Prospective teachers will have to prove their passion for the job, as well as pass new literacy and numeracy tests, before winning a place in university.

The new teacher training guidelines were announced by the Federal Government today and will be phased in over the next few years.

They include a literacy and numeracy test to ensure would-be teachers are in the top 30 per cent in Australia before they can graduate.

The guidelines also aim to establish a national approach to the timing and objectives of 'prac' - or practical - teaching elements of a course.

Minister for Tertiary Education Chris Bowen says a person's passion and emotional intelligence will also count.

"A simple ATAR or HSC result is important, but there's so much more that goes into determining who will be a good teacher - passion, commitment, dedication, emotional intelligence and a dedication to teaching and learning," he said.

Mr Bowen announced the guidelines with his cabinet colleague Peter Garrett, the Minister for School Education.

Mr Garrett says he hopes testing the emotional intelligence of a future teacher may reduce the drop-out rate from the profession.

"Teachers come into a classroom to take charge over young Australians," he said.

"I think it's absolutely right that we know that they're well prepared for that task.

"This is certainly one way of doing it. It's not exceptional - it happens in equivalent ways in disciplines like medicine."

Broad support

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Listen Duration: 4 minutes 49 seconds 4 m 49 s New plan to improve graduate teacher quality ( Alexandra Kirk ) Download 2.2 MB

Opposition education spokesman Christopher Pyne has broadly backed the Government's plan.

"Most of the announcements the Government has made today fit entirely within the Coalition's approach to teacher quality," he said.

"So on this rare occasion I can say that we welcome the Government's new commitment to teacher quality and if elected we would implement something very similar."

The peak body for universities has also welcomed the plan.

Universities Australia chief executive Belinda Robinson says she looks forward to working with the Government on developing sensible standards.

"We do need to improve the quality of teacher training, but we also need some national coherence," she said.

"It's not good enough for us to have a piecemeal approach all around the country, because of course a teacher training in Victoria is going to want to get a job in New South Wales possibly."