APTET 2026 Eligibility Criteria - Check Age Limit, Marks Required, No of Attempts, Important Factor

APTET Eligibility Criteria 2026

APTET 2026 eligibility criteria will be released on the official website of APTET @aptet.apcfss.in along with the notification regarding the conduction of the APTET 2026 exam. Candidates aspiring to appear for the APTET 2026 exam must note that the official notification for the same is expected shortly. As per the eligibility criteria of APTET 2026 exam, candidates must have at least a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) or a Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed.) from an accredited institution in order to be eligible for the Andhra Pradesh Teacher Eligibility Test (APTET). Moreover, candidates must have completed or be in the final year of a Bachelor of Elementary Education (B.El.Ed.) or a D.El.Ed. program in order to be eligible to teach Classes 1–5 in Paper I. Candidates must have finished or be in their final year of a B.Ed, B.El.Ed, or an equivalent degree in order to be eligible to teach Classes 6–8 in Paper II. Applicants can check the detailed eligibility criteria from this page. 

AP TET Eligibility 2026 Highlights

Given below is a quick overview of the key eligibility criteria for the AP TET 2026 exam, based on the official notification released by the Department of School Education last year, Government of Andhra Pradesh. Candidates are advised to go through these highlights carefully before filling out the application form:

APTET 2026 Eligibility Criteria for Paper I (Class I to V)

According to the conditions specified by NCTE (National Council for Teacher Education), the eligibility criteria for APTET Paper I is as follows -

• The minimum qualification required to appear for Paper I of APTET 2026 exam is Intermediate or Class 12^th. The candidates should have at least 50% (45% for SC/ ST/ BC) in Intermediate.
• Along with the Intermediate, the candidates should have passed D.Ed (Diploma in Elementary Education) or Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education or Diploma in Special Education.
• Candidates who have passed Intermediate and D.Ed/ B.El.Ed must note that the minimum marks required in Intermediate for General category is 45% and 40% for SC/ ST/ BC.
• Candidates who are pursuing final-year D.Ed/ B.EI.Ed/ Diploma in Special Education can also appear for APTET 2026.

Eligibility Criteria of APTET 2026 for Paper IIA (Class VI-VIII)

According to the guidelines of NCTE, the eligibility criteria for APTET Paper II is as follows -

Eligibility for Mathematics & Science/ Social Studies Teacher

1. The candidates must have passed a Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 50% of marks (40% for SC/ ST/ BC).
2. Along with the Bachelor’s degree, the candidates must have passed B.Ed.
3. Candidates who have passed Integrated B.A. B.Ed/ B.Sc B.Ed are also eligible to appear for APTET Paper-II (Mathematics and Social Studies).
4. Candidates who are pursuing final-year B.Ed/ Integrated B.Ed are also eligible to take the test.

Eligibility for Language Teachers

1. The candidates must have a graduation degree (Bachelor’s) in the concerned language.
2. For example, candidates who are aspiring to become English Teacher must have passed B.A. in English Literature or English as one of the optional subjects.
3. Along with the Bachelor’s degree, the candidates must have passed B.Ed in respective Language methodology.
4. Candidates who have passed the Language Pandit Certificate course are also eligible to register for Language Teacher category.

APTET 2026 Eligibility Criteria for Paper IIB (Physical Education Teachers)

Candidates can check out the APTET eligibility criteria for Paper II, Section B given below:

• The candidates must have passed Intermediate and UG degree in Physical Education or Diploma in Physical Education.
• Candidates who have completed a Bachelor’s degree and have a degree in B.P.Ed are also eligible to appear for APTET.

It is mandatory for all the candidates planning to appear in APTET 2026 to fulfil the eligibility criteria as per the session for 2026. The updated version of the APTET eligibility criteria will be available here as soon as the latest eligibility criteria are shared by the DSE, AP on the official website. 

AP TET 2026 Age Limit and Nationality

Candidates who wish to appear for the AP TET 2026 exam must fulfil the basic eligibility criteria set by the Department of School Education, Government of Andhra Pradesh, with respect to their nationality and age. These are the foundational requirements that every aspirant must meet before proceeding with the application process.
Nationality:
Only Indian citizens are eligible to apply for the AP TET 2026 exam. The exam is conducted exclusively for candidates who are permanent residents of India and wish to pursue a career in teaching in government or private aided schools across the state of Andhra Pradesh. Candidates of other nationalities are not permitted to appear for the examination.
Age Limit:
The minimum age required to appear for the AP TET 2026 exam is 18 years. Candidates who have not attained the age of 18 years as on the date of the application are not eligible to apply. Importantly, the Department of School Education has set no upper age limit for the AP TET exam, which means candidates of any age above 18 years can apply, making the exam accessible to both fresh graduates as well as experienced individuals looking to enter the teaching profession. Age relaxation, if any, will be as per the government norms applicable to reserved category candidates.

AP TET 2026 Reservation Criteria and Number of Attempts

Candidates appearing for the AP TET 2026 exam must be aware of the reservation policy and the number of attempts allowed, as specified by the Department of School Education, Government of Andhra Pradesh.

Reservation Criteria: The Government of Andhra Pradesh follows the state reservation policy for the AP TET 2026 exam. Candidates belonging to reserved categories are eligible for relaxation in the minimum qualifying marks in their educational qualifications, as per the official AP TET norms. The reservation breakdown is as follows:

Candidates belonging to SC, ST, BC, and PwBD categories are eligible for a relaxation of 5% in the minimum qualifying marks in their educational qualifications. Reserved category candidates must produce valid caste/category certificates at the time of document verification to avail of the reservation benefits.

Number of Attempts: There is no restriction on the number of attempts for the AP TET 2026 exam. Candidates can appear for the examination as many times as they wish, provided they meet the basic eligibility criteria set by the Department of School Education. The only prerequisite is that the candidate must be at least 18 years of age at the time of application. This makes AP TET one of the more accessible teacher eligibility tests in the country, allowing candidates to improve their scores across multiple attempts without any cap on the total number of tries.

AP TET 2026 Minimum Qualifying Marks

Candidates appearing for the AP TET 2026 exam must secure the minimum qualifying marks as prescribed by the Department of School Education, Government of Andhra Pradesh, in order to be deemed eligible for teacher recruitment in the state. The minimum qualifying marks vary based on the category of the candidate. Given below is a detailed breakdown:

Candidates must note that merely securing the minimum qualifying marks does not guarantee a teaching job. The AP TET score is only a eligibility certificate that allows candidates to apply for teacher recruitment drives conducted by the Department of School Education, Government of Andhra Pradesh. The final selection of teachers is made based on a separate recruitment process.

It is also important to note that the AP TET Certificate is valid for a lifetime, as per the revised NCTE guidelines adopted by the Government of Andhra Pradesh. This means that candidates who have already qualified the AP TET in a previous year do not need to reappear for the exam unless they wish to improve their score.