Teacher Education Office: State Testing Requirements

Click here for the list of required exams and scores.  Basic skills tests are developed and administered by Pearson Education, along with content-specific Praxis® II Series and PECT tests developed and administered by Educational Testing Service (ETS) or Pearson, are used by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to help ensure that teacher candidates have appropriate basic skills and content knowledge mastery.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) requires passing test scores before granting an Instructional I certificate to teach in specific content areas.  

Click here for more information on the teacher certification testing requirements and for help registering and preparing for the exams.

Basic Skills Requirements

All undergraduate RMU teacher candidates must satisfy the Basic Skills Requirements determined by the state of PA.  The Basic Skills will be the means of assessing your basic knowledge – reading, mathematics, and writing skills.  Transfer applicants to teacher certification programs at RMU from other institutions or from other majors within RMU must also submit passing scores on the Basic Skills. 

Click here to view information on preparing for the Basic Skills tests.

Undergraduate candidates seeking initial certification are required to pass the Basic Skills requirement.  Undergraduate RMU teacher candidates must submit passing results on the Basic Skills as part of the Application for Candidacy, and passing scores for all three Basic Skills test modules are a requirement for pre-student teaching and student teaching.   Post-baccalaureate candidates seeking initial certification are not required to take the Basic Skills tests.

Praxis II/ PECT Exam Policy

All RMU teacher candidates must also take specific content area tests, including post-baccalaureate teacher candidates.  The nature and number of content-related tests varies by certification area.  Some content-related tests, such as those for early childhood and special education, are developed and administered by Pearson Education; while others, such as those required for middle level and secondary teaching certifications, are developed and administered by Educational Testing Service (ETS).  Note that if you are already Pennsylvania certified and adding another certificate, you only have to take the test(s) corresponding to the new certification area. 

  • No RMU student will be permitted into the Teacher Certification Course Sequence (Post Candidacy courses) without having obtained passing scores on the Basic Skills test.
  • All teacher candidates must submit proof of having taken the required content area tests (Praxis II or equivalent) the semester prior to student teaching, and include the results as part of the Application for Student Teaching.  
  • No RMU teacher candidate will be permitted to student teach without having attempted the required content-area tests and have results on file in the RMU Teacher Education Office.
  • The PDE will not grant teacher certification without passing all required tests.  

For More Information, Contact:

Caylin Charrie
Certification Specialist
charrie@rmu.edu
412-397-6052