To be eligible for certification, teachers must meet the following education, employment, and licensure requirements prior to starting the certification process. Candidates will be asked to verify these during registration.


Possess a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. NOTE: Candidates for the Career and Technical Education certificate are required to hold a bachelor’s degree only if their state required one for their current license. 

Have completed three years of successful teaching in one or more early childhood, elementary, middle, or secondary school. 

Hold a valid state teaching license (or meet the licensure requirements established by your state for a school counselor if applying for the ECYA/School Counseling certificate) for each of the three years of employment you verify. 

Provide official American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) certified ratings of Advanced Low or higher from ACTFL speaking and writing proficiency assessments if registering as a World Languages candidate. 

For more information on this prerequisite for World Languages candidates, refer to the Guide to National Board Certification.