The Tamil Nadu Teacher Eligibility Test (TNTET) 2025 was conducted on
November 15 and 16
across the state, with more than 3.75 lakh candidates appearing for Papers I and II. As the Teacher Recruitment Board (TRB) prepares to release the provisional answer key, a parallel development has gained momentum: a renewed push by teachers’ federations to lower qualifying marks for the examination.
The Tamil Nadu Graduate Teachers’ Federation (TNGTF) is urging the government to reduce the TNTET cut-off from the existing benchmark—90 marks for general category candidates—to a more inclusive 50 percent. With the evaluation process underway, the debate over qualifying standards has resurfaced, drawing attention to concerns about eligibility, fairness and the high threshold imposed on teachers and aspirants.
TNGTF renews demand to reduce TNTET cut-off to 50%
The Tamil Nadu Graduate Teachers’ Federation (TNGTF) has formally urged the government to reduce the qualifying marks for TNTET from
55% to 50%
. The federation argues that the present threshold is disproportionately high for an eligibility examination that only determines whether a candidate can apply for teaching posts.
In a detailed statement, the federation emphasised that several other states follow a 50% cut-off for their TET examinations, and aligning with that standard would ease the pressure on lakhs of candidates and in-service teachers attempting to qualify.
Current qualifying marks:
- General (OC): 90 marks
- BC, BCM, MBC/DNC, SC, SC(A), PwD: 82 marks
- ST (one-time concession): 60 marks
Dr. Patric Raymond’s official post highlights concern
Dr.
Patric Raymond
, General Secretary of the Tamilnadu Graduate Teachers’ Federation, reiterated this demand in an official post on X, urging authorities to “reduce the TET qualifying benchmark to at least 50% to ensure fairness and improve access.” He stated that the existing 90-mark requirement is “out of sync with national standards” and disproportionately affects in-service teachers who are mandated to clear TNTET to maintain eligibility.
According to Dr. Raymond’s post, the federation’s appeal is rooted in the argument that
TNTET is not a recruitment exam, but merely a qualifying test
. He added that lowering the cut-off would not compromise teacher quality, as actual appointments are carried out through separate merit-based recruitment processes.
TNTET 2025 conducted for over 3.75 lakh candidates
The Tamil Nadu Teacher Recruitment Board (TNTRB) conducted TNTET 2025 on
November 15 and 16
, across multiple centres in the state. According to official data, more than
3.75 lakh
candidates appeared for both Paper I (Classes 1–5) and Paper II (Classes 6–8).
TNTET Structure (2025 Pattern)
Paper
| Class Eligibility
| Total Marks
| Qualifying Marks (General)
|
Paper I
| Classes 1–5
| 150
| 90
|
Paper II
| Classes 6–8
| 150
| 90
|
The large turnout underscores the demand for eligible teaching positions in government and aided schools, while also highlighting the need to revisit qualification thresholds to keep the eligibility pool broad.
Answer key release and objection process expected soon
The TRB is expected to release the
provisional answer key
for TNTET 2025 shortly on the official website (
trb.tn.gov.in
). The answer key for both Paper I and Paper II will allow candidates to evaluate their performance before final results are processed.
Once released, candidates will be able to:
- Download the provisional answer key
- Compare responses and estimate qualifying chances
- Submit objections online within the stipulated window
- Attach supporting documents for each challenged question
The final answer key will be published after reviewing objections, following which the TNTET result will be prepared.