NCTE rules out four-level tests for teachers under CTET before 2027

NCTE clarified that such changes will be considered only after 2027, when the first batch of the four-year ITEP graduates

New Delhi: The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) chairperson Pankaj Arora has dismissed media reports claiming that the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) will be expanded to four levels including, for the first time, classes 9 to 12 from this year or next. He clarified that such changes will be considered only after 2027, when the first batch of the four-year Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP) graduates.

The 4-year integrated B.Ed will, by 2030, become the minimal degree qualification for school teachers. (Representational image)

Arora said the NCTE, the statutory body that prescribes minimum qualifications for school teachers, has not issued any directions to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in this regard.

Currently, the CBSE conducts the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) in two papers — Paper 1 for teaching aspirants of classes 1 to 5, and Paper 2 for those aiming to teach classes 6 to 8. For teaching classes 9 to 12, candidates are generally required to hold a postgraduate degree in the relevant subject, a Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree, and qualify in recruitment examinations conducted by the respective central or state recruiting bodies, as there is presently no CTET for these levels.

“Media reports claiming that CTET will include classes 9 to 12 from this year or next are incorrect. We have neither issued any official notification nor instructed CBSE to conduct CTET at four levels. The system is not yet ready, as we have not prepared teachers for all four stages of schooling. We are likely to introduce the four-level CTET only after the first batch of ITEP graduates in 2027,” Arora told HT.

CBSE officials did not respond to HT’s queries.

In line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, NCTE launched the ITEP in the 2023–24 academic session. ITEP is a four-year dual-major programme that combines teacher education with a chosen disciplinary subject. Based on their specialisation and pedagogy, ITEP graduates will be equipped to teach across all four stages of the NEP’s 5+3+3+4 school structure: the foundational stage (three years of pre-school/Balvatika plus classes 1–2), the preparatory stage (classes 3–5), the middle stage (classes 6–8), and the secondary stage (classes 9–12).

“The 4-year integrated B.Ed. … will, by 2030, become the minimal degree qualification for school teachers,” says the NEP 2020. “...TET will also be extended to cover teachers across all stages (Foundational, Preparatory, Middle, and Secondary) of school education.”

Currently, Anganwadi or Balvatika teachers are being recruited by state governments under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme, usually based on minimum qualifications like Class 10 or 12 pass, with short-term training in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) provided after joining. An Anganwadi is a community-based centre that provides nutrition, health services, and early play-based learning for children aged 0 to 6 years, while a Balvatika is a pre-school class within the school system focusing on formal learning readiness for children aged 3 to 6 years. NEP 2020 mandates that by 2030, all Anganwadi and Balvatika teachers must have the prescribed ECCE qualifications, ideally through the 4-year ITEP (foundational stage) or an equivalent diploma/degree, with existing workers receiving transitional training of six months to one year.

ITEP, launched in 2023–24 in 57 Teacher Education Institutions (TEIs), has expanded to 19 central universities, 21 state universities, 7 National Institute of Technology (NITs), 3 Indian Institute of Technology (IITs), and 14 colleges by 2025-26, with admissions through National Common Entrance Test (NCET) conducted by National Testing Agency (NTA).