Overview of Wisconsin Testing Requirements

How to Qualify for Licensure

For initial educator licensure in Wisconsin, all candidates must:

• Earn a baccalaureate degree.
• Complete an approved program of teacher education.
• Pass the Praxis^® tests for their certification area.
• Complete the educator license application forms and pay the appropriate application fees.

Visit the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction's Educator Licensing for complete information on license requirements and the educator application process.

Important Information

ETS discontinued paper-delivered testing; however, Praxis tests will continue to be available in a paper-delivered format as required for ADA accommodations. All scores for previously administered paper-delivered tests are reportable for 10 years from the date the test was taken.

Who Must Take the Tests?

Praxis^® Core Academic Skills for Educators (Core)

All students planning to enroll in their initial professional education (licensure) program in Wisconsin colleges, universities or alternative programs are required to pass the Praxis^® Core Academic Skills for Educators (Core) test(s) in Reading, Writing and Mathematics. Completion of the Core tests is required for admission to all professional education programs. The tests are usually taken during the first or second year of undergraduate work, depending on the institution of higher education's policies.

Educators applying for licenses in Wisconsin who have completed professional education programs after August 31, 1992, at colleges and universities located in other states are required to submit passing scores on the Core tests to the Department of Public Instruction or an equivalent basic skills tests required by their professional education programs or states.

Praxis^® Subject Assessments

In Wisconsin, students who have completed their professional education after August 31, 2004, must take the appropriate Praxis^® Subject Assessments for each area of certification they seek, as specified by the state for their license area(s).

All state-approved professional education programs in Wisconsin require student assessments of content knowledge (in most license fields) that are determined by passing scores on the Praxis Subject Assessments as set by the state superintendent. This includes programs offered at colleges and universities, as well as alternative training, experimental and innovative programs. Each Wisconsin professional education program establishes its own policy for when tests must be completed within its program sequence. It is important to note that no candidate may waive the requirement to take the Praxis Subject Assessments for his or her license area. This includes all scenarios of program completion.

Out-of-State Candidates

Educators who complete state-approved professional education programs in other states will need to document that they have passed the required tests for licensure in the state where the approved program is located.

Educators who completed a program after August 31, 2004, and whose state required a different test than Wisconsin does, must take and pass the Praxis Subject Assessments required in Wisconsin in their licensure area(s) to obtain an Initial Educator or Professional Educator license in Wisconsin.

Testing Requirements for Educators Adding a Second License Based on a Content Test

As of December 2010, Wisconsin educators who hold a valid Professional Educator license in social studies, science, English language arts and mathematics/computer science are eligible to add on licensure in a related area based on passing a content test approved by the State Superintendent.

To apply for a license in this pathway, a Professional Educator must hold a valid Wisconsin Professional Educator License (License Type: 30, 31, 32, 33, 36, 40, 41, 42 or 43), Master Educator License (License Type: 50, 51 or 52) or Life License (License Type: 08) in the related subject area (see below).

• Related Area: English Language Arts
• Related Area: Math
• Related Area: Science
• Related Area: Social Studies

See also:

• About the Praxis Tests
• The Praxis^® Tests Information Bulletin
• Prepare for a Test
• Register for a Test
• Accommodations for Test Takers with Disabilities or Health-related Needs