Who is Required to Take the Tests?

Passing the required certification tests is one component of the process for certification in the state of Illinois. In addition to passing these tests, a candidate for certification must complete all required coursework in an Illinois-approved educator preparation program and complete the field and clinical experience requirements. In addition, successful completion of a content test in the area of teaching assignment is one means of becoming "highly qualified" under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act.

Except as otherwise provided, the following individuals are required to successfully complete one or more ICTS tests:

Each candidate applying for an Early Childhood, Elementary, Secondary, or Special Teaching Certificate must pass the Basic Skills test or the Test of Academic Proficiency, the appropriate content-area test(s), and the appropriate Assessment of Professional Teaching (APT) test.
Each candidate applying for a School Service Personnel or Administrative Certificate must pass the Basic Skills test or the Test of Academic Proficiency and the appropriate content-area test(s).
Each candidate in an alternative route program must successfully complete the Basic Skills test or the Test of Academic Proficiency and the appropriate content-area test before being issued a Provisional Alternative Teaching Certificate.
Each candidate seeking admission to an Illinois-approved educator preparation program must successfully complete the Basic Skills test or the Test of Academic Proficiency before being admitted to the program.
Each candidate in an Illinois-approved educator preparation program must successfully complete the appropriate content-area test before becoming certified. Universities may require successful completion of the appropriate content-area test prior to student teaching.
Each candidate seeking a Transitional Bilingual Certificate or a bilingual approval or endorsement must pass the appropriate language proficiency test(s).
Each candidate seeking to move from an LBS I teaching approval to an LBS I endorsement must pass the LBS I test.
Each candidate applying on or after October 1, 2006, for a Special Pre-School-to-Age-21 Certificate, either through an approved program or by transcript evaluation, must pass the Special Education General Curriculum Test.
Candidates who hold LBS I Limited certificates or endorsements have several options for removing the limitations. Please see www.isbe.net/certification/html/notice.htm for a description of these options. Individuals who choose to use testing as an option to remove the limitation must take the LBS I test.
Each candidate seeking the advanced, optional LBS II Certificate must pass the appropriate LBS II test(s) and the Basic Skills test or the Test of Academic Proficiency if he or she has not successfully completed the Basic Skills test or the Test of Academic Proficiency previously.

Out-of-State Candidates

Individuals who hold a valid, comparable certificate from another state, possession, or territory of the United States will not be required to pass the ICTS Basic Skills test or the Test of Academic Proficiency if they have not previously attempted and failed the ICTS Basic Skills test or the Test of Academic Proficiency and if they can document that they passed a test of basic skills in the other state for admission to an educator preparation program or for certification. This is subject to change when the new licensure system goes into effect.

Individuals who apply for an Illinois certificate must pass an Illinois content-area test. No waivers or exemptions are available.

Out-of-state certificate holders are not exempt from taking the APT test that is required of candidates seeking the Illinois Early Childhood, Elementary, Secondary, and Special Teaching Certificates.

Out-of-state certificate holders seeking a Special Pre-School-to-Age-21 Certificate are not exempt from taking the Special Education General Curriculum Test.

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