Pennsylvania Teaching Certification
Pennsylvania teaching certification requires a bachelor’s degree from a state-approved educator preparation program, supervised student teaching, and a passing score on the subject-area content test for your certification area. Basic skills testing (PAPA) is no longer a standalone certification requirement. PDE issues Level I certificates to new candidates and Level II certificates once experience and coursework requirements are met.
A first-year teacher in Pennsylvania has to clear three separate hurdles before standing in front of a class: a state-approved preparation program, a set of PDE exams, and a background check process that touches both federal and state records. None of those steps is optional, and skipping the order of operations is the most common reason applications stall in the Teacher Information Management System (TIMS).
This page covers the traditional path to initial Pennsylvania teaching certification. If you already know you’re in a different situation, use the list below to jump straight to the page that applies to you.
Choose Your Pennsylvania Certification Path
Every prospective PA teacher starts in a slightly different place. Pick the description below that matches your situation:
- I’m starting from scratch and need my first Pennsylvania teaching certificate
- I’m already certified in another state
- My Pennsylvania certificate needs renewal
- I want to become a principal or administrator
- I have a bachelor’s degree in a non-education field
- I want a substitute teaching permit
Initial Pennsylvania Teaching Certification
Pennsylvania is one of the largest employers of teachers in the country, and demand hasn’t slowed. To teach in a Pennsylvania public school, you need to be certified through the PDE’s Bureau of School Leadership and Teacher Quality, which reviews every application for education, testing, and background-check requirements before issuing a certificate. Find a teacher preparation program approved by PDE if you haven’t chosen one yet.
Eligibility and Education Requirements
Before you can apply, PDE requires that you be at least 18 years old, of good moral character, and either a U.S. citizen or otherwise authorized to work in the United States. That citizenship or work-authorization requirement doesn’t apply if you’re seeking certification to teach a language other than English.
Beyond eligibility, candidates need at minimum a bachelor’s degree from a PDE-approved educator preparation program. Programs generally admit candidates with a 3.0 cumulative GPA. Those below that threshold can still be admitted with a 2.8 GPA if they also post a qualifying score on a basic skills test, such as the PAPA or Praxis Core. If you completed your preparation program outside Pennsylvania, your coursework generally needs to include college-level mathematics, English composition, and English or American literature credits, since all board-approved Pennsylvania programs build these in automatically.
Because Pennsylvania participates in the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement, out-of-state credits are usually accepted if your program dean recommended you for certification, you pass PA’s required exams, and you complete any coursework gaps. Credits earned outside the U.S. go through a different process: your transcript has to be evaluated by a NACES member agency, and you’ll need to submit that evaluation to PDE along with your certification application.
Certification Levels
Pennsylvania issues certification in two tiers. A Level I certificate is the initial credential for candidates who’ve met the education and testing requirements. A Level II certificate follows once you’ve held a Level I certificate and completed additional experience and coursework requirements PDE sets for your certification area.
Certification Examinations
Basic skills testing is no longer a certification requirement in Pennsylvania on its own. It still shows up earlier in the pipeline: preparation programs use a qualifying PAPA or Praxis Core score as an alternative admission path for candidates who fall under the standard 3.0 GPA cutoff, as described above.
What certification does require is a subject-area content test matched to your certification area. Elementary and early childhood candidates generally test through the Pennsylvania Educator Certification Tests (PECT), while most middle and secondary subjects use Praxis II content exams. An elementary candidate and a 7-12 math candidate, for example, sit for entirely different content tests. Passing scores vary by test and certification area.
Confirm current test names and qualifying scores directly with PDE’s certification testing page before registering, since PDE updates its test list periodically.
Experience Requirements
Every candidate completes a hands-on classroom experience as part of their preparation program. Early on, that means a practicum: observing a certified teacher, learning classroom management techniques, and occasionally leading a lesson under supervision. Later in the program, candidates move into full student teaching, typically a minimum of 12 weeks, leading instruction, building lesson plans, and managing a classroom under a cooperating teacher and a college or university supervisor. Both supervisors evaluate your performance, and you’ll need to pass the PDE-430 Student Teacher Assessment before your placement ends.
Application and Document Requirements
Once you’ve cleared the education, testing, and experience requirements, you apply for certification online through the Teacher Information Management System (TIMS). If you attended a Pennsylvania institution, your school typically sends transcripts to PDE directly. Out-of-state graduates need to mail official transcripts themselves, and exam scores are usually sent electronically if you tested in Pennsylvania. TIMS generates a cover sheet listing any additional materials PDE still needs once you submit your application, and you can track your application status by logging back in.
Criminal History Background Check
Before you can begin student teaching, Pennsylvania requires a criminal history background check covering both your federal record, through the FBI, and your state record, through the Pennsylvania State Police. Your preparation program provides the forms and fingerprinting instructions. A separate clearance runs through the Department of Human Services’ Child Abuse History Clearance system, and if your background check is more than a year old by the time you accept a paid teaching position, a district may require you to run it again.
Questions about the fingerprinting process or the clearance system go to PDE’s Bureau of School Leadership and Teacher Quality.
Pennsylvania Teacher Salary and Job Outlook
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Pennsylvania elementary school teachers earned a median annual salary of $77,060 as of May 2025, with kindergarten teachers close behind at a median of $64,430. Middle and secondary teachers in the state both cross the $77,000 mark. The table below breaks out median wages alongside Pennsylvania’s projected job growth for each grade band through 2034.
| Occupation | PA Median Annual Wage | PA Job Growth (2024–2034) |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten Teachers | $64,430 | -0.1% |
| Elementary School Teachers | $77,060 | -0.3% |
| Middle School Teachers | $77,930 | -0.3% |
| Secondary (High) School Teachers | $78,800 | -0.1% |
Pennsylvania’s job growth projections run slightly negative across all four grade bands, in line with the national trend, which the BLS attributes to enrollment patterns rather than a shortage of open positions. Even with flat-to-declining headcounts, the state still projects nearly 9,000 combined average annual openings across kindergarten through secondary teaching roles, driven mostly by retirements and turnover. For a closer look at pay by district type and benefits beyond base salary, see Pennsylvania Teaching Salaries and Benefits. For the source data behind PA’s job growth figures, see the PA Department of Labor and Industry’s Center for Workforce Information and Analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to get a Pennsylvania teaching certificate?
Most candidates need four to five years to complete a bachelor’s-level preparation program, including student teaching. Alternative and post-baccalaureate routes can move faster since candidates already hold a degree, but they still need to complete PDE-approved coursework and pass the same certification exams.
Do I still need to take the PAPA basic skills test?
Not for certification itself. Basic skills testing is no longer a Pennsylvania certification requirement on its own. It still matters earlier in the process: some preparation programs accept a qualifying PAPA or Praxis Core score in place of the standard 3.0 GPA admission cutoff. You’ll still need to pass the subject-area content test for your certification area regardless of your GPA path.
Can I teach in Pennsylvania if I’m certified in another state?
Often, yes, if your state is part of the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement. Out-of-state teachers with an active certificate and at least two years of classroom experience in a comparable certification area can generally skip PA’s content tests. Teachers with less experience, or without a comparable certificate, typically need to pass PA’s required content tests. Either way, you apply through TIMS. See our Pennsylvania Teacher Reciprocity page for the full process.
What’s the difference between a Level I and a Level II certificate?
A Level I certificate is the initial credential issued once you meet PDE’s education and testing requirements. A Level II certificate is the next tier, available after you’ve held a Level I certificate and completed the additional experience and coursework PDE requires for your certification area.
Who do I contact with questions about my Pennsylvania certification application?
PDE’s Bureau of School Leadership and Teacher Quality handles certification questions and can be reached through the contact information on PDE’s certification page or by mail at Bureau of School Leadership and Teacher Quality, Pennsylvania Department of Education, 333 Market Street, 3rd Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333.
- Certification runs through PDE, start to finish. Every path, traditional or alternative, ends with an application through TIMS and a certificate issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
- Basic skills testing no longer gates certification. PAPA/Praxis Core scores now only matter as an alternate path into a prep program for candidates below the standard 3.0 GPA cutoff. The subject-area content test is what actually determines certification.
- Background checks happen before student teaching, not after. The FBI and PA State Police checks, plus a child abuse clearance, need to clear before you set foot in a supervised classroom.
- Pennsylvania teacher pay is competitive with national medians. As of May 2025, PA elementary, middle, and secondary teachers all earn above $77,000 at the median, per BLS.
- Out-of-state credentials usually transfer. NASDTEC reciprocity means teachers certified elsewhere rarely have to start over, though the exact requirements depend on your existing certificate.
Find accredited teacher certification programs, application links, and licensing requirements for your jurisdiction.
2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary and job growth figures for Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers, Middle School Teachers, and High School Teachers reflect state and national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed July 2026.
