All teacher candidates are required to successfully complete specific exam requirements to be eligible for NYS Teacher Certification. Most will need the following:
- EAS – Educating All Students
- CST – Content Specialty Test*
*Those applying for Speech & Language Disabilities (SLD) or Career & Technical Education (CTE) do not need the CST assessments at this time.
To determine which exams are required for your program/certificate title, visit the Exam Guidance Document.
To REGISTER for an exam, go to the NYSTCE website and click on “Register”. Be sure to select SUC Buffalo State (#735) as your reporting school when registering for an exam.
To PREPARE for the exams, go to the NYSTCE website and click on “Prepare”. The preparation resources include:
- Study Guide – includes a description of the exam and some sample questions.
- Testing Framework – explains how the test and the questions were designed and outlines what percentage of questions relate to specific competencies.
- Tour the Center – describes what to expect when you go in to take your test.
- CBT Tutorial – outlines the computer-based testing process and reviews the testing software navigation
These preparation materials are interactive and don’t always work well with all devices. Be sure to allow yourself enough time to access the materials on a different device if you are unable to access them with the first device you try.
You may take the exams at any time; however, your academic advisor and/or department may have more specific suggestions for when you should complete them.
Exam score reporting on TEACH
In order for exam scores to appear properly in your TEACH account, all account information in your NYSTCE (Pearson) account must match exactly what is listed in your TEACH account (full name, Social Security number, date of birth). The name listed in both accounts must contain the same exact information (e.g., - middle initial, hyphenated names must be the same, last name, no nicknames, etc.).
First, you must login to both accounts and make sure that all information matches exactly. If your accounts don't match, you must change your NYSTCE (Pearson) account to match what is listed in your TEACH account. This should solve the problem. Exam scores are continuously transmitted between the NYSTCE system and the TEACH system.
It is your responsibility to ensure that your information matches across both accounts, to make sure that the exam result(s) are transmitted properly. If you have any questions about how to get your scores transmitted to your TEACH account, you can contact NYSTCE (Pearson) at: (800) 989-8532.