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Kansas Licensure Exams

More and more, standardized exams are being used to test "competency." Twenty years ago, teachers did not have to take exams to get a teaching certificate/license. Now, in most states, you will need to present scores in three areas (basic skills, pedagogy and content area) before the state will issue a teaching certificate or license. Please read this entire section before registering for any exams.

Educational Testing Service (ETS) is the company that offers the standardized exams required in Kansas. Register for Exams at www.ets.org/praxis, or use the paper application available from the KU Testing Service, 2150 Watkins Health Center, 785-864-2768. The PLT (Principles of Learning and Teaching) and the Subject Area Exams are part of the ETS Praxis II series. The PLT and Subject Exams are only offered pencil-to-paper, about 5-6 times each year. Registration closes a month in advance of the Saturday test date, and it takes 6-8 weeks to receive the scores. Plan ahead!

Since KU Testing Service does not usually offer exams in June, please plan to take exams sometime November - March if you’re finishing a licensure program in Spring or Summer. Exams are offered through other college testing services in Topeka and Kansas City (such as Washburn, Avila, UMKC and Mid-America Nazarene in Olathe).

Use the List of Kansas exams provided here, which has been verified with the Kansas State Department of Education. This list includes the correct numbers for the PLT and all Subject exams required for KU programs. These are the only exams approved for Kansas licensure. For example, ETS offers several elementary exams, but KSDE will only accept a score for exam #0011, Elementary Education: Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment.

Building Leaders (principal’s exam, School Leadership Assessment, 6 hours, #1010) and District Leaders (superintendent’s exam, School Superintendent's Assessment, 3 hours, #1020) should go to www.ets.org/praxis, select under Related Link "School Leadership Assessment Series" and register. Typically, the principal's exam is offered three times annually, and the superintendent's exam is only offered twice annually. Again, be sure to register more than a month in advance.

We highly recommend that you review the "prepare for a test " on the ETS web site before taking any exam –they offer suggestions on reducing test anxiety, the free "tests at a glance" and more in-depth "study guides" for purchase, which are not necessary for 95% of our students. This provides the exam format with sample questions and answers.

Always keep the original copy of all test results that ETS mails to you! ETS discards scores after five years, and KU oes not have a system to receive scores electronically from ETS.We will be asking you to mail or bring your original test result to the Licensure Officer or the Welcome Center in JRP. We have mailed 1000 score reports over the past 5 years and never lost one! If you enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope, we will return the result promptly by mail, but we must see your original, not a photocopy, for validity. If you want to bring it by the Welcome Center, we are generally available M-F 8-11:30 and 1-5 and will copy it on the spot for you.

Licensed teachers who are adding endorsements to a current Kansas license (for example, adding ESOL or Adaptive Special Education or Building Leadership) will need the appropriate Subject Exam(s) only. I usually recommend taking the exams near the beginning of the final full semester of coursework. Remember, we must have the scores to process your application to add the endorsement, and it takes 6-8 weeks to get scores from ETS.

Students completing our initial teacher preparation programs currently take the PPST (Pre-Professional Skills Test in Reading, Writing and Math) for admission. A computerized version is available and accepted. In the final year of our program, students will take the PLT (Principals of Learning and Teaching) and Subject Area exams, which are required for initial Kansas licensure.

We strongly recommend that KU "fifth year" students take the PLT and Subject exams in November or January. This allows time to receive scores and time to schedule a re-take if necessary. KU students have performed very well on the exams over the past 6 years, but annually 8-10 students must re-take it. Most students completing an initial program will be able to take the PLT and a Subject Exam on the same day. For example, most Elementary Education students will take the Elementary Subject Exam in the morning and the PLT K-6 after lunch. Look carefully at the schedule and decide which date is best for you. The first number in the 5-digit test code is the "session" of the day; there are 3 sessions daily, and you may take 1 exam per session. Most exams are 2 hours long.

Art, Music, Foreign Language and PE/Health majors in PK-12 programs are encouraged to take the 7-12 level PLT for best results. There are questions on the elementary level exam that most of these students are not prepared to answer.

Cost is significant: most exams cost $75-85 each, plus $40 registration per test date. A Secondary English student taking PLT and English exams on the same day will spend $200. The exam for Building Leader is $465 and for District Leader is $290.

We continue to encourage students to get Kansas licensure immediately after finishing any program, in spite of the cost of exams. It is "cheap insurance", protects them from future changes, and helps with the licensure process in other states. Feel free to talk with the Licensure Officer if you have specific concerns about your individual situation. Currently, Missouri requires the same Subject exams as Kansas. Some states, like Oklahoma and California, require different exams, but having a current Kansas license will ease processing time for licensure in those states. Most states will issue you a temporary certificate/license - as long as you have a current Kansas license - so that you can take any additional exams required after you’ve moved. Bottom line: if you plan to teach out-of-state, be sure to read the instructions and timeline at http://soe.ku.edu/students/licensure/checklist.php.

Licensure requirements are constantly changing. Again, feel free to ask the KU Licensure Officer if you have questions - email Alisa Branham at abranham@ku.edu.