The Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators (GACE) is the approved teacher certification exam adopted by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (PSC) in 2006. This exam has two tiers. The GACE Program Admission Assessment (PAA) is required for admission to a teacher education program and takes the place of the earlier Basic Skills assessment. The GACE subject tests are required for certification after a teacher preparation program has been completed. Subject area tests consist of either one or two exams, depending on the content area. In addition, there is a Certificate Upgrade assessment available for educators working in some technology areas and an Educational Leadership assessment for those assuming leadership positions in Georgia schools. A Georgia Ethics assessment verifies the candidate's understanding of the Georgia Code of Ethics for Educators. There is also a GACE Paraprofessional assessment for paraprofessional positions in Georgia schools. We will discuss GACE exemptions and waivers in subsequent sections.
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Create AccountThe Program Admission Assessment (PAA) comprises three subtests: Reading, Mathematics, and Writing. The PAA tests basic academic skills in these areas and candidates must receive passing scores on all three assessments. This exam should be completed by the end of the freshman undergraduate year to secure admission to a teacher preparation program. Candidates can receive GACE Program Admission Assessment exemptions if:
Educators holding a current or expired Georgia professional teaching certificate are not required to take the PAA. In addition, educators holding current or expired certification from other states or graduates of teacher preparation programs from other states are not required to take the PAA. These candidates can apply for certification without a PAA score. However, they are not exempted from any required content exams. Note that candidates holding non-renewable certificates are not eligible for waivers to the PAA.
Acceptable scores on the SAT, ACT or GRE can be supplied in lieu of the PAA. Passing requirements for each of these substitute assessments depend on the date the exams were taken.
For all of these alternative exams, scores from two different exam administrations can be combined. However, scores from different exams cannot be combined.
Comparable tests from some states have been designated as acceptable in lieu of the GACE PAA. The state tests that do qualify for waivers are listed below.
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Create AccountThe GACE Content Assessments are required of all prospective educators; their goal is to make sure aspiring teachers have acceptable content knowledge for each certification field. Candidates should check the Georgia Professional Standards Commission website to determine the required test for their selected certification field. All subtests for any particular exam must be passed to satisfy the requirement for that content exam. A Praxis exam is used for Speech and Language Pathology. Foreign language certification in languages other than French, German, Latin, Spanish, and American Sign Language requires exams given by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL).
Candidates eligible for for this GACE assessment exemptions include:
A Georgia Teacher Waiver certificate is available at the request of a Georgia local unit of administration (LUA) and with the approval of the Georgia Professional Standards Commission. The waiver certificate is intended to help alleviate teacher shortages and allow qualified candidates to teach while completing all requirements for certification. To be eligible for a Georgia teacher certification waiver certificate, candidates must
The application for the waiver certificate must come from the LUA on behalf of the candidate. If the certificate is granted, it remains valid for one year.
The GACE program admission assessment (PAA) is a required exam for admission to a Georgia teacher preparation program. The PAA tests competence in basic skills in reading, math and writing.
Georgia offers a waiver certificate that is valid for one year. The waiver certificate must be requested by a Georgia school district and will be granted to candidates who are able to complete all requirements for a teaching certificate within one year.
The GACE basic skills test, now called the Program Admission Assessment (PAA), is an exam required for admission to a Georgia teacher preparation program.
Most candidates for teacher training programs in Georgia are required to take the GACE PAA. Candidates with sufficiently high scores on the SAT, ACT, GRE or some similar exams given by other states can be exempted. Also candidates already holding bachelor's degrees are exempt from the GACE PAA.
