New York State Teacher Certification Examinations and Extensions

Register for the CST exams based on your certification area. View all certification requirements.

Preparation guides, frameworks, and other resources are available from the New York State Education Department website.

Register on the NYSTCE Website.

• Access EAS exam preparation materials from the NYSTCE exam.
• The Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (cICU) has posted webinars and other videos (via Symbaloo Webmix) to support candidate preparation for the EAS exam.

Computer-Based Tests (CBTs) require that you complete all features and sections of an examination on a computer within a test center Exams required for certification, including the ALST, EAS and all subject CSTs are now solely offered as computer-based tests. The NYSTCE uses Pearson VUE to administer and manage the exams needed for certification.

The following references and resources may help you prepare for successful completion of these exams in this format.

Before you register for exams, you will want to find a testing location and learn more about the computer-based testing platform.

Helpful Tips and Information

• Registration for all exams is on a first-come, first-served basis, with exam appointments scheduled for Mondays-Saturdays. Registering for exams as early as possible is recommended—plan accordingly to what best fits your schedule. Click here for information from the NYSCTE Program about registering for exams online.
• What to expect. This tutorial from the NYSTCE Web site was created to allow you to become more comfortable with the layout and format of CBTs. It includes important information about navigating through the exams, flagging questions for review, and ending your exam. This document (PDF) outlines features and general directions for CBTs.

On The Day of Your Exam

• Arrive early. Plan to arrive 30 minutes before your scheduled test time.
• If you arrive 15 minutes later than your scheduled test time, you may be denied admission to the test.
• If you miss the exam, you will not get a refund of the test fee.
• Bring current identification that includes your photo and signature. Your identification must match your registration name. For example, if your identification includes a middle name or initial, you must register with that name exactly. Examples of identification: Driver’s license, State ID issued by a DMV, National ID, Military ID, Alien Registration Card (green card, permanent resident visa)
• Please read this list of items that you may NOT bring with you into the exams at the test site.
• This information will help you understand procedures to follow during and after your exam at the test site.

Adolescent Education candidates who are willing to take two additional education courses and who have passed the Content Specialty Test (CST) in their subject area, are eligible for the Middle School Extension to also teach that subject in grades 5 and 6. Earning the extension makes the Adolescent candidate better prepared for success in the classroom, and more marketable as a teacher.

In addition, Adolescent Education candidates are eligible to pursue the Certificate in Bilingual Education Extension. The candidate must earn 12 credits in Bilingual Education and complete a 3-credit supervised field-based experience. Candidates may substitute the supervised experience if they have one year of paid teaching experience in a bilingual setting, but are required to complete another 3 credits to meet the 15 credit requirement. The candidate must also take and pass the Content Specialty Test (CST) in Bilingual Education Assessment.

Childhood Education candidates must also have 30 credits in a subject area (i.e. biology, English, etc.) to be eligible for the Middle School Extension. Candidates who take two additional courses and take and pass the Content Specialty Test (CST) in the subject area, are eligible for a certificate extension to teach that subject area in grades 7–9. Earning the extension makes the Childhood candidate better prepared for success in the classroom, and more marketable as a teacher.

In addition, Childhood Education candidates are eligible to pursue the Certificate in Bilingual Education Extension. The candidate must earn 12 credits in Bilingual Education and complete a 3-credit supervised field-based experience. Candidates may substitute the supervised experience if they have one year of paid teaching experience in a bilingual setting, but are required to complete another 3 credits to meet the 15 credit requirement. The candidate must also take and pass the Content Specialty Test (CST) in Bilingual Education Assessment.

Finally, Childhood Education candidates are also eligible to pursue a certification in Early Childhood Education. After the Childhood certificate issues, candidates who complete two additional courses in Early Childhood development and those who take and pass the CST are eligible for a certificate extension in Early Childhood Education, Birth-2.

Candidates certified in Childhood Education or certified in Adolescent Education can get the Special Education extension by completing the 18-credit Advanced Certificate in Special Education + the CST in Students with Disabilities.

Candidates certified in Childhood or Adolescent Education can get the Literacy Specialist extension by completing the 21-credit Advanced Certificate in Literacy + the CST in Literacy.

Candidates certified in Childhood or Adolescent Education can get the TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) extension by completing the 15-credit Advanced Certificate in TESOL + the CST in ESOL. Please note that candidates must also have at least 12 credits, or the equivalent, in the study of a second language.

Candidates certified in Childhood or Adolescent Education and who are fluent in another language can get the Bilingual extension by completing the 15-credit Advanced Certificate in Bilingual Education + the BEA test in the target language.

The Middle School certification enables Adolescent or Childhood teachers with New York State certification to extend their certification to grades 5 and 6 (Adolescent) and 7-9 (Childhood). You must hold a valid Adolescent or Childhood Teacher Certification. Candidates that wish to extend their Students with Disabilities certification to middle school grades may do so as an Individual Pathway applicant. Pace offers two online courses: TCH 455/ED523: Middle Childhood/Early Adolescent and TCH 456/ED524: Differentiating Curriculum and Instruction in Middle Childhood Education.

Adolescent candidates can extend their particular subject area certification to grades 5 and 6 by taking the 2 middle school extension courses listed above (B- or better) with No additional exams.

Childhood candidates can extend childhood certification in the following way:
Candidates must have a minimum of 30 credits in the content area (English, Math, Bio, Chem, History, Earth Science) + the two Middle school extension courses listed above (B- or better) + passing the CST 7-12 in your subject area.

Students who are New York State certified teachers in Childhood 1-6 can get the Early Childhood Extension by completing two Early Childhood development courses with a B- or above and passing the CST Multi-Subject: Teachers of Early Childhood (Birth-Grade 2) exams (211/212/245). Pace offers the following courses: ED 706 (online) and ED 712 (online) or ED 655A (in person)

Pace Schedule Explorer page. Non-degree applications are available online through Slate.

If you complete the Middle School or Early Childhood Extension courses at Pace AND hold a Pace Adolescent/Childhood degree, we can enter a recommendation for the extension via Approved Teacher Pathway. However, if you do not meet the above TWO conditions, you will need to file for the extension through Individual Pathway in TEACH.