WHO IS REQUIRED TO TAKE THE TESTS?

Candidates applying for admission to state-approved educator preparation programs and candidates who are prepared and/or certified out of state and applying for a Washington residency or professional teaching certificate are required to meet the minimum passing scores on all three subtests (Reading, Mathematics, and Writing) of the WEST–B. Candidates adding an endorsement to a new or existing Washington teaching certificate are required to meet the minimum passing scores on the corresponding WEST–E test.

Applicants for the residency teaching certificate who have completed an educator preparation program outside Washington may apply for a teaching permit that will grant them an additional calendar year to meet the WEST–B and WEST–E requirements.

The PESB has adopted rules that provide exemptions to the WEST–B and WEST–E requirements under certain circumstances:

• WEST–B exemption. Candidates who are prepared and/or certified out of state and who are applying for a Washington teaching certificate or applying to a master's degree educator preparation program are exempt from the WEST–B requirement if they provide evidence of a National Board Teaching Certificate or if they provide official documentation of:

  • Washington passing scores on all three tests (Reading, Mathematics, and Writing) of the Praxis I or Praxis I CBT Computer Administered tests.
  • passing scores from California or Oregon on all three sections (Reading, Mathematics, and Writing) of the California Basic Educational Skills Test™ (CBEST®).

  The WEST–B requirement cannot be fulfilled or waived by combining scores on different subtests or sections of the WEST–B, Praxis I, and/or CBEST.

• WEST–E exemption. Individuals who hold a National Board Certificate are exempt from the WEST–E requirement if there is a direct equivalency between the endorsements and the National Board Certificate, as approved by the PESB and published by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI).

More information about extensions and exemptions can be found on the PESB Web site at www.pesb.wa.gov or by calling the PESB at (360) 725-6275.

For more information about certification requirements and how to apply for a Washington teaching certificate, please visit the Web site for the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) at www.k12.wa.us or call the OSPI at (360) 725-6400.

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