Many teaching aspirants wish to appear for TET every year. However, they often wonder if they are eligible for TET or not. Whether they apply for TET after graduation or not? What is the minimum age limit to apply for TET? All these pertinent questions bothering the aspirants have been answered in this article. The aspiring candidates are suggested to read the article to get all the relevant information about TET and more.
What is TET?
TET or Teachers Eligibility Test is an eligibility test conducted by Central Government and various State Governments as the minimum required qualification to become teachers in government schools for classes 1 to 8. Any candidate who wishes to become a central or state-run government school in India needs to secure the TET certificate by obtaining 60% in the TET exam. There are two papers in TET exams: Paper-I and Paper-II. Paper-I is for the primary level (classes 1 to 5) and Paper-II is for the upper primary level (Classes 6 to 8). The eligibility criteria for both papers is different.
Can I apply for TET after graduation?
Yes, graduate candidates with more than 50% can apply for the TET exam. They will be eligible to apply for Paper-I and Paper-II. The candidates must complete their 2-year B.Ed. course before applying for the TET exam exams. The eligibility criteria might slightly differ for various State TETs. candidates are advised to check the finer details of the State TETs to ensure they are eligible for the State TETs. For more information, the candidates go through the eligibility criteria, age limit, exam pattern, syllabus and other aspects of the TET exams mentioned below.
TET Eligibility Criteria
The candidates must check out the minimum eligibility criteria for both Paper-I and Paper-II. The minimum education qualification required to appear for Paper-I and Paper-II is different. Thus the candidates must have a clear understanding of the eligibility criteria before they apply for the TET exam. Candidates who cleared their 12th standard from a recognized board with more than 50% can appear for Paper-I but they are not eligible for Paper-II. Candidates who have completed their graduation from a recognized university with more than 50% can appear for Paper-I and Paper-II.
| Paper | Minimum Educational Qualification |
| Paper-I | Senior Secondary (or its equivalent) with at least 50% marks and passed or appearing in the final year of 2- year Diploma in Elementary Education/4- year Bachelor of Elementary Education (B.El.Ed).
OR |
| Secondary (or its equivalent) with at least 45% marks and passed or appearing in the final year of 2- year Diploma in Elementary Education.
OR |
|
| Senior Secondary (or it’s equivalent) with at least 50% marks and passed or appearing in the final year of 2- year Diploma in Education (Special Education)*.
OR |
|
| Candidates who possessed “Graduation with at least 50% marks and Bachelor of Education (B.Ed)” are now eligible for becoming Teachers for Classes I-V: Primary Stage. Such Candidates has to mandatory undergo a six month Bridge Course in Elementary Education recognized by the NCTE, within two years of such appointment as a primary teacher. | |
| Paper-II | Graduation and passed or appearing in the final year of 2- year Diploma in Elementary Education.
OR |
| Graduation with at least 50% marks and passed or appearing in 1- year Bachelor in Education (B.Ed).
OR |
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| Graduation with at least 45% marks and passed or appearing in 1-year Bachelor in Education (B.Ed), in accordance with the NCTE (Recognition Norms and Procedure).
OR |
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| Senior Secondary (or its equivalent) with at least 50% marks and passed or appearing in the final year of 4- year Bachelor in Elementary Education (B.El.Ed).
OR |
|
| Senior Secondary (or its equivalent) with at least 50% marks and passed or appearing in the final year of 4- year B.A/B.Sc.Ed or B.A.Ed/B.Sc.Ed.
OR |
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| Graduation with at least 50% marks and passed or appearing in 1- year B.Ed. (Special Education).
OR |
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| Any candidate having a qualified B.Ed Programme recognized by the NCTE is eligible to appear in TET/CTET.
OR |
TET Age Limit
There is No age limit to appear for TET exams. The candidates appear for TET exams without any restriction on the number of attempts they take to qualify in the TET exam. The candidates must be a citizen of India. For various state TETs, the candidates must be a resident of that particular state.
TET Exam Pattern
The Central and State TET exam patterns are similar. Most of the State TETs follow the exam pattern prescribed by the Central Board of Secondary Education for CTET or Central Teachers Eligibility Test. The TET Exam Pattern is as follows.
| TET Exam Pattern Paper I | TET Exam Pattern Paper II | ||||
| Subjects | No. of Questions | Marks | Subjects | No. of Questions | Marks |
| Child Development and Pedagogy | 30 | 30 | Child Development and Pedagogy | 30 | 30 |
| Language I (compulsory) | 30 | 30 | Language I (compulsory) | 30 | 30 |
| Language II (compulsory) | 30 | 30 | Language II (compulsory) | 30 | 30 |
| Mathematics | 30 | 30 | Mathematics & Science
Or Social Studies/Social Science |
60 | 60 |
| Environmental Studies | 30 | 30 | |||
| Total | 150 | 150 | Total | 150 | 150 |
TET Syllabus
The syllabus for the central and State TETs are also similar in nature. In some states, the focus, nature, or type of question might differ from other State TETs or CTET. However, the overall extent of the syllabus for the TET exams remains in sync. The candidates who wish to apply for TET exams after their graduation must check out the TET syllabus thoroughly to understand the extent and nature of the TET syllabus.
FAQs:
Q. Can I Apply For TET After Graduation?
Yes, candidates can apply for TET after graduation. Candidates with more than 50% in graduation from any recognized university can apply for the TET exam.
Q. Can I apply for the TET exam without B Ed?
No, you cannot appear for the TET exam without having a B. Ed. degree because it’s an essential eligibility requirement for a candidate.
Q. Does TET have negative marking?
No, there is no negative marking in TET exams. The candidates have to solve objective type multiple choice questions with 4 alternatives and one among them will be a corrective answer. For every correct answer, the candidates will get 1 mark.
Q. Are CTET and TET the same?
CTET or Central Teacher Eligibility Test is a central-government conducted eligibility test. On the other hand, TET or Teacher Eligibility Test is a state-government conducted eligibility test.
