How to Apply for Craftsmen Training Scheme: Step-by-Step Guide

Admission to the Craftsmen Training Scheme (CTS) happens through your state government's ITI admission portal, not through the Directorate General of Training (DGT) directly. You register on the state portal, enter your class 10 or class 8 marks, lock trade-and-institute preferences, and wait for merit-based seat allotment before reporting to the allotted Industrial Training Institute. This guide walks each screen and decision in detail, for eligibility, fees and certification, see the main Craftsmen Training Scheme (CTS) guide.

Before you start: what to keep ready

CTS admission is decided on merit from your qualifying marks, so accuracy of what you enter matters. Keep the following in front of you:

• Your class 10 (or class 8) marksheet. The marks entered here decide your merit rank.
• Date of birth proof to confirm the minimum age of 14 years.
• Aadhaar, used to seed your record on the NCVT MIS portal later.
• Caste and domicile certificates, if you are claiming reservation or a state quota.
• A working mobile number and email, the portal sends the OTP, application number and allotment alerts here.

Step-by-step online application

1. Watch for the admission notification. Each state's Directorate of Technical Education or Skill Development issues its ITI admission notice in the weeks before the 1 August session start. The notification names the portal URL, the fee and the schedule.
2. Register on the state ITI admission portal. Enter your name, date of birth, mobile and email exactly as they appear on your school records. A mismatch here is the single most common reason a candidate cannot later claim marks or reservation.
3. Verify with the OTP sent to your mobile, then set a password. Note your application/registration number — you need it for every later step, including status checks.
4. Enter your qualifying marks. Type your class 10 or class 8 subject marks precisely. In most states merit is computed automatically from these, so an error directly changes your rank.
5. Choose trade and institute preferences. This is the most important decision. For every option, check two things: the trade duration (one year or two years) and the entry qualification (some trades need class 10, a smaller set such as Dress Making accept class 8). Do not list a class 10 trade if you have only passed class 8, the seat will lapse at verification.
6. Order your preferences carefully. List trades and institutes in genuine order of preference; allotment engines fill your highest feasible choice first, and you cannot easily improve a low choice later.
7. Upload documents. Scan and upload your marksheet, date-of-birth proof, Aadhaar and, if applicable, caste and domicile certificates, within the size and format limits the portal states.
8. Pay the application fee online and save the payment receipt and the submitted form as a PDF.

After you submit: allotment and reporting

1. Check the merit list and allotment rounds. Log back in with your application number to see your merit position and any seat allotted. Allotment runs in rounds, if you are not allotted in round one, later rounds may still reach you.
2. Accept or wait. Read whether accepting a lower-preference seat freezes you out of upgrades in the next round; states differ, and the portal explains the rule.
3. Report to the allotted ITI with all original documents by the reporting deadline. Missing this deadline forfeits the seat.
4. Complete document verification at the institute and pay the notified institute fee.
5. Confirm your NCVT MIS record. After admission, check that your trainee record appears correctly on the NCVT MIS portal, your final National Trade Certificate depends on this record being accurate. If marks or details are wrong, the ITI principal's office (not you) makes the correction.

Offline application route

Many ITIs, especially private ones, also accept offline admission at the institute counter. You collect and submit the physical form at the ITI with photocopies and originals for verification. In most states, however, the online state portal is the primary route for government ITIs, and offline is a fallback where the notification permits it.

Quick FAQ

When does the session start? CTS training begins on 1 August each year, so apply in the preceding weeks.

Can an agent get me a seat? No. Admission is by merit through the state process; no payment beyond the notified institute fee should be made to anyone.

Which portal shows my result later? The NCVT MIS portal holds your trainee registration, examination results and certificate status.