Bhubaneswar: In a significant shift in the teacher education admission process, the Odisha government has decided that admissions to the four-year Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP) will be conducted through the National Common Entrance Test (NCET) from the 2026–27 academic session onwards.
The Higher Education Department issued a notification stating that candidates seeking admission to the four-year dual-major ITEP course will have to qualify in NCET-2026, which will be conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA).
As per a public notice issued on February 12, 2026, online applications for NCET-2026 will remain open from February 12 to March 10. The examination is tentatively scheduled to be held on April 17, 2026 (Friday), in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode.
The NTA has been entrusted by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), under the Ministry of Education, Government of India, to conduct the entrance test for admission into the four-year ITEP in selected Central and State universities, including IITs, NITs, Regional Institutes of Education (RIEs), and government colleges across the country.
In Odisha, the programme will be offered in five State Public Universities and eight Government Colleges, with a total sanctioned intake capacity of 1,300 seats.
Following the declaration of results by NTA, eligible candidates will have to apply through the SAMS portal by entering their NCET scores and selecting their preferred institutions. Merit lists will be prepared based on the percentile scores obtained in the national-level examination.
The Integrated Teacher Education Programme is a four-year undergraduate course that integrates general education in Arts, Science or Commerce with professional teacher training. The programme is designed to create future-ready teachers by combining subject knowledge with pedagogical skills and extensive school-based practice.
Meanwhile, admissions to the two-year B.Ed., M.Ed., and B.H.Ed. programmes in Odisha will continue under the existing SAMS process. Candidates seeking admission to these courses will have to appear for the entrance examination conducted by the State Selection Board, Odisha (SSB), Odisha.
