To be a licensed educator in Illinois, a teacher must pass the Illinois Licensure Testing System (ILTS), a series of tests that evaluate their academic competence and teaching abilities. The ILTS program strives to guarantee that all teachers adhere to and uphold high educational system standards and that certified educators possess the knowledge and skills necessary to teach and lead in Illinois schools.
Although intended for teachers and administrators in Illinois, this test is offered to candidates from other states. However, these standards can be different from what Illinois has specified.
A candidate must first pass the Educative Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA) if they are a teacher applying for their first license to teach in Illinois. After passing the test, individuals can move on to the ILTS and all related tests.
There are more than 40 content areas to pick from if a candidate seeks specialized qualifications in a particular field, for example:
The ILTS program exams are all multiple-choice and are all administered online. However, some exams require a written response.
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Create AccountHighly qualified educators developed and reviewed the ILTS exams to ensure these exams would adequately gauge a candidate's knowledge and skills. Remember that these tests might be challenging, so giving oneself plenty of time to study is crucial for success. How hard the ILTS will be for a candidate often indicates how well-prepared they are.
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Create AccountThe requirement for passing an exam is set by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). Although the minimum score is unlikely to change, candidates will be informed through their score report if it does. The ISBE will make the final decision on any scoring changes.
The ILTS exam is graded digitally. The number of questions candidates successfully answer on the multiple-choice tests determines their overall test score. No points will be deducted for incorrect responses; only the correct responses are counted. Therefore, making an educated guess on any question does not hurt. The raw score, or the final score, will be translated into a number between 100 and 300. The total number of questions a candidate successfully answers on a multiple-choice exam will be added to the score they received on any written sections of the exam. This scenario only applies to multiple choice exams with a constructed response section.
The candidate, the ISBE, and any prep courses they specified upon registration will receive a report once the official ILTS score is ready. Additionally, the ILTS scores are automatically included in their application for licensure. ILTS scores are good forever, so there is no need to re-test once passed.
Most ILTS exams require a score of 240 or greater to pass. Depending on how many questions are on each exam, the scores can range from 100 to 300.
However, unlike the standard passing score of 240, the Gifted Education test has a passing score of 220. It's important to know whether the exam a candidate plans to take has different passing requirements.
Constructed response questions are also on some exams and contribute to the overall ILTS passing score. The ILTS test scores for those portions are graded on a four-point scale from 1-4. A candidate should plan ahead and understand whether the upcoming exam includes a written component.
After finishing an exam, candidates will receive their ILTS unofficial test results immediately. These ILTS test results will state whether they passed or failed. However, the scoring process for sections of exams involving constructed responses or essay questions takes longer, and results will not be available for a few weeks.
After completing the exams, candidates should have their official test results in two to six weeks. If they include their email address while registering for the test, the official score will be delivered to their inbox. Additionally, they can also access their ILTS account and read their score report there. They will have two years to view these score reports.
At 10:00 p.m. central time on the score report date, they will have access to their score report. The ILTS score report dates are released on various schedules. The schedules change depending on the kind of exam a candidate takes and when they took it. For instance, the score report date for the Agricultural Education exam can differ from the score report date for the Language Proficiency exam. Refer to the ILTS for a full list of test window dates and the most up-to-date information.
The ILTS score report is fairly easy to comprehend. Near the top of the report, a candidate can find their exam score and whether they passed or not. Additionally, a breakdown of their scores in each exam subarea and a summary of their overall test performance are included in the score report. The subarea score, which ranges from 100 to 300, measures how well-versed they are in particular subject areas.
Once the official results are made public, they are transmitted to the ISBE and added to a candidate's application by the software. Once that information is included, they can obtain their license.
A candidate may retake a test if they did not receive the necessary passing score; however, they cannot retake particular parts. The entire test will have to be retaken.
They must pay the exam fee and register again to start the retake process. The cost of the test they want to retake varies. For instance, the Superintendent (225) exam costs $162, while the Middle Grades (5-8) Language Arts (201) exam costs $122. Retakes of exams are still the full cost.
Depending on the specific test they took, a candidate's waiting period before retaking it will differ. For instance, the waiting period for the majority of content area exams is 14 days, whereas the waiting period for the Language Proficiency exams is 30 days. Before registering, candidates should verify the test they need to retake and the waiting period.
When ready to retake an exam, they should choose an available date and time from the preferred test center. Most exams are open year-round and can be scheduled anytime through their ILTS account.
In order to pass ILTS 305, candidates need to score at least 240. After evaluating candidates' performance, they will translate the raw score into a number that falls between 100 and 300.
The score test takers receive on the exam will depend on the number of questions included in the test and how many they answered correctly. To pass ILTS 155, test takers need a minimum score of 240 within the range of 100-300.
To pass most ILTS exams, a score of 240 is required. However, the Gifted Education test has a different passing score of 220.
