Requirements/North Carolina
Elementary Teacher in North Carolina.
Two exams: reading, and the mathematics subtest.
- Exams
- 2
- Passing scores
- 233 · 227
- Certificate
- Elementary Education (K-6)
The exams you have to pass
In the order most candidates take them.
01
Foundations of Reading890
100 multiple choice plus 2 written assignments, 4h30m.
Pass233
02
General Curriculum: Mathematics subtest003
45 multiple choice plus 1 open-response item, 2h30m. Mathematics subtest only.
Pass227
What people get wrong
Each of these costs a candidate either money or a test date.
- The reading test changed code to 890 on 1 September 2025. Older guides still say 190 or 090.
- A lot of sites still quote 229 as the reading passing score. North Carolina’s own test page says 233.
- General Curriculum also has a Multi-Subject subtest. North Carolina has not required it since 6 April 2019, and candidates still pay for it.
Required, but not an exam
- A bachelor’s degree
- An approved educator preparation program, traditional or alternative
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 examVerified 2026-08-03 against North Carolina Licensure Assessments (nc.nesinc.com). Certification rules change by state board vote. Confirm with the state before you register for a test.