The National Colleges of Education, known in Sinhala as Vidya Peeta, train school leavers to become teachers through a three-year pre-service course run by the Ministry of Education. This guide sets out what the official notices say about who can apply, how applications have been taken, and how past intakes were timed, so you know what to prepare before the next gazette is published.
Check the status first: the most recent call we found on the Ministry of Education notice page opened at 10.00 a.m. on 7 November 2025 and closed at midnight on 28 November 2025, for applicants with 2023 or 2024 G.C.E. Advanced Level results. That period has ended. We found no newer call on the ministry notice pages we checked on 19 October 2026. Watch the Ministry of Education notices for the next gazette.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Course: Three Year Pre-Service Professional Course in Teacher Education, described on the ministry notice as the National Diploma in Teaching.
- Run by: the Ministry of Education, through its National Colleges of Education.
- A/L requirement: three passes in one sitting at the G.C.E. Advanced Level examination.
- O/L requirement: credit passes in some G.C.E. Ordinary Level subjects. The official page does not list which subjects.
- How to apply: online, after a gazette notice. The 2024 call said selection of eligible candidates would also be done online.
- Latest call found: 7 to 28 November 2025, based on 2023 or 2024 A/L results.
Who Can Apply
The college page published by the Ministry of Education says applicants need three passes in one sitting at the A/L examination and credit passes in some O/L subjects. Each call is tied to the A/L results of specific years. The 2020 notice was based on 2018 results, the 2024 notice on 2021 and 2022 results, and the 2025 notice on 2023 and 2024 results. Check the year range in the gazette before you apply, because results outside it are not accepted.
How Applications Have Worked
- Watch for the gazette. The Ministry of Education publishes the call on its notice page and in the Gazette.
- Apply online in the window. In 2024 the notice warned that applications sent before the stated opening time would not be considered and had to be sent again. In 2025 the stated window ran from 10.00 a.m. on 7 November to midnight on 28 November.
- Wait for the interview list. For the 2023 and 2024 results batch, News 1st reported on 13 April 2026 that the ministry had published the list of applicants chosen for interview on its website, with interviews from 21 April to 8 May 2026 at each National College of Education.
The Ministry of Education notice points applicants to the portal at ncoe.moe.gov.lk. We could not open that portal from our checking tool, so use the link in the current gazette rather than a link from social media.
What the Official Notices Do Not State
The pages we could read do not give the age limit, marital status rules, course fees, any allowance paid to trainees, the list of required O/L subjects, or what appointment follows the course. Some websites and social posts state these as facts. We have left them out until they can be checked in the current gazette. Please read the gazette itself before you rely on any of them.
р╖Гр╖Тр╢Вр╖Др╢╜ р╖Гр╖Пр╢╗р╖Пр╢Вр╖Бр╢║: р╢вр╖Пр╢нр╖Тр╢Ъ р╢Ер╢░р╖КтАНр╢║р╖Пр╢┤р╢▒ р╖Ар╖Тр╢пр╖КтАНр╢║р╖Пр╢┤р╖Ур╢ир╖Ар╢╜ р╢вр╖Пр╢нр╖Тр╢Ъ р╢Ьр╖Фр╢╗р╖Ф р╢йр╖Тр╢┤р╖Кр╢╜р╖Эр╢╕р╖П р╢┤р╖Пр╢ир╢╕р╖Пр╢╜р╖Пр╖А р╖Ар╖Гр╢╗ 3р╢Ъ р╢┤р╖Цр╢╗р╖Кр╖А р╖Гр╖Ър╖Ар╖П р╢┤р╖Пр╢ир╢╕р╖Пр╢╜р╖Пр╖Ар╢Ър╖Т. р╢Ер╢║р╢пр╖Фр╢╕р╖Кр╢┤р╢нр╖К р╢Ър╖Рр╢│р╖Ар╢▒р╖Кр╢▒р╖Ъ р╢Ер╢░р╖КтАНр╢║р╖Пр╢┤р╢▒ р╢Ер╢╕р╖Пр╢нр╖КтАНр╢║р╖Пр╢Вр╖Бр╢║ р╢Ьр╖Рр╖Гр╢зр╖К р╢пр╖Рр╢▒р╖Кр╖Ар╖Ур╢╕р╢Ър╖К р╢╕р╢Яр╖Тр╢▒р╖Т. 2025 р╢▒р╖Ьр╖Ар╖Рр╢╕р╖Кр╢╢р╢╗р╖К 7 р╖Гр╖Тр╢з 28 р╢пр╢Ър╖Кр╖Ар╖П р╢Ер╢║р╢пр╖Фр╢╕р╖Кр╢┤р╢нр╖К р╢╖р╖Пр╢╗ р╢Ьр╢нр╖Кр╢нр╖Ъ 2023 р╖Др╖Э 2024 р╢Лр╖Гр╖Гр╖К р╢┤р╖Щр╖Е р╢┤р╖КтАНр╢╗р╢нр╖Тр╢╡р╢╜ р╢╕р╢н р╢║. р╢Ср╢╕ р╢Ър╖Пр╢╜р╢║ р╢Ер╖Ар╖Гр╢▒р╖К р╖Ар╖У р╢Зр╢н. р╢Кр╖Ер╢Я р╢пр╖Рр╢▒р╖Кр╖Ар╖Ур╢╕ р╖Гр╢│р╖Др╖П р╢Ер╢╕р╖Пр╢нр╖КтАНр╢║р╖Пр╢Вр╖Бр╢║р╖Ъ р╖Ар╖Щр╢╢р╖К р╢Ер╢йр╖Ар╖Тр╢║ р╢╢р╢╜р╢▒р╖Кр╢▒.
родрооро┐ро┤рпН роЪрпБро░рпБроХрпНроХроорпН: родрпЗроЪро┐роп роХро▓рпНро╡ро┐ропро┐ропро▒рпН роХро▓рпНро▓рпВро░ро┐роХро│ро┐ройрпН родрпЗроЪро┐роп роЖроЪро┐ро░ро┐ропро░рпН роЯро┐рокрпНро│рпЛрооро╛ роорпВройрпНро▒рпБ роЖрогрпНроЯрпБ роЪрпЗро╡рпИроХрпНроХрпБ роорпБроирпНродрпИроп рокро╛роЯроирпЖро▒ро┐ропро╛роХрпБроорпН. роХро▓рпНро╡ро┐ роЕроорпИроЪрпНроЪрпБ ро╡ро░рпНродрпНродрооро╛ройро┐ роЕро▒ро┐ро╡ро┐рокрпНрокрпБ роорпВро▓роорпН ро╡ро┐рогрпНрогрокрпНрокроЩрпНроХро│рпИроХрпН роХрпЛро░рпБроХро┐ро▒родрпБ. 2025 роиро╡роорпНрокро░рпН 7 роорпБродро▓рпН 28 ро╡ро░рпИ, 2023 роЕро▓рпНро▓родрпБ 2024 роЙропро░рпНродро░рокрпН рокрпЖро▒рпБрокрпЗро▒рпБроХро│ро┐ройрпН роЕроЯро┐рокрпНрокроЯрпИропро┐ро▓рпН ро╡ро┐рогрпНрогрокрпНрокроЩрпНроХро│рпН роПро▒рпНроХрокрпНрокроЯрпНроЯрой. роЕроирпНродроХрпН роХро╛ро▓роорпН роорпБроЯро┐ро╡роЯрпИроирпНродрпБро╡ро┐роЯрпНроЯродрпБ. роЕроЯрпБродрпНрод роЕро▒ро┐ро╡ро┐рокрпНрокрпБроХрпНроХрпБ роЕроорпИроЪрпНроЪро┐ройрпН роЗрогрпИропродро│родрпНродрпИрокрпН рокро╛ро░рпБроЩрпНроХро│рпН.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are applications open now?
Not according to the notices we found. The 2025 call closed on 28 November 2025. A new call will appear as a gazette notice from the Ministry of Education.
Do I apply on paper or online?
The 2024 and 2025 notices describe online applications.
Which results count?
Only the A/L years named in the current gazette. The 2025 call named 2023 and 2024.
Official Sources
- Ministry of Education notices: National Diploma in Teaching course (checked 19 October 2026)
- National College of Education course page
- Ministry of Education 2024 admission notice (Gazette No. 2376)
- News 1st report on 2026 interviews (news report, not an official source)
BrightNook.lk is an independent education website and is not affiliated with the Ministry of Education. Always confirm details with the official gazette.
