PSTET - Punjab State Teacher Eligibility Test complete details

 

What is PSTET?

• PSTET stands for Punjab State Teacher Eligibility Test.
• It is a state-level exam conducted by the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) to assess eligibility of candidates for teaching positions in Punjab government or aided schools for classes 1 to 8.
• The exam is generally held once a year.

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Purpose

• To ensure that teachers appointed in Punjab’s schools meet certain minimum standards of teaching aptitude and subject knowledge.
• Clearing PSTET is a mandatory qualification to apply for teacher jobs for primary (Classes 1–5) and upper primary (Classes 6–8) levels in Punjab.

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Exam Structure / Pattern

PSTET has two papers:

Paper	For Classes	Number of Questions	Total Marks	Subjects / Components
Paper I	Classes 1 to 5	150 (MCQs)	150	Child Development & Pedagogy, Language I (Punjabi), Language II (English), Mathematics, Environmental Studies
Paper II	Classes 6 to 8	150 (MCQs)	150	Child Development & Pedagogy, Language I, Language II, and either Mathematics & Science or Social Science / Social Studies (60 questions for the optional subject)

• Each question carries 1 mark.
• No negative marking is done.
• Total duration is 2 hours 30 minutes (for each paper)

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Eligibility Criteria

The educational requirements differ depending on which paper you are applying for:

For Paper I (Primary level: Classes 1–5)

You need one of these:

• Senior Secondary (10+2) with at least 50% marks + passed / appearing in final year of Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed)
• Senior Secondary with at least 45% + final year D.El.Ed (as per NCTE norms)
• Senior Secondary with 50% + final year of 4-year B.El.Ed
• Senior Secondary with 50% + final year of 2-yr Diploma in Special Education (D.Ed.Special Ed)
• Graduation (with 50%) + passed / appearing in final year of D.El.Ed. For Paper II (Upper Primary: Classes 6–8)

You need one of:

• Graduation + passed / appearing in final year of D.El.Ed
• Graduation with at least 50% + passed / appearing in 1-year B.Ed.
• Graduation with at least 45% + B.Ed (as per NCTE norms)
• Senior Secondary + final year of 4-year B.El.Ed or B.A.Ed / B.Sc.Ed
• Graduation with 50% + B.Ed (Special Education) as well

Other points:

• There is no upper age limit specified.
• There is no restriction on the number of attempts.
• Citizenship / domicile: You generally must be an Indian citizen, and the exam is intended for candidates in Punjab.

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Qualifying Marks / Cut-off

• For General / Unreserved category: 60% (that is 90 out of 150)
• For SC / ST / OBC: 55% (i.e. 82.5 marks, often rounded)
• In past years, these have been standard cut-offs.

Note: The actual cut-off in a given year may vary depending on factors like difficulty level, number of candidates, etc.

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How to Apply / Process

1. Notification release on the official website: pstet.pseb.ac.in
2. Online application: fill in personal, educational details, upload documents, photo, signature.
3. Admit card download before the exam.
4. Appear for exam (offline / pen & paper) on scheduled date.
5. Answer key release (provisional) — objections allowed.
6. Result / scorecard publication, and certificate issuance for those who pass.

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Syllabus Highlights

Paper I (Classes 1 to 5)

• Child Development & Pedagogy: child psychology, learning theories, pedagogy methods, inclusive education
• Language I (Punjabi): grammar, comprehension, vocabulary, language use
• Language II (English): English grammar, reading comprehension, use of language
• Mathematics: arithmetic, geometry, numbers, measurement, problem solving
• Environmental Studies (EVS): basics of environment, social studies, health & hygiene, community and environment

Punjab TET Paper 1 Pattern

(i)	Child Development and Pedagogy	30 MCQs	30 Marks
(ii)	Language I (compulsory)	30 MCQs	30 Marks
(iii)	Language II (compulsory)	30 MCQs	30 Marks
(iv)	Mathematics	30 MCQs	30 Marks
(iv)	Environmental Studies	30 MCQs	30 Marks
TOTAL		150 MCQs	150 Marks

 

Paper II (Classes 6 to 8)

• Child Development & Pedagogy (same kind of topics, but at a higher level)
• Language I & II (Punjabi, English)
• Mathematics & Science or Social Studies / Social Science: depending on your specialization, covering the syllabus of classes 6–8 for those subjects.

·        Punjab TET Paper 2 Pattern

(i)	Child Development & Pedagogy(compulsory)	30 MCQs	30 Marks
(ii)	Language I (compulsory)	30 MCQs	30 Marks
(iii)	Language II (compulsory)	30 MCQs	30 Marks
(iv)	Mathematics and Science (for Mathematics and Science teacher)	60 MCQs	60 Marks
(iv)	Social Studies/Social Science (for Social Studies/Social Science teacher)	60 MCQs	60 Marks
TOTAL		150 MCQs	150 Marks

 

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Tips & Strategy to Prepare

• Understand the syllabus and exam pattern clearly first.
• Practice previous years’ question papers and mock tests under time constraints.
• Focus on pedagogy / child development — many questions test your understanding of how children learn, not just subject knowledge.
• Strengthen language skills (especially English) and vocabulary.
• For optional subjects in Paper II, stick to NCERT textbooks of classes 6–8.
• Time management is crucial — 150 questions in 2.5 hours means approximately 1 minute per question.
• Revise formulas, important concepts, and do regular self-evaluation.