Basic Skills Assessment Requirement

You may send test scores to MSDE in one of the following ways: select MSDE as a test score recipient, notation on a college transcript, photocopy of the original score report, or official verification from another state department of education.​


Academic Skills Assessments

Teacher Candidates applying for certification in all academic content areas must demonstrate mastery of basic reading and writing skills. Those teacher candidates who submit a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 on their most recently earned degree are not required to submit a basic skills assessment unless enrolled in a Resident Teacher Certificate program. Candidates who do not have an overall GPA of 3.0, must present one of the assessments listed below.

Teacher candidates applying for certification in a Professional and Technical Education (PTE) area who do not hold a bachelor's degree, are not required to submit a basic skills assessment.


Test Subtest ​Test Code ​Passing Score
Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators (Version 2019)
Reading (sr - 85 minutes) and
​5713​156
Writing (sr & cr - 100 minutes) and​5723​162
​Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators ​Reading (sr - 85 minutes) and​5712​156
Writing (sr & cr - 100 minutes) and​5722​162
Praxis I: PPST/CPPST (Taken prior to September 1, 2014) Reading (sr - 85 minutes) and5710​177
Writing (sr & cr - 100 minutes) and5720​173
SAT (prior to April 1995) (math and verbal) ​ -​1000
SAT (April 1995 - December 31, 2018) (math and verbal OR math and critical reading OR evidence-based reading & writing and math) ​ -​1100
SAT (on/after January 1, 2019) (evidence-based reading & writing and math) ​ -​1180
GRE (prior to September 1, 2011) (math and verbal) ​ -​1000
​GRE (taken as of September 1, 2011) (math and verbal) ​ -​297
​ACT ​ - ​24