MAHA TET Eligibility 2026: Qualification and Rules

Whether you can sit for MAHA TET depends mainly on one thing: your teacher-education qualification. A D.Ed or D.El.Ed generally opens Paper I for Classes 1 to 5, while graduation with D.Ed or B.Ed opens Paper II for Classes 6 to 8. The Maharashtra State Council of Examination (MSCE), Pune, conducts the test, and the current cycle is MAHA TET June 2026, whose exam was postponed on 27 June 2026 and is awaiting a revised date.

This page sets out the MAHA TET eligibility rules in one place: qualification for each paper, age, medium and language choices, category concessions, fees, documents and the most common reasons forms run into trouble. Where a rule comes from news reports or national norms rather than a Council document we could verify, it is marked as reported. Applications for the June 2026 cycle closed on 24 April 2026, so this guide also helps you plan for the next cycle.

Table of Contents

MAHA TET Eligibility at a Glance

Who Needs to Clear MAHA TET

MAHA TET is an eligibility test, not a recruitment exam. Passing it makes you eligible to be considered for teaching posts in Classes 1 to 8; actual appointments happen through separate recruitment processes.

• Aspiring teachers: Since the state's Government Resolutions under the Right to Education Act from 2013 onwards, TET is compulsory for appointment as a teacher of Classes 1 to 8 in Maharashtra, across school managements covered by those rules.

• In-service teachers: In its 2025 judgment in Anjuman Ishaat-e-Taleem Trust v. State of Maharashtra, the Supreme Court made TET mandatory for in-service teachers with more than five years of service left. In May 2026, it extended their deadline to 31 August 2028. TET is also required for promotion.

• Compassionate appointees: Government Resolutions dated 2 September 2024 and 31 July 2025 make TET mandatory for teachers appointed on compassionate grounds.

This is why the June 2026 cycle drew about 6 lakh applications (reported), many of them from serving teachers.

Educational Qualification for Paper I

Paper I is for candidates who want to teach Classes 1 to 5. The Council's FAQ for the June 2026 cycle lists a Diploma in Teacher Education (D.Ed or equivalent) as the professional qualification, and the application form asks for your SSC and higher secondary details.

Routes 2 and 3 come from national NCTE norms that state rules generally follow. Confirm which routes the current MAHA TET advertisement accepts before you apply.

Educational Qualification for Paper II

Paper II is for candidates who want to teach Classes 6 to 8. The Council's FAQ lists graduation along with D.Ed or B.Ed (or equivalent) for this paper.

Paper II Stream and Your Degree

Paper II has two streams: Mathematics and Science, and Social Studies. Pick the stream that matches your graduation subjects and the subject you plan to teach. A candidate with a science degree usually chooses Mathematics and Science, while an arts graduate in history or geography usually chooses Social Studies.

Final-Year Students

Some reports say candidates in the final year of D.El.Ed or B.Ed may apply. This is not confirmed in a Council document we could read for the June 2026 cycle. Treat it as tentative and check the advertisement for your cycle before applying as a final-year student.

Percentage Rules

Minimum percentages and relaxations for reserved categories in higher secondary and graduation come from NCTE notifications and the state's Government Resolutions on teacher qualifications. Several pages quote national figures without checking the state rules. Read the advertisement and the Government Resolutions section of the official website before you rely on any percentage.

Age Limit and Number of Attempts

• Upper age limit: None reported for MAHA TET. Serving teachers close to retirement have appeared in recent cycles.

• Minimum age: No separate minimum is stated in the documents we checked; completing the required qualification is the practical requirement.

• Attempts: No limit is reported. Since the certificate is valid for life, you can also reappear to improve your score.

Recruitment for teaching posts can have its own age rules. Those apply at the recruitment stage, not to MAHA TET.

Medium and Language Rules

The medium you choose at registration is treated as your Language I. Your Language II depends on that choice, as set out in the Council's application instructions.

Choose the medium in which you plan to teach. A candidate aiming for a Marathi-medium school should usually choose Marathi, since Language I tests command over the medium of instruction.

Category Concessions

MAHA TET has no age relaxation table because there is no upper age limit. Category benefits apply to the fee and the qualifying marks instead.

The fee figures are from the official fee page. The qualifying percentage for each reserved category is reported from previous cycles and state rules; confirm it in the advertisement for your cycle. Candidates with disabilities who need a scribe or extra time must declare this in the application, and the Council's Government Resolutions on scribes and grace time apply.

Who Is Not Eligible

• No teacher-education qualification: A degree alone, without D.Ed, D.El.Ed, B.Ed or an accepted equivalent, does not make you eligible.

• Wrong paper for the qualification: A candidate with only higher secondary and D.Ed cannot take Paper II, which needs graduation.

• Past malpractice: Candidates found involved in malpractice in earlier MAHA TET cycles have been barred under Council orders, as reported for the 2018 and 2019 cycles.

• False information: Applications with false details can be cancelled at any stage, even after the result.

• Unrecognised courses: Diplomas or degrees from institutions not recognised by NCTE or the competent authority may be rejected at document verification.

Candidates are usually allowed to appear provisionally, and documents are checked later at the recruitment or certificate stage. Do not treat admission to the exam as proof that you are eligible.

Application Fee and Documents

Fees are paid online through debit card, credit card, net banking, UPI or QR code. For the full fee table, dates and the six-step process, see the MAHA TET 2026 exam overview.

Your name, mother's name and date of birth must match your SSC certificate. Details cannot be edited after the fee is paid, and the registered mobile number and email cannot be changed.

How to Check Your Eligibility Before Applying

1. Match your qualification to the paper: Higher secondary plus D.Ed or D.El.Ed for Paper I; graduation plus D.Ed or B.Ed for Paper II.

2. Check your percentages: Compare your higher secondary and graduation marks with the minimums in the current advertisement.

3. Decide your medium: Choose the medium you plan to teach in, and note the Language II it brings.

4. Choose the Paper II stream: Match it with your degree subjects.

5. Read the official documents: The advertisement, FAQ and Government Resolutions are on https://mahatet.in/, and Council notices also appear on https://www.mscepune.in/.