Certification Eligibility
Requirements
ABCTE certification requires four components:
- Bachelor’s degree from a U.S. Department of Education accredited college or university
- Criminal background check
- Passing score on a subject area exam
- Passing score on the ABCTE Professional Teaching Knowledge (PTK) exam
* International candidates or U.S. born candidates who have been educated or lived abroad may need additional requirements detailed below.
** Enrolled Teach & Inspire candidates should consult their Teach & Inspire participant contract or a Teach & Inspire representative regarding any additional scholarship requirements.
Criminal Background Check
All candidates for ABCTE certification must submit to a criminal background check through Intelius, Inc. or the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). To complete your background check, you must submit a completed disclosure authorization form to ABCTE. This process is completed for each candidate after both ABCTE examinations are completed and passed.
* If a candidate has already passed a criminal background check through the Utah Alternative Routes to Licensure (ARL) program then that candidate may use their valid temporary license (or a letter from the ARL program) in lieu of the ABCTE background check. You will need to submit this documentation to ABCTE.
If the background investigation vendor is unable to complete an investigation of your criminal history, ABCTE will then require you to complete an FBI background check. FBI criminal background check results must be sent directly to ABCTE from the FBI for review.
Each case involving a candidate with a positive criminal background check response will be considered individually. In determining whether to permit such an applicant to complete the certification process, ABCTE will consider the following:
- The nature and seriousness of the crime.
- The extent of the applicant's past criminal activity.
- The age of the person when the crime was committed.
- The amount of time that has elapsed since the person's last criminal activity.
- The conduct and work activity of the person before and after the criminal activity.
- Whether the person has completed the terms of their probation or deferred adjudication evidence of rehabilitation.
You will be contacted if your background check results in your certification eligibility being denied. If you wish to appeal, you must submit your intention to do so to ABCTE in writing within 30 days of eligibility notification.
Education
You must hold a bachelor’s degree from a college or university accredited by the U.S. Department of Education. To arrange to have your transcripts forwarded to ABCTE for review, you must send a transcript request with the appropriate fees to the Bursar/Registrar’s office of the college or university where you have earned your bachelor’s degree. Transcripts must be official and unopened.
To be eligible for certification your college or university must be accredited by one of the national or regional accrediting agencies named below. Credentials from institutions with no affiliation to the named agencies may be submitted to ABCTE for consideration.
* Candidates seeking certification in South Carolina must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited agency.
Accreditation
| Regional Agencies | National Agencies |
| Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools New England Association of Schools and Colleges North Central Association of Colleges and Schools Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Western Association of Schools and Colleges |
Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools Accrediting Commission on Education for Health Services Administration Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools American Academy for Liberal Education American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy American Bar Association American Board of Funeral Service Education American College of Nurse-Midwives American Council on Pharmaceutical Education American Dental Association American Dietetic Association American Occupational Therapy Association American Optometric Association American Osteopathic Association American Physical Therapy Association American Podiatric Medical Association American Psychological Association American Speech-Language-Hearing Association American Veterinary Medical Association Association for Biblical Higher Education Association for Clinical Pastoral Education Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education Commission on English Language Program Accreditation Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs Council on Education for Public Health Distance Education and Training Council Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology Liaison Committee on Medical Education Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education National Association of Schools of Art and Design National Association of Schools of Dance National Association of Schools of Music National Association of Schools of Theatre National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission Teacher Education Accreditation Council Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools |
Certification Eligibility for International Candidates
International Graduates
ABCTE requires that all international applicants submit a credential evaluation in addition to their transcripts. All applicants for certification MUST have the equivalent of a bachelor's degree or higher.
Apply for a course-by-course or general credential evaluation through one of the companies listed below:
- World Education Services (WES)
- American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO)
- Association of International Credential Evaluators (AICE)
- National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES)
* ABCTE recommends that international candidates select credential evaluating services accepted in the states where they wish to teach. Please carefully read the terms of any credential evaluation application to make sure that your evaluation will be accepted by your State’s Department of Education or if an additional evaluation is required.
Your statement of equivalency and transcripts must be forwarded directly to ABCTE, ATTN: Candidate Services, 1225 19th Street, N.W., Suite 400, Washington, D.C. 20036
International Criminal Background Check
International candidates seeking certification through ABCTE, or U.S. citizens, who have lived abroad within the last ten years, must complete a U.S background check and a background check from their country of residence.
To complete your international background check, you must first contact your national police department or embassy to determine how the process is completed in your country.
In instances where a candidate has consistently resided in the United States for ten years or more, ABCTE will consider accepting the following documents from international candidates in lieu of an international background check:
1. A certificate of residency.
2. A copy of naturalization documents or a naturalization number.
Your international background check results should be sent directly to ABCTE, ATTN: Candidate Services, 1225 19th Street, N.W., Suite 400, Washington, D.C. 20036
