Super TET Exam Pattern 2026: 120 Questions, 360 Marks, Negative Marking and Selection Process

UPESSC has set a new pattern for the 2026 assistant teacher (primary) recruitment exam. Compared with the 2019 exam, which had 150 questions of one mark each in two and a half hours, the 2026 paper is shorter (120 questions in two hours) but carries 360 marks and a penalty of one mark for every wrong answer. This page explains the pattern, the subject-wise weightage and how the final selection is made, based on the official advertisement and syllabus.

Super TET 2026 exam pattern

Feature	Details
Mode	Offline, OMR answer sheet (black ballpoint pen)
Questions	120 multiple-choice questions, 4 options each
Total marks	360 (3 marks per question)
Negative marking	1 mark deducted for each wrong answer; marking more than one option also counts as wrong
Duration	2 hours (120 minutes)
Language	Bilingual: Hindi and English

Subject-wise questions and marks

Subject	विषय	Questions	Marks	Share
General Knowledge / Current Affairs	सामान्य ज्ञान / समसामयिक घटनाएँ	25	75	20.8%
Logical Reasoning	तार्किक ज्ञान	5	15	4.2%
Hindi, Sanskrit and English	हिन्दी, संस्कृत तथा अंग्रेजी	30	90	25.0%
Science	विज्ञान	8	24	6.7%
Mathematics	गणित	16	48	13.3%
Environment and Social Studies	पर्यावरण एवं सामाजिक अध्ययन	8	24	6.7%
Teaching Skills (Pedagogy)	शिक्षण कौशल	8	24	6.7%
Child Psychology	बाल मनोविज्ञान	8	24	6.7%
Information Technology	सूचना तकनीकी	4	12	3.3%
Life Skills / Management and Attitude	जीवन कौशल / प्रबन्धन एवं अभिवृत्ति	8	24	6.7%
Total		120	360	100%

Level of questions: language, science, mathematics and environment/social studies are set up to the class 12 level. Teaching skills, child psychology, information technology and life skills are set up to the D.El.Ed course level.

Topic-wise details of each subject are on the Super TET syllabus 2026 page.

Super TET 2026 vs 2019: what has changed

Feature	2019 exam (69,000 posts)	2026 exam (12,405 posts)
Conducting body	Examination Regulatory Authority, UP	UPESSC
Questions	150	120
Marks	150 (1 per question)	360 (3 per question)
Duration	2 hours 30 minutes	2 hours
Wrong answer	No deduction stated in the booklet	−1 mark
Subjects	Language, GK, maths, science, social studies, pedagogy, child psychology, reasoning and others	Same core, plus information technology (4) and life skills/management and attitude (8)

How the merit list is made

• Selection for both posts is made from the merit list of the 360-mark written exam.
• If two or more candidates have the same marks, the one with the higher graduation percentage ranks higher. If that is also equal, the higher percentage in the training qualification decides. If all three are equal, the older candidate ranks higher.
• If the exam is held in more than one shift, UPESSC will use score normalisation (under Government Order No. 6/2024/148 of 19 June 2024 and the commission’s notice of 26 February 2026), and the normalised marks will be used for selection.
• The cut-off and candidates’ marks will be published on the website after the selection is complete.
• After the merit list come document verification and allotment of schools by the Secretary, UP Basic Education Board (urban) and the Director of Secondary Education (associated primary).

Several websites state that academic marks carry 40% weightage in Super TET 2026. The 2026 advertisement does not provide for this: the merit list is based on the written exam, and academic percentages are used only to break ties.

What negative marking means in practice

With +3 for a correct answer and −1 for a wrong one, a pure guess among four options has an expected score of zero (¼ × 3 − ¾ × 1 = 0). If one option can be ruled out, the expected score of a guess becomes positive (⅓ × 3 − ⅔ × 1 ≈ +0.33), and with two options ruled out it rises to +1. In short: skip questions you know nothing about, but attempt those where you can eliminate at least one option.

Exam-day rules from the advertisement

• The admit card with the exam centre is downloaded from the website; the exam district is shown 10 days before the exam and the centre 3 days before.
• The exam must be taken at the allotted centre. The answer sheet of a candidate who writes the exam at any other centre is not evaluated.
• Answers are marked by darkening the circle with a black ballpoint pen.

Practise general knowledge, reasoning, mathematics and language questions in timed sets with the GSMitra MCQ Test Builder. With −1 for a wrong answer in Super TET 2026, timed practice with negative marking is the best way to learn when to skip a question.

Frequently asked questions

How many questions are there in Super TET 2026?

120 multiple-choice questions of 3 marks each, for a total of 360 marks, to be answered in 2 hours.

What is the negative marking in Super TET 2026?

One mark is deducted for each wrong answer. Marking more than one option is also treated as a wrong answer.

Which subject has the most questions in Super TET 2026?

Hindi, Sanskrit and English together have 30 questions (90 marks), followed by general knowledge and current affairs with 25 questions (75 marks) and mathematics with 16 questions (48 marks).

Is there an interview in Super TET 2026?

No. Selection is based on the written exam merit list, followed by document verification and school allotment.

Will normalisation be applied in Super TET 2026?

Only if the exam is held in more than one shift. In that case UPESSC will normalise scores under the Government Order of 19 June 2024, and normalised marks will decide selection.

All Super TET 2026 pages on GSMitra

• UP Super TET 2026: complete guide
• Last date, fee and how to apply
• District-wise vacancy (12,405 posts)
• Eligibility and age limit
• Syllabus 2026 (subject-wise)
• Previous year papers 2018 and 2019 (PDF)

Sources: UPESSC detailed advertisement No. 05/2026 (PDF), notice No. 2591 dated 15 September 2026 (PDF), date-extension notice No. 3006 dated 15 October 2026 (PDF) and the official syllabus (PDF), all on upessc.up.gov.in.

Prepared by the GSMitra Editorial Team. Last updated 26 October 2026.