Required NYS Certification Exams by Program
Important Information for Candidates Graduating May 2014 or After
The NYSED anticipates that candidates applying for certification on or after May 1st, 2014 will be required to take certain new exams, please see details here
The anticipated requirements for candidates graduating or applying for a certificate on or after May 1, 2014 are as follows:
- All candidates for the Initial teaching certificate may take the current Content Specialty Test in their field. Candidates who do not pass the current CST prior to implementation of the new CST will have to pass the new CST.
- Candidates who apply for their first Initial certificate on or after May 1, 2014—including candidates who will graduate from an approved teacher preparation program on or after May 1, 2014—should not take the LAST or the ATS‑W. These candidates will be required to pass the new Teacher Performance Assessment, Educating All Students test, and Academic Literacy Skills Test.
- Candidates who apply for the initial SBL certificate on or after May 1, 2014—including candidates who will graduate from an approved SBL preparation program on or after May 1, 2014—should not take the current SBL exam. These candidates will be required to pass the new SBL exam and the new Educating All Students test.
Requirements for Candidates Graduating Prior to May 2014
Below please see the New York State Teacher Certification Exam (NYSTCE) requirements for each state approved certification program offered by NYU Steinhardt along with the corresponding NYS certificate(s).
You register for the exams and may download free preparation guides at the NYSTCE website here
LAST – Liberal Arts and Sciences Test
Elem ATS-W - Elementary Assessment of Teaching Skills-Written
Sec ATS-W – Secondary Assessment of Teaching Skills-Written
CST – Content Specialty Test
BEA – Bilingual Education Assessment
*All tests are are not available on all test dates, so please plan accordingly.
For Frequently Asked Questions reagrding the NYSTCExams including when exams should be completed, please click on NYSED link here
Undergraduate Programs
Childhood Education/Childhood Special Education
Required exams: LAST, Elem ATS-W, Multi-Subject CST, Students with Disabilities CST
Certificates: Childhood Education 1-6, Students with Disabilities 1-6
Early Childhood Education/Early Childhood Special Education
Required exams: LAST, Elem ATS-W, Multi-Subject CST, Students with Disabilities CST
Certificates: Early Childhood Education B-2, Students with Disabilities B-2
Educational Theatre
Required exams: LAST, Elem or Sec ATS-W (not both), Theatre CST
Certificate: Theatre, All Grades (PreK-12)
English Education
Required exams: LAST, Sec ATS-W, English Language Arts CST
Certificates: English Language Arts 7-12, English Language Arts 5-6 extension option
Foreign Language Education
Required exams: LAST, Sec ATS-W, Specific Foreign Language CST
Certificates: Specific Foreign Language 7-12, Specific Foreign Language 5-6 extension option
Mathematics Education
Required exams: LAST, Sec ATS-W, Mathematics CST
Certificates: Mathematics 7-12, Mathematics 5-6 extension option
Music Education
Required exams: LAST, Elem or Sec ATS-W (not both), Music CST
Certificate: Music, All Grades (PreK-12)
Science Education
Required exams: LAST, Sec ATS-W, Specific Science CST
Certificate: Specific Science 7-12
Social Studies Education
Required exams: LAST, Sec ATS-W, Social Studies CST
Certificate: Social Studies 7-12, Social Studies 5-6 extension option
Graduate Programs
Art Education
Required exams: LAST, Elem or Sec ATS-W (not both), Visual Arts CST
Certificate: Visual Arts, All Grades (PreK-12)
Bilingual Education*
Required exams: BEA (in target language)
Certificate: Bilingual Extension
*must hold appropriate base certificate
Childhood Education
Required exams: LAST, Elem ATS-W, Multi-Subject CST
Certificate: Childhood Education 1-6
Childhood Education/Childhood Special Education
Required exams: LAST, Elem ATS-W, Multi-Subject CST, Students with Disabilities CST
Certificates: Childhood Education 1-6, Students with Disabilities 1-6
Dance Education
Required exams: LAST, Elem or Sec ATS-W (not both), Dance CST
Certificate: Dance, All Grades (PreK-12)
Early Childhood Education
Required exams: LAST, Elem ATS-W, Multi-Subject CST
Certificate: Early Childhood Education B-2
Early Childhood Education/Early Childhood Special Education
Required exams: LAST, Elem ATS-W, Multi-Subject CST, Students with Disabilities CST
Certificates: Early Childhood Education B-2, Students with Disabilities B-2
Educational Theatre
Required exams: LAST, Elem or Sec ATS-W (not both), Theatre CST
Certificate: Theatre, All Grades (PreK-12)
Educational Theatre and English 7-12
Required exams: LAST, Sec ATS-W, Theatre CST, English Language Arts CST
Certificates: Theatre, All Grades (PreK-12), English Language Arts 7-12
Educational Theatre and Social Studies 7-12
Required exams: LAST, Sec ATS-W, Theatre CST, Social Studies CST
Certificates: Theatre, All Grades (PreK-12), Social Studies 7-12
English Education
Required exams: LAST, Sec ATS-W, English Language Arts CST
Certificates: English Language Arts 7-12, English Language Arts 5-6 extension option
Foreign Language Education
Required exams: LAST, Sec ATS-W, Specific Foreign Language CST
Certificates: Specific Foreign Language 7-12, Specific Foreign Language 5-6 extension option
Literacy Birth-6*
Required exams: Literacy CST
Certificate: Literacy B-6
*must hold appropriate base certificate
Literacy 5-12*
Required exams: Literacy CST
Certificate: Literacy 5-12
*must hold appropriate base certificate
Mathematics Education
Required exams: LAST, Sec ATS-W, Mathematics CST
Certificates: Mathematics 7-12, Mathematics 5-6 extension option
Music Education
Required exams: LAST, Elem or Sec ATS-W (not both), Music CST
Certificate: Music, All Grades (PreK-12)
School Building Leader
Required exams: School Building Leader - Parts 1 and 2
Certificate: School Building Leader
School Counselor
Required exams: none currently
Certificate: School Counselor
School Counselor, Bilingual
Required exams: BEA (in target language)
Certificates: School Counselor, Bilingual Extension
School District Leader
Required exams: School District Leader
Certificate: School District Leader
Science Education
Required exams: LAST, Sec ATS-W, Specific Science CST
Certificate: Specific Science 7-12
Social Studies Education
Required exams: LAST, Sec ATS-W, Social Studies CST
Certificate: Social Studies 7-12, Social Studies 5-6 extension option
Special Education, Childhood*
Required exams: Students with Disabilities CST
Certificates: Students with Disabilities 1-6
*must hold appropriate base certificate
Special Education, Early Childhood*
Required exams: Students with Disabilities CST
Certificates: Students with Disabilities B-2
*must hold appropriate base certificate
Communicative Sciences and Disorders with Speech and Language Disabilities Certification
Required exams: LAST, Elem or Sec ATS-W (not both), Speech Language Pathology Praxis II* see ets.org/praxis
Certificate: Speech and Language Disabilities, All Grades (PreK-12)
*required for Professional Certification
TESOL - Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages
Required exams: LAST, Elem or Sec ATS-W (not both), ESOL CST
Certificates: English to Speakers of Other Languages, All Grades (PreK-12)
TESOL and Foreign Language
Required exams: LAST, Sec ATS-W, ESOL CST, Specific Foreign Language CST
Certificates: English to Speakers of Other Languages, All Grades (PreK-12), Specific Foreign Language 7-12