Patna: Candidates preparing for the Bihar Secondary Teacher Eligibility Test (STET) 2026 need to pay close attention to the examination board’s latest clarification on normalisation.
While the examination will have no conventional negative marking, the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) has clarified that candidates who give a comparatively higher number of incorrect answers could experience a negative impact on their score during the normalisation process.
This does not mean that marks will be directly deducted for every wrong answer. Instead, candidates’ final scores may change after normalisation because the examination will be conducted in multiple shifts.
No Negative Marking, So What Does ‘Negative Impact’ Mean?
STET 2026 will be conducted as a computer-based test (CBT). Since a large number of candidates are expected to appear, the examination will be held in multiple shifts.
The difficulty level of question papers can vary from one shift to another. One shift may have a relatively easier paper, while another could have a more difficult paper.
To maintain consistency among candidates appearing in different shifts, the board will use a normalisation process while preparing the results.
The normalised score will be treated as the candidate’s final score and will be used to determine whether the candidate has achieved the required qualifying marks for their category.
How Can a Candidate With 76 Marks Fail?
Consider a hypothetical example.
Suppose a candidate from the general category scores 76 marks out of 150 in the raw score. If the qualifying requirement is 50%, the candidate needs 75 marks to qualify.
However, if the candidate’s score is reduced to 74.90 after normalisation, the final score would fall below the qualifying threshold.
In such a situation, despite having a raw score of 76 marks, the candidate could be considered not qualified.
The example highlights why candidates scoring close to the qualifying mark need to understand the difference between their raw score and final normalised score.
Wrong Answers Could Affect Normalised Scores
According to the board’s clarification, giving a comparatively high number of incorrect answers could have a negative effect on a candidate’s score during normalisation.
However, this should not be confused with conventional negative marking.
Under negative marking, a predetermined number of marks is directly deducted for an incorrect answer. Normalisation, on the other hand, is used to adjust scores across different examination shifts based on factors such as the relative difficulty of the papers and candidate performance.
Candidates should therefore avoid relying excessively on guesses and focus on questions they can answer with greater confidence.
STET Application Deadline Is September 15
Candidates who wish to appear for STET 2026 must complete the application process by September 15, 2026, according to the information provided by the board.
Candidates who have not yet submitted their applications are advised not to wait until the final day.
The board has also advised applicants to keep the mobile number and email ID used during registration active until the declaration of the result, as important examination-related information may be communicated through these channels.
Candidates should also download and preserve a copy of their completed application form for future reference.
No Separate Age Relaxation for STET
The board has also clarified its position regarding the age limit for STET.
According to the information provided, the examination is being conducted regularly and candidates will not receive a separate age relaxation simply because they are appearing for STET.
Candidates should therefore check the applicable eligibility and age requirements before applying.
What Candidates Should Keep in Mind
The key takeaway for STET 2026 candidates is that “no negative marking” does not necessarily mean that guessing every unanswered question is risk-free.
Since the final result will be based on the normalised score, candidates whose marks are close to the qualifying threshold could see their final score move above or below the required level.
A careful approach, with greater focus on questions candidates can answer confidently, could therefore be important in determining the final outcome.
