To become a math teacher in West Virginia, you finish a state-approved educator preparation program with student teaching, pass Praxis Core, a Praxis math test (5164 for grades 5-9 or 5165 for grades 5-adult) and a Principles of Learning and Teaching exam, then apply on Form 20T. Your first certificate lasts three years.
West Virginia certifies math teachers in two bands: General Math through Algebra I for grades 5-9, and Mathematics for grades 5-adult. The band you pick decides which Praxis tests you take, and the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) Office of Certification issues your certificate. The core pieces match the requirements to teach math in most states, so here’s how to become a math teacher in West Virginia, in four steps.
- Complete an Approved Math Educator Preparation Program
- Pass the Praxis Exams West Virginia Requires
- Apply for Your Initial Professional Teaching Certificate
- Renew and Upgrade Your West Virginia Certificate
Step 1. Complete an Approved Math Educator Preparation Program
If you’re starting college, the direct route is a bachelor’s degree in math or math education that includes a West Virginia Board of Education (WVBE) approved educator preparation program. The program adds pedagogy courses, field experience and a semester of student teaching in a math classroom under an experienced teacher. You’ll need a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 to apply for your first certificate (WVDE Form 20T requirements, as of October 2026).
Many programs also build a teacher performance assessment, such as the edTPA or the West Virginia Teacher Performance Assessment, into student teaching. Ask your program which one it uses: passing one after July 12, 2023 exempts you from the Principles of Learning and Teaching exam in Step 2. WVDE lists every approved traditional and alternative program on its State Approved Programs page.
If You Already Have a Bachelor’s Degree
You don’t need a second bachelor’s degree. If your degree is in math, engineering, finance or another math-heavy field, you can finish a post-baccalaureate or master’s program, or certify through a non-traditional route. Here’s how the three main routes compare.
| Route | Best Fit | Certificate Path |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional program (bachelor’s, post-baccalaureate or master’s) | Students and degree holders who can complete student teaching before they’re hired | Professional Teaching Certificate on Form 20T, valid three years |
| County-based alternative certification | Degree holders hired by a county to fill a math vacancy that no fully certified applicant applied for | Alternative Teaching Certificate (Form 25), valid one year and renewable twice, then a Provisional Alternative Teaching Certificate |
| WVDE Alternative Certification Program (Option 4) | Degree holders who complete WVDE-approved pedagogy coursework through a participating college | Professional Alternative Teaching Certificate (Form 20WV), valid three years |
The county route only opens when a district has an approved alternative program for math and a qualifying vacancy. WVDE says the position must be posted at least twice over a minimum ten-day period with no fully certified applicant (as of October 2026). If the county offers you the job, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree with at least a 2.5 GPA, a math-related major or work experience, and passing Praxis basic skills and content scores. The county helps you apply on Form 25 and submits it for you.
Each one-year renewal on Form 25R requires continued enrollment and progress in the program, satisfactory evaluations and your superintendent’s recommendation, and you must finish the program within three years. When you complete it, you move to a Provisional Alternative Teaching Certificate. After holding that certificate for at least two years and completing six hours of coursework, you convert to a Professional Teaching Certificate on Form 20C.
The WVDE route works differently. You complete WVDE-approved coursework through a participating college, pass the required Praxis tests and apply for a three-year Professional Alternative Teaching Certificate. You don’t need a teaching job to enroll, though you can teach on a First-Class Full-Time Permit in a critical-shortage area while you finish (WVDE Educator Development and Certification Handbook, March 2026).
If You’re Already Certified in Another State
If you hold a valid professional teaching certificate from another state, you apply through reciprocity on Form 20R. If you finished an approved program in another state but were never licensed there, you apply on Form 20A and meet West Virginia’s test requirements. WVDE’s out-of-state teachers page links both forms.
West Virginia also issues its Professional Teaching Certificate in two versions. If your program didn’t include a WVBE-approved teacher performance assessment, you get a non-transferable certificate that works only in West Virginia until you meet Policy 5202’s conversion rules. Passing an approved assessment gets you a transferable certificate, but transferable doesn’t mean automatic: you still have to meet the other state’s requirements to move it (WVDE Educator Development and Certification Handbook, March 2026).
If you’re deciding between West Virginia and a neighboring state, compare this route with the math teacher requirements in Virginia.
Step 2. Pass the Praxis Exams West Virginia Requires
West Virginia uses ETS Praxis tests in three categories: a basic skills test (Praxis Core), a math content test and a professional education test. The minimum scores below come from the WVDE Licensure Testing Directory effective June 3, 2026, and match the ETS West Virginia required tests page (checked October 2026), where you also register.
| Test | Code | WV Minimum Score | Who Takes It |
|---|---|---|---|
| Praxis Core: Reading | 5713 | 156 | All candidates unless exempt |
| Praxis Core: Writing | 5723 | 162 | All candidates unless exempt |
| Praxis Core: Mathematics | 5733 | 150 | All candidates unless exempt |
| Middle School Mathematics | 5164 | 157 | Grades 5-9 (General Math through Algebra I) |
| Mathematics | 5165 | 159 | Grades 5-adult |
| Principles of Learning and Teaching: Grades 5-9 | 5623 | 160 | Grades 5-9 endorsement |
| Principles of Learning and Teaching: Grades 7-12 | 5624 | 157 | Grades 5-adult endorsement |
Praxis Core and Who’s Exempt
Praxis Core is still required in West Virginia as of October 2026. You can take all three sections in one sitting by registering for the combined test (5752), and ETS reports each score separately. Many candidates never take it, though. You’re exempt if any one of these applies:
- You hold a bachelor’s degree with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
- You hold a master’s degree, or you’re enrolled in a state-approved program that ends in one
- You scored a composite 21 or higher on the ACT (tests taken November 1989 or later)
- You scored 1170 or higher in critical reading and math on the SAT taken from March 2005, or at least 480 in Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and 530 in Math on the SAT taken from May 2016
- You scored at least 286 on the GRE (November 2011 or later)
- You passed the basic skills tests required in the state where you completed your program
- You hold a valid out-of-state certificate in the area you’re applying for
A math score of 21 or higher on the ACT (after July 1, 2023) or 530 on the SAT exempts you from the Core math test only. You’d still take Reading and Writing unless another exemption covers you.
Your Math Content Test
For grades 5-9, you take Praxis Middle School Mathematics (5164) and need a 157. For grades 5-adult, you take Praxis Mathematics (5165) and need a 159. Each costs $130 at ETS (as of October 2026). The WVDE directory lists 5165 under its older title, Mathematics: Content Knowledge, so don’t let the name difference throw you.
If you’re applying for initial licensure and score within one standard error of measurement of the cut score, you may qualify for the ETS Praxis Bridge option on either test: you complete an ETS learning module instead of retaking the full test. It counts only if your program included both content and pedagogy, and it can’t be used to add an endorsement to an existing certificate. ETS emails candidates who qualify. You may skip the content test entirely if you hold a doctorate in math, a master’s in math plus five years of directly related work experience, or a current National Board certificate.
Principles of Learning and Teaching, or a Teacher Performance Assessment
The PLT matches your band. For grades 5-9, you take PLT Grades 5-9 (5623) and need a 160. For grades 5-adult, you take PLT Grades 7-12 (5624) and need a 157. Each costs $156 at ETS (as of October 2026). If you passed an approved teacher performance assessment in a WVBE-approved program after July 12, 2023, you’re exempt. The Bridge option doesn’t apply to the PLT, and West Virginia accepts passing scores for ten years from the date you passed.
Step 3. Apply for Your Initial Professional Teaching Certificate
If you completed an in-state program, you apply on Form 20T through the WVDE Certification Portal. Your college’s certification official verifies the application, and if you already work in a West Virginia public school in any role, your county official approves it too. The application fee is $35 (as of October 2026).
Before WVDE can issue your certificate, it needs:
- Official transcripts sent directly by your college: electronic transcripts go to [email protected], and paper transcripts go by mail to your county human resources office or the WVDE Office of Certification (WVDE application process, as of October 2026)
- Passing scores on every required test, or a documented exemption
- A notarized Form 7, the release of your background check results
- A character reference on Form 4B, unless you already work in the West Virginia public school system
- A fingerprint-based background check through IdentoGO that covers West Virginia State Police and FBI records
After you submit your application, WVDE emails you a service code. Use it when you book your IdentoGO appointment, because a check run under the wrong code won’t count. Fingerprinting costs $50.25 in West Virginia, paid to IdentoGO at the appointment, and the price can differ if you’re fingerprinted in another state (WVDE first-time applicants page, as of October 2026). WVDE’s applicant forms add that your completed check must reach the Office of Certification within 30 days of your application, or the application may be denied, so book the appointment as soon as the code arrives.
Your initial Professional Teaching Certificate is valid for three years. Plan Step 4 from your first year, because the coursework and the mentoring program both take time to complete.
Once you’re hired, your pay follows the state minimum salary schedule plus any county supplement. Math teachers get a specific boost: under W. Va. Code §18A-4-2(c), if at least 60% of your instruction is math in your certified area, you’re credited with three extra years of experience on that schedule. For current pay figures, see what math teachers earn in West Virginia.
Step 4. Renew and Upgrade Your West Virginia Certificate
West Virginia’s certificates run from three years to five years to permanent. You file every renewal or conversion on Form 4T ($35, as of October 2026). You can’t submit until January 1 of the year your certificate expires, with one exception: if you hold a five-year certificate, a master’s degree and five years of full-time experience, and you’ve completed the Beginning Educator Internship/Induction or been exempted, you can apply for a permanent certificate before then.
To convert your three-year certificate to a five-year certificate, you need:
- Two years of full-time teaching, with at least one in a West Virginia county public school or accredited private school
- Completion of the Beginning Educator Internship/Induction, or an official exemption
- Six credit hours of college or WVLearns coursework related to public education, taken after your current certificate took effect, no more than five years old, with at least a 3.0 GPA in each course
Not ready to convert? You can renew the three-year certificate for three more years with six credit hours, or for one year with three. A five-year certificate also renews with six credit hours. You can skip the coursework if you hold a master’s plus 30 hours or you’re at least 60 years old. A non-transferable certificate is more limited: Form 4T says it renews only for three years, with six credit hours or the coursework exemption.
Getting to a Permanent Certificate
Form 4T lists three routes to a permanent certificate. Each one requires five years of full-time teaching (one in West Virginia) and the Beginning Educator Internship/Induction or an exemption:
- A master’s degree and a three-year certificate, plus six credit hours of coursework
- A master’s degree and a five-year certificate
- A bachelor’s degree and a five-year certificate issued twice, plus six credit hours of coursework
The Beginning Educator Internship/Induction
This is your county’s mentor teacher program for new teachers, and it runs at least one full school year (WVDE Educator Development and Certification Handbook, March 2026). WVDE checks that you completed it, or were officially declared exempt, before it approves a five-year or permanent certificate. Your county’s human resources or certification office will tell you who your mentor is and how the program runs in your district.
National Board Certification
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) offers two math certificates: Mathematics: Early Adolescence (ages 11-15) and Mathematics: Adolescence and Young Adulthood (ages 14-18+). It’s voluntary, and WVDE’s National Board page links to NBPTS so you can open an account.
West Virginia supports it in two ways (as of October 2026). Under W. Va. Code §18A-4-2a, a board-certified classroom teacher earns $3,500 a year for the life of the certificate, up to ten years per certificate. WVDE treats that amount as a minimum for teachers working in their certificate area, your county may add to it, and you claim it on Form 45.
Fee reimbursement comes through Form 37, and only for teachers or counselors employed in West Virginia public schools. WVDE accepts applications from July 1 through June 15 and pays them in order of receipt until that fiscal year’s funds run out, so reimbursement isn’t guaranteed. It covers enrollment and completion fees, renewal fees, and up to $600 in extra expenses, claimed once after you certify.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does West Virginia still require Praxis Core?
Yes. The WVDE Licensure Testing Directory effective June 3, 2026 lists Praxis Core Reading (5713), Writing (5723) and Mathematics (5733). You’re exempt with a bachelor’s GPA of 3.0 or higher, a master’s degree, or qualifying ACT, SAT or GRE scores.
Can I teach math in West Virginia without an education degree?
Yes, if you have a bachelor’s degree and qualify for a non-traditional route. A county can hire you on an Alternative Teaching Certificate when it has an approved program and a math vacancy no fully certified applicant applied for, or you can complete the WVDE Alternative Certification Program. Either way, you meet the testing and training requirements for your route and endorsement, including any exemptions you qualify for.
What score do I need on the Praxis math test in West Virginia?
You need a 159 on Praxis Mathematics (5165) for grades 5-adult, or a 157 on Middle School Mathematics (5164) for grades 5-9. These are the minimums in the WVDE directory effective June 3, 2026.
How much does West Virginia math teacher certification cost?
As of October 2026, the Form 20T application costs $35 and IdentoGO fingerprinting costs $50.25. ETS charges $130 for the Praxis math test (5164 or 5165) and $156 for the PLT, and you’ll also pay for Praxis Core unless you’re exempt. Each later renewal or conversion on Form 4T costs $35.
How long is a West Virginia teaching certificate valid?
Your first Professional Teaching Certificate lasts three years. After two years of full-time teaching, the Beginning Educator Internship/Induction and six credit hours, you can convert it to a five-year certificate on Form 4T. A master’s degree and five years of teaching can take you to a permanent certificate.
- Pick your band first: Grades 5-9 take Middle School Mathematics (5164, score 157) and PLT 5623 (160), while grades 5-adult take Mathematics (5165, score 159) and PLT 5624 (157).
- Praxis Core still applies: A bachelor’s GPA of 3.0, a master’s degree or a qualifying ACT, SAT or GRE score exempts you.
- Degree holders have other routes: County alternative certification depends on an approved program and a qualifying vacancy, while the WVDE Alternative Certification Program doesn’t require a job to enroll.
- Budget for the application: Plan on $35 for Form 20T, $50.25 for IdentoGO fingerprinting, a notarized Form 7 and, unless you already work in a West Virginia public school, Form 4B.
- Your first certificate lasts three years: Start the six credit hours and the Beginning Educator Internship/Induction early so you can convert on Form 4T.
Whether you’re finishing a math degree or changing careers with one, the right program depends on how it handles student teaching and Praxis preparation. The schools listed here include campus and online options for aspiring math teachers.