Arizona and New Mexico are the latest states to choose to use Pearson's NES (National Evaluation Series) Teacher Certification Tests as part of their teacher licensure programs.
NES tests deliver comprehensive, professionally reviewed exams covering a range of topics from reading, writing, mathematics, technology, and more. NES tests will now be offered at 1,000 testing centers worldwide.
“As our national focus on preparing all students for success in college and careers continues to intensify, there is also increased attention being paid to preparing new teachers to face today’s educational challenges,” said William Gorth, Ph.D., president of the Evaluation Systems group of Pearson. “The NES and our custom teacher certification testing programs are designed to help states address today’s critical need for knowledgeable teachers.”
Candidates seeking certification in Arizona will now take the NES Assessment of Professional Knowledge tests. These tests assess the candidates’ knowledge of essential areas such as student development and learning; assessment, instruction and the learning environment; and the professional environment in both elementary and secondary education.
All candidates seeking an elementary education license in New Mexico will now be required to take the NES Essential Components of Elementary Reading Instruction test. Based on research, the test assesses the candidates’ knowledge of areas of reading instruction such as foundations of reading an alphabetic language; word analysis and fluency development; vocabulary and comprehension development; reading different types of text; and the literate environment and the classroom reading professional.
Teacher licensure candidates have access to a complement of NES preparation resources and tools, available for all NES test fields, including:
- NES Practice: full-length, online practice tests designed to simulate the experience of taking a NES test.
- NES Profile: free, online study guides that include the essential information a candidate needs about a NES test, such as the format and content covered, as well as sample test questions.
- NES Prep: interactive, online study guides that feature a diagnostic test, review exercises, a review of test competencies and, for 13 fields, instructional content for additional study.
