Praxis I and II Tests for Teachers

 Praxis tests are administered by Educational Testing Service and required by many states for teacher certification. Praxis tests assess knowledge of the basic content and literacy skills required to succeed in the classroom. They are not a substitute for supervised pre-professional study, and do not predict a teacher’s effectiveness in the classroom. Instead, they measure professional knowledge held by a candidate for certification.

 The following Praxis tests are required for teacher certification in the state of Maine:

Praxis I is required of all new candidates for teacher certification.

Praxis II Subject Assessments are required of all new candidates for teacher certification and currently-certified teachers seeking new endorsements. They may also be used by Maine teachers to meet No Child Left Behind Highly Qualified Teacher requirements.

Praxis II Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) Assessments are required of new certification candidates who did not complete an approved teacher preparation program, as well as certified teachers seeking new endorsements at a different grade span than their current certificates.

Deadlines for Maine certification candidates to pass Praxis exams:

Undergraduates—many teacher education programs require passage of Praxis I prior to declaring a major or beginning student teaching.

Teachers seeking initial certification—graduates of approved teacher preparation programs must pass Praxis I and Praxis II Subject Assessments prior to receiving an initial provisional certificate. Candidates for certification who did not complete an approved teacher preparation program must also pass Praxis II Principles of Learning and Teaching in order to receive a provisional certificate.

Teachers unable to qualify for provisional certificates who receive conditional or targeted needs teaching certificates: Teachers on these certificates must pass the Praxis I before their certificates will be renewed for a second year of practice. They must pass the Praxis II Subject Assessment and Praxis II PLT Assessments by the end of the third year of practice.

Teachers who add an additional endorsement: teachers who add endorsements must pass the Praxis II Subject Assessment in order to receive a new endorsement. If they are working under a transitional endorsement, they must pass the Praxis II Subject Assessment by the end of their third year of practice under the transitional endorsement. If the new endorsement is at a different grade span, they must also pass the Praxis PLT Assessment for the new grade span by the end of the third year under the transitional.

Praxis I
Praxis II