce and humanities subjects, it follows the senior secondary (Class 11 and 12) curriculum topic by topic. English and Bio-Technology go wider.

PGT Mathematics

• Algebra: Sets, relations and functions, complex numbers and quadratic equations, linear inequalities, permutations and combinations, binomial theorem, sequences and series, matrices and determinants.

• Calculus: Limits and derivatives, continuity and differentiability, applications of derivatives, integrals and their applications, differential equations.

• Geometry and vectors: Straight lines, conic sections, three-dimensional geometry, vectors.

• Other areas: Trigonometric and inverse trigonometric functions, statistics, probability including Bayes' theorem, linear programming.

PGT Physics

• Mechanics: Units and measurements, motion in a straight line and a plane, laws of motion, work, energy and power, rotational motion, gravitation, properties of solids and fluids.

• Heat and waves: Thermal properties of matter, thermodynamics, kinetic theory of gases, oscillations and waves.

• Electricity and magnetism: Electric charges and fields, magnetism and matter, electromagnetic induction, alternating current, electromagnetic waves.

• Optics and modern physics: Ray and wave optics, dual nature of radiation and matter, atoms and nuclei, semiconductor electronics.

PGT Chemistry

• Physical chemistry: Basic concepts, structure of atom, thermodynamics, equilibrium, redox reactions, solutions, electrochemistry, chemical kinetics.

• Inorganic chemistry: Periodicity, chemical bonding and molecular structure, coordination compounds.

• Organic chemistry: Basic principles and techniques, hydrocarbons, haloalkanes and haloarenes, alcohols, phenols and ethers, aldehydes, ketones and carboxylic acids, amines, biomolecules.

PGT Biology

• Diversity and structure: The living world, biological classification, plant and animal kingdoms, morphology and anatomy of flowering plants, structural organisation in animals.

• Cell and physiology: Cell structure, biomolecules, cell cycle, photosynthesis, respiration, plant growth, human physiology from breathing to neural and chemical coordination.

• Reproduction, genetics and evolution: Sexual reproduction in flowering plants, human reproduction, reproductive health, inheritance, molecular basis of inheritance, evolution.

• Applied biology: Human health and disease, biotechnology principles and applications, organisms and populations, ecosystems, biodiversity and conservation.

PGT Computer Science

• Systems and programming: Computer organisation, encoding schemes, computational thinking and Python programming, errors and debugging, functions and scope.

• Data and databases: Database concepts, keys, SQL commands and queries, data handling with Pandas and Matplotlib.

• Networks and society: Computer networks, devices and topologies, emerging trends, cyber safety, IT Act, e-waste and digital footprints.

PGT Commerce

• Accountancy: Theory base of accounting, recording transactions, bank reconciliation, depreciation, trial balance, financial statements, partnership accounts, share capital and debentures, ratio analysis, cash flow statement.

• Business Studies: Forms of business organisation, business services, emerging modes of business, sources of finance, trade, principles and functions of management, financial management and markets, marketing, consumer protection.

PGT Economics

• Statistics: Collection, organisation and presentation of data, statistical tools and interpretation.

• Microeconomics: Consumer equilibrium and demand, producer behaviour and supply, costs and revenue, market forms and price determination.

• Macroeconomics: National income, money and banking, income and employment, government budget, balance of payments.

• Indian economy: Development experience from 1947 to 1990, reforms since 1991, current challenges, comparison with neighbours.

PGT Geography

• Physical geography: The earth, landforms, climate, oceans and life on the earth.

• India: Physiography, drainage, climate, vegetation and soil, natural hazards and disasters.

• Human geography: Population, human activities, settlements, transport, communication and trade, resources and development.

• Practical geography: Fundamentals of maps, topographic and weather maps.

PGT History

• World history: Early cities and writing, the Roman empire, the Mongols, feudal Europe, changing cultural traditions, displacement of indigenous peoples, paths to modernisation in East Asia.

• Indian history: Harappan civilisation, early states and societies, religious and cultural developments, travellers' accounts, Bhakti-Sufi traditions, Vijayanagara, peasants, zamindars and the state, the 1857 revolt, Mahatma Gandhi and the national movement, framing of the Constitution.

PGT English

• Reading: Three or four unseen passages testing comprehension, inference, vocabulary and tone.

• Writing: Letters, reports, notices, essays, articles and speeches.

• Grammar and usage: Sentence structure, tenses, voice, reported speech, clauses, editing and error correction.

• Literature: British, American, Indian writing in English and world literature, plus literary movements and criticism.

PGT Hindi and PGT Bio-Technology

The PGT (Hindi) syllabus is published in Hindi and centres on the history of Hindi literature by period, major poets and writers, and literary appreciation. The PGT (Bio-Technology) syllabus covers biotechnology principles, biochemical engineering, biochemistry, cell biology, genetics and molecular biology, immunology and applied biotechnology. PGT (Physical Education) and PGT (Modern Indian Language) are NVS-only posts, so check the NVS website for their syllabus.

Preparing for the descriptive part

The notification does not say which topics the 10 descriptive questions will come from, only that they are part of the subject test. Prepare for them across the syllabus.

Overlap between Tier 1 and Tier 2

Is there a syllabus for the interview?

No. The notification sets the interview at 100 marks and 15% of the final weightage but publishes no interview syllabus. Prepare to discuss your subject, your teaching approach and the experience you list in your application. The interview bio-data form also asks you to explain in about 100 words why you suit the post.

How to cover the KVS PGT syllabus

1. Weeks 1 to 8: Cover the Tier 2 subject syllabus unit by unit and give 45 minutes a day to reasoning and numeric ability.

2. From week 3: Add 30 to 40 minutes of current affairs a day and keep short monthly notes.

3. From week 6: Take topic tests in your subject and 20-minute sectional tests for Tier 1.

4. From week 10: Write two or three timed descriptive answers a week and revise weak units.

5. Final phase: Take full-length mocks for both tiers, analyse them the same day and revise from your error log.