CHENNAI: The School Education Department has lowered the minimum qualifying marks in the Tamil Nadu Teacher Eligibility Test (TNTET) for candidates from backward and marginalised communities, including Backward Classes, Most Backward Classes, Denotified Communities, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Persons with Disabilities.

Until now, the minimum qualifying mark in the examination was 60% (90 marks out of 150) for candidates in the general category and 55% (82.5 marks) for candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Caste Arunthathiyars, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes, Backward Class Muslims, Most Backward Classes, Denotified Communities and Persons with Disabilities.

The revised norms reduce the qualifying marks to 50% (75 marks) for candidates from Backward Classes, Backward Class Muslims, Most Backward Classes, Denotified Communities and Persons with Disabilities, and to 40% (60 marks) for candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Caste Arunthathiyars and Scheduled Tribes.

The government order stated that the director of school education had written to the government seeking fixation of the minimum qualifying marks for Tamil Nadu Teacher Eligibility Test Papers I and II, based on similar provisions followed in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha and Maharashtra, and to extend the revised norms to TNTET conducted by the Teachers’ Recruitment Board on August 11, 2025.

The order also stated that the revised minimum qualifying marks would be applicable to the TET examination held in August.

In a post online, school education minister Anbil Mahesh called it historic as it will benefit lakhs of teachers and teacher aspirants.

He also added that the chief minister will always stand by the legitimate demands of teachers.