PGT English 2026: Syllabus and Exam Pattern for KVS, NVS, DSSSB, EMRS and UP PGT
By Nakul Grover, Limitless Literature · Post Graduate Teacher (English) · Last checked: 4 November 2026
Quick answer: PGT English (Post Graduate Teacher) is the post for teaching English to classes 11 and 12. The main recruiters are KVS and NVS (one combined exam), DSSSB in Delhi, EMRS through NESTS, and state commissions such as UPESSC for UP PGT. Every one of them asks for a Master’s in English plus a B.Ed, and every subject paper tests the same core: British literature from Shakespeare to the moderns, American and Indian writing in English, literary terms, grammar and comprehension. What changes from board to board is the exam pattern: the number of questions, the negative marking, and whether there is a descriptive part or an interview.
PGT English Exams Compared (2025–26 cycle)
| Recruiter | Stages | English subject paper | Negative marking | Upper age | Latest status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KVS and NVS (combined, conducted by CBSE) | Tier I screening (qualifying) → Tier II subject test → interview | Tier II: 60 objective + 10 descriptive questions, 100 marks, 2.5 hours | Tier I: −1 on 3-mark questions. Tier II objective: −0.25 | 40 (10 years’ relaxation for women) | Notification 01/2025; Tier II results declared in September 2026 |
| DSSSB (Delhi) | One-tier computer-based test | Section B: 200 English questions (post-graduate level plus teaching methodology) within a 300-question, 3-hour paper | −0.25 | 30 | Advertisement 01/2025 (applications closed 7 August 2025); watch for the next advertisement |
| EMRS (NESTS) | Tier I (qualifying) → Tier II subject test; no interview | Tier II: 40 objective + 15 descriptive questions, 100 marks, 3 hours | −1/3 on 1-mark questions | 40 | ESSE-2025: PGT English Tier II result declared on 17 September 2026 |
| UP PGT (UPESSC) | Written test → interview (40 marks) | 90 English questions within a 120-question, 360-mark, 2-hour paper | −1 on 3-mark questions | As per the UPESSC advertisement | Written test on 15 and 16 December 2026 |
Sources: KVS/NVS Recruitment Notification 01/2025 and CBSE press notes; DSSSB Advertisement 01/2025; NESTS ESSE-2025 information bulletin and result notices; UPESSC Advertisement 06/2026. Patterns can change in a new notification, so always check the official website before you apply.
The Common PGT English Syllabus (and Where to Study Each Part)
The official EMRS English syllabus spells out the areas most clearly, and the other boards test the same ground: KVS and NVS publish a Tier II syllabus with the same four parts, DSSSB sets its English section at post-graduate level, and UP PGT adds named authors and critics. If you prepare this core well, you are ready for most of every board’s subject paper.
| Area | What is tested | Study and practise here |
|---|---|---|
| Reading | Unseen factual, descriptive and literary passages; note-making and summarising | Prose and passage questions |
| Grammar and usage | Tenses, modals, voice, clauses, determiners, concord, sentence transformation and reordering | Language and prosody questions |
| Writing (descriptive parts) | Formal letters, letter to the editor, reports, articles, speeches, debates, notices | Practise one task a day; KVS/NVS and EMRS give it real marks |
| Shakespeare | Plays, characters, sonnets, dates | Shakespeare guide, Hamlet and Macbeth mind maps |
| Romantic poets | Wordsworth, Coleridge, Keats, Shelley (and Byron for some TGT papers) | Wordsworth, Coleridge, Keats, Shelley guides |
| 19th and 20th century British and American writers | Robert Frost, Ernest Hemingway, Walt Whitman, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Emily Dickinson, G. B. Shaw, Arthur Miller | Frost, Hemingway, Whitman, Miller guides; Pygmalion mind map; American literature questions |
| Indian writing in English | Anita Desai, Vikram Seth, Nissim Ezekiel, Keki Daruwalla, Ruskin Bond, R. K. Narayan, Mulk Raj Anand, Khushwant Singh | Anita Desai, Ezekiel, R. K. Narayan, Mulk Raj Anand guides; A Suitable Boy and The Room on the Roof mind maps; Indian literature questions |
| World writing in English | Writing from Africa, Australia, Latin America and South Asia | Derek Walcott guide, Things Fall Apart quiz, A Bend in the River mind map |
| Teaching methodology | DSSSB tests it inside the English section; EMRS tests pedagogy and NEP 2020 in Tier I | Revise your B.Ed notes on language teaching methods |
Every author we cover, for every exam, is listed in our English Literature Authors A–Z, and over 5,000 topic-wise previous year questions are on the topic-wise questions page.
Board-by-Board PGT English Guides
KVS PGT English syllabus
Tier I screening, the Tier II subject test with its descriptive part, the interview, and eligibility for KVS and NVS, PGT and TGT.
Open the KVS guideDSSSB PGT English syllabus
The one-tier 300-question paper, the 200-question English section, minimum marks, age limit and eligibility.
Open the DSSSB guideEMRS PGT English syllabus
The official EMRS English topics for PGT and TGT, both tiers of the exam, and eligibility.
Open the EMRS guideUP PGT English
The written test on 15 and 16 December 2026: syllabus, the 20 authors and 7 critics, an 8-week plan and a free quiz.
Open the UP PGT guideNegative Marking in PGT English Exams, Board by Board
Negative marking decides how you should treat a question you are not sure about. The rule of thumb is the same everywhere: if you can rule out at least one option with confidence, answering is in your favour. What differs is a pure blind guess.
| Exam | Marking | A blind guess between four options |
|---|---|---|
| UP PGT | +3 / −1 | Gains nothing on average. Skip it. |
| KVS/NVS Tier I | +3 / −1 | Gains nothing on average. Skip it. |
| EMRS | +1 / −1/3 | Gains nothing on average. Skip it. |
| DSSSB and KVS/NVS Tier II objective | +1 / −0.25 | Slightly positive on average (about +0.06 a question), but only worth it when time is left over. |
How to Prepare for PGT English
- Start with the shared core. Shakespeare, the Romantics, the American writers and Indian writing in English come up in every board’s paper, so they repay your time several times over.
- Learn works with dates and forms. Most literature MCQs ask which author wrote what, when, and in what form. Tables of works and dates, revised every few days, beat long notes.
- Do not ignore the language part. Comprehension, grammar and usage are the easiest marks in the paper and the ones most candidates rush.
- Add your board’s extras. Writing tasks for KVS/NVS and EMRS, teaching methodology for DSSSB, the named authors and critics for UP PGT.
- Finish with full timed tests. Practise under the real marking scheme so that skipping and guessing decisions become automatic.
PGT or TGT English: What Is the Difference?
A TGT (Trained Graduate Teacher) teaches classes 6 to 10; a PGT teaches classes 11 and 12. For TGT English, KVS, NVS, EMRS and DSSSB ask for a Bachelor’s degree with English plus a B.Ed, and CTET Paper II; for PGT they ask for a Master’s in English plus a B.Ed. The upper age limit for TGT is 35 at KVS, NVS and EMRS and 30 at DSSSB. The English syllabus covers the same areas at TGT level. Preparing for UP TGT? Read the UP TGT English 2026 notification guide.
PGT English: FAQ
What is the syllabus for PGT English?
Most PGT English papers test reading comprehension, grammar and usage, writing skills, and literature: Shakespeare, the Romantic poets, 19th and 20th century British and American writers, Indian writing in English, and writing from Africa, Australia, Latin America and South Asia. DSSSB also tests teaching methodology, and UP PGT names 20 authors and 7 critics.
What is the qualification for PGT English?
A Master’s degree in English, usually with at least 50% marks, plus a B.Ed. KVS also requires English to have been studied at graduation. Check the exact rules in each board’s notification.
Is there negative marking in PGT English exams?
Yes, in all the major ones: −1 on 3-mark questions in UP PGT and KVS/NVS Tier I, −1/3 on 1-mark questions in EMRS, and −0.25 on 1-mark questions in DSSSB and the KVS/NVS Tier II objective part.
What is the age limit for PGT English?
40 years for KVS, NVS and EMRS, and 30 years for DSSSB, with relaxations for reserved categories and, at KVS and NVS, 10 years for women. UP PGT follows the UPESSC advertisement.
Can one preparation cover KVS, DSSSB, EMRS and UP PGT?
Mostly, yes. The literature and language core is shared. Add the writing tasks for KVS/NVS and EMRS, teaching methodology for DSSSB, and the named authors and critics for UP PGT.
