Praxis Test Requirements by State: Which Exams You Need to Get Certified

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Praxis Test Requirements by State: Which Exams You Need to Get Certified

Author: Chris Morgan

Teacher Prep Toolbox

Most states use some form of the Praxis test to certify teachers, but not all of them. The specific test you need depends on your state, your subject and the grade level you’re interested in teaching.

The Praxis is a series of teacher certification exams developed and administered by Educational Testing Service (ETS). This guide covers all 50 states plus Washington, D.C., organized by region, with a dedicated table for states that don't use Praxis at all. Jump to your region, find your state and confirm your exact test code with your Educator Preparation Program (EPP) and the official ETS Praxis State Requirements tool. Program-level requirements can go beyond the state minimum.

We know. A lot of moving parts. That's why we made this.

Quick answer: Praxis requirements at a glance

Most states use some form of Praxis. A handful, including Texas, Florida, New York, California and Massachusetts, rely mainly or entirely on their own state-specific exams. Requirements change, so treat this guide as a starting point.

Find your state in the regional table below, match your subject and grade level to the listed test or tests, then confirm everything with your EPP and the ETS tool before registering.

What is the Praxis, and why does it matter for certification?

The Praxis isn't one test. It's a family of exams from ETS, and which one you need depends on your state, subject and grade band (the range of grade levels you’re certified to teach).

Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators is a general skills test covering reading, writing and math. Think of it like the SAT for teacher prep. ETS also administers the SAT, so you may have heard of them.

Praxis Subject Assessments (Praxis II) are content knowledge tests tied to the specific subject and grade level you plan to teach. Planning to teach middle school math? You'd take the Middle School Mathematics test.

Praxis Content Knowledge for Teaching (CKT) is a newer series measuring how well you can apply your content knowledge in a classroom setting.

For a deeper look, our Praxis Subject Test Guide and Definitive Guide to Praxis Core walk through what's on each test and how to prepare.

How to confirm your exact Praxis requirements (3 steps)

You don’t have to figure this out alone. Let's take it step by step.

Step 1: Find your state

Use the regional tables below to identify whether your state uses Praxis and which exam family is typically required for your certification area.

Step 2: Match your subject and grade level

The same state can require different tests for elementary, secondary and special education candidates. A middle school math candidate and teacher planning to cover multiple elementary subjects in the same state will almost always need different exams.

Step 3: Confirm with your program and ETS

Your EPP can add requirements beyond the state minimum. Verify your exact test code and passing score with your program first, then cross-check on the official ETS Praxis State Requirements tool before registering.

States that use the Praxis: region-by-region requirements

Passing scores are set by each state, not ETS, so the same test can have a different cutoff depending on where you plan to teach. Always verify before you register.

Northeast: CT, ME, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT

State	Required Praxis test(s)	Notes
CT	Praxis Subject Assessments	Confirm test code with EPP
ME	Praxis Core and Subject Assessments	Confirm test code with EPP
MA	Uses MTEL instead	See non-Praxis table
NH	Praxis Core and Subject Assessments	Confirm test code with EPP
NJ	Praxis Subject Assessments	Confirm test code with EPP
NY	Uses NYSTCE/edTPA primarily	Limited Praxis use; confirm with EPP
PA	Praxis Core and Subject Assessments	Confirm test code with EPP
RI	Praxis Subject Assessments	Confirm test code with EPP
VT	Praxis Core and Subject Assessments	Confirm test code with EPP

Southeast: AL, AR, DC, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA, WV

State	Required Praxis test(s)	Notes
AL	Praxis Subject Assessments	Confirm test code with EPP
AR	Praxis Core and Subject Assessments	Confirm test code with EPP
DC	Praxis Core and Praxis Subject Assessments	Confirm test code with EPP
FL	Uses FTCE/FELE instead	Dropped Praxis in 2022; see non-Praxis table
GA	Uses GACE primarily	Limited Praxis use; confirm with EPP
KY	Praxis Subject Assessments	Confirm test code with EPP
LA	Praxis Core and Subject Assessments	Confirm test code with EPP
MD	Praxis Subject Assessments	Confirm test code with EPP
MS	Praxis Core and Subject Assessments	Confirm test code with EPP
NC	Praxis Subject Assessments	Confirm test code with EPP
SC	Praxis Subject Assessments	Confirm test code with EPP
TN	Praxis Subject Assessments	Confirm test code with EPP
VA	Praxis Subject Assessments	Confirm test code with EPP
WV	Praxis Subject Assessments	Confirm test code with EPP

Midwest: IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, SD, WI

State	Required Praxis test(s)	Notes
IL	Uses own licensure system	Does not rely on Praxis; confirm with ISBE
IN	Praxis Subject Assessments	Confirm test code with EPP
IA	Praxis Subject Assessments	Confirm test code with EPP
KS	Praxis Subject Assessments	Confirm test code with EPP
MI	Uses MTTC instead	Does not use Praxis; confirm with MDE
MN	Praxis Core and Subject Assessments	Confirm test code with EPP
MO	Praxis Subject Assessments	Confirm test code with EPP
NE	Praxis Subject Assessments	Confirm test code with EPP
ND	Praxis Core and Subject Assessments	Confirm test code with EPP
OH	Praxis Subject Assessments	Confirm test code with EPP
SD	Praxis Subject Assessments	Confirm test code with EPP
WI	Praxis Subject Assessments	Confirm test code with EPP

Southwest: AZ, NM, OK, TX

State	Required Praxis test(s)	Notes
AZ	Uses AEPA/NES-aligned system	Not for in-state candidates; see non-Praxis table
NM	Praxis Subject Assessments	Confirm test code with EPP
OK	Praxis Subject Assessments	Confirm test code with EPP
TX	Uses TExES exclusively	Praxis only for out-of-state credential review; see non-Praxis table

Note: Texas doesn't use Praxis for in-state certification. One of the most common surprises for future teachers relocating to the state.

West: AK, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY

State	Required Praxis test(s)	Notes
AK	Praxis Subject Assessments	Confirm test code with EPP
CA	Uses CBEST and CSET instead	Does not use Praxis; see non-Praxis table
CO	Praxis Subject Assessments	Confirm test code with EPP
HI	Praxis Subject Assessments	Confirm test code with EPP
ID	Praxis Subject Assessments	Confirm test code with EPP
MT	Praxis Subject Assessments	Confirm test code with EPP
NV	Praxis Subject Assessments	Confirm test code with EPP
OR	Praxis Subject Assessments	Confirm test code with EPP
UT	Praxis Subject Assessments	Confirm test code with EPP
WA	Uses WEST-B and WEST-E/NES instead	Uses Praxis as an alternative for out-of-state candidates; see non-Praxis table
WY	Praxis Subject Assessments	Confirm test code with EPP

Note: California doesn't use Praxis. It uses the CBEST for basic skills and CSET for subject knowledge.

States that don't use the Praxis (and what they use instead)

If you're planning to teach in any of these states, you won't need Praxis for initial in-state certification, though some accept Praxis scores as part of out-of-state credential review.

State	Test used instead	Administering body
Texas	TExES	Pearson
Florida	FTCE/FELE	Pearson/FDOE
New York	NYSTCE/edTPA	NYSTCE
California	CBEST and CSET	CTC
Massachusetts	MTEL	Pearson
Illinois	Illinois Licensure Testing System	ILTS
Michigan	MTTC	Pearson
Arizona	AEPA/NES-aligned exams	Pearson
Georgia	GACE	ETS, but separate from Praxis
Washington	WEST-B and WEST-E/NES	Pearson

Requirements change. Florida dropped Praxis entirely in 2022. It’s always best to verify the current status with your state's Department of Education before registering.

What happens if you don't pass?

Not passing on the first try is more common than you might think, and it's certainly not a dead end.

Most first-time test-takers pass eventually. After a mandatory waiting period (typically 29 days, though it varies by test), you can retake it. There's no limit on total attempts for most Praxis exams. You can also request a score review within 21 days of receiving your results.

For more on what to expect and how to prepare, our Praxis Subject Test Guide is a good place to start.

Get ready to register: what to do next

You've got your state. You've got your subject. Here's how to move forward.
Confirm your exact test code with your EPP and check passing scores on the ETS Praxis State Requirements tool. Then start prepping.

Frequently asked questions

References

1. ETS Praxis State Requirements tool. https://praxis.ets.org/state-requirements.html
2. TEACH.org Praxis Subject Test Guide. https://www.teach.org/articles/praxis-subject-test