Teacher certification tests by state
Each state chooses its own teacher certification tests. Many use ETS’s Praxis tests. About 18 states run their own testing programs through Pearson, such as California’s CSET, Texas’s educator certification exams and New York’s NYSTCE. Several others use Pearson only for the Foundations of Reading test. Your state’s education agency decides exactly which tests and scores you need.
State programs from Pearson Evaluation Systems’ own list of the organizations it serves. For Praxis states and required tests, see ETS’s state requirements and your state education agency. Checked October 12, 2026.
States with their own testing program (via Pearson)
| State | Program |
|---|---|
| Arizona | Arizona Educator Proficiency Assessments (AEPA) |
| California | CBEST, CSET, CTEL (RICA retired in 2025; replaced by a literacy performance assessment) |
| Connecticut | Connecticut Teacher Certification Examinations |
| Florida | Florida Teacher Certification Examinations (FTCE) |
| Georgia | Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators (GACE) |
| Illinois | Illinois Licensure Testing System (ILTS) |
| Massachusetts | Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL) |
| Michigan | Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) |
| Minnesota | Minnesota Teacher Licensure Examinations (MTLE) |
| Missouri | Missouri Educator Gateway Assessments |
| New York | New York State Teacher Certification Examinations (NYSTCE) |
| Ohio | Ohio Assessments for Educators |
| Oklahoma | Certification Examinations for Oklahoma Educators (CEOE) |
| Oregon | Oregon Educator Licensure Assessments (ORELA) |
| Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania Educator Certification Tests (PECT) |
| Texas | Texas Educator Certification Examination Program |
| Washington | Washington Educator Skills Tests (WEST) |
| Wisconsin | Wisconsin NES / Foundations of Reading |
From Pearson Evaluation Systems’ list of programs.
State guides
Detailed guides for the largest states, each from the state agency’s own pages. Several changed recently: California retired the RICA, and Illinois dropped its basic skills test and waived the edTPA.
TExES content exam, PPR EC-12, Science of Teaching Reading, five attempts per test.
→FTCE General Knowledge, Professional Education and Subject Area Exam, with exemptions.
→NYSTCE Educating All Students and a Content Specialty Test; edTPA removed.
→CBEST or alternatives, CSET, a performance assessment; RICA retired in 2025.
→ILTS content test only; basic skills eliminated, edTPA waived to 2029.
→Foundations of Reading through Pearson
Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Mississippi, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Rhode Island and Utah use Pearson’s Foundations of Reading test. That doesn’t mean it’s their only test; check what else your state requires.
Everywhere else: check Praxis and your state
- Many states use Praxis for basic skills, subject knowledge or both; ETS publishes each state’s required tests and passing scores.
- Some states mix programs, using Praxis for some tests and Pearson or their own for others.
- Requirements change, so confirm with your state education agency before you register.