UTET 2021: Check exam date, application process, eligibility criteria details

UTET 2021: The Uttarakhand Board of School Education recently published the official notification for UTET. Uttarakhand Teacher’s Eligibility Test (UTET) is conducted for determining the eligibility of qualified candidates for recruitment as a teacher of classes 1 to 8 in the state. With the release of the notification, UTET registrations started on January 29.

Like many other states of India, Uttarakhand also has its very own TET exam. UBSE is receiving applications for UTET till February 18 (11.59 pm). Interested candidates can apply online at the official website ukutet.com as per schedule. The proposed date of UTET exam is March 24.

Application fees: As per the latest official notification of UTET, candidates can pay the application fee till February 20 (5 pm). The application fee for UTET can only be paid online using debit or credit card. It is essential that candidates follow all guidelines when applying online as per the established schedule. This is because UTET admit card is issued by the board only to those candidates who successfully register and apply online.

Eligibility: The UBSE lays down certain minimum eligibility criteria to apply for the TET examination. As the UTET exam is conducted for two different levels, therefore, the eligibility criteria are also specified separately for each level. In this context, it may be noted that paper 1 of UTET is for determining eligibility to teach to class 1 to 5 while paper 2 is for determining eligibility to teach in class 6 to 8. Aspirants preparing for the upcoming exam may note UTET syllabus is also specified separately for each paper.

Coming back to the level-wise eligibility, candidates with educational qualification of class 12 or graduation are eligible to apply for level 1 of UTET. However, there are additional conditions which must also be fulfilled besides passing class 12 or graduation.

For instance, candidates who have passed class 12 with 50 per cent marks and have a two-year diploma in elementary education/ special education or four-year Bachelor of Elementary Education are eligible for UTET level 1. If a candidate has passed class 12 with 45 per cent marks and has a two-year diploma in elementary education as per NCTE regulations in 2002, they can also apply.

Graduate candidates can also apply for UTET level 1. A graduate candidate who has a two-year Diploma in Elementary Education is eligible to apply for level 1 of UTET. Candidates who have passed graduation with 50 per cent marks and have a Bachelor of Education qualification, then they can also apply for the level 1 of UTET. However, such applicants must also have qualified Shiksha Mitra Diploma in Elementary Education from IGNOU.

UBSE also accepts 12 pass and graduation qualifications for UTET level 2. Similar to level 1, candidates must have acquired additional qualifications in education. Class 12 pass candidates, who secured at least 50 per cent marks and have a four-year Bachelor in Elementary Education or any of the qualifications among four-years B.A/B.Sc Ed or B.A. Ed/B.Sc Ed is eligible to apply for level 2 of UTET.

Candidates with a simple graduate degree and two-years Diploma in Elementary Education or Bachelor of Education (Special Education) from RCI are eligible to apply for the level 2 of UTET. Those who have passed graduation with at least 50 per cent marks and thereafter completed Bachelor of Education/LT/Siksha Shastri qualification in the regular mode can also apply for level 2 of UTET. In addition, candidates who have passed graduation with 50 per cent marks and have acquired a Bachelor of special education qualification, can also apply for the level 2 of UTET.

It is important that candidates read the information brochure of the Uttarakhand TET exam and ensure that they fulfil all the eligibility criteria. This is because the candidature may be cancelled if a candidate is found to be ineligible as per established criteria. Therefore, those who are seriously considering their career as a teacher, must fulfil the eligibility and then work hard to secure their positions in the UTET final merit lists.

As per the UTET scheme and pattern of the exam, the subjects of child development and pedagogy and language are common in both levels. Aspiring candidates are advised to refer to the previous year papers of UTET for a detailed understanding of the types and pattern of questions asked in the exam. In addition, one can also utilise the UTET answer keys of previous years to get solutions to the question papers.