KTET February Selection Process 2026: Stage-Wise Details, Qualifying Marks, Certificate & Teacher Recruitment

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KTET February Selection Process 2026 Stages

The KTET selection process consists of the following stages:

1. Online Application
2. Admit Card Download
3. Written Examination
4. Answer Key & Objection Process
5. Result Declaration
6. KTET Certificate & Teacher Recruitment

Stage 1: KTET 2026 Online Application and Registration

The process begins with KTET registration on ktet.kerala.gov.in, where eligible candidates submit their application, upload their photograph, and pay the applicable fee. Once an application is “confirmed,” no further corrections are allowed, so candidates are expected to verify every detail carefully at this stage itself.

Stage 2: KTET 2026 Hall Ticket / Admit Card Download

Once registrations close, Kerala Pareeksha Bhavan issues the hall ticket (admit card) through the official website. Candidates must download and print their admit card using their login credentials. The admit card carries the candidate’s photo, exam centre, category, and reporting time, and must be carried to the exam hall along with a valid government-issued photo ID — invigilators will check this ID, and candidates without it will not be permitted to write the exam.

Stage 3: KTET 2026 Examination

The examination is conducted separately for:

• Category I
• Category II
• Category III
• Category IV

KTET is conducted in offline mode using OMR (Optical Mark Recognition) answer sheets. Each category paper consists of 150 objective-type (MCQ) questions carrying 150 marks, to be completed within 2 hours 30 minutes. There is no negative marking, so candidates are encouraged to attempt every question.

KTET February 2026 Exam Pattern

Stage 4: KTET 2026 OMR Sheet Filling Instructions

Since KTET evaluation is entirely OMR-based, how you fill your answer sheet directly determines your result. The notification lays out strict instructions:

• Use only a black or blue ballpoint pen to darken the appropriate circle (A, B, C, or D) for each question; no other pen or ink colour is permitted.
• The circle must be darkened fully and clearly — partial shading, ticks, or crosses instead of proper darkening can lead to the response not being read by the scanner.
• Do not fold, tear, wrinkle, or stain the OMR sheet in any way, as this can render sections of it unreadable.
• Do not make any stray marks, writing, or signatures outside the designated boxes on the OMR sheet.
• Category-specific OMR-marking rules apply for candidates choosing optional subjects/language sections (for example, in Category III and Category IV, candidates must correctly darken the “Choose respective subject” or “Choose any one” section as applicable to their optional/language paper) — marking the wrong section can invalidate that part of the response.
• Candidates should verify that the Set/Series printed on their OMR sheet matches their question booklet before starting to answer.

Stage 5: KTET 2026 OMR Sheet Becoming Invalid — What to Avoid

The notification specifically lists circumstances under which an OMR sheet is treated as invalid and cannot be evaluated, including: using a pen/ink other than black or blue ballpoint, failing to darken the required circles properly, making unauthorized marks or writing on the sheet, mismatched or missing candidate/roll number details, and physical damage (tears, folds, stains) to the sheet. Candidates are strongly advised to handle their OMR sheet with care throughout the exam.

Stage 6: KTET 2026 Provisional Answer Key and Objection Window

After the exam, Kerala Pareeksha Bhavan publishes a provisional answer key on the official website. Candidates who wish to challenge or raise objections to any answer in the provisional key can do so online within the specified window, by paying a nominal scrutiny fee per question challenged (a tiered fee structure applies depending on the number of questions objected to). All objections are reviewed by a subject expert panel before finalization.

Stage 7: KTET 2026 Final Answer Key

Based on the expert panel’s review of objections received, Kerala Pareeksha Bhavan releases a Rectified Answer Key. This finalized key is used for evaluating every candidate’s OMR response sheet. No further objections are entertained once the Rectified Answer Key is published.

Stage 8: KTET 2026 Evaluation and Result Declaration

Evaluation is done strictly against the Rectified Answer Key, with each correct answer awarded 1 mark and no negative marking for wrong or unattempted questions. Once evaluation is complete, Kerala Pareeksha Bhavan declares the result on the official website. Since KTET has no rank list, the result is declared simply as “Qualified” or “Not Qualified” for each candidate, based on whether they meet the minimum qualifying marks for their category (60% General / 55% SC-ST-OBC-OEC / 50% differently-abled, out of 150).

Stage 9: KTET 2026 Certificate Verification

This is a step many candidates overlook. As per the notification, certificate verification is conducted only after the result is published — meaning qualifying in the exam alone does not immediately hand you your K-TET certificate. Your academic and identity documents are cross-checked as part of this verification process before the certificate is finally issued.

Stage 10: KTET 2026 Certificate Issuance

Once certificate verification is complete, Kerala Pareeksha Bhavan issues the K-TET certificate to qualified candidates. This certificate carries lifetime validity — candidates do not need to reappear for KTET once they have qualified and received their certificate, and it remains valid for any future recruitment, promotion, or transfer requiring K-TET qualification.

Stage 11: What the KTET 2026 Certificate Is Used For

It’s important to understand that qualifying KTET is not the same as getting a teaching job. K-TET is strictly an eligibility qualification — the minimum bar prescribed under the RTE Act, 2009, and NCTE norms, required to be considered for a teaching post. Actual recruitment and selection for teaching vacancies in Government/Aided schools happens separately, through the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) for Government school posts, or through the respective management/DEO-approved process for Aided school posts. For the specific case of this February 2026 notification, serving teachers and non-teaching staff use the qualified K-TET certificate to regularize their existing service, complete promotion requirements, or fulfil cross-category transfer conditions, as applicable to their post.

Stage 12: KTET 2026 Grievance Redressal

For any disputes regarding fee payment, OMR evaluation, or certificate issues, candidates can raise grievances through the official KTET helpdesk. Kerala Pareeksha Bhavan has laid down that its interpretation of the notification and the decision of the Examination Commissioner in exam-related matters shall be final, and jurisdiction for any legal disputes lies within Kerala.

Important Points About KTET February 2026 Selection Process

• KTET is an eligibility test, not a direct recruitment examination.
• There is no interview conducted as part of the KTET examination itself.
• There is no document verification stage conducted by Kerala Pareeksha Bhavan before issuing the result; however, recruiting authorities may verify documents during appointments.
• Candidates may appear for KTET again to improve their eligibility or qualify in additional categories.
• The KTET certificate can be used while applying for eligible teaching posts in Kerala, subject to the recruitment notification and prevailing rules.

KTET February 2026 Selection Process – Help & Support Contacts

For KTET selection process queries, candidates can contact Kerala Pareeksha Bhavan at the General Information helpdesk (0471-2546800) or IT Support (0471-2546832 / 0471-2546833), or through the KTET helpdesk email listed on ktet.kerala.gov.in.