Do you even need a basic-skills test in your state?

The short answer: it depends on your state

A decade ago, basic-skills tests were a near-universal requirement for aspiring teachers in the United States. Most states required candidates to pass a test — like the Praxis Core — before entering an educator-preparation program or earning licensure. That landscape has shifted significantly. Some states have walked their requirements back. A few have dropped them entirely. Others have kept them firmly in place.

If you’re preparing to become a teacher, knowing whether your state still requires one of these tests — and which test it is — is the first question to answer. Here’s an honest overview of where things stand.

The Praxis Core: still the multi-state spine

For states that still require a basic-skills test, the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators (Reading 5713, Writing 5723, Math 5733) remains the dominant choice. It’s developed and administered by ETS and is accepted — or required — across a range of states.

That said, Praxis Core is not the only pathway in every state. Some states accept equivalent test scores (SAT, ACT, or other standardized tests) as an alternative. A small number of states use their own home-grown tests rather than Praxis. And in a growing number of states, no basic-skills test is required at all.

If your state uses Praxis Core, it’s worth knowing that cut scores are state-set. ETS doesn’t set a passing score — each state sets its own. Common values are Reading 156, Writing 162, and Math 150, but these vary. Always verify through ETS’s “Passing Scores by State” tool or directly with your state education department.

Where the requirement is strong and intact

Florida

Florida is one of the clearest examples of a state that has kept its basic-skills requirement firmly in place. The FTCE General Knowledge test — with three multiple-choice subtests (English Language Skills, Reading, Math) each requiring a scale score of 200, plus an essay — remains a mandatory gate for teacher certification. Florida has not followed the trend toward weakening this requirement.

Massachusetts

Massachusetts similarly maintains a strong requirement. The default gate is the MTEL Communication and Literacy Skills Test — Reading (101) and Writing (201) — with a passing score of 240 on each subtest on a 100–300 scale. There are a handful of alternative tests accepted in lieu of the MTEL (including Praxis Core, NES-EAS, MoGEA, WEST-B, and CASA — though the last three retire after June 29, 2026), and a conditional waiver pilot launched around May 2026. But for most candidates in Massachusetts, a basic-skills test remains a real and active requirement.

The broader group of ~15 states

Beyond Florida and Massachusetts, research from NCTQ (the National Council on Teacher Quality) puts the number of states still requiring a basic-skills pass at educator-program admission at roughly 15 states as of 2021 — down from around 25 in 2015. For most of these states, the Praxis Core is the test of choice. If you’re in one of these states, the requirement is real and the Praxis spine is what you need to prepare for.

Where the requirement has eroded or been removed

California

California made a significant change in 2024. Under AB 130, effective June 29, 2024, a bachelor’s degree alone satisfies California’s Basic Skills Requirement. The CBEST — California’s long-standing basic-skills test — is now just one optional pathway among several. For most candidates in California, there is no longer a practical need to sit a basic-skills exam at all. This is a material shift, and a relatively recent one.

New York

New York effectively no longer has a general basic-skills test requirement. The Academic Literacy Skills Test (ALST) was eliminated in 2017, with literacy skills folded into a pedagogy-focused test instead. The CQST (NYSTCE 080) survives only for a narrow Career and Technical Education pathway — it’s not a general gate for most candidates. A February 2025 waiver move further softened remaining NYSTCE requirements. If you’re pursuing certification in New York, a basic-skills test is not the focus of your preparation.

Washington

Washington sits in a middle category. Candidates still need to take WEST-B (or an approved equivalent, including Praxis Core, SAT, or ACT) for admission to a preparation program. But a 2019 law (HB 1621) removed the binding passing score — the test is now a “take, not necessarily pass” requirement for program admission. That’s a meaningful softening of the original requirement.

Other states that have dropped the requirement

NCTQ research found that between 2015 and 2021, seven states dropped their basic-skills requirement entirely: Arkansas, Connecticut, Indiana, Utah, Virginia, Washington (as described above), and Wisconsin. North Carolina and Texas have moved the requirement to optional status (though as of April 2026, North Carolina’s bill to fully repeal the remaining gate has advanced but not been enacted). Missouri shifted its requirement to program completion rather than admission.

The honest bottom line

If you’re in Florida or Massachusetts, a basic-skills test is real, intact, and requires genuine preparation. If you’re in one of the roughly 15 states that still require a Praxis Core pass, the same applies.

If you’re in California, New York, or one of the states that has dropped the requirement, the landscape has changed — check with your state education department or preparation program to confirm what actually applies to your pathway today.

The US basic-skills exam market is fragmenting and concentrating. It’s not dead — but it’s not what it was a decade ago either. Knowing where your state sits saves you preparing for something you don’t need, and ensures you’re prepared for something you do.

Not sure where you stand? Start with the free diagnostic

If you’re in a state that still requires a Praxis Core pass (or a state test like Florida’s FTCE or Massachusetts’s MTEL), the most useful first step is finding out where your skills sit right now.

SN Academy’s free diagnostic test gives you a clear picture of your starting point — so you know what you’re working with and where your prep time should go.

Take the free diagnostic at /us/.

— The people of SN Academy