Tennessee: Praxis Test Requirements

• How to Qualify for Teacher Licensure
• Who Must Take the Tests
• Where to Get Additional Information
• Test Requirements
• Where to Take the Tests
• Highly Qualified Requirements

How to Qualify for Teacher Licensure

The candidate must complete an approved teacher preparation program and satisfy Tennessee's licensure test requirements unless exemption from testing requirements have been met. The required tests are the Praxis I: Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST®) the first component of The Praxis Series. These tests are available in paper-based or computer-based formats.

Licensure will require satisfactory completion of the Praxis II: Subject Assessments, the second component of The Praxis Series. Required tests include the Principles of Learning and Teaching and Subject Assessment tests. See below for a complete listing of required tests.

Who Must Take the Tests

For initial licensure all teacher candidates must complete the Praxis I: PPST (in either format) and Praxis II: Subject Assessments (the Principles of Learning and Teaching and an appropriate Subject Assessment test).

Candidates pursuing alternate routes for licensure must satisfy the same testing requirements as candidates in the traditional program.

Exemption from testing is available if a candidate held a full teaching license prior to July 1, 1984, or holds a valid license from a reciprocal state where requirements have been met.

Where to Get Additional Information

To obtain information about approved teacher education programs or certification for individuals who hold certification in another state, you may contact:

Test Requirements

If you test in Tennessee a copy of your scores will automatically be sent to the State Department of Education.

The first digit of the "Session/Test Code" indicates the session during which the test is offered in the 2009-10 testing year. There are no session numbers for the CBT tests, which are given by appointment, as explained in Praxis I Overview.

You may take each Computerized PPST once per calendar month up to six times in a 12-month period. If you violate this restriction, the scores from your retest will not be reported and your test fees will not be refunded. This applies even if you canceled your scores on a test taken previously.

Where to Take the Tests

The computer-based tests are offered by appointment through a national network of Prometric™ Testing Centers (many Prometric Testing Centers are located inside Sylvan Learning Centers), selected institutional sites and ETS Field Service Offices. Visit Computer-based Test Centers for the locations near you.

Test center locations for the paper-based PPST are listed in the appropriate Test Center List:

• United States and U.S. Territories
• Outside the United States

The following tests are also required for teacher licensure:

Highly Qualified Requirements

This page is a supplement to The Praxis Series 2009-10 Information Bulletin (PDF).