This page collects what candidates most often look for about the TN TET examination. TN TET recruits for the Teacher Eligibility Test that qualifies candidates for teaching posts. Figures and dates on this page describe how the examination has been conducted in recent cycles; always confirm the current position against the official notification before you rely on it for a decision.

Preparing for TN TET

Begin by reading the official notification end to end, including the parts about eligibility and document requirements. A surprising number of candidates lose a full cycle to a qualification or age detail they never checked, and no amount of preparation recovers that.

Build your preparation around the prescribed syllabus and the standard state board textbooks rather than around a stack of competing guidebooks. One source read three times is worth more than three sources read once, because the examination rewards recall of settled material far more often than it rewards breadth.

A workable study pattern

Split your available hours into three roughly equal parts: new material, revision of material you covered in previous weeks, and timed practice. Candidates who skip the second part can usually answer anything they studied last week and very little of what they studied two months ago, which is the single most common reason a well-prepared candidate underperforms.

Keep a one-page running note for each subject with the facts you keep forgetting. Revise only that page in the final fortnight. Trying to re-read entire books in the last two weeks produces anxiety rather than marks.

Related pages

TNPSC Group 4 complete guide · TNPSC Group 1 preparation guide · TNPSC exam calendar · Recommended books · Samacheer quiz library

The Tamil Nadu Teacher Eligibility Test (TN TET), conducted by the Teachers Recruitment Board (TRB), is the mandatory eligibility test to become a teacher in Tamil Nadu government and aided schools. Paper I is for those who want to teach Classes I–V and Paper II for Classes VI–VIII. This guide covers eligibility, the exam pattern, syllabus and a focused study plan.

Eligibility (overview)

• Paper I (Classes I–V): Higher Secondary (+2) with at least the required marks plus a Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed / DTEd), or equivalent.
• Paper II (Classes VI–VIII): a bachelor’s degree plus D.El.Ed or B.Ed, as specified by TRB.
• Confirm the exact qualification and marks in the official notification.

Exam pattern

• Each paper has 150 objective (MCQ) questions for 150 marks, in 3 hours.
• No negative marking.
• Qualifying is generally 60% (with relaxation for reserved categories).
• The TET certificate is valid for a lifetime once qualified.

Syllabus — Paper I

• Child Development & Pedagogy
• Language I (Tamil) & Language II (English)
• Mathematics
• Environmental Studies (EVS)

Syllabus — Paper II

• Child Development & Pedagogy
• Language I & Language II
• Mathematics & Science or Social Science (as per your specialisation)

A study plan that works

1. Master Child Development & Pedagogy — it is common to both papers and highly scoring.
2. Build subject knowledge from the Samacheer Kalvi textbooks up to the relevant class.
3. Strengthen Language I (Tamil) and Language II (English) grammar and comprehension.
4. Solve previous TET papers and take full-length mock tests weekly.

Note: Cut-off marks, dates and post lists change every recruitment cycle. The figures on this page are indicative, based on previous cycles. Always confirm the exact numbers in the official notification and result at tnpsc.gov.in.

Free resources

Frequently Asked Questions

Updated: September 2026