Tamil Nadu Teacher Eligibility Test is an annual examination conducted by the Teachers Recruitment Board (TRB), Tamil Nadu. The aim of this examination is to shortlist and select candidates who plan to become Primary and Upper Primary Government School teachers in Tamil Nadu. This examination is conducted in two parts wherein Paper-I certifies aspirants for teaching Primary Standards (classes I-V) and Paper-II for teaching Upper Primary Standards (Classes VI-VIII). Teachers who clear this examination are provided with Tamil Nadu Eligibility Test certification and their score is valid up to 7 years from the date of clearing the examination.
Below is a list of necessary details that you may want to be thorough with before applying for TNTET:
Eligibility Criteria
Just like any other examination, certain criteria are set to define the eligibility of a candidate to appear in the examination. The eligibility criteria for this examination vary on the basis of the part of the examination an individual is appearing for.
Nationality
The applicant should be a citizen of India to apply for this examination. This remains a constant criterion for Paper-I as well as Paper-II.
Age Limit
The lower age limit for all categories is 18 years and above and the upper age limit for all categories is 40 years during the declaration of the result.
Paper-I for Teaching Primary Classes (Class I-V)
A candidate has to meet one of the following minimum qualification categories to appear for the examination:
- A minimum of 50% in Higher Secondary Education or equivalent with a pass certificate or appearing in the final year of a 2-year diploma degree in Elementary education from any renowned organization/institution.
- A minimum of 45% in Higher Secondary Education or equivalent with a pass certificate or appearing in the final year of a 2-year diploma degree in Elementary education from any renowned organization/institution, for reserved categories.
- A minimum of 50% in Higher Secondary Education or equivalent with a pass certificate or appearing in the final year of a 4-year Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education (B.El.Ed).
- A Graduation Degree in any subject with a pass certificate or appearing in the final year of a 2-year Diploma in Elementary education.
- A Graduation Degree in any subject with a minimum of 50% and a pass certificate or appearing in the final year of Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.).
Paper II for Teaching Upper Primary Classes (Class VI-VIII)
- A Graduation Degree in any subject with a minimum of 50% and a pass certificate or appearing in the final year of Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.).
- A Graduation Degree in any subject with a minimum of 45% and a pass certificate or appearing in the final year of Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) for reserved categories.
- A Graduation Degree in any subject with a minimum 50% and a pass certificate or appearing in the final year of B.Ed. in Special Education.
Reservation
Reservation is provided to physically challenged individuals as per their subject stream and an aggregate of 20% is reserved on a preferential basis for candidates who have attained their qualification from Tamil Medium Institutions.
How to Apply?
Eligible candidates can apply for TNTET by going to the Teachers Recruitment Board’s website. A sum of INR 500 from general category candidates and INR 250 from the reserved category is charged as a registration fee for the examination which is collected via an online gateway. If you have any questions, their website provides a number of helplines to assist you to find the answer to your queries.
After the application is accepted and processed an Admit Card is generated which enables an individual to sit for the TNTET examination. After the conduct of the exam, candidates are allotted certification as per their eligibility and performance in the examination.
The pattern of the Examination
The questionnaire is MCQ-based with a total of 150 questions divided into five and four parts as per Paper-I and Paper-II respectively. The weightage for each section varies as per the division of questions and the importance of the syllabus.
Syllabus for the Examination
For Paper-I for Teaching Primary Classes (Class I-V)
The syllabus for Paper-I is divided into five sections and each section is allotted 30 marks.
- Language I - Tamil/Kannada/Malayalam/Urdu
- Language II - English
- Environmental Studies
- Mathematics
- Pedagogy and Child Development (Relevant for the age group 6years-11years)
For Paper II for Teaching Primary Classes (Class VI-VIII)
The syllabus for Paper II is divided into four sections where three sections are allotted 30 marks each and the discipline-specific section is allotted 60 marks.
- Pedagogy and Child Development (Relevant for the age group 11 years -14 years)
- Language I - Tamil/Kannada/Malayalam/Urdu
- Language II - English
- Any two from Mathematics/Science/Social Science
How to Prepare?
You can prepare for this exam either through online sources or can refer to specific books which have relevant content related to the syllabus. A few books that you can refer to are: Subject wise books by R.S Aggarwal, Sakthi’s Superior Guide (for the previous year's question paper), and Child Development and Pedagogy by Kiran Publications. TNTET is yet another exam that requires determination and hard work. Before going for the examination make sure you revise your topics and practice the previous year's question papers well and you will surely clear the examination.
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