Bihar TET Vs Bihar STET: Know Which One is Better

Many students who want to become teachers in Bihar get confused between Bihar TET and Bihar STET. The Bihar TET and the Bihar STET are both Teacher Eligibility Tests conducted by the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB). Both exams are conducted to test the eligibility of candidates for the post of Teacher. But they are not the same. In this article, we explain the difference, so you can pick the right exam for yourself.

What is Bihar TET?

Bihar TET, or BTET (Bihar Teacher Eligibility Test), is a state-level exam. It checks if a candidate is eligible to become a teacher for Class 1 to Class 8 in Bihar.

Paper 1 – for teaching Class 1 to Class 5 (Primary level)
Paper 2 – for teaching Class 6 to Class 8 (Upper Primary level)

What is Bihar STET?

Bihar STET, or Secondary Teacher Eligibility Test, checks if a candidate is eligible to become a teacher for Class 9 to Class 12 in Bihar.

Paper 1 – for teaching Class 9 and Class 10 (Secondary level)
Paper 2 – for teaching Class 11 and Class 12 (Higher Secondary level)

Bihar TET Vs Bihar STET: Overview

Point	Bihar TET (BTET)	Bihar STET
Full Form	Bihar Teacher Eligibility Test	Secondary Teacher Eligibility Test
Conducting Body	Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB)	Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB)
Class Level Covered	Class 1 to Class 8	Class 9 to Class 12
Paper 1	Class 1–5 (Primary)	Class 9–10 (Secondary)
Paper 2	Class 6–8 (Upper Primary)	Class 11–12 (Higher Secondary)
Exam Mode	Usually offline (pen-and-paper)	Online (computer-based)
Total Marks	150	150
No. of Questions	150 MCQs	150 MCQs
Duration	2.5 hours (150 minutes)	2.5 hours (150 minutes)
Negative Marking	No	No
Minimum Age	18 years (approx.)	21 years
Upper Age Limit	Around 37 years (General), higher for reserved/women	Around 37 years (General), higher for reserved/women
Minimum Qualification	Graduation + D.El.Ed/B.Ed as per paper	Graduation (Paper 1) or Post-graduation (Paper 2) + B.Ed
Passing Marks	Around 50%, relaxation for reserved categories	50% General, up to 5% relaxation for SC/ST/OBC/PwD
Application Fee (General)	Approx. Rs. 500 (1 paper)/Rs.800 (both papers)	Approx. Rs. 960 (1 paper)/Rs.1,440 (both papers)
Application Fee (SC/ST/PwD)	Approx. Rs. 300 (1 paper)/Rs. 500 (both papers)	Concession as per BSEB rules
Certificate Validity	Lifetime	Lifetime
Used For Recruitment In	BPSC TRE for Class 1–8 posts	BPSC TRE for TGT (Class 9–10) and PGT (Class 11–12) posts
Official Website	www.bceceboard.bihar.gov.in/www.biharboardonline.com	www.secondary.biharboardonline.com

Bihar TET Vs Bihar STET: Selection & Job Process

Passing Bihar TET or Bihar STET only makes you eligible. It is not a direct job offer.
After qualifying, candidates must apply separately through Bihar’s teacher recruitment drives, mainly conducted by BPSC (Bihar Public Service Commission) under BPSC TRE (Teacher Recruitment Examination).
BTET-qualified candidates apply for Class 1–8 teacher posts.
STET-qualified candidates apply for TGT (Trained Graduate Teacher) posts using STET Paper 1, and PGT (Post Graduate Teacher) posts using STET Paper 2.

Bihar TET Vs Bihar STET: Difference in Subjects/Syllabus

Bihar TET Syllabus (Class 1–8 focus):

Child Development and Pedagogy
Language I (compulsory)
Language II (compulsory)
Mathematics
Environmental Studies (Paper 1) / Mathematics & Science or Social Studies (Paper 2)

Bihar STET Syllabus (Class 9–12 focus):

Subject-specific paper (based on the subject the candidate wants to teach, like Science, Maths, Social Science, English, Hindi, Urdu, Bhojpuri, Physical Education, etc.)
Teaching Aptitude and General Knowledge/Reasoning section

So, Bihar TET tests basic teaching skills and foundational subjects for young learners, while Bihar STET tests deep subject knowledge for a specific subject, since the candidate will teach specialised topics to older students.

Bihar TET Vs Bihar STET: Difference in Salary

Level	Pay Scale (Approx)
Bihar TET qualified teacher (Class 1-8)	Pay Level 6, around Rs. 35,400+ (7th CPC), plus DA/HRA
Bihar STET-qualified teacher (Class 9-12)	Pay Level 7-8, generally higher than the Class 1-8 scale, plus DA/HRA