GTT vs STT: The Two Halves of Saudi Arabia's Teacher License Exam

Every candidate for Saudi Arabia’s Professional License Exam for Teachers has to clear two separate tests, not one: the General Pedagogical Test, known as the GTT, and the Specialized Subject Test, the STT. They are built to measure different things, and mixing them up when you plan your preparation wastes study time on the wrong material.

What does the GTT actually test?

The GTT is common to every teacher regardless of subject. It runs 88 multiple choice questions over two hours of testing time, drawn from three domains: professional values and responsibilities, professional knowledge, and professional practice. It is not asking whether you know your subject matter; it is asking whether you understand teaching as a profession, how a teacher is expected to behave and think in a classroom and a school system.

What does the STT actually test?

The STT is where subject knowledge is tested directly. You sit the version that matches the specialization you registered under, whether that is Arabic language, Islamic studies, mathematics, science, or another subject ETEC licenses teachers in. The question count is not fixed across every specialization; it runs from roughly 60 to 88 depending on which subject you are being tested in, though the two-hour window and multiple choice format stay the same as the GTT. Which subjects the STT actually covers goes into that variation in more detail.

Do both tests count toward the same license?

Yes. Both are scored out of 100, and your license tier, Practitioner, Advanced or Expert, is set by the lower of the two scores, since the same percentage threshold has to be cleared on both tests for a given tier. Clearing the GTT with an Expert-level score does not carry you to an Expert license if your STT score only clears the Practitioner threshold. How the three license tiers actually work covers the specific percentage cutoffs.

Is either test negatively marked?

No. Neither the GTT nor the STT applies negative marking, so an unanswered question and a wrong answer cost you the same, nothing. Whether the exam has negative marking covers what that changes about how you should approach uncertain questions.

Should I prepare for them the same way?

No. Because the GTT tests professional values, knowledge and practice rather than subject content, preparing for it looks more like studying pedagogy and how Saudi schools expect a teacher to operate than reviewing a textbook. The STT rewards deep preparation in your actual specialization instead. How to prepare for the GTT and STT breaks that difference down further. The exam’s own page, Professional License Exam for Teachers, has the full pattern for both tests together.

Frequently asked questions

Can I sit the GTT and STT in different cycles? Yes. They are registered, scheduled and scored separately, so you can clear one now and the other in a later cycle.

Which test is harder, the GTT or the STT? Neither is inherently harder; they test different things. The GTT tests professional knowledge common to all teachers, while the STT tests your specific subject.

Does the STT have the same number of questions for every subject? No. It runs from roughly 60 to 88 questions depending on the specialization you register under, while the GTT is fixed at 88 questions for everyone.

If I fail the STT but pass the GTT, do I keep my GTT result? Yes, since the two tests are scored independently, you would only need to retake the STT.