Which states dropped teacher testing requirements?

North Carolina's 2026 budget eliminated the Praxis Core requirement for entering teacher prep and barred the state board from requiring standardized exams for limited licenses. New Jersey waived the basic-skills Praxis for alternate-route certificates.

What is the EVAAS pathway in North Carolina?

Teachers on a limited license convert to a continuing professional license if they have EVAAS student-growth data with a positive growth score in two of the three most recent years. Effective July 1, 2026.

Did Maryland change its assessment rules?

Maryland requires edTPA or PPAT for program exit and certification for teachers with under three years of experience, with qualifying cut scores effective July 1, 2025 (PPAT 40; edTPA 32/37/44 by rubric length).

What changed in Alabama?

Alabama adopted new Praxis subject assessments for Chinese (Mandarin) 5665, Russian 5671, and Japanese 5661, with passing scores required for the Professional Educator Certificate from the 2026-27 school year.

Teaching standards

Teacher Licensure Test Changes by State (2026)

States are rewriting the testing rules for becoming a teacher: some are dropping exams, others are adding them. The 2026 changes that matter.

Check your state. Teaching standards and education policies change often and vary by state and district. Always confirm dates, requirements, and details with your state department of education or district office. This site is for general information, not professional or legal advice.

North Carolina: Praxis Core eliminated

The 2026 state budget repealed the rule barring prep programs from admitting students who had not passed Praxis Core (or met SAT/ACT minimums). Key changes effective July 1, 2026:

No standardized exam may be required for the three-year renewable limited license.
Limited-license teachers convert to a continuing professional license with positive EVAAS student-growth scores in two of the last three years.
Out-of-state teachers no longer need a home state with substantially similar licensure rules.
Elementary licenses (K-6) expand to include grades 7 and 8.

Tennessee: edTPA phased out

edTPA ends July 1, 2026, replaced by four formal clinical observations. Full details in our Tennessee guide. Tennessee also created a limited occupational teaching license (industry experience plus mentoring).

New Jersey: basic-skills test waived for alternate route

Prospective teachers can earn an alternate teaching certificate without the Praxis basic-skills test; it converts to a standard certificate after four years of continuous employment. Subject-area tests and a bachelor's degree are still required.

Maryland: edTPA/PPAT cut scores now enforced

Teachers with under three years of experience must present qualifying scores on edTPA or PPAT for program exit and certification, effective July 1, 2025: PPAT 40; edTPA 32 (13-point rubric), 37 (15-point), or 44 (18-point).

Alabama: new world-language Praxis tests

New subject assessments for Chinese (Mandarin) 5665 (passing 164), Russian 5671 (130), and Japanese 5661 (156), effective September 1, 2025. Passing scores required for the Professional Educator Certificate starting 2026-27.

Sources

NC Session Law (2026 budget), Teacher Licensure Modifications Act; N.C.G.S. 115C-270.15, 115C-270.20
Tennessee State Board of Education policy amendments; Public Chapter 328 (2025)
NJ alternate certificate law; Maryland State Board Tab E (2019, effective 2025); Alabama ALSDE memo FY25-2043