Requirements for Certification

VI. Testing for Certificates

Since 1988, all applicants for early childhood, elementary, secondary and special teaching certificates and all applicants for school service personnel and administrative certificates have been required to pass a test of basic skills and content knowledge applicable to the endorsement on the certificate sought. Beginning October 1, 2003, applicants have also been required to pass an Assessment of Professional Teaching (APT) test appropriate to the grade level of the certificate sought.

Beginning July 1, 2004, one option to meet requirements for endorsements at the secondary level at the time a certificate is issued is to pass the content test for the subject and demonstrate 24 semester hours in the content area. Some designations, however, will require a test regardless of the number of content-area credits the applicant has. For details on these requirements, see the section entitled "Endorsements for Secondary Subjects Effective July 1, 2004."

Those persons who attempt to pass examinations through deception will, when discovered, be denied all current and future requests for certification.

TESTS REQUIRED FOR CERTIFICATES JULY 2004



TEACHING CERTIFICATES


Initial or Standard - Type 04, Early Childhood; Type 03, Elementary; Type 09, Secondary;
Type 10, Special Certificate.

TESTS REQUIRED:


Basic Skills Test
  • Required prior to issuance of the certificate.
  • Effective July 2002, required of candidates prior to entering teacher education programs leading to any of these certificates (PA 92-734).
Content Test
  • The appropriate test of content knowledge is required prior to issuance of the certificate.
  • Effective Fall 2004, candidates in Illinois approved programs may be required by the university to pass the appropriate test of content knowledge prior to student teaching
  • Beginning July 2003, new special education content tests replaced existing special education tests.
  • Beginning July 2004, new content tests for all other teaching certificates replaced existing content tests.
Assessment of Professional Teaching (APT)
  • Individuals who apply for one of the above certificates on or after October 1, 2003, are required to take the APT prior to the issuance of any of these certificates.
  • There are four levels of this test, one for each certificate type: Early Childhood (birth to grade 3), Elementary (K-9), Secondary (6-12), Special (K-12/P-21).
Special Education General Curriculum

The Special Education General Curriculum test is required for all individuals who apply for the following certificates on or after October 1, 2006:

  • Learning Behavior Specialist I
  • Teacher of Students Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired
  • Teacher of Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
  • Speech-Language Pathologist: Teaching
PROVISIONAL TEACHING CERTIFICATES:
  • Issuance is limited to individuals who hold comparable, valid teaching certificates from other states or countries: Type 05, Provisional Early Childhood; Type 30, Provisional Elementary; Type 31, Provisional Secondary; Type 33, Provisional Special.

  • Provisional certificates are valid for three fiscal years. If all deficiencies, including testing deficiencies, are removed by June 30 following the date of issue the provisional certificate will be exchanged for a regular (initial or standard, depending on years of experience), and no additional application is required. If deficiencies are not removed, a new application and fee will be required when deficiencies are removed, and applicants will have to meet any new regulations that are in effect.

SCHOOL SERVICE PERSONNEL CERTIFICATES


Type 73, School Service Personnel (includes endorsements for School Nurse, School Psychologist,
School Social Worker, School Counselor and Speech Language Pathologist-Non Teaching).

TESTS REQUIRED:

Basic Skills Test
  • Required prior to issuance of the certificate.
Content Test
  • Required prior to issuance of the certificate.
  • Beginning July 2003, a new Speech Language Pathologist—Non-Teaching test replaced the existing test required for that endorsement.
  • Beginning July 2005, new content tests replaced all other existing School Service Personnel tests.
PROVISIONAL SCHOOL SERVICE PERSONNEL CERTIFICATES

ADMINISTRATIVE CERTIFICATES


Type 75, Administrative Certificates include current endorsements: Director of Special Education,
General Administrative, Chief School Business Official,

TESTS REQUIRED:

Basic Skills Test
  • Required prior to issuance of the certificate.
Content Test
  • Appropriate test of content knowledge required prior to issuance of the certificate.
  • Beginning July 2004, new content tests replaced existing tests.
  • Beginning July 2004, a new Director of Special Education test became available. The test is required for the endorsement beginning July 2005.
PROVISIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE CERTIFICATES

ALTERNATIVE ROUTE PROGRAM CERTIFICATES


Issuance limited to candidates enrolled in approved alternative route teacher education programs:
Type 23, Provisional Alternative Elementary; Type 25, Provisional Alternative Secondary;
Type 26, Provisional Alternative Administrative; Type 27, Provisional Alternative Special;
Type 38, Resident Teacher Certificate; Type 43, Provisional Alternative Early Childhood.

TESTS REQUIRED:


Basic Skills Test
  • Required prior to issuance of the certificate.
Content Test
  • Required prior to issuance of the certificate.
  • Beginning July 2003, new special education content tests replaced existing special education tests.
  • Beginning July 2004, new content tests for all other teaching certificates replaced existing tests.

TRANSITIONAL BILINGUAL CERTIFICATE


Type 29, Transitional Bilingual Certificate, endorsed

TESTS REQUIRED:


Language Proficiency Test
  • Required prior to issuance of the certificate.
  • A test of language proficiency in the target language is required unless the applicant received a degree from an institution where the target language was the medium of instruction.
  • A test in English Language Proficiency is required unless the applicant received a degree from an institution where English was the medium of instruction.

Requirement to Take Test of Basic Skills
for Out-of-State Applicants

Individuals who are applying for an Illinois certificate on or after August 25, 2009, and who already hold a comparable, valid certificate from another state, possession, or territory of the United States are generally exempt from taking the Basic Skills test. However, if an applicant has already attempted and failed the Illinois test of basic skills, then he or she is still required to pass the test to obtain the first Illinois certificate. Further, an applicant who qualifies for a first Illinois certificate without taking the Illinois test of basic skills who then seeks a subsequent Illinois certificate requiring the test of basic skills must take and pass the test of basic skills.

Requirement to Take Content-Area Test for Out-of-State Applicants

Individuals who are applying for an Illinois certificate on or after August 25, 2009 must pass an Illinois content-area test. No waivers or exemptions are available.

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