North Carolina lawmakers moved Wednesday to drop a testing requirement for students entering teacher training programs as schools struggle to keep teachers in the classroom.
Senate Bill 840 removes a requirement that students pass a basic skills exam — known as the Praxis Core — before entering an Educator Preparation Program, or EPP.
The move comes as lawmakers look for ways to expand the teacher pipeline. The state’s attrition rate was 10.11% in 2024–25, a slight increase from the year before, according to the N.C. Dept. of Public Instruction.
Sen. Tom McInnis (R-Moore), the primary sponsor of the bill, called the test a “front-end barrier.”
“This bill removes the testing requirement for admission into an educator preparation program,” he said. “The goal is simple: do not block a potential teacher before they start training.”
“It only proves you’re a good test taker,” he added.
Supporters say the test discourages people from entering the profession at a time when schools face ongoing shortages.
The bill also changes licensing rules. It removes a requirement that new teachers try to pass licensure exams in their first year and makes it easier for out-of-state teachers to get licensed.
Lawmakers approved an amendment that ties licensure to classroom results.
Under the change, teachers with a limited license could earn a continuing license without passing exams if their students show positive growth for two out of three years.
McInnis also argued that a teacher who struggles with a test is still better than a long-term substitute.
“There is no excuse to have a permanent sub in any classroom in North Carolina whose only qualification is to have a heartbeat in their chest,” he said.
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SUPPORTEducation leaders said ahead of Tuesday’s meeting that the test is costly and does not predict classroom performance.
Ann Bullock, chair of the Professional Educator Preparation and Standards Commission, said there is no link between the test and student outcomes.
“I’m very positive about the elimination of the test … because there’s no data that shows that they make any difference once teachers get in the classroom,” said Bullock, who also serves as the dean of education at Elon University.
Heather Bower, the Education Dept. chair and North Carolina Teaching Fellows director at Meredith College, said the cost of testing could be a hurdle for some.
“They’re already paying tuition,” Bower said. “And before they graduate, they have to take at least two more tests.”
She said the requirement may discourage students from entering the field.
“What worries me is students who look at this from the outside and say, ‘You know what, I’m not even going to start down this path,’” Bower said.
A spokesperson for ETS, the nonprofit that makes the Praxis exams, pushed back in a statement to NC Newsline.
The company said the Praxis Core was not designed to predict classroom performance or student achievement.
“Rather, it is designed to assess foundational reading, writing and math skills.”
State report shows North Carolina teacher attrition ticked up slightly in 2025
ETS also defended the cost, saying it offers fee waivers for some candidates, including those who meet federal financial aid criteria. Eligible test-takers can receive waivers for up to three exams, the spokesperson said. The company also offers free retakes for candidates who fail the same test three times.
Sen. Michael Lee (R-New Hanover), a co-chair of the committee, expressed support for the bill while noting that testing companies are already rethinking how they assess future teachers.
“A lot of the nonprofit testing companies are reforming how they assess candidates,” Lee said. “We’ve talked with them and will continue to look at what they come up with.”
The Senate Education/Higher Education Committee approved Senate Bill 840. It now heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee.
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