CTET February 2026: CBSE Issues Revised Guidelines For PwBD Candidates, Scribe And Compensatory Time

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has released a revised public notice regarding the facilities that can be availed by Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) appearing for the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) in February 2026.

The revised notice has been released in response to references made in the CTET Information Bulletin. The notice was released on February 4, 2026, and lists the conditions under which PwBD candidates can avail themselves of the facilities in relation to the examination.

Who can claim PwBD benefits?

CBSE has again clarified that only candidates claiming PwBD can submit a valid disability certificate issued on the prescribed proforma as per the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act, 2016. Along with this, candidates are also required to bring their Unique Disability ID (UDID) card issued by the concerned authority as proof.

Only candidates who come under the benchmark disability category as defined in Sections 2(r) and 2(s) of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, will be eligible for scribe and compensatory time benefits.

Scribe facility: eligibility and conditions

According to the new guidelines, only candidates who have difficulty in writing and possess a certificate from the competent medical authority of a government healthcare institution that a scribe is required by them to write the exam will be allowed the facility of a scribe.

However, in the case of candidates with benchmark disabilities under categories such as blindness, cerebral palsy and locomotor disability (both arms affected), the scribe facility will be provided if the candidate opts for it.

CBSE has also specified that the qualification of the scribe must be one class lower than the minimum qualification required for the post. At the same time, the scribe must be at least matriculate or above.

Interaction with Scribe before the exam

To ensure smooth conduct of the examination, PwBD candidates who require a scribe will be allowed a 20-minute interaction session with their scribe. This session will take place one hour before the start of the exam at the allotted examination centre to help candidates assess the suitability of the scribe.

Compensatory time and Question paper format

In line with the office memorandum issued by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), eligible candidates will be provided compensatory time of not less than 50 minutes per hour of the examination.

Additionally, CBSE has confirmed that visually impaired candidates will be provided a separate question paper printed in large font. Regular question papers will also be available at the centre, and candidates can choose which format they wish to use.

Mandatory documents at Exam Centre

The board has made it clear that PwBD candidates will have to bring their disability certificate in the prescribed format to the examination centre. The above-mentioned documents have to be produced before the centre superintendent before the start of the examination. If the required document is not produced, the candidate will not be able to take advantage of the facility of a scribe or compensatory time.

The new guidelines are expected to bring more clarity to the implementation of PwBD provisions in the CTET February 2026 examination.

Published on: Thursday, February 05, 2026, 11:21 AM IST