South Carolina Praxis Requirements: Tests & Scores
South Carolina Praxis Requirements: Tests, Passing Scores & Teacher Certification
If you plan to become a teacher in South Carolina, understanding the South Carolina Praxis Requirements is an important part of your certification journey. Depending on your certification field and pathway, you may need to pass a Praxis subject assessment, a Principles of Learning and Teaching examination, Praxis Core, or another assessment approved by the South Carolina State Board of Education.
South Carolina uses Praxis examinations extensively for teacher certification. The state also has requirements that differ according to certification area, grade level, whether you are entering an educator preparation program, and whether you already hold a teaching credential in another state.
This guide explains the South Carolina Praxis Requirements, passing scores, Praxis Core rules, pedagogy examinations, elementary education requirements, special education testing, the new reading-assessment requirement, and important steps candidates should understand before registering.
Candidates who want structured exam preparation can explore the AIProctoredExams Praxis and teacher preparation resources.
What Are the South Carolina Praxis Requirements?
The South Carolina Praxis Requirements depend primarily on the type of educator certificate you are pursuing.
For most initial classroom teaching certificates, South Carolina requires candidates to demonstrate both content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge. The South Carolina Department of Education states that most certification fields use Praxis subject-area and pedagogy assessments administered by ETS.
A candidate seeking initial certification in a classroom teaching field generally must obtain a qualifying score on the appropriate subject-area assessment and an approved pedagogy assessment.
Different rules may apply to service fields. Candidates seeking certification in areas such as School Counselor, School Psychologist, School Librarian, or Speech-Language Pathologist generally need the approved content assessment but are not required to complete the standard pedagogy assessment for those service fields.
Because requirements can change, candidates should verify their exact certification field using the official South Carolina Department of Education Certification Assessments page and the ETS Praxis State Requirements tool before registering.
For exam preparation, you can also begin at the AIProctoredExams online exam preparation homepage or browse the complete AIProctoredExams course catalog.
Who Needs to Take Praxis in South Carolina?
Understanding South Carolina Praxis Requirements begins with identifying your certification pathway.
| Candidate | Typical Assessment Requirement |
|---|---|
| Initial classroom teacher | Approved subject-area assessment plus pedagogy assessment |
| Traditional educator preparation program completer | Content and pedagogy requirements for certification field |
| Alternative route candidate | Subject-area assessment generally required for program eligibility; pedagogy requirement follows during certification pathway |
| Teacher adding another teaching field | Appropriate subject-area assessment; another pedagogy test generally is not required |
| Service-field candidate | Appropriate content assessment; standard pedagogy assessment generally not required |
| Out-of-state certified teacher | Requirements depend on credentials, prior assessments, experience, and reciprocity review |
The South Carolina Department of Education advises out-of-state program completers to allow the agency to evaluate their preparation before assuming a particular examination is required, because certification fields and grade ranges differ among states.
South Carolina Praxis Core Requirements
Praxis Core has an important role in South Carolina educator preparation.
South Carolina has adopted the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators assessments in reading, mathematics, and writing as a way to satisfy basic-skills requirements for full admission to undergraduate teacher preparation programs.
Current individual qualifying scores published by the South Carolina Department of Education are:
| Praxis Core Test | Code | Qualifying Score |
|---|---|---|
| Core Reading | 5713 | 156 |
| Core Writing | 5723 | 158 |
| Core Mathematics | 5733 | 150 |
South Carolina also provides a composite-score option. Candidates may qualify with a combined score of 464 or higher, provided no individual section falls more than four points below its standard qualifying score. Under that option, the minimums are 152 for Reading, 154 for Writing, and 146 for Mathematics.
Qualifying SAT or ACT scores may provide exemptions from some or all Praxis Core sections. For example, South Carolina currently identifies an SAT composite of 1100 or ACT composite of 22 as potential full exemptions under the state’s policy. Candidates should verify eligibility with their preparation program.
Candidates preparing for Reading 5713, Writing 5723, Mathematics 5733, or the combined 5752 can use the Praxis Core 5713, 5723, 5733 and 5752 Exam Preparation Course.
The official South Carolina Educator Preparation Program Admission Assessments page should be checked for current exemptions and score policies.
South Carolina Praxis Requirements for Elementary Education
Elementary Education is particularly important in the South Carolina Praxis Requirements strategy because multiple assessments may be involved.
For the 2025–26 academic-year assessment schedule, South Carolina identifies Praxis 5001 Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects and Praxis 7811 Elementary Education: Content Knowledge for Teaching as accepted series for Elementary Education Grades 2–6. All required subtests within the selected series must be passed.
Praxis 5001 Passing Scores in South Carolina
| Subtest | Code | South Carolina Qualifying Score |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and Language Arts | 5002 | 157 |
| Mathematics | 5003 | 157 |
| Social Studies | 5004 | 155 |
| Science | 5005 | 159 |
Candidates may register for the combined Praxis 5001 or complete the four subtests individually. South Carolina requires qualifying scores across all four required subtests.
AIProctoredExams provides a dedicated Praxis 5001 Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects Exam Preparation course covering Reading and Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science.
Praxis 7811 Alternative
South Carolina’s published assessment schedule also recognizes the Praxis 7811 Elementary Education: Content Knowledge for Teaching series.
Its listed qualifying scores are:
| Subtest | Code | Qualifying Score |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and Language Arts | 7812 | 161 |
| Mathematics | 7813 | 150 |
| Science | 7814 | 154 |
| Social Studies | 7815 | 162 |
Candidates should confirm which series is appropriate for their specific educator preparation and certification pathway before registering.
New South Carolina Reading Assessment Requirement Starting September 1, 2026
A particularly important change affects candidates beginning September 1, 2026.
The South Carolina Department of Education states that candidates seeking certification in Early Childhood, Elementary, or Special Education fields must earn a passing score on an approved reading-instruction assessment.
South Carolina has approved two testing options:
Praxis 5205 Teaching Reading: Elementary
or
Pearson Foundations of Reading 890
This makes Praxis 5205 significantly more important within the South Carolina Praxis Requirements beginning September 1, 2026.
Candidates choosing the Praxis option can use the Praxis 5205 Teaching Reading: Elementary Exam Preparation Course to review science-of-reading principles, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, assessment, differentiation, and constructed-response preparation.
Because this requirement is changing at the beginning of September 2026, candidates should confirm current implementation rules directly with the South Carolina Department of Education before registering.
South Carolina Praxis PLT Requirements
South Carolina uses Praxis Principles of Learning and Teaching examinations as its standard pedagogy-assessment route for many classroom teaching fields.
The appropriate Praxis PLT examination must correspond to the certification grade range. South Carolina’s published assessment schedule identifies the following scores.
| Certification Level | Praxis PLT | Qualifying Score |
|---|---|---|
| Early Childhood | 5621 | 157 |
| Grades K–6 | 5622 | 160 |
| Grades 5–9 | 5623 | 160 |
| Grades 7–12 | 5624 | 157 |
| PreK–12 | 5625 | 157 |
Candidates preparing for Early Childhood pedagogy can review the Praxis 5621 Principles of Learning and Teaching: Early Childhood preparation course.
Elementary candidates can prepare through the Praxis 5622 Principles of Learning and Teaching: Grades K–6 course.
Middle-level candidates can use the Praxis 5623 Principles of Learning and Teaching: Grades 5–9 preparation course.
Secondary candidates can prepare with the Praxis 5624 Principles of Learning and Teaching: Grades 7–12 course.
South Carolina also recognizes certain approved performance assessments in some circumstances. Candidates should therefore verify their educator preparation program requirements before assuming that PLT is their only available pedagogy pathway.
South Carolina Special Education Praxis Requirements
Special Education candidates should pay particular attention to the South Carolina Praxis Requirements because several certification fields require more than one content assessment.
For example, the state’s published assessment schedule lists Praxis 5355 Special Education: Foundational Knowledge as part of several special education pathways. The qualifying score shown for Praxis 5355 is 145.
For Emotional Disabilities, candidates may also need Praxis 5372, while Intellectual Disabilities may involve Praxis 5322 and Learning Disabilities may involve Praxis 5383. South Carolina lists Praxis 5355 by itself for the Multi-categorical PK–12 certification field.
Candidates preparing for the foundational assessment can review the Praxis 5355 Special Education: Foundational Knowledge Exam Preparation course.
Starting September 1, 2026, candidates in designated Special Education fields should also pay attention to the state’s new reading-assessment requirement.
Praxis 5331 Speech-Language Pathology in South Carolina
South Carolina’s assessment schedule lists Praxis 5331 Speech-Language Pathology with a qualifying score of 162 for the Speech-Language Pathologist field. The state also indicates that qualifying South Carolina professional licensure may, under specified circumstances, provide verification related to this requirement.
Because Speech-Language Pathology is considered a service field for South Carolina educator certification purposes, the standard classroom-teacher pedagogy assessment requirement does not apply in the same way.
Candidates preparing for this examination can explore the Praxis 5331 Speech-Language Pathology Exam Preparation course.
Other Praxis Subject Assessments Used in South Carolina
South Carolina uses Praxis examinations across many certification fields, including English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, History, Health, Agriculture, Business Education, ESOL, and several Special Education categories.
Because every teaching field has its own test code and qualifying score, candidates should not assume that a score required in another state automatically applies to South Carolina.
Candidates who want to strengthen broad foundational knowledge across English Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Science, and Science can also explore the Praxis 5511 Fundamental Subjects: Content Knowledge preparation course where relevant to their preparation goals.
Always confirm the exact assessment required for your South Carolina certification field before purchasing or scheduling an examination.
How to Apply for South Carolina Teacher Certification
The certification examination is only one component of becoming licensed.
South Carolina educator preparation program completers generally must submit a certification application, complete fingerprinting and criminal-records review, pay the applicable processing fee, provide official transcripts, submit required program documentation, and submit official qualifying assessment scores.
The South Carolina Department of Education currently lists a $105 non-refundable processing fee for qualifying educator preparation program applicants.
Candidates can review the official South Carolina educator certification application process before beginning.
Sending Your Praxis Scores to South Carolina
Following the correct score-reporting procedure is another important part of the South Carolina Praxis Requirements.
When registering for a Praxis assessment for South Carolina certification, the South Carolina Department of Education instructs candidates to provide their complete nine-digit Social Security number so that electronic score reports can be matched with their certification records.
Candidates should also designate the South Carolina Department of Education, state code 8108, as an official score recipient.
ETS explains that additional score reports can be ordered through a candidate’s Praxis account and that Praxis scores remain available for reporting for ten years.
For current score-reporting procedures, consult the ETS Praxis score-reporting information.
Can You Take the Praxis Online in South Carolina?
Many Praxis assessments can be completed either at an authorized testing center or through Praxis at-home testing when that particular assessment is eligible.
The South Carolina Department of Education states that Praxis exams are available at testing centers throughout South Carolina and other locations and that most Praxis assessments are also available through an at-home testing option.
Candidates should confirm that their specific exam is eligible for at-home testing when scheduling through ETS.
How to Prepare for the South Carolina Praxis
Passing Praxis generally requires more than memorizing isolated definitions. Candidates should understand the official test framework, identify the content domains being assessed, practice realistic questions, analyze mistakes, and devote additional study time to weaker areas.
AIProctoredExams provides structured Praxis and exam study guides that can be used alongside individual test-preparation courses.
Candidates who are new to the platform can review How AIProctoredExams Works to understand the study, practice, review, and improvement process.
A useful preparation sequence is to first verify your official test code, review the test blueprint, study each major content area, complete topic-based practice, work through full-length tests, review every incorrect response, strengthen weak areas, and then complete additional timed practice before test day.
Frequently Asked Questions About South Carolina Praxis Requirements
Does South Carolina require the Praxis?
South Carolina uses Praxis examinations for many educator certification fields. Most initial classroom-teaching candidates need an approved subject-area assessment and an approved pedagogy assessment, although the exact requirements vary by certification field and pathway.
What Praxis Core scores does South Carolina require?
For educator preparation program admission, South Carolina currently lists 156 for Praxis Core Reading 5713, 158 for Writing 5723, and 150 for Mathematics 5733. A qualifying composite option and SAT/ACT exemptions are also available under specified conditions.
What is the South Carolina Praxis 5001 passing score?
Praxis 5001 is composed of four subtests. South Carolina’s published assessment schedule lists qualifying scores of 157 for Reading and Language Arts 5002, 157 for Mathematics 5003, 155 for Social Studies 5004, and 159 for Science 5005.
Is Praxis 5205 required in South Carolina?
Beginning September 1, 2026, candidates seeking certification in Early Childhood, Elementary, or designated Special Education fields must meet a reading-assessment requirement. Praxis 5205 Teaching Reading: Elementary is one of the approved assessment options; Pearson Foundations of Reading 890 is the other.
What Praxis PLT score does South Carolina require?
The score depends on certification level. South Carolina currently lists 157 for PLT 5621, 160 for PLT 5622, 160 for PLT 5623, 157 for PLT 5624, and 157 for PLT 5625.
Where can I verify South Carolina Praxis Requirements?
Candidates should use the South Carolina Department of Education and ETS as the final authorities. Certification requirements, assessment codes, qualifying scores, and policies may change, so verify your specific field before registering.
Prepare for Your South Carolina Praxis Exam
Understanding the South Carolina Praxis Requirements allows you to build a preparation plan around the correct examination instead of spending time studying for a test that may not apply to your certification pathway.
First identify your certification field. Then confirm the required subject-area test, determine whether a pedagogy assessment applies, check whether the September 1, 2026 reading requirement affects you, and verify the current qualifying score.
Once you know your test code, structured study and realistic practice can help you strengthen content knowledge and identify areas that need additional attention.
Explore the Praxis preparation resources available through AIProctoredExams and begin preparing for your required teacher-certification examination with a more focused study strategy.
Disclaimer: AIProctoredExams is an independent exam-preparation provider and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by ETS, the South Carolina Department of Education, or other examination providers. Praxis is a trademark of ETS. Candidates should always verify current certification requirements, exam codes, qualifying scores, fees, and policies directly with the appropriate official agency.
