Teacher Qualification Certificate Exam (China)教师资格证

Overview

中小学教师资格考试 (NTCE) is the national exam for people who want a teacher qualification in China. The national standards and question papers come from the National Education Examinations Authority of the Ministry of Education, while provincial education examination bodies run registration, payment and checking of applicants. The exam has a written part and an interview. Passing both gives a Qualification Test Pass Certificate (合格证明), which is a required document when you apply for formal teacher qualification certification (教师资格认定).

Who can apply

The official site lists these basic conditions: citizen of the People's Republic of China, support for the leadership of the Communist Party and the socialist system, and no criminal record. In principle you also need the education level the Teachers Law requires, and each province sets and publishes its own education requirement. Final-year students must provide proof of enrolment from their school.

Applicants for kindergarten, primary, junior secondary, senior secondary and secondary vocational school teaching all take this exam. Applicants for secondary vocational general-subject, specialist-subject and practical-instructor qualifications sit the senior secondary category.

Exam pattern

The written part is paper-based, and every written subject lasts 120 minutes. Only candidates who pass all written subjects may take the interview.

Subject Knowledge and Teaching Ability is set separately for each teaching subject: 15 subjects at junior secondary level and 14 at senior secondary level.

Question types are multiple choice and non-choice questions such as short answer, essay, material analysis, lesson-plan design and activity design.

The interview uses structured questions and simulated teaching: lesson preparation, a trial lesson and a question-and-answer defence. Kindergarten interviews are not split by subject, primary interviews are split by primary subject, and secondary interviews follow the same subject as the written Subject Knowledge and Teaching Ability paper. Some provinces do not offer every subject, so check the provincial notice.

Marking and results

The national authority sets and publishes the pass mark for each written subject. A passed written subject stays valid for two years. The Qualification Test Pass Certificate, given to those who pass both parts, is valid for three years.

Important dates

The exam runs in two sessions a year. For 2026 the official schedule lists:

Written papers run in the morning, afternoon and late afternoon depending on the category. Your admit card gives your interview time. Registration for the second-half 2026 written exam opened on 3 July 2026. Each province announces its own registration window.

How to apply

Registration is online. Start on the NTCE site, read your province's notice, then enter your province's registration system.

1. Register with your ID number, name and phone number, and confirm the integrity pledge.

2. Fill in personal details and upload a photo.

3. Choose your category, test centre and subjects. All subjects must be selected at once, and cannot be added or changed after approval.

4. Wait for the provincial staff to review your details. If you are rejected, you can correct and resubmit before the deadline.

5. Pay the fee online. Approved applicants who do not pay in time lose their registration, and fees are not refunded after payment.

6. Download and print your admit card about one week before the exam.

After the exam

Check scores on the NTCE site once the pass marks are published. The pass certificate can be looked up and verified on the same site. The certificate is a required document for teacher qualification certification, which is applied for separately through the certification system.

FAQs