The Andhra Pradesh School Education Department has released the notification for the Special APTET for In-Service Teachers – August 2026, giving eligible serving teachers an opportunity to obtain the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) qualification. The notification and information bulletin were published on August 24, 2026.
The special TET is being conducted specifically for in-service teachers appointed before 2011, in view of the Supreme Court's directions regarding TET qualification. The notification states that the special examination is intended to help eligible teachers obtain the mandatory qualification within the stipulated deadline of August 31, 2028.
The online application process will begin on August 25, 2026, and candidates must complete both fee payment and application submission by September 24, 2026. The application fee is Rs 1,000 per paper.
The online mock test will be available from September 25, while hall tickets can be downloaded from October 5 onwards. The examination is scheduled from October 11 to October 21, 2026, in two sessions: 9:30 am to 12 noon and 2:30 pm to 5 pm.
The initial answer key is scheduled for October 24; objections can be submitted from October 25 to November 1, and the final key will be released on November 10. The final results are scheduled to be declared on November 15, 2026.
Importantly, qualification in the Special APTET is intended for fulfilling the mandatory TET requirement for continuation in the present post or promotion. It cannot be used for future direct recruitment, for which candidates will need regular APTET or CTET qualification.
Candidates should carefully check the information bulletin and complete the application process within the prescribed dates.
According to the notification, regular and minimum-time-scale in-service teachers working in government, local body, APREIS, government welfare society residential schools, AP Model Schools, private aided schools and schools under other government departments are eligible to appear for the Special APTET.
The examination will be conducted in Computer Based Test (CBT) mode. Paper I is meant for teachers dealing with Classes I to V, while Paper II is for Classes VI to VIII. Teachers intending to qualify for both levels may have to appear for both papers, subject to the prescribed qualifications. Each paper will carry 150 marks, and there will be no negative marking.