Requirements/Tennessee
ESL Teacher in Tennessee.
One content test.
- Exams
- 1
- Passing
- 155
- Certificate
- English as a Second Language preK-12, K-8 or 6-12
The exam you have to pass
In the order most candidates take them.
01
Praxis English to Speakers of Other Languages5362
NES English Language Learners I (NT 511) at 220 is also accepted.
Pass155
What people get wrong
Each of these costs a candidate either money or a test date.
- One test covers all three ESL bands in Tennessee: preK-12, K-8 and 6-12.
- Tennessee decides your testing by how you were prepared, not only by what you teach. Complete a state-approved program with student teaching and you owe edTPA. Enter through a job-embedded program and you owe no pedagogy test at all. Come from an out-of-state program while already holding an out-of-state initial license and you owe neither.
- Praxis Core is used only for admission to a preparation program in Tennessee. It is not a licensure requirement.
Required, but not an exam
- A bachelor’s degree
- A State Board-approved educator preparation program, or a job-embedded program
- edTPA, if you completed a program with student teaching or an internship
- Application through TNCompass, with scores sent using Tennessee code 8190
Now go pass it.
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 2026-08-06 against Tennessee SBE Policy 5.105, Professional Assessments for Tennessee Educators (revised 27 February 2026), and TDOE licensure assessment guidance. Certification rules change by state board vote. Confirm with the state before you register for a test.