Testing and assessment treatment
Requirement
The Temporary License is a bridge rather than a testing waiver; service counts toward professional status only if the educator passes the applicable Massachusetts licensure tests.
Which out-of-state path this covers
Massachusetts can issue an experienced out-of-state teacher a one-year Temporary License while Massachusetts testing remains outstanding, while other license types require their own field-specific evaluation.
What can change this answer
The Temporary route requires a bachelor's degree, a valid comparable out-of-state credential and at least three years of employment under that credential; it is discretionary, nonrenewable and does not remove the applicable Massachusetts test requirement.
Documents you may need
Plan to document the bachelor's degree, valid comparable out-of-state credential, three years of employment under it and the field or grade level requested in the Massachusetts application.
Where the testing answer can change
- •The commissioner may issue rather than must issue the Temporary License
- •The Temporary License is valid for one year of employment and is nonrenewable
- •A teacher with fewer than three years or without a comparable valid credential needs a different Massachusetts pathway
- •Field-specific and testing requirements still govern progression beyond the temporary route
Register and send scores only for the exact exam code named by the state agency.
Official sources
Check again by 2026-11-01