Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has made K-TET (Kerala Teacher Eligibility Test) mandatory for teacher appointments and promotions in government and aided schools. The decision follows the Supreme Court verdict dated September 1, 2025, and the government has issued an order revising the existing guidelines, removing several earlier exemptions.
With the new order, candidates possessing higher qualifications such as SET, NET, MPhil, PhD, and MEd will no longer be exempted from acquiring K-TET. Even those with these advanced qualifications must now qualify K-TET to be eligible for teacher posts and promotions.
For high school teachers seeking promotion as headmasters or appointment to the higher secondary section through by-transfer recruitment, K-TET Category III has been made compulsory. Similarly, high school teacher appointments will strictly require Category III qualification.
For LP (Lower Primary) and UP (Upper Primary) teacher appointments, candidates who have passed either K-TET Category I or Category II will be considered eligible. However, Category III remains mandatory for high school appointments.
The exemption for candidates who have cleared the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET) will continue. Those who have passed CTET Primary Stage will be eligible for LP appointments, while candidates who have cleared the CTET Elementary Stage will be considered for UP appointments.
By-transfer appointments to HST, UPST, and LPST posts will now be limited strictly to candidates who have passed the relevant K-TET category corresponding to the post.
The government said the revised norms aim to ensure uniform standards in teacher recruitment in line with judicial directives.
