Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) conducts recruitment for teaching posts - Trained Graduate Teacher (TGT), Post Graduate Teacher (PGT), Principal and others - in Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) located across the country. These residential schools cater largely to talented rural students, and NVS teaching jobs are highly valued central government positions.

NVS Recruitment 2026 Overview

Recruiting Body Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS)
Posts TGT, PGT, Principal & others
Level National
Mode Computer Based Test (CBT)
Total Questions 150 MCQs
Total Marks 150 marks
Selection CBT + Language Competency/Skill Test

Apply and check official notifications on the NVS portal:

Visit Official Website: navodaya.gov.in

NVS Exam Pattern (TGT / PGT)

The CBT comprises 150 multiple choice questions covering reasoning, general awareness, language, teaching aptitude and the concerned subject.

Section Approx. Questions
Reasoning Ability 10
General Awareness 10
Teaching Aptitude 10
Language (Hindi & English) 20
Concerned Subject 100
Total 150
Negative Marking: NVS recruitment exams carry negative marking (commonly around 1/4 mark deducted per wrong answer, as specified in the notification). Candidates should avoid random guessing and attempt only questions they are reasonably sure about.

Eligibility Criteria

  • TGT: Bachelor degree with at least 50% in the concerned subject and B.Ed, plus CTET/relevant TET as applicable.
  • PGT: Master degree with at least 50% in the concerned subject and B.Ed.
  • Proficiency in teaching through both Hindi and English media is generally required.
  • Age limits and relaxations are as specified in the official notification.

Previous Year Cut-Off (Indicative TGT)

Category Expected Cut-Off (out of 150)
General / UR 91-97
OBC 85-90
SC 73-78
ST 70-76

Note: Cut-offs vary each cycle by post, subject and vacancies. Treat these as indicative reference values only.

Best Books for NVS Preparation

  • NVS TGT/PGT Guide by Arihant Experts / Disha Publications
  • Teaching Aptitude & Child Pedagogy by Disha
  • Lucent General Knowledge for general awareness
  • A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning by R.S. Aggarwal
  • Objective General English by S.P. Bakshi
  • Samanya Hindi by Lucent / Arihant
  • Concerned subject reference books (NCERT + standard texts) and NVS previous year papers

20 Previous Year MCQs with Answers & Explanations

Click Show Answer under each question to reveal the correct option and explanation.

Q1. Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas are primarily meant to provide quality education to talented students from:

  • Urban areas
  • Rural areas
  • Metro cities
  • Foreign countries
Show Answer
Answer: (b) Rural areas
JNVs were established to provide quality residential education mainly to talented children predominantly from rural areas.

Q2. The principle learning by doing is most associated with:

  • John Dewey
  • Sigmund Freud
  • Ivan Pavlov
  • Edward Thorndike
Show Answer
Answer: (a) John Dewey
John Dewey advocated experiential education, emphasising learning by doing through active engagement.

Q3. A continuous evaluation that diagnoses learning gaps during instruction is:

  • Summative
  • Formative
  • Norm-referenced
  • Terminal
Show Answer
Answer: (b) Formative
Formative assessment monitors learning during instruction to identify and address gaps in real time.

Q4. Choose the correctly punctuated sentence:

  • Where are you going?
  • Where are you going.
  • where are you going
  • Where are you going,
Show Answer
Answer: (a) Where are you going?
An interrogative sentence must begin with a capital letter and end with a question mark.

Q5. The square root of 1764 is:

  • 42
  • 44
  • 46
  • 48
Show Answer
Answer: (a) 42
42 x 42 = 1764, so the square root of 1764 is 42.

Q6. Which Article of the Indian Constitution deals with the Right to Education?

  • Article 19
  • Article 21A
  • Article 32
  • Article 14
Show Answer
Answer: (b) Article 21A
Article 21A makes free and compulsory education a fundamental right for children aged 6 to 14 years.

Q7. The chemical symbol for Gold is:

  • Go
  • Gd
  • Au
  • Ag
Show Answer
Answer: (c) Au
Gold symbol Au comes from its Latin name Aurum. Ag is silver.

Q8. A teacher praising a student for correct behaviour is an example of:

  • Negative reinforcement
  • Positive reinforcement
  • Punishment
  • Extinction
Show Answer
Answer: (b) Positive reinforcement
Adding a pleasant stimulus (praise) to increase a desired behaviour is positive reinforcement.

Q9. Find the odd one out: 3, 5, 7, 9, 11

  • 3
  • 5
  • 9
  • 11
Show Answer
Answer: (c) 9
All others are prime numbers; 9 is composite (3 x 3).

Q10. The longest river in India is the:

  • Yamuna
  • Godavari
  • Ganga
  • Brahmaputra
Show Answer
Answer: (c) Ganga
The Ganga is the longest river flowing within India, at about 2,525 km.

Q11. The tabula rasa (blank slate) concept of mind is associated with:

  • John Locke
  • Plato
  • Aristotle
  • Descartes
Show Answer
Answer: (a) John Locke
John Locke proposed that the mind at birth is a tabula rasa, shaped by experience.

Q12. Which of the following is an output device?

  • Keyboard
  • Mouse
  • Monitor
  • Scanner
Show Answer
Answer: (c) Monitor
A monitor displays output; keyboard, mouse and scanner are input devices.

Q13. The plural of analysis is:

  • analysises
  • analyses
  • analysis
  • analyse
Show Answer
Answer: (b) analyses
The correct plural form of analysis is analyses.

Q14. Heat from the sun reaches the earth by:

  • Conduction
  • Convection
  • Radiation
  • Reflection
Show Answer
Answer: (c) Radiation
Solar heat travels through the vacuum of space by radiation, which needs no medium.

Q15. The author of the book Discovery of India is:

  • Mahatma Gandhi
  • Jawaharlal Nehru
  • Dr. Rajendra Prasad
  • Subhas Chandra Bose
Show Answer
Answer: (b) Jawaharlal Nehru
The Discovery of India was written by Jawaharlal Nehru during his imprisonment in 1944.

Q16. In a class, the ratio of boys to girls is 3:2. If there are 30 boys, the number of girls is:

  • 15
  • 20
  • 25
  • 18
Show Answer
Answer: (b) 20
3 parts = 30, so 1 part = 10; girls = 2 parts = 20.

Q17. Constructivism as a learning theory emphasises that learners:

  • Passively receive knowledge
  • Actively construct knowledge
  • Memorise facts
  • Copy the teacher
Show Answer
Answer: (b) Actively construct knowledge
Constructivism holds that learners build new understanding by connecting new information to prior knowledge through active engagement.

Q18. The SI unit of electric current is:

  • Volt
  • Watt
  • Ampere
  • Ohm
Show Answer
Answer: (c) Ampere
The ampere (A) is the SI base unit of electric current.

Q19. Navodaya Vidyalayas were set up following which education policy?

  • Kothari Commission
  • National Policy on Education 1986
  • Mudaliar Commission
  • Sargent Plan
Show Answer
Answer: (b) National Policy on Education 1986
Navodaya Vidyalayas were established following the National Policy on Education (NPE) 1986.

Q20. A child showing curiosity and asking many questions indicates:

  • A learning disability
  • Healthy cognitive development
  • Indiscipline
  • Lack of focus
Show Answer
Answer: (b) Healthy cognitive development
Curiosity and questioning reflect active cognitive engagement and healthy intellectual development in children.
Disclaimer: The above details are compiled for guidance. Posts, eligibility, exam pattern, marking scheme and cut-off change with each recruitment cycle. Always verify the latest information from the official NVS notification at navodaya.gov.in before applying.

NVS recruitment requires CTET. Explore more central and state teaching exam guides on Cosmo Classes: