The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) has issued recommendations to all NCTE-accredited institutions offering Integrated Teacher Education Programs (ITEP) in the academic year 2026-27.In its recommendations, the committee made it clear that admission to the four-year Integrated Teacher Education Program (ITEP) must be through the National Common Entrance Test (NCET) 2026 organized by the National Testing Agency (NTA).The announcement comes after the NCET 2026 results were announced on June 4, 2026.According to the Council:
- Admission to ITEP for the academic session 2026-27 must be done through NCET 2026 only.
- Only candidates who appeared for NCET 2026 held on April 17-18, 2026 are eligible for admission, subject to compliance with the eligibility criteria of the relevant institutions, affiliated universities, state governments and other regulatory authorities.
- After the 2026 NCET results are announced, each participating school and college should develop a tutoring schedule, admission timetable and transcripts based on the candidates’ NCET transcripts and their own admission standards.
- Any candidate who has not appeared for NCET 2026 will not be admitted. The board said any admission in violation of these instructions will be deemed to be unauthorized and contrary to the prescribed admission framework.
- NCTE also warned that any institution found violating these directions may face prosecution under relevant provisions of the National Council of Teacher Education Act, 1993, relevant regulations and other applicable rules.
background
The Integrated Teacher Education Program (ITEP) is a four-year dual-professional teacher education program launched under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.As per paragraph 15.7 of NEP 2020, admission to the program will be through appropriate subject and aptitude tests conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). For this purpose, NCET is designated as the single-window national-level entrance test for ITEP admissions.NCTE advises all recognized institutions to strictly follow these instructions while conducting admissions for the academic year 2026-27 to ensure that the admissions process remains fair and complies with the prescribed guidelines.
