Teacher Testing & Certification
Entrance to Major Testing
The Pennsylvania Department of Education requires that Undergraduate students in all Instructional I teacher certification programs must successfully complete a Basic Skills Assessment.
- Elementary and Early Childhood Education
- Middle Level Education
- Secondary Education
- Special Education
- World Language
- Agriculture
- Art Education
- Kinesiology
- Music
Testing Requirements for Teacher Certification Programs
- PK-4— PECT
- English 4-8— PRAXIS
- Social Studies 4-8— PRAXIS
- Biology— PRAXIS Biology: Content Knowledge
- Chemistry— PRAXIS Chemistry: Content Knowledge
- Communication— PRAXIS: Speech Communication: Content Knowledge
- Earth/Space— PRAXIS Earth Science: Content Knowledge
- English— PRAXIS English Language Arts: Content Knowledge
- Environmental— PRAXIS: Environmental Education (PA)
- General Science— PRAXIS General Science: Content Knowledge
- Mathematics— PRAXIS Mathematics: Content Knowledge
- Physics— PRAXIS Physics: Content Knowledge
- Social Studies— PRAXIS Social Studies: Content Knowledge
- Special Education PK-8 and Special Education 7-12— ESP Special Education PreK – 8, Modules 1 & 2 and/or PECT Special Education 7 – 12, Modules 1 & 2
- Special Education PK-12 — PRAXIS Core Knowledge and Applications
For SPLED students who do not currently hold an Instructional Pennsylvania certificate also will need to complete Fundamental Subjects Praxis exam.
- French— ACTFL French OPI & WPT and PRAXIS Fundamental Subjects: Content Knowledge
- German— ACTFL German OPI & WPT and PRAXIS Fundamental Subjects: Content Knowledge
- Latin— PRAXIS Latin and PRAXIS Fundamental Subjects: Content Knowledge
- Russian— ACTFL Russian OPI & WPT and PRAXIS Fundamental Subjects: Content Knowledge
- Spanish— ACTFL Spanish OPI & WPT and PRAXIS Fundamental Subjects: Content Knowledge
WF ED students must pass their Occupational Competency Assessment before obtaining their certification.
- Agriculture — PRAXIS Agriculture, Fundamental Subjects: Content Knowledge
- Art Education — PRAXIS Art: Content Knowledge, Fundamental Subjects: Content Knowledge
- Kinesiology — PRAXIS Health & Physical Education: Content Knowledge, Fundamental Subjects: Content Knowledge
- Music — PRAXIS Music: Content Knowledge, Fundamental Subjects: Content Knowledge
- Pearson PECT
- ETS PRAXIS
- PRAXIS -- CORE ALTERNATE SCORING METHOD
- PRAXIS -- Alternate Scoring Method with a Sliding GPA for all Speciality Tests - Please contact your academic advisor for clarification of this process.
- ACTFL
Penn State's Institutional Report to the Pennsylvania Department of Education: In compliance with Title II, Section 207 of the Higher Education Act of 1998 and General Standard for the Institutional Preparation of Professional Educators -- Chapter 354. About Title II