Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, you need to have a Bachelor’s degree from a nationally or regionally accredited college or university to be eligible for certification with the American Board. You’ll submit your transcript via email to transcripts@americanboard.org

If your degree is from a college or university outside of the United States you will need to submit a credential evaluation along with your transcripts. Please visit our Transcripts page for more information.

The states of Alabama, Mississippi, and West Virginia have a GPA requirement for our program.

Alabama has additional requirements for candidates whose GPA is between 2.0 and 2.49.

See Alabama state teaching requirements for more information.

Mississippi requires candidates to have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in their degree with a 2.75 in their major.

See Mississippi state teaching requirements for more information.

West Virginia requires candidates to have a GPA of 2.5 or higher from an accredited university.

See West Virginia state teaching requirements for more information.

All other states require that you have a bachelor’s degree, but do not have a GPA requirement.

Only the states of Alabama, Missouri, and South Carolina require regional accreditation.

All candidates are required to submit official copies of their bachelor’s degree transcripts to American Board. Have digital copies (preferred) sent to transcripts@americanboard.org, and have physical copies sent to American Board 1123 Zonolite Rd, Suite 29, Atlanta, Georgia 30306. Learn more on our transcripts page.

No. For your transcripts to be considered official, they must be sent directly from your college or university, or from the third-party service they use to issue transcripts.

No. All American Board future teachers must have a bachelor’s degree, but it can be in any field and does not have to match your teaching subject.

Your background check will be run at the end of your program, after you have passed your exams, and before your certificate is issued.

No. The American Board certification is self-paced and self-guided. We provide you with the study materials, you study and take practice tests to determine if you are ready for your two final exams. You can study at home, at your local library, or wherever is most comfortable for you.

Candidates have 1 year to complete the program, with the exception of candidates pursuing History or Special Education, who have 18 months. If a student fails to complete the program in that time and would like to extend their program, they can do so for $389 per 6-month extension.

The average American Board student takes 5-8 months to earn their American Board certification. However, we have had students complete the program in less than 1 month. It all depends on how much time you can devote to studying and learning the material.

Of course! The main reason why students enroll with us rather than going back to school for their Master’s degree is the flexibility we offer. The program is self-paced, meaning you can study after work or on the weekends.

Whenever you want! American Board does not follow traditional semester or class schedules, so you get to choose when to begin.

Candidates have 1 year to complete the program, with the exception of candidates pursuing History or Special Education, who have 18 months.

Each state has their own laws and regulations when it comes to alternative teaching certification. American Board works closely with state education departments and legislators to ensure we meet all state requirements to produce quality educators. This is a long process (up to 2 years in some cases) and we have not made it to every state yet.

Only if you teach in a private school. It also depends on the private school’s requirements to teach.

For more information on teaching in a private school, click here.

Yes. Many schools abroad accept the American Board teacher certification. We highly suggest you contact the school you would like to teach at before you enroll to be sure our program is accepted with that school.

For more information on teaching internationally, click here.

In certain subjects, the American Board offers two certification programs: Standard and Premium. The Standard program provides students with the information they need to learn and pass the subject area exam and the Professional Teaching Knowledge (PTK) exam.

The Premium program provides students with everything included with the Standard program, along with additional study materials and practice tests. The Premium program also includes a job counseling webinar and workbook to assist our students with job hunting. Please visit our Premium Programs page for more information.

Yes, in some states you can certify in more than one subject without having to take the Professional Teaching Knowledge (PTK) exam multiple times. Each additional subject certification after your original subject costs $850.

For one-time payments, simply add one subject certification to your cart, then add your second subject to the cart and check out.

Be sure to check out your state’s page to confirm they allow you to enroll in multiple subjects.

NO! The only websites associated with the American Board are americanboard.org, abcte.org, abcte.org/blog, and our social media profiles.

Any other websites that claim to have practice materials for our exams are not affiliated with the American Board. We therefore cannot recommend or review those products.

If you have a question on whether a product or service is affiliated with our program, give us a call at 1-877-669-2228 for assistance.

The Help Desk in your American Board account is the best way to get in touch with our team. It is staffed by real people who are experts in American Board’s program and can help you navigate the process.

Whenever you’re ready! Because our program is self-guided, you will be able to determine when you are ready to take your exams (especially after completing the included practice exams).

All exams are proctored at Pearson VUE testing centers. Pearson VUE has testing centers across the United States and many centers abroad. The exams will be conducted on a computer. Click here to find a Pearson VUE center near you.

American Board’s Professional Teaching Knowledge (PTK) exam is the ONLY American Board exam able to be taken online at home. ALL other exams MUST be taken at a Pearson VUE testing center. If you are interested in taking your PTK exam online, be sure to visit the American Board OnVUE website for system requirements and directions.

No. In fact, we encourage taking the Professional Teaching Knowledge (PTK) exam first, as it can take 2-3 weeks to receive the results of that exam. Then, on a separate day, you can take your subject area exam.

It differs per exam. Most subject area exams (except ELA) are multiple choice; you will receive your results immediately after the exam is complete. The Professional Teaching Knowledge (PTK) exam and the English Language Arts (ELA) exam have essay components that delay exam results. Allow 2-3 weeks to receive the results of these exams.

The cost of your first PTK exam and first subject area exam are included in the cost of the program. If you fail an exam and need to retake it, you will be required to pay a fee of $195.

No. In order to complete American Board’s program, every candidate must pass American Board’s exams. Other exams may not be substituted for American Board’s exams.

The first page of every study plan has a section titled “Exam Snapshot.” This section breaks down information about the exam, including the time allotted, the number of questions and their format, the passing score, and the areas of study.

Yes, you must apply for your teaching license within five years of the date on your certificate. If you have not applied for your state teaching license within five years of receiving your American Board certificate, you will be required to re-enroll at full cost and retake your exams. This policy ensures your certification reflects up-to-date knowledge and skills, and that you have been assessed on current educational standards and practices.

Your exam scores are valid for five years. If you have not completed the program or applied for your state teaching license within five years of your exam date, you will need to re-enroll and retake your exams.

No, but we highly recommend that you take your PTK exam first, as it takes 2-3 weeks to receive the exam results. We also recommend you take your PTK exam and subject area exam on separate days to avoid fatigue.

If you need to reschedule or cancel an exam appointment, you must do so AT LEAST 48 hours prior to the testing appointment. If you do not reschedule or cancel the exam more than 48 hours prior to the testing appointment, you will be subject to a late cancellation charge of $195.

American Board provides appropriate testing accommodations for individuals with documented disabilities. We use the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines to make disability determinations.

Reasonable accommodations that are appropriate to the disability will be granted to the extent that such accommodations do not lessen the examination’s ability to reflect the student’s aptitude or achievement level, fundamentally alter the examination, or result in undue burden.

If you will need a testing accommodation, you must make your request and have it approved BEFORE scheduling any exams. To apply for a disability accommodation request form, create a Help Desk ticket in your American Board account.

Yes, we offer installment payment plans for those that are unable to pay for our program at one time. For more information on payment plans, click here.

No. As the American Board is certification based and does not offer individual courses, we do not accept FAFSA, the Post 9/11 GI Bill, or other scholarships.

Some states may offer financial aid through programs like Workforce Investment Opportunity Act (WIOA) or Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR). Please visit your state’s program website for more information and to determine eligibility. Candidates who utilize this route have a different enrollment process and third-party enrollment pricing: $2,850.

For the first seven days, yes, you can get a 100% refund. This includes installment payments. After that, fees paid in full can be refunded up to 80% if a candidate changes their mind within 30 days of enrollment.

Yes. You can sign up for a free one-week trial here.

Of course. Give us a call at 1-877-669-2228 or send us an email at info@americanboard.org with any questions you may have.