Testing Requirements

The State of Iowa requires all Teacher Education Preparation programs to establish an “entrance testing” requirement and publish the score requirements.

Luther College Teacher Education Program offers two options for the TEP entrance test.

A. Students planning to teach in the State of Minnesota

Minnesota licensure requires candidates to take the “MN Teacher” entrance test. Information is available on the MN Department of Education Website.  Students should register for the MTLE Basic Skills test.  In this way, you will already have this testing completed when you are ready to apply for your teaching license.  Luther College will accept the passing scores that are equal to the State of MN passing scores.

Minnesota Teacher Licensure Examinations (MTLE)

A series of Frequently Asked Questions is available here to provide information about the testing program and requirements. 

B. All other students – Please register for the PPST with ETS at ETS.org. This test is given on Luther College’s campus.

All students taking PPST testing – Register at ets.org and then click “the Praxis Series” 

Registration deadlines:

Note: The registration deadline is approximately one month BEFORE the testing date. 

Passing scores for Luther Teacher Education Program (TEP)

Students are responsible for downloading their score reports approximately one-month after the testing date.  Score reports are NOT MAILED out by the ETS.

Another ETS PPST option is available.  You may take the test at a “testing center” on a computer. Instead of registering for a paper-delivered test, you register for a computer- delivered test at ETS.org. You may take the Computerized PPST only once per calendar month, and no more than 6 times within a 12-month period—this does not include paper and pencil tests.

General Testing Information: 
A passing score report must be in your Luther Education Department student file in order to apply for the Teacher Education Program. 

Important:  All students must be approved to the Teacher Education Program to register for any Education courses at the 300 or above level.

Most states also require “exit testing” or “licensure testing” in order to obtain at teacher’s license.  It is each student’s responsibility to check the requirements for the state in which he or she wishes to apply for a teaching license and secure the proper testing in a timely fashion. 

To comply with our accrediting agency requirements, all Luther College education majors and minors are required to complete content testing as a requirement of the program. Testing should be completed before the end of your last semester at Luther College.  If you are planning to go to graduate school, join the Peace Corps, or pursue a non-teaching pathway after Luther College, you are still required to complete content testing by the end of your last semester in order to complete the Teacher Education program.  

Luther College Education Department Policy: Students need to check the DOE website of the state in which they plan to become a licensed teacher for specific “content” and pedagogy testing requirements. There are too many variables involved in license configurations to be able to answer each student’s questions regarding test selection for each state.

States usually require two tests:  one “content area” test and one pedagogy test.  For example, the Praxis II offers “Principles of Learning and Teaching or PLT”.  The PLT is given on levels of students taught ~ Elementary  K – 6 ~ Middle School 5 – 8 and High School 7 – 12.  Some states permit you to choose a level and other states require that you have tested at all levels that you are going to be teaching in.  Some states require an initial content area [i.e. elementary] and then a test in each endorsement area ~ special education, ESL, Reading, etc.