Certification Exams

This table Required Certification Exams by Program summarizes the certification exams needed for New York State Teacher Certification by academic program and when the exam should be taken.

Exam registration and preparation materials can be found on the The New York State Teacher Certification Examinations website. The New York State Teacher Certification Examinations™ (NYSTCE®) address New York Education Law and Commissioner’s Regulations, which require prospective New York State educators to pass designated tests as a requirement for receiving state certification.

The NYSTCE are criterion-referenced, objective-based tests designed to measure a candidate’s knowledge and skills in relation to an established standard rather than in relation to the performance of other candidates. The explicit purpose of these tests is to help identify for certification those candidates who have demonstrated the appropriate level of knowledge and skills that are important for performing the responsibilities of an educator in New York State public schools.

Test questions were developed using textbooks, New York State learning standards and curriculum guides, teacher education curricula, and certification standards. The tests were developed in consultation with committees of New York State teachers, teacher educators, and other content and assessment specialists.

Multi-subject Test: Early Childhood and Childhood three part test

This guide will help you understand the three part Multi-Subject test Content Specialty Test (CST) required for the Early Childhood, Early Childhood/Special Education, Childhood and Childhood Special Education.

Candidates will need to pass each of the three sections of the assessment, (the Math, the English Language Arts and general knowledge sections will be scored separately) to meet the certification requirements.

Preparation Guides

Along with the workshops provided by our faculty (see important dates) there are updated test frameworks and other useful information for test preparation, are now available on the New York State Teacher Certification Examination (NYSTCE) website.

In your Canvas Hub there is additional preparation materials.