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College of Education

Admission to Candidacy

Our CAEP accreditation requires that all students be formally admitted into professional education programs. This formal admission is different from your admission into NC State University or the College of Education. Formal admission is a gateway called Admission to Candidacy (ATC). ATC status is granted by the Office of Professional Education (OPE) after students have met specific program and North Carolina Department of Public Instruction requirements. ATC is required before you are eligible to take ED 311/312 and student teach.

ATC Requirements

Complete at least 45 credit hours (Including transfer credits)

Complete the General Education Requirements for English and Math:

  • ENG 101 or ENG 111 and ENG 112
  • 2 Math courses appropriate to your major

Successfully Complete the appropriate “Introduction to Teaching” course

  • ED 204 AND Co-requisite (ECI 204, EMS 204, EMS 205, OR TDE 202)

OR

  • AEE 206 (Agriculture Education Majors Only)

OR

  • ELM 205 (Elementary Education Majors Only)

Electronically Sign the required Disposition Awareness form on SAGE

Maintain cumulative GPA of at least 2.75 on all coursework taken at NC State University

Pass all 3 Parts of the Praxis I exam or satisfy the requirements through the exemption policy

Praxis Core 

The Praxis Core series is designed to measure basic skills in Reading, Writing, and Math required of all teachers.

The minimum required scores for individual tests are:

Reading = 156

Writing = 162

Math = 150

Register online to take a Praxis test by visiting https://www.ets.org/praxis

Praxis Core Exemption Policy

You may be exempt from Praxis Core Testing if you meet one of the following conditions:

SAT (Old – Before March 2016)

  • Combined 1100 (Critical Reading (verbal) and Math) exempts you from all 3 Praxis Core tests
  • 550 on Critical Reading exempts you from reading and writing Praxis Core
  • 550 on Math exempts you from math Praxis Core

SAT (New – After March 2016)

  • Combined 1170 (Critical Reading (verbal) and Math) exempts you from all 3 Praxis Core tests
  • 600 on Critical Reading exempts you from reading and writing Praxis Core
  • 570 on Math exempts you from math Praxis Core

ACT

  • Composite score of 24 exempts you from all 3 Praxis Core tests
  • 24 on English exempts you from reading and writing Praxis Core
  • 24 on Math exempts you from math Praxis Core

Praxis

  • Obtain a combined score of 468 across all three areas of the Praxis Core Tests

Effective July 1, 2014: The Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators (Core) Tests measure academic skills in reading, writing, and mathematics. These tests were designed to provide comprehensive assessments that measure the skills and content knowledge of candidates entering teacher preparation programs.    

Student Score Reports Official score reports for students will be available online via their Praxis account, My Praxis Account, approximately three to four weeks after the test date. Online scores are downloadable for one (1) year. After one year, they will no longer be available and students will need to request additional score reports for a $40 fee (per request). ETS recommends saving a hard copy of the score report for future reference. Paper copies are not mailed to students. 

Students may receive scores by phone for a fee (1-877-386-8322); however a hard copy of the score is needed for the Office of Professional Education. Students needing assistance in preparing for the Praxis may use the materials available in the Student Success and Advising Center or in METRC.

To Be Licensed in K–12: All Areas

For more information, visit https://ets.org/praxis/about/core/content/

You Need to Take

Core Academic Skills for Educators: Reading
Test Code: 5713
Qualifying Score: 156

You Need to Take

Core Academic Skills for Educators: Writing
Test Code: 5723
Qualifying Score: 162

You Need to Take

Core Academic Skills for Educators: Mathematics*
Test Code: 5733
Qualifying Score: 150

If you wish to take all three computer-delivered Core exams (5713, 5723, 5733) at the same time,
select Core Academic Skills for Educators: Combined Test (5752) when registering.
Scores will be reported by individual test (5713, 5723, 5733).

DO NOT WAIT to take the Praxis Series.  Failure to complete the test requirement will delay your student teaching. You can not appeal an ATC denial. More information >

Click here to see where Candidacy falls on a visual aid for Becoming a Teacher at NC State

Frequently Asked Questions About Admission to Candidacy

How do I apply for candidacy?

Admission to candidacy is an automatic process once you have met all of the requirements. You can track your status in SAGE under Gateways.

How do I know when I have been admitted to candidacy?

When you log into SAGE each semester you should check your status under Gateways. You will not receive official notification of your admission so it is the students’ responsibility to monitor their status in SAGE.

Can I appeal an ATC denial?

You cannot appeal an ATC denial.