Certification FAQs

Important information about Teacher Certification

You need to become certified to teach!

Please click here for a CTE Certification Progress Tracking Guide.

1. What is certification and why do I need to become certified?

The Pennsylvania School Code requires all school district professional employees to hold an appropriate Pennsylvania teaching certificate. This certificate confirms the fact the holder has met the academic and experience phases of certification requirements established and adopted by the State Board of Education.

2. Where do I start?

You must apply for Occupational Competency Assessment. Contact The Pennsylvania State University Department of Workforce Education and Development, 301 Keller Building, University Park, PA 16802. Contact person:   Cheryl Stamm at 814-863-0804, or email at crc10@psu.edu

3. What is a NOCTI occupational competency exam?

The National Occupational Competency Testing Institute (NOCTI) exam is a two part test: a written exam to test you on specific knowledge of your occupational area; and a hands-on skill test designed to measure your ability to perform the skills involved in your occupation. These exams are given in various vocational-technical schools throughout the central PA region. The written and hands-on portions of the test are usually a week within each other.

4. Do all individuals applying to teach in vocational-technical schools need totake an OCA exam?

No, individuals such as nurses and cosmetologists who have already taken an exam and hold a license issued by the State are not require to take the OCA exam. These individuals go through a process called credential reviews in order to obtain a competency certificate.

5. Where do I apply and is there a charge to take the occupational competency exam?

Contact Cheryl Stamm at Penn State, 814-863-0804 or email Cheryl at crc10@psu.edu for an application to apply to take the occupational competency assessment. Yes, there is a charge to take the exam, ask Cheryl for the current pricing.

6. Must I qualify to take the occupational competency assessment?

Yes, the applicant must have a minimum of 2 years wage-earning experience in addition to the learning period required to establish competency in the occupation to be taught.

7. Do I need to take the OCA prior to the start of teaching?

Not necessarily, however; you must immediately apply for an emergency permit valid for the balance of the school year. EXAMPLE: A certificate issued in September 2012 expires on the last working day of the 2012-2013 school year. The application, verification of the required work experience and verification of high school graduation or the equivalent along with the appropriate test fee must be on file with Penn State before the emergency can be endorsed. Typically, only one emergency permit per individual is ever issued.

8. What happens once I pass the OCA?

You must enroll in the state approved vocational teacher education program at Penn State, and through the auspices of Penn State, apply for the next level of teaching certificate, Vocational Intern. PDE issues Vocational Intern Certificates for teaching in programs of vocational education. Intern certificates are valid for three calendar years and are issued based on the following criteria:

• Successfully complete the OCA

• Officially enrolled in a state vocational teacher preparation program

• Been recommended by the university in which they have been accepted

• Pay the appropriate fee

9. What is the first course I must take on the road to obtaining a teaching certificate?

WFED 100 – Orientation to Teaching, otherwise known as the New Teacher Workshop. This is a 2 credit university course held on the University Park campus during the early part of August each year for newly hired vocational teachers. This week long course is a sort of "boot camp" for new teachers where topics such as lesson planning, classroom management, and safety are presented along with many other areas crucial to the day to day operation of a vocational classroom.

10. Who pays for the courses I must take from the university toward certification?

This will depend upon the school in which you are employed.  You need to check with your local administrators or business manager.  Some schools reimburse teachers for the costs of all course work related to certification and some reimburse for a portion of tuition costs.  Yet other schools may not pay for any of the initial courses until a teacher has been an employee of a district for a given period of time.  This is usually a contract issue and varies greatly from school to school.

11. When are these courses offered and how difficult will it be for me to fulfill my teaching duties and complete my coursework in a timely manner?

Because of Penn State’s unique delivery system, the first 10 credits (4 courses) within a competency based teacher education certification program are delivered to you, in your own classroom, on a one to one basis by field resource instructors.