Praxis Core Passing Scores by State (2026)

What is the Praxis Core passing score in each state?

In most states we could source it is 156 Reading, 162 Writing and 150 Math. The quick table shows every state; the list under it gives what the scores are for, alternatives and the source for each.

Praxis Core cut scores (100-200 scale), checked 13 Nov 2026
State	Reading	Writing	Math
Alaska	156	162	150
Kentucky	156	162	150
Maryland	156	162	Not required
North Dakota	156	160	150
South Carolina	156	158	150
West Virginia	156	162	150
Mississippi *	156	162	130
Pennsylvania *	156	162	142
Tennessee *	156	162	150

* Reported by a state university that quotes the state rule, because we could not read the state agency's own table. Every other row was read from the state agency, a state regulation or the state board.

From the state agency or regulation

Alaska
R 156 · W 162 · M 150
The basic competency exam for an Initial Teacher certificate. Section scores from different sittings, and from different approved basic competency exams, may be combined into a passing set. The state FAQ lists these cuts under the older codes 5712, 5722 and 5732.
Source: Alaska Department of Education and Early Development, Teacher Certification: Praxis and basic competency exams. Official, checked 13 Nov 2026.
Kentucky
R 156 · W 162 · M 150
Admission to an educator preparation program. The regulation also accepts ACT or SAT routes (an ACT composite of 22 with subject minimums) and combinations of ACT, SAT and Core scores. Some college pages print lower Core figures; the regulation is the rule.
Source: Kentucky Administrative Regulations, 16 KAR 5:020 (admission to educator preparation). Official, checked 13 Nov 2026.
Maryland
R 156 · W 162 · M –
Licensure, only for applicants without a 3.0 GPA on their most recent degree. MSDE's current table asks for Core Reading and Writing (or an approved SAT, ACT or GRE alternative). A 2019 State Board item listed Math at 150 from July 2020, but the current table we read lists Reading and Writing only, so ask MSDE if you are unsure.
Source: Maryland State Department of Education, Certification: Testing Information. Official, checked 13 Nov 2026.
North Dakota
R 156 · W 160 · M 150
Basic skills for licensure. Composite route: 466 total, with at least 149 Reading, 153 Writing and 143 Math. Anyone who passed Core before 1 September 2018 counts as passed. Since April 2023 the ESPB also accepts the NDACTE alternative model in place of Core.
Source: North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board, "Testing Information". Official, checked 13 Nov 2026.
South Carolina
R 156 · W 158 · M 150
Admission to an educator preparation program. Composite route: 464 total, with at least 152 Reading, 154 Writing and 146 Math. Qualifying SAT or ACT scores can exempt you; check the state page for the current thresholds. Note the Writing cut is 158 here, not the 162 most states use.
Source: South Carolina Department of Education, "Educator Preparation Program Admission Assessments". Official, checked 13 Nov 2026.
West Virginia
R 156 · W 162 · M 150
Licensure (one reading, one writing and one math assessment). The ETS Praxis Bridge option is accepted for a score within one standard error of the cut. Exemptions include a content test score two standard errors above its cut, or a B or better in three qualifying basic skills courses. The WVDE directory in force governs.
Source: West Virginia Department of Education, Licensure Testing Directory (effective 3 June 2026). Official, checked 13 Nov 2026.

Reported by a university quoting the state rule

Mississippi
R 156 · W 162 · M 130
Admission to teacher education. Scores cannot be combined: all three must pass. An ACT composite of 21 (no subscore under 18) or an SAT of 990 exempts you, and some programs also accept a 3.0 GPA. The Math cut of 130 has applied since September 2019.
Source: Mississippi State University College of Education, "Admission to Teacher Education (Phase II)" (reports the state rule). Reported by a university, not the state itself, checked 13 Nov 2026.
Pennsylvania
R 156 · W 162 · M 142
Basic skills for an Instructional I certificate. Composite route: 460 total, with at least 148 Reading, 158 Writing and 132 Math. Scores from different test providers may be combined. Pennsylvania has paused this requirement before (one school page said it was waived until 8 July 2025), so confirm with PDE or your program whether it applies to you now.
Source: Kutztown University, "Required Standardized Testing" (reports the PDE rule). Reported by a university, not the state itself, checked 13 Nov 2026.
Tennessee
R 156 · W 162 · M 150
Admission to an educator preparation program (not licensure). State Board rule 0520-02-04-.08 requires a 2.75 GPA and a qualifying Core, ACT or SAT score; programs list an ACT composite of 21 or an SAT of 1080 as the alternative.
Source: Tennessee Tech University, Teacher Education "Test Requirements" (reports the State Board thresholds). Reported by a university, not the state itself, checked 13 Nov 2026.

Can I pass Praxis Core with a composite score?

In some states, yes. North Dakota, South Carolina and Pennsylvania accept a total across the three tests, as long as each test also clears a lower minimum.

Composite routes as published, checked 13 Nov 2026
State	Composite total	Minimum on each test
North Dakota	466 total	149 Reading, 153 Writing and 143 Math
South Carolina	464 total	152 Reading, 154 Writing and 146 Math
Pennsylvania	460 total	148 Reading, 158 Writing and 132 Math

A composite helps when one test is close and another is comfortably above its cut. In South Carolina, for example, scores of 160 Reading, 156 Writing and 148 Math miss the Writing and Math cuts but total 464 and clear every minimum (152, 154 and 146), so they pass by the composite route.

Composite rules are the easiest to misread. Check your state's current page before you decide not to retake a test, and ask your program how it applies them.

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Which states list Praxis Core but are not in the table?

Hawaii, Nevada, Louisiana and Alabama mention Praxis Core in their rules, but we could not read a current cut-score table from a source we trust, so we leave them out rather than guess.

Hawaii
The Hawaii Teacher Standards Board lists Praxis Core among its licensure tests, but we could not read its score table. Third-party sites report 156, 162 and 150; check the board before you rely on them.
Source: ETS, "Overview of Hawaii Testing Requirements", checked 13 Nov 2026.
Nevada
The Nevada Department of Education accepts both the old (5712, 5722, 5732) and current (5713, 5723, 5733) Core codes, and regulation R067-24 lets some candidates waive Core after an attempt. We could not read its cut scores.
Source: Nevada Department of Education, "Competency Testing Requirements", checked 13 Nov 2026.
Louisiana
An ACT composite of 22 (or a qualifying SAT) has long replaced Core for program entry, and the legislature voted in 2022 to remove the Core requirement. Ask your preparation provider what it still asks for.
Source: Tulane University, "Louisiana Praxis Requirements", checked 13 Nov 2026.
Alabama
The State Board generally adopts the multistate ETS passing score for its Praxis requirements, but we found no current Alabama page listing Core cut scores.
Source: Alabama State Board of Education, resolution on Praxis passing scores (June 2022), checked 13 Nov 2026.

For any state, ETS's passing score lookup lets you choose the state and test and shows the score it has on file. Use it alongside your state agency's page, because the agency's rule wins if they differ.

Which states use their own basic skills test instead of Praxis Core?

California, Florida and Massachusetts set their own basic skills tests (CBEST, FTCE General Knowledge and MTEL Communication and Literacy Skills), with alternatives. Massachusetts accepts a Praxis-based reading and writing test as one of them.

California
The basic skills requirement can be met in one of several ways, including the CBEST, qualifying ACT or CSU scores, the CSET Multiple Subjects with writing, or college coursework. Praxis Core is not one of the listed routes.
Source: California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, "Options to Meet the Basic Skills Requirement" (FAQs), checked 13 Nov 2026.
Florida
Florida uses its own FTCE General Knowledge Test (essay, English language skills, reading and math), or an alternative such as a master's degree or a standard certificate from another state.
Source: Broward County Public Schools, "Description of Tests" (reports the FTCE rule), checked 13 Nov 2026.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts requires the MTEL Communication and Literacy Skills test or an approved alternative. DESE lists a Praxis-based communication and literacy test (reading and writing only, no math) among the alternatives, so check which one your program accepts.
Source: Massachusetts DESE, "Approved alternatives to the Communication and Literacy Skills test", checked 13 Nov 2026.

Which states no longer require Praxis Core?

North Carolina, New Jersey, Delaware and Nebraska have dropped a state basic skills (Core) requirement, as reported. Programs and districts can still ask for it.

North Carolina
A 2026 state budget provision ended the requirement to pass Praxis Core before upper-level education courses (reported September 2026).
Source: WUNC, "NC ends college entrance exam, Praxis Core requirement" (10 Sep 2026), checked 13 Nov 2026.
New Jersey
The basic skills requirement for certification was removed effective 1 January 2025. Subject tests are still required.
Source: The 74, "New Jersey officials defend law dropping test requirement for would-be teachers", checked 13 Nov 2026.
Delaware
Delaware stopped requiring Praxis Core for licensure in 2017.
Source: Delaware State University, "Praxis Core no longer required for admission to TEP", checked 13 Nov 2026.
Nebraska
The state basic skills test requirement was repealed in May 2023; districts may still ask for it.
Source: WOWT, "Nebraska teachers no longer required by state to take skills test" (16 May 2023), checked 13 Nov 2026.

Dropping the state requirement does not always end it: an individual college or district may keep Praxis Core for admission or hiring. If you are in one of these states, ask your program before you register.

How is a Praxis Core score calculated?

Your correct answers (plus the two essay scores, for Writing) are converted to a scaled score from 100 to 200. The conversion is adjusted for each test form, so ETS does not publish a fixed number of questions needed to pass.

A scaled score means the same thing whichever version of the test you sat: a slightly harder form needs slightly fewer right answers for the same score. For context, ETS's score report guide for 2023-24 gives a median Core Reading score of 170, with the middle half of test takers between 158 and 184.

That is why our practice tests report percent right and a practice band, not a Praxis score. Anyone who converts a practice percent into a 100-200 score is guessing. The Praxis Core test guide explains the score report.

What happens if I miss my state's Praxis Core passing score?

You retake only the test you missed, after at least 28 days, for $90. Your passing scores on the other tests stand.

Check the composite route if your state has one: you may already pass.
Check the alternatives: many states accept ACT or SAT scores, a GPA or coursework instead.
Book the retake at least 28 days after your attempt, and leave time for scores to reach your program.
Use the weeks in between on the question types that cost you points, not on the whole test.
After three attempts at the same test, ETS's Free After 3 program may cover later attempts (first attempts on or after 1 October 2025; combined tests are handled differently).

A practice mock before the retake shows whether the gap has closed. The plan in how to pass Praxis Core works for a retake too: start with the test you missed.

How do I check the current passing score for my state?

Use three sources in this order: your state education agency's testing page, ETS's passing score lookup, and your preparation program. If they differ, the state agency's rule wins.

States change these rules more often than most people expect: four of the states on this page dropped or paused the requirement in the last few years. Every row above links to the page we read on 13 November 2026, so you can check whether it has changed since.

Then find out how far you are from your state's cut on each test: the free Praxis Core practice test scores all three, and Praxis Core sample questions shows the question types with worked answers.

Frequently asked questions

What is a passing score on Praxis Core?

It depends on your state. 156 Reading, 162 Writing and 150 Math are the most common cuts on the 100-200 scale, but several states use different numbers or a composite.

Is 150 a passing score on Praxis Core Math?

In most states we could source, yes: 150 is the common Math cut. Pennsylvania uses 142 and Mississippi 130, so 150 clears those too.

How many questions do I need right to pass?

ETS does not publish it, because the raw-to-scaled conversion changes between test forms.

Do all states require Praxis Core?

No. Some use their own tests (California, Florida, Massachusetts), several have dropped a basic skills requirement, and many accept ACT, SAT or GPA alternatives.

Can I combine scores from different sittings?

Some states allow it; Alaska, for example, lets you combine section scores from different sittings. Check your state's row and its source.

Know which test is at risk before you book

Four Praxis Core-style mocks scored test by test, four drills for each test and every answer explained, for one payment.