Basic Skills Exam, Minnesota Teachers Licensure Exam
What you need to know!
All applicants for a first-time Minnesota teaching license must successfully complete required teacher licensure tests in:
- basic skills of reading, writing, and mathematics;
- professional knowledge; and
- content/subject matter.
If you are already licensed but would like to add another license, you will only have to take the content knowledge test in the new licensure field.
The Basic Skills Exam is a basic competency test in reading, writing, and mathematics. Evidence of having taken the test is required as part of the admission process for Professional Education.
Professional Education admittance is required before students can continue with certain courses in their program. Students will want to plan accordingly so they are not held up for registration.
- MTLE test registration is available for test dates. Please note, if you want to take the tests separately, you have to register for the tests separately.
- Preparation materials available for every test in the MTLE program
- ACT/SAT Requirements for Basic Skills
Pedagogy and Content/Subject Exams
The Pedagogy exam measures general pedagogical knowledge and the Content/Subject exam(s) measure general and subject-specific pedagogical skills and knowledge.
Pedagogy exam consists of three levels of assessment. Students take one test within the scope of their licensure:
- Elementary (Grades K - 6)
- Secondary (Grades 5 - 12)
Students will need to take a Content/Subject exam for each teaching field. For example, Social Studies and ESL Major would take the Social Studies content and the ESL content tests.
Note: Elementary Majors take a content test for elementary education.
The Content and pedagogy exam should be taken prior to student teaching.
