Louisiana Praxis Requirements

Which Praxis Exams Louisiana Requires

Standard teacher certification pathways in Louisiana require passing one or more Praxis exams administered by ETS. Temporary permits such as the TAT and TEP have different testing rules. The specific tests depend on your certification area — an elementary education candidate takes different exams than someone seeking secondary math or special education certification. BESE sets the passing scores, and they are published on the ETS Louisiana requirements page.

You must designate Louisiana as an automatic score recipient when you register, using state code 7330. If you forget this step, LDOE will not receive the scores automatically, and you will need to request a separate score report after the fact.

Praxis scores are valid for 10 years from your test date. You do not need to retake an exam if you passed it within that window, even if you delayed your application.

Passing Scores and the 7002 Subtest

Passing scores vary by exam code. BESE publishes the current cut scores and updates them periodically. For elementary education candidates, the biggest decision is which reading assessment to take.

Under Act 448, all teachers seeking K-3 certification must pass a Science of Reading assessment. You have two options:

Option A: Take the standalone Teaching of Reading: Elementary (5205) with a passing score of 159, plus the standard English Language Arts subtest (5002). Combined registration runs approximately $220.

Option B: Take the Reading Language Arts subtest (7002) from the newer 7001 Elementary Multiple Subjects series. This single test bundles ELA content with the required reading pedagogy. Total cost is about $85.

The 7002 is the better deal by $135, and it covers both requirements in one sitting. The passing score follows a stepped schedule:

• Through December 31, 2026: 138
• January 1, 2027 to December 31, 2028: 147
• January 1, 2029 onward: 153

Exam Phase-Outs You Need to Know

On August 31, 2026, three Praxis exams are scheduled to retire and be replaced:

• Middle School Social Studies 5089 → replaced by 5589
• Pre-Kindergarten Education 5531 → replaced by 5533 (Early Childhood: Foundational Knowledge)
• Education of Young Children 5024 → replaced by 5534 (Early Childhood: Foundational Knowledge and Content)

If you are scheduling an exam for a date on or after the transition, use the replacement code. Always verify the active test code on the ETS Louisiana page before checkout.

The 28-Day Retake Rule

If you do not pass a Praxis exam, ETS enforces a strict 28-day waiting period before you can sit for the same test code again. Registering even one day early triggers automatic cancellation and forfeiture of your fee.

There is one exception: if you miss your scheduled test date entirely without canceling, you can re-register after just three business days. You still pay the full registration fee again, but you skip the 28-day wait.

Plan your testing calendar around this rule. If your first attempt is in early June and you do not pass, your earliest retake is early July — cutting it close to the August hiring window.

Free After 3

ETS introduced the "Free After 3" program for test attempts starting October 1, 2025. After you register and pay for the same Praxis exam code three separate times, you qualify for unlimited free retakes for five years from your third score report date.

The process is not automatic. After your third score release, ETS sends an email (typically within three days) with instructions to request a voucher through an online form. Each voucher is valid for six months, and you must request a new one for every subsequent attempt.

This is a genuine financial safety net if you are struggling with a content exam — but you still face the 28-day waiting period between each attempt.

Elementary Education Fundamentals (New for 2026)

Starting March 2026, ETS launched the Praxis Elementary Education Fundamentals series (test codes 8002 through 8006) to eventually replace the legacy 5001 multi-subject exam. Louisiana is an early adopter.

From March 9 through May 31, 2026, registration fees were discounted 75% — down to $19.75 per test from the standard $79. Starting summer 2026, ETS activated "Praxis Steps" modular testing, which lets you take and retake individual content modules instead of the full exam.

Registration Tips

Register early. Popular test centers fill up weeks in advance, especially during the spring and summer hiring season. Accommodations for learning disabilities, ADHD, or physical health conditions require an ETS Disability Services request 4-6 weeks before your test date — though you can expedite to 2-3 weeks with a Certification of Eligibility form from your university's accessibility office.

Four common accommodations — extended time (up to 50% extra), extra breaks, screen magnification, and color contrast adjustments — can be self-registered directly in your ETS account without a formal voucher.

The Louisiana Teacher Certification Guide includes a testing planner that maps exam codes to certification areas and helps you sequence your tests around the 28-day retake windows.

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