Bihar STET Passing Marks, Negative Marking and How Many to Attempt
Two numbers decide how you should sit the Bihar STET Computer Science paper: the passing marks for your category, and the penalty for a wrong answer — which in recent papers has been zero. Together they make the strategy simple: aim comfortably above your qualifying line, and never leave a question blank. This guide explains both and shows what score to aim for.
In this guide
Key takeaways
- Passing marks in past notifications: 50% general, 45.5% BC, 42.5% EBC, 40% SC/ST, women and PwD.
- Out of 150 marks that is 75, 69, 64 and 60.
- No negative marking in recent papers: attempt all 150 questions.
- A realistic safe target: 40 of the 50 general marks plus 50 of the 100 Computer Science marks.
Passing marks by category
| Category | Qualifying percentage | Marks out of 150 |
|---|---|---|
| General | 50% | 75 |
| Backward classes (BC) | 45.5% | 69 (68.25 rounded up) |
| Extremely backward classes (EBC) | 42.5% | 64 (63.75 rounded up) |
| SC, ST, women, persons with disabilities | 40% | 60 |
These percentages come from earlier STET notifications. A new notification can change them, so read the current one on the board's website before you plan.
Negative marking
In the recent computer-based papers, a wrong answer earned zero and did not reduce your score. That changes how you should treat a question you are unsure of:
- With negative marking, guessing between four options can cost you.
- Without negative marking, guessing can only help. Even a pure guess has a one-in-four chance of a mark; eliminating one or two wrong options raises it to one-in-three or one-in-two.
So the rule is simple: every question gets an answer. Use the review screen in the last ten minutes to check that nothing is left unanswered.
What score to aim for
Consider a general-category candidate who needs 75. A safe plan:
| Part | Questions | Realistic target |
|---|---|---|
| Teaching Art and general | 50 | 40 |
| Computer Science | 100 | 50 |
| Total | 150 | 90 |
That leaves a 15-mark cushion above the qualifying line. The general part is where the cushion comes from: Teaching Art questions are short facts that repeat, and the arithmetic and reasoning questions are at Class 10 level. Our guide to Teaching Art questions covers the facts asked most.
In Computer Science, 50 is within reach by preparing five units well — networks, DBMS, OOP, web technology and digital logic gave about 45 questions per paper — and by knowing the questions the board has already repeated. Our list of repeated questions shows 7 to 16 of them in every 2025 shift.
Targets for every category
The cushion matters as much for reserved categories, because the margin between passing and failing is a handful of questions in any category. A candidate who needs 60 should still plan for about 80; one who needs 64 or 69 should plan for 85. Aiming at the line itself leaves no room for a nervous start, a misread question or an unusual answer key.
A simple way to plan is to fix the general part first. Thirty Teaching Art questions, five each of environmental studies, general knowledge, mathematics and reasoning — if you can reliably score 38 to 42 here, the Computer Science part needs only 40 to 50 for a comfortable result in every category.
Elimination on a real question
Take a question from the 2025 papers: "Which of the following is a correct identifier in Python? global, Break, def, with." Three of the four are Python keywords — global, def and with — and keywords cannot be identifiers. Python is case-sensitive, so "Break" with a capital B is not the keyword "break" and is a valid name. Even a candidate unsure about case sensitivity can remove the three familiar keywords and arrive at the answer.
Most Computer Science questions allow at least one option to be removed this way: an option from a different unit, a full form that does not fit, or a number that is clearly too large. Each removed option raises the chance of a correct guess, and without negative marking every raised chance is pure gain.
A minute-by-minute plan
- 0–35 minutes: the 50 general questions.
- 35–100 minutes: Computer Science recall questions, flagging any that need working.
- 100–135 minutes: the flagged questions — outputs, conversions, K-maps, automata.
- 135–150 minutes: fill every blank, then review flagged answers if time remains.
How to attempt the paper
- Read the instructions screen. Confirm the marking rule for your exam.
- General part first. About 35 minutes for 50 questions.
- Computer Science in two passes. First the questions you know, then the ones that need working.
- Use elimination. Strike out options that are clearly wrong before choosing.
- No blanks. In the last ten minutes, fill every unanswered question.
Common mistakes
- Leaving questions blank "to be safe". Without negative marking, a blank is never safe.
- Spending five minutes on one K-map. Mark your best answer, flag it, and come back.
- Neglecting the general part. Losing ten easy general marks is harder to recover in Computer Science.
- Planning on old rules. Confirm the pass marks and the marking rule in the current notification.
The complete pattern of Paper II is in our syllabus and exam pattern guide, and a day-by-day plan to reach the target score is in the preparation strategy.
What the result means
STET is an eligibility test, not a recruitment exam. Qualifying it makes you eligible to apply for teacher posts for the classes your paper covers — Classes 11 and 12 for Paper II. Selection for a post then follows the rules of that recruitment. Keep your STET certificate and marks safe; recruitment notices may ask for both.
Keep your documents ready
Before the exam, check the admit card for your name, photograph, subject code and exam centre, and report any mistake to the board at once. Carry the documents the admit card asks for, usually a printed admit card and an original photo identity card. After the result, download and keep the marks statement and the certificate; recruitment applications normally ask for the STET certificate, and some also ask for the marks. Losing a day to a document problem close to a recruitment deadline is an avoidable risk, so store digital copies as well as printed ones.
Summary
- Pass marks: 75 general, 69 BC, 64 EBC, 60 SC/ST/women/PwD (past notifications).
- No negative marking in recent papers — attempt all 150.
- Target about 90: 40 general plus 50 Computer Science.
- Confirm the current rules before the exam.
Frequently asked questions
What are the passing marks in Bihar STET?
In past STET notifications the qualifying marks were 50% for the general category, 45.5% for backward classes, 42.5% for extremely backward classes, and 40% for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, women and persons with disabilities. Out of 150, that is 75, 69, 64 and 60 marks. Confirm the figures in the current notification.
Is there negative marking in Bihar STET 2026?
Recent STET papers had no negative marking, so a wrong answer simply earns zero. The safest approach is to answer all 150 questions. Check the instructions on your admit card and on the first screen of the computer-based test, because rules are set for each exam.
Is qualifying STET enough to get a teaching job?
No. STET is an eligibility test. Passing it makes you eligible to apply for secondary or higher-secondary teacher recruitment in Bihar, where selection depends on that recruitment's own exam or merit rules. Read each recruitment notice for how the STET result is used.
How many questions should I attempt in Bihar STET?
All 150. Without negative marking there is no penalty for a wrong answer, so an unanswered question is a guaranteed loss. Answer the questions you know first, then make your best choice on the rest, eliminating clearly wrong options before you pick.
Sources
Dates, the pattern and pass marks are set by BSEB and can change. Always confirm at biharboardonline.bihar.gov.in. GATE Guide is not affiliated with BSEB.