Educator Testing FAQs

As of September 1, 2006, the Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators (GACE) is the educator assessment in Georgia. Each GACE test was developed by Georgia educators from across the state, including the participation of committees of Georgia educators, educator preparation faculty, and other content and assessment specialists, including individuals from school systems, local schools, institutions of higher education (public and private), and other stakeholders. In other words, each GACE was developed by Georgia educators to measure competency on what is taught in Georgia's P-12 classrooms. GACE assessments include the Georgia Educator Ethics Assessment (for teachers) and the Georgia Ethics for Educational Leadership Assessment (for leaders); Paraprofessional Assessment; Content Assessments, and the performance-based assessments (Georgia Teacher Leadership Assessment (for teacher leaders) and the Performance Assessment for School Leaders (PASL) [for educational leaders]. The GACE assessments are aligned with state and national content standards and the state standards for the P-12 curriculum, which are the Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE). Groups of P-12 educators and those that prepare P-12 educators assisted with development of each GACE. Complete Information about the GACE program is available at www.gace.ets.org.

The FAQs of educator testing are listed as following. Click on questions below to view answers. 
  1. What is the GACE?

  2. Where can I find information about testing requirements in Georgia?

  3. When did the GACE replace the Praxis as the certification program in Georgia?

  4. Must I take the new GACE assessments if I have already passed the TCT or Praxis in my content field?

  5. If I took a Praxis test on or after March 6, 2007, will the GaPSC allow these score to be used for certification?

  6. In what instances could an educator take a Praxis test after March 5, 2007, and have it accepted for certification in Georgia?

  7. May a test taker combine a Praxis II test score with a GACE test score to meet the assessment requirement in a field?

  8. Can I get copies of my TCT scores from the GaPSC?

  9. Where do I find information on how to register, get score reports, or get specific information about the GACE program?

  10. Is the Program Admission Assessment (PAA) still required for admission into a state-approved educator preparation program or for provisional certification?

  11. What are the dates for upcoming GACE test administrations and when will scores be reported?

  12. How do I register for the GACE and what forms of payment are accepted?

  13. If I took the test and do not think I passed, should I register for the next administration before I receive my score report?

  14. Where will the GACE be administered?

  15. How much do the GACE assessments cost?

  16. Are alternative testing arrangements available for persons with disabilities or examinees whose religious practices do not allow them to test on Saturdays?

  17. Are there assessments that test takers can take at home or another secure location?

  18. If there are two or more tests in an assessment, are passing scores on all tests within the assessment required to pass the assessment, and may both be taken on the same day?

  19. I received a letter saying my scores were voided because I had a calculator when it was not allowed, had a cell phone, etc. What can I do to get my scores released?

  20. What are the tests in GACE for the field of social science?

  21. What are the tests for the field of Speech and Language Pathology?

  22. What is the difference between an "assessment" and a "test" in the GACE program?

  23. Where can I find information about the Ethics assessment requirement?

  24. Additional links

1. What is the GACE?
GACE is the acronym for Georgia Assessment for the Certification of Educators®. It is the educator assessment program for Georgia and is administered by Educational Testing Service (ETS). Complete information about the GACE program is available at www.gace.ets.org.

2. Where can I find information about testing requirements in Georgia?
General testing questions are answered on the Educator Assessment Requirements

3. When did the GACE replace the Praxis as the certification program in Georgia?
The GACE was required for Georgia educator certification beginning testing after September 1, 2006. The transition period has now passed, and only the GACE is accepted for those who are taking the test(s) now. The only exception field is Speech and Language Pathology as described in the note preceding these questions.

4. Must I take the new GACE assessments if I have already passed the TCT or Praxis in my content field?
Tests passed prior to March 6, 2007, in certification content fields in the TCT or Praxis programs are still valid and will remain on educator records.
Note: The certification field of Educational Leadership is an exception to the above statement. The GaPSC will not accept Praxis II scores for Educational Leadership assessments that reflect a score report date of after March 15, 2008. If a person has a passing score on his/her score report that is dated on or before March 15, 2008, that passing score will be accepted for the appropriate content assessment if that person completes any approved Georgia Educational Leadership program on or before September 30, 2009.

5. If I took a Praxis test on or after March 6, 2007, will the GaPSC allow these score to be used for certification?
Unless the field that you took the test was Speech and Language Pathology, Latin, or Leadership, the GaPSC will not accept the Praxis scores, and you must take GACE. See Educational Leadership note above.

6. In what instances could an educator take a Praxis test after March 5, 2007, and have it accepted for certification in Georgia?
Educators who are seeking certification in Speech and Language Pathology will continue to use the Praxis II tests. The Speech and Language Pathology Praxis (test # 20330) will continue to be accepted in Georgia. It is also the ASHA test and the minimum score for passing is 600.

7. May a test taker combine a Praxis II test score with a GACE test score to meet the assessment requirement in a field?
No, a test taker may not combine a Praxis test score with a GACE test score to meet the testing requirement in a content field. For example, an individual cannot combine a passing score on one of the Praxis content assessments formerly required for Mathematics (6-12) certification with one test from the GACE Mathematics assessment in order to meet the content assessment requirement for the field. Either the appropriate Praxis tests taken before March 5, 2007, or the GACE content assessment must be passed to meet the requirement for a content field. The Praxis and GACE are different testing programs and individual tests cannot be used to meet the testing requirement. To meet the testing requirement all tests within a GACE assessment (or Praxis, if taken before March 5, 2007), must be passed.

As of August 17, 2013, all GACE assessments are administered by ETS as the new supplier. In order for a GACE test to count toward certification, all tests within an assessment must come from the same supplier. Because scores from tests offered by different test suppliers are not comparable, passing scores on tests within an assessment cannot be split between the two suppliers (ES and ETS). Test takers must pass all parts of an assessment with the same testing supplier for that assessment to count toward certification. For example, an examinee cannot pass Early Childhood Education Test I with the former testing supplier, ES, and Early Childhood Education Test II with the current testing supplier, ETS, to get credit for completing the Early Childhood GACE assessment.

8. Can I get copies of my TCT scores from the GaPSC?
For information on TCT scores see the Score Request page.

9. Where do I find information on how to register, get score reports, or get specific information about the GACE program?
The GACE Website (www.gace.ets.org) is the official site for GACE information. The site includes test dates, registration information, the Registration Bulletin, the test design and framework, and preparation materials for each assessment. General information on the assessment requirement in Georgia is available on the GaPSC website, not on the GACE website.

10. Is the Program Admission Assessment (PAA) still required for admission into a state-approved educator preparation program or for provisional certification?
No, effective July 1, 2022, the PAA is no longer required in Georgia.

11. What are the dates for upcoming GACE test administrations and when will scores be reported?
Test dates can be found in the Test Centers and Dates. Score reporting dates are listed on the Getting Your Scores page of the GACE website.

12. How do I register for the GACE and what forms of payment are accepted?
The Registration Bulletin is available on the GACE Website under Bulletin and Reference Documents and includes information about fees and payment policies for the GACE assessments.
Registration for all GACE assessments, with the exception of the Paraprofessional assessment, must be done online via your ETS GACE testing account. Paraprofessional test takers do not need to register online and must call their administering school district or Regional Education Service Agency (RESA) to make an appointment to test.

13. If I took the test and do not think I passed, should I register for the next administration before I receive my score report?
No. You should wait to see if you passed the test before registering for it again. The GACE online registration system will not permit you to register for a GACE assessment within 30 days of your last attempt to take the test.

14. Where will the GACE be administered?
Test centers can be found on the Test Centers and Dates page of the GACE website. Test centers are located throughout the state of Georgia, in neighboring and other states in the United States, and internationally. Beginning in August, 2013, you will be able to use the Test Center Search tool on the GACE website to determine when and where the assessment you need to take is being administered. You will also have access to a test center map and driving directions to test centers located within Georgia.

15. How much do the GACE assessments cost?
Information about test fees can be found on the Fees, Payment, and Refund Policies page of the GACE website.

16. Are alternative testing arrangements available for persons with disabilities or examinees whose religious practices do not allow them to test on Saturdays?
Yes, the Bulletin Supplement for Test Takers with Disabilities or Health-related Needs provides details on documentation required for review of requests for such arrangements.

17. Are there assessments that test takers can take at home or another secure location?
Yes, the Paraprofessional Assessment does have an at-home testing option. More information about this "at home" option is available at https://www.gace.ets.org/paraprofessional/test_takers/about.

18. If there are two or more tests in an assessment, are passing scores on all tests within the assessment required to pass the assessment, and may both be taken on the same day?
Yes, passing an assessment requires a passing score on all tests within the assessment. All tests within an assessment may be taken in one testing session or they may be taken on separate testing days. Two middle grades content assessments may be taken in one testing session.

19. I received a letter saying my scores were voided because I had a calculator when it was not allowed, had a cell phone, etc. What can I do to get my scores released?
Any questions about voided scores should be directed to ETS Customer Service at gace_inquiries@ets.org or 1-855-225-7178. Violations of the agreed upon rules of test participation are not handled by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission.

If you have comments about the test center where you tested or the conditions under which you took a test, please submit them to ETS in writing by mail, email, or fax. Please provide all pertinent details and include the name and address of the test center, and the test date. Comments must be submitted or postmarked no later than two days after the date of your test.

  • Mail:
    ETS – GACE Program
    Computer-delivered Testing Comments
    P.O. Box 6051
    Princeton, NJ 08541-6051
  • FAX: 1-609-530-0581
  • Email: gacetesting@ets.org
If you want to contact ETS about a voided score, the recommended procedure is to send a letter or FAX to the address above. Be sure to include your name, candidate ID, what test you took and the location, and a detailed explanation of why you believe that there were extenuating circumstances that warrant a review. Possession of cell phones and unauthorized calculators in the testing area are major violations and generally will not be reviewed. See the Procedures and Regulations section of the GACE website for more information.

Complete contact information for ETS is available at https://www.gace.ets.org/contact.

20. What are the tests for the field of social science?
Information about the GACE program is available at www.gace.ets.org. Please note that in the GACE testing program, there is no broad field social studies test for high school (6-12). Instead separate tests are available for History, Economics, Geography, and Political Science. An educator seeking authorization to teach multiple social science subjects at the high school level (grades 6-12) will need to pass the appropriate content GACE tests. However the GACE program will include a middle grades social studies test to support Middle Grades Social Studies (4-8) certification.

21. What are the tests for the field of Speech and Language Pathology?
For certification candidates in the field of Speech and Language Pathology the Praxis Speech-Language Pathology test, code 5331, is the required content assessment as it is the test required for national licensing with ASHA. The passing score for this test is 162. Results from the Praxis test offered in this field prior to September 2014, code 5330 or 0330, will also be accepted with a passing score of 600.

22. What is the difference between an "assessment" and a "test" in the GACE program?
Each assessment is made up of one to two tests. GACE content assessments have two tests within the assessment, except for middle grades fields, which have one test each. The Paraprofessional assessment has one test.

23. Where can I find information about the Ethics assessment requirement?
Information about the Georgia Educator Ethics assessment (for teachers) and the Ethics Assessment for Educational Leaders (for leaders) is available at https://www.gace.ets.org/ethics/about.

24. Additional information links