Over 1.6 Lakh Teachers in Tamil Nadu Take TET Paper-II Amid Concerns Over Preparation
More than 1.6 lakh teachers across Tamil Nadu appeared for Paper-II of the Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) on Sunday. The examination, conducted by the Teachers Recruitment Board, is a key requirement for teachers handling Classes VI to VIII and those seeking promotions.
A total of 1,67,743 teachers had registered for the exam, but 6,814 were absent, according to an official press release. The test follows Paper-I held on Saturday for teachers of Classes I to V.
While many teachers found Sunday's paper easier compared to Saturday's, they raised concerns about insufficient preparation time. 'The TET paper-I was very tough. Compared to it, this was an easier paper, but questions were also asked from the syllabus of Classes XI and X,' a teacher from Chennai said.
The examination comes in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling in September 2025, which mandated that all teachers, except those with less than five years of service, must clear the TET to continue in their jobs. The ruling also applies to promotions, with no exceptions. In May 2026, the apex court extended the deadline for acquiring the TET qualification by one year.
Teachers with over two decades of service expressed frustration over the requirement. 'We had qualified through another competitive exam to become teachers. The government is putting us through this ordeal again. The TET exam could have been conducted in our subjects. The government could at least relax the qualifying marks,' a teacher added.
In Chennai district alone, 10,251 candidates registered for Paper-II across 38 examination centres. A total of 966 personnel, including four question paper control officers, 50 department officers, 742 room invigilators, 100 non-teaching officers, and 51 primary invigilators, were deployed to conduct the examination.
Teachers noted that the psychology section was the most challenging. They also criticised the training provided by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), saying it did not align with the question paper pattern. 'The training provided did not match the question paper pattern. We had to balance household and work. The government should have given us more time and consideration to sit for the exam,' a teacher said.
