Government Primary School Teacher (TET)

Teaching Hindi/regional language, English, Maths and Environmental Studies to children aged about 6 to 11. Making lesson plans, checking notebooks, keeping attendance, running the mid-day meal and school events, and meeting parents. In small schools, one teacher often handles several classes.

A day in the work
You reach school before assembly and mark attendance. Then you teach three or four periods, switching between a story in Hindi or the local language, a Maths activity with counters, and an English poem. At lunch you help check the mid-day meal and watch the little ones eat. After school you correct notebooks and fill in registers. Some days you also visit a child's home to ask why they have stopped coming.

1. Step 1 · Class 11–12Choose any stream and aim for at least 50% in Class 12, because most teacher-training courses and recruitment notices ask for it. Start practising the skills this work needs: reading aloud, explaining simply, and being patient with younger children. Also check how your state admits students to D.El.Ed. Some states use an entrance test or merit list.
2. Step 2 · 2 or 4 years after Class 12Do a 2-year D.El.Ed or a 4-year B.El.Ed from an NCTE-recognised institute. The NCTE rules require a diploma or certificate in basic teacher training of at least two years, or the B.El.Ed, for primary teachers. A B.Ed is not accepted as a substitute for this training under the NCTE 2001 regulations. Some recent notices make exceptions (for example a bridge course), so read each notice carefully.
3. Step 3 · TET (final year or after)Pass TET Paper I, either CTET or your state's TET. Candidates who are in the final year of the course can usually appear. CTET Paper I has 150 multiple-choice questions, 2.5 hours, and no negative marking. Child Development and Pedagogy is 30 of the questions. The general pass mark is 60%. Recruiters may give concessions to reserved categories. There is no limit on attempts, and a pass certificate is valid for life.
4. Step 4 · Recruitment exam or merit listEach state, and each central body such as KVS or NVS, runs its own recruitment. Some use a written exam, some use TET score and academic marks, and some use both. For example, Uttar Pradesh's 2026 notice (Advt. 05/2026) offered 12,405 primary posts. It had a 120-question written exam on 3–4 December 2026 and an age range of 21–40 (reported). (reported — check with the official body)
5. Step 5 · Document verificationThe recruiting body checks your marks, D.El.Ed or B.El.Ed certificate, TET certificate, and any caste or disability certificates. CBSE says clearly that being allowed to sit CTET does not mean your eligibility has been verified. The recruiting agency does that at the end.
6. Step 6 · Joining and probationYou get a posting to a government school, often by district counselling or merit. Most states keep new teachers on probation for a period and give some in-service training. The length and rules differ from state to state, so check your state's service rules. (reported — check with the official body)

• State government schoolsClass 12 → D.El.Ed or B.El.Ed → state TET (or CTET, if the state accepts it) → state recruitment exam or merit list. This is where most of the vacancies are. Rules, age limits, domicile conditions and pay differ in every state.
• Central schools (KVS, NVS and others)Class 12 with 50% → 2-year D.El.Ed, 4-year B.El.Ed or 2-year Diploma in Special Education → CTET Paper I → KVS or NVS recruitment exam. A KVS notice (2025) also asks for the ability to teach in both Hindi and English. CTET applies to central government schools.

Fees from: CBSE CTET Information Bulletin, January 2024 (exam fee) · CBSE CTET February 2026 Information Bulletin (PDF) · DIET Morigaon D.El.Ed admission fee structure · DIET Imphal East D.El.Ed application form · K.R. Mangalam University B.El.Ed course guide · Sanskriti University B.El.Ed programme page. Fees change every year — check the college's own fee page before you pay.

Pay depends mostly on the state or employer, with a steady rise through yearly increments and promotions, and allowances change with the posting; a rural posting and a city posting can feel very different.

For reserved categories (SC/ST/OBC/PwBD), recruiters may give a concession in TET qualifying marks. A KVS notice (2025) allows up to 5% relaxation, and it also lists a 2-year Diploma in Special Education as an accepted qualification. Age relaxations and reserved posts for women and persons with disabilities differ by state, so read each notice.

• Class 7–9Pick one lesson from a Class 2 or Class 3 NCERT textbook and teach it to a younger child at home or in your neighbourhood. Notice what they find hard and how you explain it differently.Open link ↗
• Class 10–12If you are 15 or older, sign up on MY Bharat and look for a reading or tutoring volunteer activity near you, such as helping younger children at a government school or community centre, with your parents' permission.Open link ↗
• College or afterRead the CTET Paper I syllabus and the latest information bulletin on the official site. Then write down which part of Child Development and Pedagogy you are weakest in.Open link ↗

• Qualifying the TET gives no right to a job. The CTET bulletin says it is only one of the eligibility conditions. Vacancies, exam dates and ages are set by each recruiting body.
• CBSE announced the 22nd CTET for 6 September 2026 (notice dated 8 May 2026). A later report says the dates moved to 12–13 December 2026 (reported). Always check ctet.nic.in and your state's TET website for the current schedule.
• Rules on B.Ed and primary teaching have changed and differ between notices. A diploma or B.El.Ed is the safest route if you are sure you want to teach Classes 1 to 5. Read each recruitment notice's eligibility section before you apply.
• A 2026 SCERT Nagaland document says the Supreme Court has given serving teachers until 31 August 2028 to acquire the TET qualification. TET is becoming more important for people already in the job as well.