Praxis Exam Requirements FAQ
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- Who must take the Praxis Series Exams?
- Are there any exemptions from the PLT and Specialty Area tests?
- Are there any candidates who are only required to take the Specialty Area Exams and not the PLT?
- Which PLT Exam should be taken?
- Candidates adding a second science endorsement to an existing license
- Candidates adding a Special Education endorsement to an existing license
- Candidates adding Early Childhood PreK-3 or PreK-4 to an existing full Tennessee License with an Elementary Education endorsement
- What are the Principles of Learning & Teaching (PLT) Exams Required For Teacher Licensure in Tennessee?
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Who must take the Praxis Series Exams?
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Applicants for initial teaching licenses are required to pass the
Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) portion of the Praxis Series Exams
and the designated specialty area test(s) required for the area(s)of
endorsement requested. If adding a new endorsement area to an existing full
Tennessee license, only the specialty area test(s) required for that area must
be taken to obtain the add-on endorsement.
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Are there any exemptions from the PLT and Specialty Area tests?
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Exemptions from the PLT and Specialty Area Tests are granted to individuals
seeking initial licensure who were fully licensed/certified in any state prior
to July 1, 1984. To show proof of this exemption, one must provide a copy of a
full license from any state that reflects an issue date prior to July 1, 1984.
Effective March 1, 2001, out-of-state applicants seeking initial Tennessee
licensure who meet reciprocal guidelines may not be required to take the
Praxis Exams. Prior to signing up for tests, Out-of-state applicants can submit
a full, valid license from a reciprocal state to the Office of Teacher Licensing
for review along with all other required documentation. After reviewing all
material, the Office of Teacher Licensing will determine if any tests are needed
and send notification thereof.
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Are there any candidates who are only required to take the Specialty Area Exams and not the PLT?
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Candidates for licensure in the following areas are
required to complete the appropriate specialty area
test only : School Counselor PreK-12, School Psychologist
PreK-12, and School Social Worker PreK-12 and
Speech/Language Pathology PreK-12. These candidates
will not be required to take the Principles of Learning
and Teaching (PLT).
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Which PLT Exam should be taken?
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Candidates seeking licensure in Elementary Education K-8 or Elementary Education
1-8 may choose either the PLT K-6 or the PLT 5-9. Candidates seeking licensure
in Early Childhood Education PreK-4 or Early
Childhood Special Education PreK-1 must take the PLT K-6. Candidates seeking
licensure in Middle Grades 5-8 must take the PLT 5-9. Candidates seeking
licensure in secondary education areas must take the PLT 7-12. Candidates
seeking licensure in K-12 or PreK-12 endorsement areas may choose any of the PLT
exams, either the PLT K-6, PLT 5-9, or the PLT 7-12.
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Candidates adding a second science endorsement to an existing license:
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Candidates who have already completed test modules specified for one science
area, including Earth Science and General Science, will be required to take
only the content knowledge exam for endorsement in an additional science
area.
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Candidates adding a Special Education endorsement to an existing license:
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To receive initial licensure in Special Education Modified, Special Education
Comprehensive, Special Education/Hearing, Special Education/Vision or Special
Education Preschool/Early Childhood, a candidate must successfully complete specialty test # 20353, Education of Exceptional Students: Core Content Knowledge
in addition to the PLT and any other specialty tests required for those areas
(See list of Praxis Exams Specialty Tests for details.) However, candidates who are adding one of
these endorsements to a full Tennessee license that already reflects any type
of Special Education endorsement are not required to complete the Core Content Knowledge test, only the other required specialty test(s). Candidates
who are adding Special Education Modified or Special Education Comprehensive to
a license with an existing Special Education endorsement are not required to
take any additional tests.
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Candidates adding Early Childhood PreK-4 to an existing full Tennessee license with an Elementary Education endorsement:
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If adding the Early Childhood PreK-4 endorsement to an existing full
Tennessee license with an Elementary 1-8 or K-8 endorsement, only test # 10020
will be required.
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Principles of Learning & Teaching (PLT) Exams:
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All applicants seeking initial licensure who do not meet exemption criteria are required to complete one
of the following PLT Exams:
- Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) K-6, test number 30522, with a passing score of 155
OR
- Principles of Learning and
Teaching (PLT) 5-9, test number 30523, with a passing score of
154
OR
- Principles of Learning and
Teaching (PLT) 7-12, test number 30524, with a passing score of
159
In addition to the PLT, passing
score(s) are needed on the required Specialty Area Test(s) for each area of
endorsment sought. (See list of Praxis Exams Specialty Tests for details. Note: There are some specialty tests for which no minimum score is required. This
means that the test(s) must be taken, but there is no specific passing
score(s).)
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