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Educator Certification

Welcome to the ISBE Division of Educator Certification, Recertification and Preparation Website! The following links provide information on the Illinois certification process for both new and experienced educators. Should you have questions or concerns regarding the certification process in Illinois, please contact your Regional Office of Education.

Select one of the following links:

Important Notices! Important

  • Certification Testing Update: (Posted 5/10/12)
    Be advised that beginning July 1, 2012 all Illinois certification tests will be valid for 5 years instead of the current 10 years. The 5-year timeline is determined by the date the test was passed and the date that the fees are processed for the requested certificate or endorsement.

    If the Test of Academic Proficiency (TAP-400 ) or the previous Basic Skills test (300 or 096) was required for entry into an approved Illinois certification program, those scores will be honored beyond the 5 years.

    If the Illinois Basic Skills test was previously passed and was required for the issuance of an Illinois certificate, the TAP test will not be required for any subsequent certificate.
  • Lapsed Certificate Information. (Updated 5/9/12) new

  • ATTENTION:  Effective February 1, 2012, all professional education and content-area coursework required for the issuance of an Illinois certificate, endorsement or approval must have been passed with a grade of no lower than a "C" or equivalent. Grades of "P" (Passing) or "S" (Satisfactory) cannot be honored for certification until verification is provided by the certification officer, the registrar, or the dean of the college of education that these grades are equivalent to a "C" or above.

    This form must be completed if any of your endorsement area(s) or professional education courses have grades of "P"  (Passing) or "S" (Satisfactory). Please have your college or university complete the Grade Verification Form 73-06 and submit it directly to ISBE, Educator Certification Division.

  • Policy for Composition of Passing Score Panels for Educator Certification/Licensure Exams (4/10/12)

  • Basic Skills Test Replaced by ICTS Test of Academic Proficiency (TAP): (1/31/12)
    Effective February 1, 2012:  Registration opens January 31, 2012. For more information please visit the ICTS Website at http://www.icts.nesinc.com/IL16_whatsnew.asp#TAP

  • Reinstating a Lapsed Certificate: (1/24/12)
    Please Note:  Developmental courses may not be applied towards the 9 semester hour requirement to reinstate a lapsed certificate.  Developmental courses are typically those with course numbers under the 100 level although this is not universal.  Please check with your institution to confirm whether or not a particular course is considered developmental.

    • Please be advised that pursuant to PA 97-0607 signed on August 26, 2011, educator certification fees increased on January 1, 2012.  The new fees are as follows:

    • $75.00 application fee for each educator certificate
    • $50.00 for each subsequent endorsement application
    • $10.00 per year registration fee for the course of the validity cycle*
    *The registration fee must be paid in its entirety.  For example, the registration fee for a certificate with a five-year validity cycle would be $50.00. 

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