How to obtain Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) Licence

By
Abdussalam Amoo
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322
401

Every profession has minimum requirements of entry, without which no one could be deemed a professional. In the past, you can be legally regarded a teacher in Nigeria based on your certification.

Teaching certification is obtained after the successful completion of required courses in a teacher-training institution. The institutions, according to the National Policy on Education, include the Colleges of Education, Faculties and Institutes of Education in Nigerian universities, Schools of Education in the Polytechnics, and the National Teachers Institute. The National Mathematical Centre and the National Institute for Nigerian Languages are also there.

Certification is no longer enough. Licence is very important. You must be licensed to practice the teaching profession. That is where TRCN comes in.

What is TRCN?

TRCN means the Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria. It is an agency under the Federal Ministry of Education, established with the major mandate of regulation and control of the teaching profession at all levels of the Nigerian Education System, both in the public and the private sectors.

Why is TRCN Licence Necessary?

Teaching is a noble profession that attracts all manner of people, most of whom just found themselves teaching accidentally. There are, of course, those who passionately chose teaching intentionally for the purpose of reshaping the next generation.

Irrespective of the choice, condition and motive behind joining an educational establishment, every teacher who wants to be taken seriously is expected to get TRCN registration to gain appropriate recognition.

Several local and international schools now require teachers to present their TRCN-issued teaching licences to be qualified for employment. Even those that earned their teaching qualification in Nigeria may be asked of their an attestation from the TRCN that they are qualified teachers in the country. That one is called the “Letter of Professional Standing.”

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You wouldn’t want to lose that mouth-watering offer merely because of a licence you could have obtained long ago. Register for licensing with the TRCN today!

Other things TRCN does

Beyond registering and licensing qualified teachers, the following are the functions of the TRCN.

  • Accreditation, monitoring and supervision of the courses and programmes of teacher training institutions in Nigeria to ensure that they meet national and international standards.
  • Organisation of Internship Schemes and induction programmes for fresh Education graduates to equip them with the necessary professional skills before licensing them for full professional practice.
  • Conduct of professional examinations and interviews to determine teachers that are suitable for registration.
  • Establishment of national minimum standards for and execution of Mandatory Continuing Professional Development (MCPD) to guarantee that teachers keep abreast of developments in the theory and practice of the profession.
  • Organisation of Annual Conference of Registered Teachers (which is the first of its kind in Nigeria) intended to unite all teachers irrespective of social class or the level of education system to which they belong.
  • Publication of a register of qualified and licensed teachers in Nigeria in hard copies and available through the World Wide Web.
  • Enforcement of professional ethics among teachers using the Teachers Investigating Panel (TIP) and the Teachers Tribunal.
  • Prosecution in the law court of unqualified persons performing the job of teachers in contravention of the TRCN Act section 17(2).
  • Acting as the voice of the voiceless teachers and continuously initiating/driving public policies and practices that could reposition the teaching profession in Nigeria as first among equals.

The above list shows that the TRCN serves as a regulatory agency for all those in the teaching profession at any level of education. It means that already licensed teachers may have their licence withdrawn over some misconduct deemed inappropriate of a teacher.

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Steps to obtain TRCN registration licence

The steps applicable to obtain your TRCN Licence include the Professional Qualifying Examination and the Registration.

Professional Qualifying Examination

The examination is a pre-requisite for registration. From 2017/2018, the TRCN had introduced writing the Professional Qualifying Examination (PQE) as a requirement to be issued TRCN licence.

Before then, only registration with your credentials used to be sufficient. Now, you have to pass the exam before you can register as a teacher. Students in any of the teacher-training institutions get to write the exam during the final semesters on campus. But for those who had graduated without writing it, that exam holds twice in a year.

The PQE is computer-based and you must therefore be computer literate aside your competence in education pedagogy.

Visit the nearest TRCN state office to you to obtain and complete registration forms for the PQE. Completed registration forms must be returned with evidence of payment of examination fees payable according to categories thus;

S/N    CATEGORY FEE
1 Category ‘A’ (PhD holders in Education or with Education qualification) N5,000
2 Category ‘B’ (Masters degree in Education or Masters in other fields with Education qualification) N4,000
3 Category ‘C’ (Bachelor’s degree in Education or Degree in other fields with Education qualification) N3,500
4 Category ‘D’ (NCE) N3,000

A candidate would be designated to an examination centre in the state of registration.

Cost of TRCN Registration

Those who passed the examination will still pay registration fee for eventual registration as professional teachers. Like it is for the PQE, the candidate would pay according to their academic qualifications. Then, they will also pay an annual due to the TRCN.

The table below shows the cost of TRCN Registration and annual dues in relation to various academic qualifications.

QUALIFICATION CATEGORY COST OF REGISTRATION (NAIRA) ANNUAL DUES
PhD in Education or
PhD in other field +
NCE, PDE, PGDE		 A N10,000 N5,000
M.Ed/MSc (Ed) or
Masters in other field
+ NCE, PDE or PGDE		 B N8,000 N4,000
B.Sc (Ed)/B.Ed or
Degree in other field +
NCE, PDE or PGDE		 C N6,000 N3,000
NCE D N3,000 N2,000
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For the Letter of Professional Standing (explained above), an applicant would pay N40,000.

Procedure for TRCN payments

Payments could be done online via remita for both the PQE and the registration.

  • Fill out and Generate RRR (remita retrieval reference) number HERE.
  • Take the RRR number to any Nigerian bank and fill the teller as instructed below and make payment.

Fill the deposit slip and ensure you provide the following information:

  • Name of MDA: Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria
  • Name of service/purpose: This may vary. For PQE, click on “Professional Qualifying Examination Application Fee” while on the portal. For registration, choose “Registration Fees”. Other options are there too depending on your mission. For annual dues, choose “Annual Licencing Renewal Fees”.
  • Depositor’s name: (as the case may be)
  • Phone number/e-mail address.
  • Date of payment.
  • Amount.

You do not need to provide an account number on the teller. Inform the bank staff processing the transaction that the payment is to be made through Remita.

Visit any of TRCN Office close to you with your teller/invoice and you will be issued a cash collection receipt to enable you process your registration.

After TRCN registration…

Officials at the TRCN would intimate you of the readiness of the teaching licence in due course.

You are to be inducted into the teaching profession alongside your colleagues from your respective teacher-training institutions.

Do you need any clarification about this guide? Ask in the comment box below.

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322 COMMENTS

    • The ‘letter of professional standing’ may be based on some request from your employer or agency. The person in whose respect it is being billed would pay. The TRCN Lagos Office is behind Government College, Agege. Click here to check out the list of TRCN offices nationwide.

  12. How much is the licence for B.ed…and is it true that we are to write a qualify test before we will be inducted???

  13. I graduated last year but I couldnt do my registration before graduating
    I want to do my registration once am through with service by October
    my question is can I register and obtain the license myself without the involvement of the school i graduated from?
    like can I just go to the trcn office with my teller and I ll be given d licence just like dat

  15. Please, I am yet to he my PGDE certificate of 2014 from NTI. Can I use PGDE from NTI to apply for Masters at FUTMINNA to study Educational Technology?

  18. Thank you for the post, it was very helpful. I already have a TRCN license and ID card. I need you to explain the process of getting a Letter of Professional Standing. I did not come across any helpful information on the TRCN website.

  22. Hi, as am not based in Nigeria and I have a bachelor’s in science education but have no license yet. How do I write the qualifying exam if I register?

  27. I have a B.Sc in Accounting and MBA and i have been teaching on a part time basis. I need a letter of professional standing to enable me practice teaching profession outside Nigeria. Please what do i do?

  28. Please we did the registration in the year 2017 and the completed forms were submitted to trcn office in Ibadan through NUT chairman in our local government but up till now no any helpful or useful information from the said chairman on whether we are going to sit for the exam or not because the acknowledgement PQE form is yet to be returned to us in our local govt. Please help .I stay outside Ibadan .

  31. good day!
    how do i get Professional Qualifying Examination (PQE) past question materials and the video items
    the major approach to the entering the system for the computer based test

  32. Good evening. I had NCE in 2013 and I just completed my degree programme in Primary Education. Meaning that I haven’t collected my certificate. My questions are:
    **Can I still apply for TRCN?
    **Do I have to hold on for my certificate to be out before applying?
    **When should I apply as the next one is in May?

  35. I graduated with a 2:2 in computer science education this year, am i qualified to register for the TRCN?
    Apart from TRCN what other qualification do i need to be recognised as a qualified teacher in Nigeria. thanks.

  36. i registered since July 2018. up till date i have not gotten notification for the exams neither have i gotten my certificate. please what could be the problem and what am i expected to do?

  42. I read Educational Technology. I ll like to when exactly is the exam and when I ll get the certificate if I register this March.

  44. please i have a B.Sc in economics but i want to go into full time teaching….what steps do you advice i take to convert and be a member of TRCN

  46. Good day .
    I’ve paid the examination fee and I’m asked to pay for PQE – professional qualifying examination .
    What is the difference between exam fee and PQE fee?

      • Sir, I have just completed a PGDE program (2018 set ) but yet to be issued a result statement let alone a certificate at the NTI now NOUN affiliated. Hence TRCN is closing this year, can I be considered to obtain the form and commence the course with evidence of already written two semesters exams form duly stamped at NTI office here in Lagos?
        Your response will be kindly appreciated.
        Thank you sir.

  52. Good afternoon. Please i want to register this month but i don’t know where there office is located in abuja. Thanks

  53. Good afternoon everyone, I have a BSc. in Plant science , PGDE, and just concluded my MSc agronomy but my result or certificate is not ready, which category can I apply for ? And will certificates of d other qualificatin be requested for? Thanks

  54. Good afternoon. Please after paying the exam fees based on category and passing the exams .Do you immediately get the certificate without any extra payment?

    Also can one get w license when he/she hasn’t gotten any teaching job?

  55. As an HND holder in Mech-Engr and love to teach does it mean i still have to go for NCE at least?

  56. Hello, someone use the remitta portal online to pay the exam fee for me. But it’s his name that’s showing on the receipt that was sent to my email. Will this affect me in due course? Will it affect me on exam day?

  57. I paid 3000 when I heard about TRCN some years back and I was very heavy then in fact almost to put to birth BT I was told that I have already graduated from my school which was college of education zuba DAT I should go to the office I tried locating there b4 I gave birth but did not find the place. So now can I still go with DAT teller and the form I got that time to their office now b4 the exam time

  58. I paid the N3500 fee stated at the Lagos TRCN office since October 2018. Has the exam date being communicated because I have got no info till now. Please advise.

  59. Person with B.Sc certificate, is he qualified to apply for the trcn exam or should he get pgde certificate as well before applying for the transfer exam?

  61. Hello please I need clarification, if I want to register I will pay a certain amount and pay another one for the exam, that’s what I understood from it am I correct?

  64. Am a graduate of Kwara state college of education ilorin, which I made a payment for TRCN in April 2019
    , pls when am I expected to sit for d exam

  65. Good afternoon. Is TRCN certificate different from TRCN license? I have registered n have been issued TRCN certificate but license number is not there.

  66. Please, am I qualified to apply as an OND holder. Actually I’ve been practicing teaching profession for like ten years now

  68. Hello sir. Do I need to tender my certificates, i. ẹ school leaving, University, birth and NYSC discharge certificates before I can register for TRCN?

    • You don’t need that to register. Present your credentials once you meet other criteria. You can always explain that you’re a corps member to officials at the NTI office.

  72. Pls admin am I qualify to register bcs I am NCE Holder but doing my degree now, also npower teacher, can I register

  75. Please on the remita page when filling the TRCN PQE form, a Tab titled DESCRIPTION shows up after choosing “Professional Qualifying Exam fee”, what should be filled there?

  76. Pls what should one indicate in the DESCRIPTION tab on the remita page, after selecting PROFESSIONAL QUALIFYING EXAMINATION APPLICATION FEES”?

  77. I applied for the TRCN certificate as a final year student in 2013. When the officials came to my school for induction, the certificate was issued but mine was not among. I was told that my declaration of age was missing. I was made to submit another one and have being to the school 3 times but it has not been brought.
    Pls can I go to their headquarter and complain? Pls I need an advice on what to do.

    • It’s likely that you’re doing a postgraduate diploma in education rather than the B Ed. you mentioned. Yes, if the PGDE were from an accredited school, it would be acceptable for the TRCN licencing.

  80. I am an NCE holder and I was among the first set that registered.I have certificate though we did not write any examination then. I work in one of Lagos State public schools since 2002. NUT took many steps to get us license but we have not gotten it up till now. Please sir what steps do you think we can take . Thanks Solihu B.Gadegesin.

  82. Should I visit any trcn office before making any move on the Remita, because am a bit confused! D space for MDA,what should I write there? And also is the Pqe different from the exam registration?

  83. Dear Abdussalam Amoo,
    I must commend on your quick response to mails. Keep it up!
    I actually took time to read all the comments from the day this article was posted so I got some answers to some of my questions on the comment section.
    My questions are:
    1. Do I have to register with TRCN in my state of origin?
    2. I have NCE and later went for a degree in International Relations(didn’t want to teach though, but has finally found myself in the profession), I want to further my studies in Education, do I need to do a PGDE before my Masters or can I just do Masters directly since I have my Nce?

    • Thank you! You can register at any state in Nigeria irrespective of your origin. Then, with your NCE, any other Education related qualifications is just a plus. Your NCE is sufficient. But you’d have to check with your preferred University if the faculty of education could accept you for a master’s degree. Usually, you are not likely to be required to do a PGDE since you already hold an NCE. Regards!

  84. Weldone, please the phone no for oyo branch is not cleared enough besides is there any branch at oyo town for a student of DE, to register sir.

  87. Good evening and well Done for quick response to questions on this platform. My question is: I’ve TRCN certificate, do need to go for another certification? Or simply put, what’s the between the TRCN certificate I’ve with the certification examinations

  91. Hello Admin, I just want to ask that will the certificate be issue out to successful candidate after d exam nd after paying up the cost OOF registration …. Cause I heard that the licence OT certificate Is not always issue out immediately. Pls, how true is that

  94. Please,I have registered since 2008,but ve not collected my certificate.Can I still get the certificate or re-registered???

  96. Am a graduate and also a teacher,how can I get the form,if I get the form nw will I be able to write the exam by December

  98. Please I will like to register and also sit for the examination, when is the next examination coming up and what are the procedure

  100. Good day please after registration I will write ecmxam right? Then the license will be issued or certificate I don’t understand. Please explain more.

  101. It’s been a long read through these questions and apt responses. Many thanks Admin.

    I’ve gotten my B.Sc but I’m interested in starting a PGDE course. Which school would you recommend that’s both efficient and affordable??

  102. I GRADUATED IN 2012 AND TRAVELED OUT AFTER MY SERVICE , AM BACK TO NIGERIA AND WILL LOVE TO TAKE UP A TEACHING JOB. HOW CAN I APPLY FOR THE CERTIFICATION HERE IN LAGOS?

  103. I have diploma result with GPA 2.91 from olabisi onabanjo university under the institute of education, am also with a bsc which is not under education please can I obtain trcn form.

  108. Sir , I have registered since 2005 with Grd 11, and when I obtained my NCE, I went for upgrading which I obtained form and it had been on process since then, what should I do sir?

  110. Good day pls i already wrote d TRCN exam in may 2019 and i passed but i haven’t collected my certificate because i don’t know how to go about it and d credentials to collect it nd besides can i collect it in abuja?

  113. Please, is license the same as certificate?
    After successfully writing the PQE, can I go to the state office with cash to claim my certificate?
    Can I tender statement of result in order to collect my TRCN Certificate or it is strictly NCE cert., B. Sc cert., etc?

  114. Good evening, I am an OND holder in computer science, having worked with an education certificate, I decided to go for Advanced Diploma in Education in National Teachers Institute, can I take the trcn exams for certification?

  116. After the exam, do we pay registration first and later annual fee or can we pay both at the same time using different tellers. Also, how long does it takes to get the certificate after a successful completion of all requirements.

  117. Hello, I just visited the TRCN office at ilupeju, the lady there told me that I need my bsc.ed certificate for the registration even after showing her my statement of result.. what do I do?

  119. Sir please I have forgotten my trcn registration number. I want to use it and apply for federal teachers recruitment. Now my school is closed if not I will go and collect my trcn certificate. Am confused sir

  120. Good morning, pls the school is not in session so it’s not possible to get the certificate, Can I still be registered and get my TRCN number?
    Secondly, how long does it take to get the number after payment?

  124. Please is someone in with BSc in Engineering with Cambridge IGCSE certification eligible to apply or he must first get an education qualification such as PGDE or MEd. to be eligible ?

    Thanks

  125. Good morning please I studied Philosophy in my University, am I eligible to register for the TRCN. Or is for only those that studied Education related courses

  126. I already have the certificate. Is the license any different and how do I get it.
    Secondly I checked in the TRCN website but I couldn’t find my details. Should I be worried?

  128. Please sir, may I know if there’s any site one can check if his trcn certificate is ready before going to their office? I stay very far from the office. Just need to know it’s ready before going. It’s more than a year now since I did the process. Please help!!!

  131. Please, how much will getting my teaching license cost and how long will it take to be ready. I have gotten my TRCN certificate since 2009. Thanks

  136. I have registered with TRCN and even collected my certificate but I was surprised not to find my name among the list of registered teachers in tis web portal. What should I do? My registration number is ED/S/06668

  141. Good day
    I recently graduated from a federal university og education around May and we were asked to pay #6000 for the trcn examination, unfortunately i couldn’t meet up with the payment then. Now the exam had been written on 23rd of November, 2021 and i didnt take part cause i did not pay for it.
    Now my question is: it is mandatory for me to pay for trcn before i can be issued a clearance for nysc for my school: if i pay now, will i still be able to write the exam and how do i go about it.

  142. Good morning Sir,
    I am interested in becoming a registered teacher. I have a Masters degree in finance and my first degree is in Accounting and Finance. Although, I have teaching school administration experience, more than eight years work experience but no teaching certifications
    Kindly advise me please

  143. Hello,

    i am a graduate of industrial mathematics from federal university of akure, i want to become a teacher, please what are other qualifications i need to have , to become a legal/recognize teacher in the state?

  144. I passed the qualifying exams but I am unable to pay for registration. Am I able to register at a more later date without having to take d exams again?

  145. I wrote the trcn exams in December 2019 here in Lagos and am yet to receive my trcn certificate please how can I get it

  146. I wrote the trcn exam in December 2019 here in Lagos and am yet to receive my certificate please how do I get it

  147. Thanks a lot for the Post. My question is this:
    I wrote and passed the PQE in 2019, but I didn’t get the certificate then. However, I intend to get the certificate this year — 2022. Am I paying the #6000 (B.Ed) and also pay cumulative (#3000 × 3years) renewal alongside making it #15,000. OR I will only pay the #6,000 only for the licence?

    Expecting your feedback!

  148. I got my TRCN certificate last year. I went for exams in another state and I took it along. Later,I realised I couldn’t find it again. Can I still apply for another one? I really need it. Thanks

  149. Hello everyone
    Please i did my exam in bayelsa state May this year and passed. My question now is can I get the certificate in another state after I make my payment? Or what can i do? I just rounded up my service year.

  150. Please after the computer based exam do I need to pay for the certificate? Im not talking about the license. The Certificate is what I mean.

  151. Pls I v gotten my TRCN certificate may 2017 when there wasn’t examination for the
    collection but yet to have my license, so will I need to write an exam to have my license now or what?

  152. I wrote the exams but haven’t seen my results if i pass or failed, I went to the university where i registered and they said the didn’t submit all the names, since 2020 till date no response from the school. Do i need to register again or is there how i can get the result?

  153. Hello.
    Please what is GIFMIS Code?
    I applied for QTS and they are demanding for Letter of Professional standing and in my bid to pay through Remitta, there is a box for GIFMIS code and I do not know what the code is.
    How do I get the code?

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