JTET Cut-off: Paper 1 & Paper 2 Category-wise Qualifying Marks

If you're sitting the Jharkhand Teacher Eligibility Test this cycle, the JTET cut-off is the number that matters most. The good news is that it isn't a moving merit rank. It's a fixed qualifying percentage, so you know your target before you walk into the exam hall.

This guide covers the JTET Paper 1 cut-off and the JTET Paper 2 cut-off for each category, the marks out of 150 you need, what can make the bar feel harder in practice, and a realistic safe score to aim for. Let's go through it step by step.

Key Takeaways

• Reports citing JAC's notice put the JTET exam on 1 November 2026 (Sunday): Paper 2 in the morning, Paper 1 in the afternoon.
• JTET is a qualifying test. You clear the minimum percentage for your category or you don't. There is no rank list.
• Each paper has 150 one-mark questions, and reports say there is no negative marking.
• General/EWS candidates need 60% (90 out of 150). BC-1/BC-2 candidates need 55% (82.5, so 83 in practice). SC/ST/PVTG/Divyang candidates need 52% (78) by most reports, though some give 50% (75).
• The same percentages apply to Paper 1 and Paper 2.
• Reports say the certificate is valid for life under the JHTET Rules 2026, and that this also covers the 2013 and 2016 certificates.

JTET Cut-off: What to Know Before the Next Exam

First, what you can act on right now. The application window closed months ago, after JAC extended the deadline more than once. Exam day is now only a few days away.

Reports citing JAC's Notice No. 62/2026 dated 28 September 2026 give this schedule:

The admit card has been available since 15 October 2026. If you haven't downloaded yours yet, do it today from JAC's official website.

Download the JTET admit card

One earlier report gave a different exam date. The 1 November date is the one tied to JAC's September notice, but please check the date and shift printed on your own admit card.

Reports say over 4.40 lakh candidates are expected, and this is the first JTET since 2016. That makes this cycle a big deal for B.Ed and D.El.Ed holders who have been waiting for years.

The most important idea in this post: the JTET cut-off is a qualifying percentage for an eligibility certificate, not a merit rank. You aren't competing against the other 4 lakh people for a limited number of passes. If you reach the minimum marks for your category, you qualify. That's it.

For the full timeline, fee details and what changed in the 2026 rules, read our guide to JTET Notification and Important Dates 2026, Fee & Changes.

How the JTET Qualifying Marks Work

Paper structure

Both papers follow the same basic shape. Reports on the 2026 pattern say:

• 150 multiple-choice questions, 1 mark each, 150 marks in total
• 2 hours 30 minutes per paper
• Offline, OMR-based exam, with the paper in Hindi and English
• No negative marking

No negative marking matters a lot here. Never leave an OMR bubble empty. A thoughtful guess can only add marks.

Category-wise minimum qualifying percentage

Under the JHTET Rules 2026, the qualifying bar depends on your category. Here is what reports on the 2026 notification give. Out of 150, 60% is 90 marks, 55% is 82.5 marks and 52% is 78 marks.

Where reports disagree: Most reports on the 2026 rules put SC, ST, PVTG and Divyang candidates at 52%. A few give 50% for SC/ST/PwD. Some also mention a 5% relaxation for reserved categories. To be safe, plan for 78 marks if you're in one of these categories, and check the exact clause in JAC's notification.

Each question is worth one whole mark, so you can't score 82.5. A BC-1 or BC-2 candidate should therefore treat 83 as the real minimum.

Women don't have a separate percentage in the reports we could find. Your category decides your bar, not your gender. If you're unsure, check the official notification.

JTET Paper 1 (Class 1-5) Cut-off

Paper 1 qualifying marks by cycle

JTET has had only a few cycles: the 2013 and 2016 exams, and now 2026. The 2026 figures below are the minimum marks reported from the current rules. We couldn't confirm officially published category-wise figures for the earlier cycles, so those rows tell you to check the official source instead of guessing.

Who takes Paper 1 and what's in it

Paper 1 is for anyone who wants to teach Classes 1 to 5. The usual route is Senior Secondary with at least 50% marks plus a 2-year D.El.Ed. Other NCTE-recognised routes, such as the 4-year B.El.Ed or a Diploma in Special Education, also count. For every qualification route, age limit and the documents you need, see JTET Eligibility: Paper 1 & 2 Qualification, Age, Documents.

Reports describe the Paper 1 pattern like this:

Five equal blocks mean Paper 1 rewards balance. A weak section can't be hidden easily, but no single section can sink you either.

How many qualified in earlier Paper 1 cycles

We couldn't find official figures for how many candidates qualified Paper 1 in 2013 or 2016. For those numbers, check the official notification or result notices on JAC's website. Remember, the pass count doesn't change your bar. Your category percentage stays the same however many people qualify.

JTET Paper 2 (Class 6-8) Cut-off

Paper 2 qualifying marks by stream

The JTET Paper 2 cut-off uses the same category percentages as Paper 1. Your stream changes the questions you answer, not the bar you have to clear.

We couldn't find stream-wise qualifying figures officially published for earlier cycles, or any separate stream for language teachers in the 2026 pattern. If you plan to teach a language at upper primary level, check the official notification to see which option applies to you.

How your stream choice changes the paper

Reports describe Paper 2 like this: Child Development & Pedagogy (30), Language I (30) and Language II (30), then one 60-mark subject block. That block is either Mathematics & Science or Social Studies, depending on what you'll teach.

That 60-mark block is 40% of the whole paper. So:

• Maths & Science candidates face calculation and concept-heavy questions. Speed and accuracy in numerical problems decide a lot.
• Social Studies candidates face a wide range of history, geography, political science and economics facts. Revision breadth decides a lot.

In both cases, more than half your study time should go to the subject block.

Where Paper 2 differs from Paper 1

Here's the plain comparison:

The content and the candidates differ. The qualifying rule doesn't. Paper 2 often feels harder because the subject block goes deeper, but the number you need is identical. You can take both papers, since they're held in different shifts.

What Moves the JTET Cut-off

The official qualifying percentage is fixed in the rules, so in that sense the JTET cut-off doesn't move. What does change is how hard it is to reach that number. Here's what affects it.

Paper difficulty and the gap between cycles

A tough paper makes 90 out of 150 much harder to reach than an easy one. This cycle comes after a gap of almost ten years, and the papers will follow the new 2026 rules and syllabus. Nobody can predict the difficulty exactly. Your best guide is to solve the 2013 and 2016 papers and then take full-length mocks on the 2026 pattern.

Number of candidates and the relaxation policy

In a merit exam, more candidates push the cut-off up. JTET isn't a merit exam, so lakhs of candidates don't raise your qualifying mark. Numbers matter later, when qualified candidates compete in teacher recruitment.

The relaxation policy matters right now. That's where the 52% versus 50% question for SC/ST/PVTG/Divyang candidates comes in. Plan for the higher figure, and anything extra becomes a bonus.

Changes to the syllabus or marking scheme

The 2026 notification came under new rules, the Jharkhand Shikshak Patrata Pariksha Niyamawali-2026. Read the syllabus section for your paper carefully. If a topic was added or the weight of a section changed, your preparation should change too. A sudden change to the marking scheme would also change your strategy, but reports on 2026 confirm one mark per question and no negative marking.

Safe Score for This Cycle: Paper 1 and Paper 2

A clear note first: the targets below are our own guidance, not official figures. The official bar is the qualifying percentage. A "safe score" is simply a cushion above it, so that a hard section, an OMR slip or a few unlucky guesses don't push you under the line.

Safe score for General and EWS candidates

• Official minimum: 90 out of 150 in both papers
• Suggested target: about 100 to 105 in mocks, a margin of 10 to 15 marks
• Why: your score on exam day is often a few marks below your mock average because of nerves and unfamiliar questions

Safe score for reserved categories

The same targets work for Paper 1 and Paper 2. Paper 2 candidates should check that a good share of their margin comes from the 60-mark subject block, because that's where the biggest swings happen.

A plan to reach it in the final days

The exam is only days away, so focus on sharpening, not on new topics:

1. Take one full mock under exam timing (150 questions in 2 hours 30 minutes) at the same time of day as your shift.
2. Check your section-wise scores and spend most of your remaining hours on your weakest high-weight section.
3. Revise Child Development & Pedagogy. It's 30 marks in both papers and very scoreable.
4. Practise OMR filling so you never lose marks to wrong bubbling.
5. Answer every question. With no negative marking, a blank is a mark thrown away.

Resources from Crown Publications for these last days:

You can browse more in our Books for competitive exams collection and the full Online test series range.

After Qualifying: Certificate Validity and Next Steps

Certificate validity

Reports on the JHTET Rules 2026 say the JTET certificate is now valid for life. Earlier it was valid for 7 years. Reports also say Clause 13 of the new rules applies this lifetime validity to certificates from the 2013 and 2016 exams. If you qualified earlier and thought your certificate had expired, check the official rules. It may now count again.

How the JTET score is used in teacher recruitment

The JTET certificate makes you eligible to apply for teacher posts in Jharkhand's primary and upper primary schools. It doesn't give you a job by itself. Recruitment for posts such as Sahayak Acharya is run separately by the recruiting authority, under its own selection process and its own notification. So clearing JTET opens the door, and a strong score sets you up well for what comes next.

Get exam-day ready

Before 1 November, check your shift, reporting time, centre address and the documents you need to carry. Our JTET Admit Card 2026: Download, Shift Timings & Exam Day guide walks you through all of it.

Conclusion

The JTET cut-off is clear and fixed: 60% for General and EWS, 55% for BC-1 and BC-2, and 52% for SC, ST, PVTG and Divyang candidates by most reports (some give 50%). That's 90, 83 and 78 marks out of 150, for both Paper 1 and Paper 2.

You aren't racing against lakhs of other candidates. You're racing against a number you already know. Aim for a 10 to 15 mark cushion, answer every question, and keep calm on 1 November. You've waited a long time for this exam, and you can clear it. All the best!

FAQs

What is the qualifying mark for JTET Paper 1 for the General category?

General and EWS candidates need 60%, which is 90 marks out of 150 in Paper 1. Since JTET is a qualifying test, scoring 90 or more is enough to qualify. There's no rank cut-off on top of it.

What is the JTET Paper 2 cut-off for SC, ST and OBC candidates?

Under the 2026 rules, BC-1 and BC-2 (OBC) candidates need 55%, or 82.5 out of 150, so 83 in practice. Most reports give 52% (78 marks) for SC, ST, PVTG and Divyang candidates, while some give 50% (75 marks). Plan for 78 and check the exact clause in JAC's notification.

Is the JTET cut-off different for Paper 1 and Paper 2?

No. Both papers use the same category-wise percentages, and both are out of 150. The content is what differs: Paper 2 replaces Paper 1's Maths and EVS sections with one 60-mark subject block (Maths & Science or Social Studies).

Is there negative marking in JTET?

Reports on the 2026 exam pattern say there is no negative marking. Each question carries one mark, so you should attempt all 150 questions and never leave an OMR bubble blank.

What is a safe score to qualify JTET this cycle?

This is our guidance, not an official figure. Aim for about 100 to 105 in mocks if you're General or EWS, about 93 to 98 if you're BC-1 or BC-2, and about 88 to 93 if you're SC, ST, PVTG or Divyang. That gives you a 10 to 15 mark cushion above the qualifying mark.

How long is the JTET certificate valid?

Reports on the JHTET Rules 2026 say the certificate is valid for life, replacing the earlier 7-year validity. They also say this applies to certificates from the 2013 and 2016 exams.