Overview of Nevada Testing Requirements

How to Qualify for Certification

The following basic qualifications apply to all persons requesting licensing in the State of Nevada:

• An applicant must be a citizen of the United States or be a lawful permanent resident of the United States.
• Degree(s) and credits for courses must have been earned from a regionally accredited college or university.
• Foreign transcripts must be accompanied by an original course-by-course and degree equivalency evaluation done by an approved evaluator service before application for licensure is made. Learn more about Acceptance of Foreign Transcripts.
• A license is issued based on the evaluation of the applicant's official transcripts.
• An applicant must have completed the appropriate number of semester credits of student teaching to qualify for an educator license.
• Copies of valid out-of-state educator credentials should be submitted, where applicable.
• Original competency testing scores should be sent, such as those administered under The Praxis Series™.

For comprehensive licensing requirements and processes access the Nevada Department of Education, Teacher Licensure website.

Important Information

• ETS is offering several additional tests in a computer-delivered format that will be introduced throughout the testing year. Visit Test Centers and Dates to find testing centers near you. The computer-delivered versions cover the same content as the paper-delivered versions and are scored on the same scale; however, the computer-delivered tests have different test codes.
  • Biology: Content Knowledge (5235) — September 2012
  • Business Education: Content Knowledge (5101) — December 2012
  • Chemistry: Content Knowledge (5245) — September 2012
  • Educational Leadership: Administration and Supervision (5411) — December 2012
  • Family and Consumer Sciences (5121) — December 2012
  • Professional School Counselor (5421) — February 2013
  • World and United States History: Content Knowledge (5941) — December 2012
• Nevada requires a Social Security Number (SSN) in order to process educator certification paperwork. The SSN is the sole identifier for an applicant's information. Failure to provide your SSN will delay the uploading of ETS test scores. ETS does not require your SSN for its own purposes, but will submit it to Nevada with your test results. Candidates that do not include their Social Security numbers are required to hand deliver or mail their scores to the Nevada Department of Education, Office of Teacher Licensure.

Who Must Take the Tests?

All applicants for initial licensing in Nevada are required to take the following competency tests, which are administered under The Praxis Series™:

• Praxis I® Pre-Professional Skills Tests (PPST®)
  • The Praxis I tests are available in paper-delivered or computer-delivered formats. Nevada applicants may take either the paper-delivered or the computer-delivered tests to meet the requirement.
• Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT)
  • The PLT is required for all areas (except Elementary Education) — Grades K–6, or Grades 7–12, depending on the grade level you will teach.
• Praxis II® Subject Assessments for each area of certification, if available
  • Please note that in some Praxis II subject areas both multiple-choice and constructed-response tests will be required.

Reciprocity

• Ultimately, most applicants qualify for licensure in Nevada based on their teacher education program completed through a regionally accredited college/university. You are encouraged to review the requirements for the educator license/endorsement you are seeking prior to applying.
• You MUST submit a complete Initial Licensure Application packet and verification of teaching experience, if applicable, to be evaluated for issuance of a Nevada educator license even if you hold a valid educator license from another state. An evaluation of your transcripts from a regionally accredited college or university will be conducted. The determination of whether you qualify to have a license issued based on a reciprocal agreement with another state cannot be made until the Licensing Analyst has reviewed your file.
• Nevada is not reciprocal with Alaska, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin or any U.S. Territory except Guam for any teaching area other than special education, when allowed per regulation. Additionally, we are not reciprocal with any state for those areas which fall under Specialized Education Personnel or for endorsements that require a base license as a prerequisite for issuance.

See also:

• About the Praxis™ Tests
• The Praxis Series™ Information Bulletin
• Prepare for a Test
• Register for a Test
• Accommodations for Test Takers with Disabilities