AP TET has no merit cut-off. It is an eligibility test, so the only line that matters is the category pass mark fixed in the notification, and the score above that line is used later in the DSC merit. This page gives the pass marks from the last official notification of the Department of School Education, Andhra Pradesh, and explains why there is no 2026 figure. The full guide is at AP TET.
Pass marks in the last official cycle
| Category | Minimum percentage | Marks out of 150 |
|---|---|---|
| OC and EWS | 60 percent | 90 |
| BC | 50 percent | 75 |
| SC, ST, persons with benchmark disabilities, ex-servicemen | 40 percent | 60 |
The same thresholds apply to each paper separately. For in-service teachers writing under the Supreme Court judgment the notification cites, the department FAQ says the academic eligibility conditions are exempted but the pass marks are not relaxed. For a CTET certificate used in the DSC, the pass thresholds are the same 90, 75 and 60 out of 150.
A floor, not a cut-off
Passing gives a certificate; it does not rank you. The notification says in so many words that qualifying in the TET gives no right to appointment. So there is no year-wise cut-off to publish, and we do not estimate one. What changes between candidates is the score above the floor, and that score is carried into the DSC.
Why the score still matters: the DSC weightage
In the last DSC cycle (Mega DSC 2025) the final merit for SGT and School Assistant posts was built on 100 marks: 80 from the recruitment test and 20 from the TET or CTET score. The scaling below is arithmetic from that rule, (TET marks ÷ 150) × 20, not an official table; confirm the formula in the DSC notification you apply under.
| TET marks (out of 150) | Carried into DSC merit (out of 20) |
|---|---|
| 60 | 8 |
| 75 | 10 |
| 90 | 12 |
| 120 | 16 |
| 150 | 20 |
Every 7.5 TET marks equal one DSC mark, so a candidate with 120 starts four marks ahead of one with 90 before either writes the recruitment test. Read our AP DSC guide for how the 80 and 20 combine and for where DSC 2026 stands.
Validity and attempts
The certificate is valid for life, under the NCTE guideline of 9 June 2021 adopted by the state in G.O.Ms.No.69 of 25 October 2021; certificates earned before that date are also valid for life. Older notes that mention seven years are out of date. There is no limit on attempts, and a candidate who has already passed may write again to improve the score, which is worth doing when a DSC notification is near and the score sits just above the floor.
What this page does not have
No 2026 pass marks, because the regular AP TET 2026 had not been notified as of 8 October 2026; no pass percentages or candidate counts of earlier cycles, which we have not taken from an official result notice; and no cut-off for the Special TET 2026, which is for in-service teachers and does not feed the DSC. Study advice is on the preparation page.