Testing and assessment treatment
Requirement
Applicants submit prior certification-exam evidence; if subject and pedagogy assessments were not completed for the source credential, SCDE may require South Carolina testing.
Which out-of-state path this covers
South Carolina reciprocates a current, valid, good-standing standard out-of-state certificate based on comparable fields and recent qualifying experience, with Initial and Professional outcomes separated at twenty-seven months in the last seven years.
What can change this answer
Less than twenty-seven months of qualifying experience in the last seven years generally leads to an Initial certificate; at least twenty-seven months can support a Professional certificate, while National Board certification can independently support the Professional level.
Documents you may need
The application requires South Carolina fingerprints, official transcripts, the complete valid out-of-state credential, prior score reports and employer-completed experience forms.
Where the testing answer can change
- •The source credential must be current, valid, standard and in good standing; temporary, emergency, provisional and conditional credentials are not accepted for reciprocity
- •Alternative-route educators must have advanced to the source state's standard certificate
- •South Carolina determines comparable fields and grade spans
- •The Initial certificate is nonrenewable and carries advancement requirements
Register and send scores only for the exact exam code named by the state agency.
Official sources
Check again by 2026-11-02