PSC Mastery

Exemptions from K-TET, and where SET is required instead

Kerala PSC exempts High School Teacher applicants from K-TET if they hold CTET, NET, SET, M.Phil or a PhD in the concerned subject, or an M.Ed in any subject — with the Government Orders cited in the notification itself. A 2024 order narrowed this: CTET at Primary Stage and Elementary Stage no longer counts as an alternative for K-TET Category III. Higher Secondary posts are a separate track requiring SET directly.

Steps

  1. Know that High School and Higher Secondary run differently

    High School Teacher posts use K-TET Category III as the gate, with the exemptions below. Higher Secondary School Teacher posts name the State Eligibility Test as a qualification in its own right, not as an exemption.

  2. The exemption list, as the notification states it

    The High School Teacher (Malayalam) notification under Category 601/2024 states that candidates who have qualified CTET, NET, SET, M.Phil or PhD in the respective subjects, or M.Ed in any subject, are exempted from acquiring K-TET, citing three Government Orders from 2016, 2016 and 2020.

  3. Check the CTET stage before relying on it

    The same notification carries a 2024 carve-out: CTET at Primary Stage and Elementary Stage shall not be considered an alternative qualification for K-TET Category III. A primary-stage CTET pass will not substitute for High School K-TET.

  4. For Higher Secondary, know the fallback route

    The Higher Secondary School Teacher notification under Category 709-711/2025 provides that in the absence of B.Ed holders, candidates with a Master’s degree of not less than 50% who have passed SET will be considered, with preference to PhD, M.Phil, Junior Research Fellowship or NET holders — and those appointed this way must acquire a B.Ed at their own expense within five years of entering service.

  5. M.Ed can exempt the B.Ed requirement itself

    The same notification states that persons who have acquired an M.Ed in the concerned subject recognised by any University in Kerala are exempted from the B.Ed qualification. That is separate from the K-TET exemption.

  6. Never rely on an exemption without a Government Order behind it

    Every exemption above is traceable to a named, dated order printed in the notification. If a coaching site claims an exemption with no order number attached, treat it as unverified until you find it in the notification you are actually applying against.

Frequently asked questions

I have NET but not K-TET — can I apply for a High School Teacher post?#

Under Category 601/2024, NET in the respective subject is listed among the qualifications exempting a candidate from acquiring K-TET. Confirm the same clause appears in your own post’s notification, since exemption lists vary by post and subject.

Does a CTET pass always exempt me from K-TET?#

No. A 2024 Government Order cited in Category 601/2024 excludes CTET at Primary Stage and Elementary Stage from counting for K-TET Category III.

Does M.Ed replace B.Ed?#

For Higher Secondary posts, Category 709-711/2025 states that an M.Ed in the concerned subject recognised by any University in Kerala exempts the candidate from the B.Ed qualification.

Is an out-of-state SET accepted?#

The Higher Secondary notification wording refers to SET conducted by the Government of Kerala or an agency authorised by the State Government, which suggests it is Kerala-specific — but we could not confirm the treatment of another state’s SET against the Special Rules. Ask the Commission before relying on one.

Official sources

Steps last verified against official Kerala PSC sources on 25 August 2026.

Where the Commission has not published a rule, this guide says so rather than guessing. Anything marked “not officially published” is exactly that.

This is an independent guide for aspirants, written from the Commission’s own published instructions. Portal screens and rules change — always confirm on keralapsc.gov.in and in your own Thulasi profile before acting. PSC Mastery is not affiliated with the Kerala Public Service Commission.