Requirements/Maryland

Elementary Teacher in Maryland.

Four CKT subtests, a reading test, and a pedagogy assessment.

Exams
6
Published passing
161 · 150 · 154 · 159
One test to confirm
Certificate
Elementary Education 1-6

The exams you have to pass

In the order most candidates take them.

01

Praxis Elementary Education CKT: Reading and Language Arts Subtest7812

Pass161
Blueprint not published yet. The exam is still required.
02

Praxis Elementary Education CKT: Mathematics Subtest7813

Pass150
Blueprint not published yet. The exam is still required.
03

Praxis Elementary Education CKT: Science Subtest7814

Pass154
Blueprint not published yet. The exam is still required.
04

Praxis Elementary Education CKT: Social Studies Subtest7815

Pass161
Blueprint not published yet. The exam is still required.
05

Praxis Teaching Reading: Elementary5205

Foundations of Reading (890, 190 or 090) at 240 is also accepted.

Pass159
See what is scored →
06

A pedagogy assessment: edTPA, PPAT, or a Maryland-approved program portfolioedTPA / PPAT / portfolio

Maryland accepts any scorable entry on edTPA or PPAT, or a program-developed portfolio scored by the program itself.

Not publishedSet by your program
Blueprint not published yet. The exam is still required.

What people get wrong

Each of these costs a candidate either money or a test date.

  • Maryland uses the Content Knowledge for Teaching series (7811), not the Multiple Subjects battery (5001) most states use. The two are not interchangeable.
  • The four CKT subtests carry four different cut scores: 161, 150, 154 and 161. Mathematics is the lowest bar by eleven points.
  • Maryland gives you three ways to meet the pedagogy requirement: edTPA, PPAT, or a Maryland-approved portfolio developed by your own program. For edTPA and PPAT the state asks only for "any scorable entry", and the portfolio route is scored by the program. Ask your program which it uses before assuming you owe a national assessment.
  • You may not need a basic skills test at all. Maryland accepts a 3.0 GPA on your most recently earned degree as a way to demonstrate basic skills mastery. Check with your college before booking one.
  • The CKT subtests are listed without links because we hold no verified blueprint for that series yet. They are still required.

Required, but not an exam

  • A bachelor’s degree
  • An approved educator preparation program, or an approved alternative route
  • The basic skills requirement, which a 3.0 GPA on your most recent degree can satisfy
  • Background check and application through MSDE

Now go pass them.

Knowing the list is the easy part. Built To Pass teaches the strategy layer that works on any of these, aimed at the domains where you are actually losing points.

Start with your exam

Verified 2026-08-06 against Maryland State Department of Education, Certification Testing Requirements. Certification rules change by state board vote. Confirm with the state before you register for a test.