Requirements/Maine
Special Education Teacher in Maine.
The Core battery, the special education test, and pedagogy.
- Exams
- 5
- Passing scores
- 156 · 162 · 150 · 151 · 160 or 157
- Certificate
- Teacher of Children with Disabilities K-12 (endorsement 282)
The exams you have to pass
In the order most candidates take them.
Core Academic Skills for Educators: Reading5712
Core Academic Skills for Educators: Writing5722
Core Academic Skills for Educators: Mathematics5732
Praxis Special Education: Core Knowledge and Applications5354
Praxis Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT)5622 or 5624
K-12 endorsements take either the K-6 PLT at 160 or the 7-12 PLT at 157.
One thing to confirm before you register
Chapter 13 names Core Academic Skills tests 5712 (Reading), 5722 (Writing) and 5732 (Mathematics), but ETS has replaced those with 5713, 5723 and 5733, so the tests the rule names cannot be registered for today. Maine almost certainly accepts the current versions at the same scores, but the rule has not been updated to say so, and we will not assume it on your behalf.
Ask
Maine DOE Certification Office
cert.doe@maine.gov or 207-624-6600
What people get wrong
Each of these costs a candidate either money or a test date.
- Maine scores the Core battery compensatorily, and it is the single most useful thing to know here. You need a composite of 468 across the three tests, and no individual section may be more than three points below its required score. A 153 in reading against the required 156 can still work if your composite clears 468.
- Maine separates its special education endorsements. Birth to Age 5 uses 5691 at 159, Severe Disabilities uses 5545 at 158, Blind/Visually Impaired uses 5282 at 163 and Deaf/Hearing Impaired uses 5272 at 160. Confirm which endorsement you are seeking.
- Missing the Core scores does not stop you teaching. Chapter 13 allows an initial conditional certificate if you have met every other requirement, and it cannot be suspended or revoked during its term for not yet passing.
Required, but not an exam
- A bachelor’s degree
- An approved educator preparation program, or an approved alternative route
- The endorsement requirements in Chapter 115 Part II for your certificate
- Fingerprinting and application through the Maine DOE certification office
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 2026-08-04 against Code of Maine Rules 05-071 Chapter 13, Qualifying Examination Requirements. Certification rules change by state board vote. Confirm with the state before you register for a test.