State TETs
State-level teacher eligibility certificates required for teacher recruitment in that state's government schools (Classes 1-8). Following the Supreme Court's 2025 ruling making TET mandatory for in-service teachers, several states have also held special TET rounds.
Eligibility
Follows NCTE norms: Level/Paper 1 (Classes 1-5) needs Class 12 with 50% plus D.El.Ed or B.El.Ed; Level/Paper 2 (Classes 6-8) needs graduation with 50% plus B.Ed. Final-year trainees are usually allowed. States may add domicile or language conditions for recruitment, but most allow outside-state candidates to sit the TET.
Age limit: Typically minimum 17-18 years; no upper limit for most TETs
Exam pattern
Most state TETs mirror CTET: 150 MCQs, 150 marks, 2 hours 30 minutes, no negative marking, covering Child Development and Pedagogy, two languages, and Mathematics/EVS or Science/Social Studies. Qualifying mark is usually 60% for General with relaxations of 5-10% for reserved categories. Certificates are now valid for life under NCTE's 2021 rule.
Syllabus at a glance
Child development and pedagogy, Language I (usually the state language or Hindi), Language II (usually English), Mathematics, Environmental Studies, Science or Social Studies at the elementary level, often with state-specific content (e.g. Rajasthan GK in REET).
Upcoming dates
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| UPTET exam (UPESSC); a 11 Nov 2026 date has been reported but should be confirmed on the UPESSC site | Nov 2026 (reported, unconfirmed) | expected |
| MAHA TET June 2026 (exam postponed by MSCE Pune; admit cards had been issued 16-28 Jun) | TBA (rescheduled date awaited) | tba |
| HTET next session | TBA (usually Jul or Dec) | tba |
| PSTET next session | TBA | tba |
| REET next eligibility exam | TBA | tba |
Expected dates follow the usual calendar; confirm on the official notification before planning.
Free prep material
Standard books
- Child Development and Pedagogy for CTET & STET - Disha Experts (Disha Publication)
- CTET & TETs Success Master Paper I / Paper II - Arihant Experts (Arihant)
- NCERT textbooks, Classes 1-8
- State-specific solved papers (e.g. REET, UPTET, HTET) - Arihant / Youth Competition Times
How toppers play it
- Prepare once for CTET-style CDP and pedagogy and sit several state TETs; the overlap is around 70%.
- Check each state's language rule: Language I is often the state language, so practise its comprehension passages early.
- Add the state-specific layer (e.g. Rajasthan GK for REET, Punjabi for PSTET) only after the common core is solid.
- No negative marking in most TETs: attempt all 150 questions.
- Solve that state's own last 5 papers, as each board has its own favourite question styles.