KVS Teacher Posts: PRT, TGT and PGT Pay, Transfers and Growth

Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) runs a nationwide network of central government schools, originally set up primarily to serve the children of transferable central government employees (defence and civilian), and now one of the largest, most sought-after teaching employers in India. KVS no longer runs its own recruitment exam: since Recruitment Notification 01/2025, CBSE conducts a single combined Tier-1/Tier-2/Interview cycle for KVS and NVS together. CTET remains a prerequisite for most posts; it is separate from, and does not replace, this selection process.

See the KVS exam hub for the current cycle and teaching vacancies open now.

This guide covers eligibility, exam pattern and selection, subjects recruited, and salary for PRT, TGT and PGT posts. See the teaching exams in India overview and our CTET guide for the eligibility test that underlies most of these posts.

KVS Eligibility by Post

PRT (Primary Teacher): upper age limit 30 years. Senior Secondary (10+2) with at least 50% marks plus a 2-year D.El.Ed, or a 4-year B.El.Ed, or a 2-year Diploma in Education (Special Education) from the Rehabilitation Council of India — plus a qualified CTET Paper 1. A Bachelor's degree with B.Ed is not a route into PRT; the Supreme Court quashed the 2018 notification that had allowed it.

TGT (Trained Graduate Teacher): upper age limit 35 years (relaxations: SC/ST 5 years, OBC-NCL 3 years, PwBD 10/13/15 years, and 10 years for women applying for PGT, TGT, Librarian or PRT). A Bachelor's degree (with at least 50% marks) in the relevant subject, plus a B.Ed (also at least 50%), plus CTET Paper 2 for the academic subjects — Hindi, English, Sanskrit, 3rd Language, Social Studies, Mathematics and Science. CTET is not required for TGT Music, Art Education, Work Experience, Librarian or Physical & Health Education, which are recruited as ordinary TGT posts alongside the academic ones.

PGT (Post Graduate Teacher): upper age limit 40 years, with the same relaxations as TGT above. A Master's degree (with at least 50% marks) in the relevant subject, plus a B.Ed (also at least 50%). CTET is not required for PGT posts, since CTET covers Classes 1–8 eligibility while PGT teaches Classes 11–12 — beyond CTET's scope. PGT posts are recruited across Hindi, English, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology, History, Geography, Economics, Commerce, Computer Science and Bio-Technology.

KVS Selection Process

Selection runs through three stages: Tier 1 (screening, common structure for all posts) → Tier 2 (post-specific written exam) → Interview / Demo Teaching / Skill Test (format depends on post).

Tier 1: an objective screening test covering reasoning, basic aptitude, language proficiency and general knowledge, with 3 marks per correct answer and 1/3 negative marking for wrong answers. Candidates are shortlisted for Tier 2 at roughly a 1:10 ratio relative to vacancies.

Tier 2: a post-specific exam (70 questions, combining objective and descriptive formats, 100 marks) assessing subject knowledge and job-related competency specific to the post applied for.

Interview: the final stage for PRT, TGT and PGT — an interview of 100 marks, with candidates shortlisted from Tier 2 in a 1:3 ratio to vacancies. There is no demonstration lesson for teaching posts; the skill test applies only to Stenographer and Junior Secretariat Assistant. The merit list is 85% Tier 2 and 15% interview — and note that Tier 1 marks carry no weight at all in the final merit, which makes Tier 2 the paper that decides the outcome.

KVS Salary by Post

See our Government Teacher Salary guide for the full DA/HRA/Transport Allowance calculation and worked gross-salary examples at each level.

See our NVS Teacher Recruitment guide for how the closely related Navodaya Vidyalaya system compares — similar qualification pattern, but residential schools with no PRT posts.

Who Should Apply for KVS?

KVS suits candidates who've completed the relevant qualification-plus-CTET route for their target post (PRT, TGT or PGT) and want to teach in a well-regarded, pan-India central government school system, with a structured selection process and pay scale. Since age limits differ meaningfully by post (30/35/40 for PRT/TGT/PGT respectively), and CTET Paper 1 or Paper 2 is a prerequisite for PRT/TGT specifically, confirm you meet both the education and CTET requirement for your target post well before a KVS recruitment cycle opens.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is CTET compulsory for KVS TGT and PGT?

CTET (Paper 2) is generally required for TGT. For PGT, CTET is generally not required, since CTET's scope (Classes 1–8) doesn't extend to the Classes 11–12 level that PGT teaches — confirm this against the current KVS notification, since specific requirements are set per recruitment cycle.

What is the age limit for KVS teacher posts?

Not exceeding 30 years for PRT, 35 for TGT and 40 for PGT. Relaxations: 5 years for SC/ST, 3 years for OBC (non-creamy layer), 10/13/15 years for PwBD, and — the one most often missed — 10 years for women of all categories applying for PGT, TGT, Librarian and PRT. Only one relaxation, the highest you qualify for, is granted.

What is the KVS selection process?

Tier 1 (screening, 1:10 shortlist) → Tier 2 (post-specific written exam) → Interview, for PRT, TGT and PGT. The merit list is 85% Tier 2 and 15% interview — Tier 1 marks carry no weight at final merit. The skill test applies only to Stenographer and Junior Secretariat Assistant posts, not to teaching posts.

What is the salary for a KVS PRT, TGT or PGT?

Starting basic pay is ₹35,400 (PRT, Level 6), ₹44,900 (TGT, Level 7), and ₹47,600 (PGT, Level 8). At the current 60% DA rate, expect gross pay of roughly ₹73,000 (PRT), ₹91,000 (TGT) and ₹96,000 (PGT) in a major-city posting, and in-hand of roughly ₹66,000 (PRT), ₹83,000 (TGT) and ₹88,000 (PGT) after NPS and other statutory deductions — see our Government Teacher Salary guide for the full calculation.

Which subjects does KVS recruit TGT and PGT for?

TGT: Hindi, English, Sanskrit, Social Studies, Mathematics, Science, Physical & Health Education, Art Education, Work Experience and Special Educator (TGT); Librarian is a separate Level-7 post. PGT: Hindi, English, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology, History, Geography, Economics, Commerce, Computer Science and Bio-Technology.

In Summary

KVS teacher recruitment is a structured, multi-stage process layered on top of CTET eligibility — meeting CTET's requirement gets you in the door for PRT/TGT, but CBSE's combined Tier 1/Tier 2/Interview cycle for KVS and NVS is what actually selects candidates. The cycle covering the current set of vacancies (Notification 01/2025) opened 13 November 2025, closed for applications on 11 December 2025, and is at the Tier-2-result and interview stage as of this writing — so this is not a cycle still to open, and the next one will be a fresh notification. Confirm your exact post's age limit, qualification and (for PRT/TGT) CTET paper requirement before applying, and prepare for the combined exam pattern specifically rather than assuming CTET preparation alone is sufficient.

Sources

• Pay levels and entry pay: 7th Central Pay Commission report, Pay Matrix