Overview of Arkansas Testing Requirements

How to Qualify for Licensure

To qualify for an educator license in Arkansas, applicants must complete the required degree, coursework and tests, including:

• completion of an approved program at an Arkansas institution, or if an out-of-state applicant, graduation from a regionally or nationally accredited institution
• submission of an official transcript indicating at least a bachelor's degree (master's degree when required) to the Office of Professional Licensure
• verification of successful completion of the grade-level-appropriate Principles of Learning and Teaching test and the appropriate Praxis II® Subject Assessments (when applicable); see Arkansas Test Requirements table for specific score requirements

For more information on educator licensure in Arkansas, visit the Teachers Licensure section of the Arkansas Department of Education website.

Important Information

• Arkansas requires your social security number and your date of birth to ensure accurate downloading of your Praxis scores into the Arkansas licensure database. Failure to provide this information when registering for your Praxis assessment(s) will mean that your Praxis score(s) cannot be electronically downloaded into the Arkansas licensure database, and you will have to submit your score report directly to the Arkansas Department of Education, Office of Professional Licensure.
• If you test in Arkansas, your score report will be sent automatically to the Arkansas Department of Education. If you test outside of Arkansas, select the Arkansas Department of Education (state code 7031) as a score recipient when you register or on an additional score report request.
• ETS is offering several additional tests in a computer-delivered format which 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.
  • English to Speakers of Other Languages (5361) — February 2014*
  • Music: Content and Instruction (5114) — February 2014*
  • Special Education: Education of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students (5272) — April 2014
  • Special Education: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments (5282) — April 2014
  • Speech Communication: Content Knowledge (5221) — December 2013
  • Technology Education (5051) — July 2014

• * Beginning February 2014, this test is not available in a paper-delivered format except as required for ADA accommodations.

  Who Must Take the Educator Licensure Tests?

  Teacher candidates or other professional educators must take The Praxis Series™ tests to be issued a license in Arkansas.

  The Arkansas Department of Education requires successful completion of the Praxis™ Core Academic Skills for Educators (Core) tests in Reading, Writing and Mathematics for entry into teacher education programs, including the Non-Traditional Licensure Program and Master's Degree education programs. These tests are available in paper-delivered or computer-delivered formats. Additionally, the appropriate Praxis II content tests for each area of licensure must be completed prior to a license being issued.

  Applicants for the three-year Initial license must provide evidence of successful completion of the appropriate Principles of Learning and Teaching test or the appropriate subject-specific pedagogy exam.

  In Arkansas, initial applicants and applicants adding additional areas to a current license must take the appropriate Praxis II tests for each area of certification sought.

  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 or Health-related Needs