MAHA TET Syllabus 2026: Paper 1 and Paper 2 Guide
Paper I of MAHA TET tests whether you can teach Classes 1 to 5, and Paper II whether you can teach Classes 6 to 8. The MAHA TET syllabus therefore mixes two things in every section: the subject content children learn at that level, and the pedagogy you need to teach it. The test is conducted by the Maharashtra State Council of Examination (MSCE), Pune, and the current cycle is MAHA TET June 2026, whose exam was postponed on 27 June 2026 with a revised date still awaited.
The Council's syllabus document is a scanned Marathi PDF on the official website, and it does not come with topic-wise weightage. The topic lists below are built from that framework, the structure of the 2024 and 2025 papers, and the Maharashtra state board textbooks for the relevant classes. Use them as a working checklist rather than an official list, and read the original syllabus for exact wording.
Table of Contents
MAHA TET Syllabus at a Glance
Paper | Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|---|
Paper I (Classes 1 to 5) | Child Development and Pedagogy | 30 | 30 |
Paper I | Language I | 30 | 30 |
Paper I | Language II | 30 | 30 |
Paper I | Mathematics | 30 | 30 |
Paper I | Environmental Studies | 30 | 30 |
Paper II (Classes 6 to 8) | Child Development and Pedagogy | 30 | 30 |
Paper II | Language I | 30 | 30 |
Paper II | Language II | 30 | 30 |
Paper II | Mathematics and Science, or Social Studies | 60 | 60 |
Each paper has 150 one-mark questions, 2 hours 30 minutes and no negative marking.
Key Points to Know Before You Start
Two streams in Paper II: The 60-mark section is either Mathematics and Science or Social Studies. The Council publishes separate Paper II question papers for each stream, so pick the one that matches the subject you plan to teach.
Language I follows your medium: The medium you select in the application is your Language I. Marathi-medium candidates take English as Language II, English-medium candidates take Marathi, and candidates in other media choose Marathi or English.
Pedagogy is everywhere: Questions in maths, EVS, science and social studies also test teaching methods, learning difficulties and assessment, not just facts.
Content level: Subject questions are pitched at the state board syllabus for the classes the paper covers, with some questions going a level higher. Revise the Balbharati textbooks for those classes.
Policy context: Recent papers include questions on child rights, inclusive education and learning frameworks. Keep the Right to Education Act, 2009 and the National Education Policy 2020 in your revision.
Some pages still show topic lists copied from national templates with no reference to the Maharashtra stream choice or language rules. Follow the Council's syllabus and previous papers instead.
Child Development and Pedagogy Syllabus
This section carries 30 marks in both papers. Paper I focuses on children aged about 6 to 11, while Paper II focuses on adolescents aged about 11 to 14.
Area | Topics to cover | Start with |
|---|---|---|
Child development | Concept and principles of development, growth versus development, heredity and environment, stages of development, physical, cognitive, emotional and social development, socialisation | Principles of development and heredity versus environment |
Learning theories | Piaget, Vygotsky, Kohlberg, Bruner, behaviourism (Pavlov, Skinner, Thorndike), constructivism, Gardner's multiple intelligences | Piaget's stages and Vygotsky's zone of proximal development |
Individual differences | Intelligence, aptitude, personality, learning styles, gender and social background, language and culture in the classroom | Intelligence and its measurement |
Inclusive education | Children with special needs, learning disabilities, gifted and slow learners, disadvantaged groups, barrier-free classrooms | Types of learning disability |
Learning and pedagogy | Motivation, memory and forgetting, transfer of learning, child-centred and activity-based teaching, errors as part of learning | Motivation and child-centred teaching |
Assessment | Continuous and comprehensive evaluation, formative and summative assessment, remedial teaching, action research | Formative versus summative assessment |
Questions in this section are often scenario-based. You get a classroom situation and must choose the response that best supports learning. Read each option against child-centred principles rather than memorised definitions.
Paper II Additions
Adolescence: Physical and emotional changes, identity, peer influence and guidance needs.
Higher-order thinking: Problem solving, critical thinking, creativity and reflective learning.
Classroom management: Discipline, group work, project-based learning and teacher-student relations.
Language I and Language II Syllabus
Each language section carries 30 marks. Language I tests command over your medium of instruction, and Language II tests a second language at a slightly simpler level. Both mix content and pedagogy.
Language Content
Reading comprehension: Unseen prose passages and poems with questions on meaning, inference and vocabulary.
Grammar: Parts of speech, tenses, voice, narration, sentence types, punctuation, and the grammar rules specific to Marathi or Urdu where applicable.
Vocabulary: Synonyms, antonyms, idioms, proverbs, one-word substitutes and word formation.
Literature and usage: For Marathi, common idioms (mhani and vakprachar), sandhi and samas are frequently tested.
Language Pedagogy
Language acquisition: How children learn a first and second language, and the role of home language.
Four skills: Listening, speaking, reading and writing, and how to develop each in class.
Teaching methods: Storytelling, role play, phonics, the whole language approach and multilingual classrooms.
Assessment and remediation: Evaluating language skills, common errors and remedial strategies.
Medium chosen | Language I | Language II |
|---|---|---|
Marathi | Marathi | English (compulsory) |
English | English | Marathi (compulsory) |
Urdu, Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati, Sindhi, Kannada or Telugu | The chosen medium | Marathi or English, as selected |
Paper I: Mathematics and Environmental Studies
Mathematics (30 marks)
Area | Topics to cover |
|---|---|
Numbers | Number names, place value, comparison, even and odd numbers, prime and composite numbers, Roman numerals |
Operations | Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, factors and multiples, LCM and HCF |
Fractions and decimals | Types of fractions, operations on fractions, decimals and their use in money and measurement |
Geometry | Shapes, lines, angles, symmetry, perimeter and area of simple figures |
Measurement | Length, weight, capacity, time, money and conversion of units |
Data and patterns | Pictographs, bar graphs, simple data reading and number patterns |
Maths pedagogy | Nature of mathematics, use of teaching aids, learning difficulties, error analysis, evaluation and remedial teaching |
Environmental Studies (30 marks)
Area | Topics to cover |
|---|---|
Family and society | Family, relationships, community, festivals and occupations |
Living world | Plants, animals, the human body, food and nutrition, health and hygiene |
Shelter, water and travel | Types of houses, sources of water, conservation, transport and communication |
Our surroundings | Maharashtra's geography and environment, natural resources, pollution, disasters and safety |
EVS pedagogy | Scope of EVS, integrated approach, activities, field trips, experiments, teaching materials and evaluation |
EVS questions often link everyday experiences to a teaching method. For each topic, ask yourself how you would teach it with local examples.
Paper II: Mathematics and Science
This stream carries 60 marks. Previous papers suggest an even split between mathematics and science, but the Council does not publish an official split, so prepare both fully.
Mathematics
Number system: Integers, rational numbers, exponents, squares and square roots, cubes and cube roots, divisibility.
Algebra: Algebraic expressions, identities, linear equations in one variable, factorisation.
Commercial maths: Ratio and proportion, percentage, profit and loss, simple and compound interest, time and work, speed and distance.
Geometry and mensuration: Lines and angles, triangles, quadrilaterals, circles, constructions, area, surface area and volume.
Statistics: Data handling, mean, median, mode and graphs.
Pedagogy: Problem solving, mathematical reasoning, use of manipulatives and diagnostic testing.
Science
Matter: Elements, compounds and mixtures, physical and chemical changes, acids, bases and salts, metals and non-metals.
Living world: Cell structure, plant and animal nutrition, human body systems, microorganisms, reproduction, health and disease.
Physics: Motion, force and pressure, friction, sound, light, heat, electricity and magnetism.
Earth and environment: Natural resources, the solar system, pollution and conservation.
Pedagogy: Nature of science, inquiry and experiments, science laboratories, scientific attitude and evaluation.
Paper II: Social Studies
This stream also carries 60 marks and replaces Mathematics and Science for candidates who want to teach social studies.
Area | Topics to cover | Start with |
|---|---|---|
History | Sources of history, ancient and medieval India, the Maratha period, British rule, the freedom struggle, social reformers of Maharashtra | The freedom struggle and Maharashtra's social reformers |
Geography | The earth and its movements, maps, climate, soils, natural resources, the geography of India and Maharashtra | Maps and the geography of Maharashtra |
Civics and political life | The Constitution, fundamental rights and duties, local self-government, state and union government, democracy | Fundamental rights and local self-government |
Economics basics | Resources, markets, livelihoods and simple economic ideas from the state textbooks | Resources and livelihoods |
Social studies pedagogy | Nature of social studies, project and source-based methods, use of maps and documents, evaluation | Project method and use of sources |
Overlap Between Paper I and Paper II
If you plan to take both papers on the same day, a large part of your preparation counts twice.
Area | Paper I | Paper II | How to plan |
|---|---|---|---|
Child Development and Pedagogy | Ages 6 to 11 | Ages 11 to 14 | Study the theories once, then add adolescence topics for Paper II |
Language I and II | Primary-level texts | Slightly harder texts | Daily comprehension practice covers both |
Mathematics | Classes 1 to 5 content | Classes 6 to 8 content (Maths and Science stream) | Revise primary concepts first, then extend to algebra and mensuration |
EVS, Science and Social Studies | Integrated EVS | Separate science or social studies | EVS topics on the living world and environment feed directly into Paper II |
In practice, the shared sections cover 90 of the 150 marks in each paper. Candidates taking both papers can save weeks by building one set of notes for these sections.
How to Cover the MAHA TET Syllabus
The postponement of the June 2026 exam has given most candidates extra time. Spread the syllabus in phases rather than reading it end to end once.
Weeks 1 to 4: Child Development and Pedagogy theory, plus state board textbooks for your subject sections. Make short notes on each learning theory.
Weeks 3 to 8: Add 30 to 40 minutes of daily language practice: one comprehension passage and one grammar topic in each language.
Weeks 5 to 10: Cover subject pedagogy, then take topic-wise and section-wise tests of 20 to 30 questions to find weak areas.
Weeks 9 to 12: Solve the official 2024 and 2025 papers, then move to full-length mocks of 150 questions in 2 hours 30 minutes.
Final phase: Revise from your error log and short notes, and keep one full mock per week until the exam.
The official previous question papers and answer keys are available at https://mahatet.in/Notices/QuestionPaper/ShowPreviousQuestionPapers, and the syllabus PDF is linked from the home page of https://mahatet.in/.
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