Testing and assessment treatment
Requirement
Pennsylvania content testing can be avoided only when the applicant verifies a comparable professional certificate, approved preparation with student teaching, the source-state content test and the two most recent satisfactory aligned years.
Which out-of-state path this covers
Pennsylvania separates applicants with a professional source certificate and two successful years, approved out-of-state preparation with less experience, an eligible Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact certificate, a comparable National Board or NASP credential, and specialized administrative, career and technical, international and military routes.
What can change this answer
Initial teacher applicants apply in TIMS for Level I. The two-year professional-certificate path can avoid Pennsylvania content testing only when the comparable certificate, approved program with student teaching, source-state content test and two most recent satisfactory aligned years are all verified. The approved-program path otherwise requires Pennsylvania tests. Eligible compact applications are automatically reviewed under compact rules. A comparable National Board credential supports Level II and a testing waiver.
Documents you may need
The TIMS review uses official transcripts, PDE338A preparation verification, PDE338V experience verification, the out-of-state credential, source-state tests and any compact, National Board or NASP evidence for the selected route.
Where the testing answer can change
- •Certificate and grade-band comparability matter
- •The two-year content-test exception requires an aligned professional certificate, approved preparation with student teaching, the source-state content test and the two most recent satisfactory aligned years
- •Approved-program applicants without that complete exception take the applicable Pennsylvania tests
- •Eligible compact applications are automatically reviewed under compact rules
- •A comparable National Board credential can support Level II and a testing waiver
Register and send scores only for the exact exam code named by the state agency.
Official sources
Check again by 2026-11-23