Licensure Tests

Hawaiʻi Teacher Standards Board (HTSB) Licensure Tests and Passing Scores

Effective January 1, 2023, the HTSB shall accept all official passing scores from HTSB-approved exams completed within five (5) years prior to the application of licensure. Official passing scores from HTSB-approved exams that are older than five (5) years will be accepted on a case-by-case basis (New Business Item 22-28).

If you are in a Hawaiʻi preparation program, then your Hawaiʻi preparation provider will tell you what test(s) to take prior to your clinical experience (e.g. Student Teaching).

PLEASE NOTE: If you are completing an out-of-state teacher education program, and you did not achieve licensure in your state, you will need to complete additional testing requirements listed in NBI 21-13 linked here.

Hawai’i ETS Website: If you are using tests for your licensure and/or Add a Teaching Field application, the HTSB accepts only approved Praxis tests on the Hawai’i ETS website. Each state has different licensure tests, do not go to the general ETS Praxis page. If you need confirmation of the test you need to take, send a message using your Contact HTSB tab in your HTSB profile, telling us what license field you want to add, and we will confirm the test code by return message.

Testing Websites and Resources

Educational Testing Services (ETS) Praxis test information website. ETS will offer accommodations for test-takers with disabilities. Contact ETS for more information.
- ETS Customer Service 1-800-772-9476 and https://www.ets.org/contact.html
ETS Resources:
ETS Mobile Test Center. In order to accommodate Praxis® test takers on the Neighbor Islands, ETS has created mobile testing events. Registering for a mobile testing event uses the same process as registering to take a Praxis test at a Prometric® test center or other test center locations. Test takers should go to the Praxis registration system to register to test for all mobile sites and sign up for their selected test date. Test dates and test center locations for mobile testing events will continue to be added to the Praxis registration system until we have sufficient coverage.
Praxis® tests at home are a part of the ETS Praxis program. For more information, please visit the ETS website.
American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) test information website.

Testing Information

Please check with your Hawaiʻiteacher education program administrator for the name and number of tests you are required to take for your specific program. Content tests should be in the same field and grade level as your program.
All test takers should confirm test dates when registering with the testing company and indicate on the registration form that test scores should be sent directly to HTSB. If you are taking a Praxis® test then use score code 8620 and the scores will be sent directly to HTSB.
Not all tests are available on all dates. Applicants are urged to confirm when required tests are offered during the year to ensure they are able to complete the testing requirements.
Current National Board for Professional Teaching Standards-certified and Meritorious New Teacher Candidate licensed teachers holding a current valid license from another state are exempt from all examinations.
Teacher candidates and license applicants should periodically check this page for any updates to testing requirements.
If you are applying with an out-of-state license and have to verify basic skills and content knowledge, you may use licensure tests from your home state.
For tests that are being replaced, there is an overlap period when both the old and new tests are available and both will be accepted for licensure. Score reports for previously required tests may be accepted for licensure. Check with HTSB for verification.
ETS Praxis at Home Registration Now Active
Some Prometric Testing Sites Reopen
- For more information on Prometric test centers visit here.
- For more detailed information on the safety measures at Prometric testing centers visit: https://www.prometric.com/corona-virus-update

World Languages (Praxis linked here/ACTFL linked here)

African Languages

Teaching Field	Grade Level(s)	Available Test(s)	OPI Passing Score(s)	WPT Passing Score(s)
Afrikans	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A
Akan-Twi	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A
Hausa	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A
Igbo	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A
Somali	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A
Swahili	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A
Yoruba	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A

Asian Languages

Teaching Field	Grade Level(s)	Available Test(s)	OPI Passing Score(s)	WPT Passing Score(s)
Cantonese	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	Intermediate Mid
Chinese	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate Mid	Intermediate Mid
Chinese	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	OR Praxis 5665	164
Japanese	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate Mid	Intermediate Mid
Korean	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate Mid	Intermediate Mid
Mandarin	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate Mid	Intermediate Mid
Mandarin	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	OR Praxis 5665	164
Wu	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A

European Languages

Teaching Field	Grade Level(s)	Available Test(s)	OPI Passing Score(s)	WPT Passing Score(s)
Albanian	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate Mid	Intermediate Mid
Azerbajani	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A
Bulgarian	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A
Czech	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A
Dutch	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	Intermediate High
French	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	Intermediate High
French	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	OR Praxis 5174	162
German	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	Intermediate High
German	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	OR Praxis 5183	163
Hungarian	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A
Italian	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	Intermediate High
Norwegian	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A
Polish	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	Intermediate High
Portuguese	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	Intermediate High
Romanian	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A
Russian	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	Intermediate Mid
Serbian-Croatian	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	Intermediate High
Slovak	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A
Spanish	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	Intermediate High
Spanish	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	OR Praxis 5195	168
Swedish	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A

Filipino Languages

Teaching Field	Grade Level(s)	Available Test(s)	OPI Passing Score(s)	WPT Passing Score(s)
Cebuano	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A
Chavacano	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A
Ilocano	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A
Tagalog	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A
Tausug	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A

Latin American Languages

Teaching Field	Grade Level(s)	Available Test(s)	OPI Passing Score(s)	WPT Passing Score(s)
Haitian-Creole	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A

Middle Eastern Languages

Teaching Field	Grade Level(s)	Available Test(s)	OPI Passing Score(s)	WPT Passing Score(s)
Amharic	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A
Arabic (Modern Standard Arabic)	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate Mid	Intermediate Mid
Hebrew	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A
Kurdish-Kurmanji	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A
Persian Farsi	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	Intermediate Mid
Sindhi	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A
Sinhalese	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A
Tajik	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A
Turkish	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	Intermediate Mid
Turkmen	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A

Other Languages

Teaching Field	Grade Level(s)	Available Test(s)	OPI Passing Score(s)	WPT Passing Score(s)
American Sign Language	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	Praxis ASPLI	170

South Asian Languages

Teaching Field	Grade Level(s)	Available Test(s)	OPI Passing Score(s)	WPT Passing Score(s)
Baluchi	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A
Dari	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A
Gujarati	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A
Hindi	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	Intermediate High
Punjabi	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A
Tamil	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A
Telugu	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A
Urdu	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	Intermediate Mid

South East Asian Languages

Teaching Field	Grade Level(s)	Available Test(s)	OPI Passing Score(s)	WPT Passing Score(s)
Bengali	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A
Burmese	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A
Cambodian	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A
Hmong/Mong	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	Intermediate High
Indonesian	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A
Lao	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A
Malay	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A
Nepali	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A
Thai	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	N/A
Vietnamese	K-6, 6-8, 6-12, K-12	ACTFL	Intermediate High	Intermediate High