Here’s how to become a math teacher in Indiana: earn a bachelor’s degree through a state-approved educator preparation program, pass Praxis Mathematics (5165) or Middle School Math (5164) plus the pedagogy test (5624), complete four required trainings, and apply for a two-year Initial Practitioner license in LVIS. Career changers can use Transition to Teaching or another alternative route.
If you’re working out how to become a math teacher in Indiana, start with the license area. Indiana licenses math teachers in two: Mathematics, which covers grades 5-12, and Middle School Mathematics, which covers grades 5-9. The sequence follows the requirements most states share: a degree, an approved program, exams and a state license. The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) Office of Educator Licensing issues every license, and the area you choose decides which Praxis test you take. Requirements below were checked against IDOE in October 2026. Here are the five steps.
- Earn a Bachelor’s Degree and Complete an Approved Educator Preparation Program
- Pass the Praxis Exams Required in Indiana
- Complete Indiana’s Four Required Trainings
- Apply for Your Initial Practitioner License
- Convert and Renew Your Indiana License
Step 1. Earn a Bachelor’s Degree and Complete an Approved Educator Preparation Program
You need at least a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university to teach math in an Indiana public school. You also need to finish an educator preparation program that the state has approved, and that program includes student teaching.
Most aspiring math teachers meet the education requirement through one of these routes:
- A bachelor’s degree in mathematics education, which builds the preparation program into the degree
- A bachelor’s degree in mathematics, followed by a post-baccalaureate preparation program
- A master’s degree in teaching or education that includes licensure in mathematics
IDOE keeps the current list of state-approved educator preparation programs. If you finish an Indiana program, the licensing advisor at your college recommends you for the license, so get to know that office early.
On this traditional route, Indiana asks for a bachelor’s degree plus an approved program, not specifically a math major. The Alternative Secondary and Advanced Degree routes are different: both require a degree in math itself.
Step 2. Pass the Praxis Exams Required in Indiana
Indiana uses ETS Praxis tests. Indiana began offering Praxis licensure tests July 1, 2021, and fully replaced Pearson’s CORE assessments September 1, 2021, so any study guide that mentions CORE is out of date. For a standard initial math license, you take one content test for your license area and one pedagogy test.
| License Area | Praxis Test (Code) | Passing Score | Test Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics (grades 5-12) | Mathematics (5165) | 159 | $120 |
| Middle School Mathematics (grades 5-9) | Middle School Math (5164) | 157 | $120 |
| Pedagogy, secondary level (both areas) | Principles of Learning and Teaching: Grades 7-12 (5624) | 157 | $146 |
Scores and fees come from IDOE’s License Areas, Corresponding Praxis Tests, and Test Fees list, updated February 26, 2026. Register through the ETS Indiana testing page. ETS sends your scores to IDOE automatically when you test in Indiana, at a test center or at home, and your Praxis profile address is in Indiana. Otherwise, select the Indiana Department of Education (state code 7238) as a score recipient when you register. Use the same code for any additional score report request.
Already hold an Indiana license in another subject? IDOE lets you add Mathematics or Middle School Mathematics by passing the content test alone, without the full preparation program.
If you don’t pass on the first try, check IDOE’s Free After 3 retest policy, which took effect January 1, 2026. The IDOE Educator Testing page links the FAQ that explains it.
Step 3. Complete Indiana’s Four Required Trainings
You must upload a certificate for each of these trainings with your license application. As of October 2026, IDOE requires all four for an initial instructional license:
- CPR, Heimlich and AED certification from an IDOE-approved provider, with hands-on practice on a mannequin in person with an instructor
- Suicide prevention training of at least one hour
- Human trafficking training, required under IC 20-28-5-12.3 for applications from July 1, 2025
- Child abuse and neglect training
IDOE won’t accept a promissory note for the human trafficking training. Finish it before you apply. All four are initial-license requirements. Renewals ask for two of them: a current CPR card and child abuse and neglect training.
Step 4. Apply for Your Initial Practitioner License
You apply online in the Licensing Verification and Information System (LVIS). If you finished an Indiana program, don’t apply before your graduation date, because IDOE can’t issue a license before then. Your college’s licensing advisor then confirms your program and test scores. IDOE’s teacher licensing page has step-by-step instructions for in-state and out-of-state applicants.
The license costs $35. If you trained out of state or apply through the advanced degree option, you pay a $35 evaluation fee first and a second $35 before the license is issued, plus a card processing fee each time. All IDOE licensing fees are non-refundable.
Teachers licensed in another state can transfer to Indiana, including those who earned Michigan math teacher certification next door, but you must pass an Indiana content test in every area that will appear on your Indiana license. If you hold a valid out-of-state license and haven’t passed 5165 or 5164 yet, you may qualify for a one-year temporary reciprocal permit while you test.
Your first license is the Initial Practitioner license, valid for two years. During those years you can complete the Indiana Mentor and Assessment Program (IMAP), but it’s optional now. Most new teachers complete a Professional Growth Plan (PGP) of 40 points instead, earning one point per contact hour of professional development.
After two years of full-time teaching in your content area, you convert the Initial Practitioner license to the five-year Practitioner license. You’ll upload the approved 40-point PGP (or IMAP completion), a signed verification of experience, your CPR card and your child abuse and neglect training. Substitute teaching doesn’t count toward the two years. If you haven’t logged two years of full-time teaching when the license expires, you renew the Initial Practitioner license instead. After the original license and two renewals, a cycle reset applies: a 90-point PGP or a passed content test for an addition to the license.
Step 5. Convert and Renew Your Indiana License
To renew a five-year or ten-year license, you choose one of three options:
- Six semester hours of college coursework in education or a licensed content area, earned after your current license was issued
- A 90-point Professional Growth Plan, verified in LVIS before you apply
- National Board certification, which is optional in Indiana, not a requirement
Every renewal also needs a valid CPR card and child abuse and neglect training. Don’t apply more than 45 days before your expiration date. IDOE dates the new license from your payment, so applying early shortens it. The IDOE renewal page has the instructions for each option.
The ten-year Accomplished Practitioner license isn’t automatic. You apply to professionalize your five-year license, and the instructional route needs a master’s degree or National Board certification, two years of teaching in an accredited school, and five years on your current license. Once you’re licensed, compare pay by metro area on our Indiana math teacher salary page.
Professional growth points add up faster through subject-area groups. These organizations serve Indiana math teachers:
- Hoosier Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators
- Indiana Council of Teachers of Mathematics
- Indiana Section of the Mathematical Association of America
Alternative Routes If You Already Have a Degree
If you hold a bachelor’s degree in math, engineering or another field but no teaching license, Indiana gives you several ways in. Each one still requires the four trainings from Step 3. As of October 2026, IDOE lists these alternative licensure paths:
| Route | Who Qualifies | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
| Transition to Teaching (T2T) | Bachelor’s degree, enrolled in an Indiana T2T program and hired by an Indiana school corporation | Three-year, non-renewable T2T permit while you finish the program |
| Alternative Route STEM Initial Practitioner License | STEM degree and enrollment in an IDOE-approved Alternative Route STEM program (Senate Enrolled Act 255, 2025) | Initial Practitioner license for grades 5-12, in the grade combinations IDOE determines |
| Alternative Secondary Licensure | Degree in math, 10 weeks of full-time middle or high school instructional experience, passing 5165 and 5624 | Initial Practitioner license for grades 5-12 in math |
| Advanced Degree (IC 20-28-5-15) | Master’s degree or higher in math from a regionally accredited institution, at least one academic year of teaching in a middle school, high school or college classroom (substitute teaching excluded), passing 5165 and 5624 | Secondary-level instructional license |
| American Board (ABCTE) | Bachelor’s degree, passing American Board tests and the Praxis content test | Permit for a two-semester teaching internship, then a Professional Educator License |
The 10 weeks of instructional experience apply only to the Alternative Secondary route. Substitute teaching doesn’t count, but job shadowing, field experience, teaching cooperatives or full-term student teaching can.
Transition to Teaching is an established option for career changers who want to teach while completing an approved preparation program. Check the IDOE Transition to Teaching page for the approved programs and admission criteria before you apply to a school district.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Indiana still use the Pearson CORE exams for math teachers?
No. Indiana began offering Praxis tests July 1, 2021, and fully replaced CORE on September 1, 2021. High school math candidates take Praxis Mathematics (5165) and need a 159. A standard initial license also requires the Principles of Learning and Teaching: Grades 7-12 test (5624), with a passing score of 157.
Which Praxis math test do I take to teach middle school in Indiana?
For the Middle School Mathematics license (grades 5-9), you take Praxis Middle School Math (5164) and need a 157. The Mathematics license covers grades 5-12 and uses test 5165, so it also qualifies you for middle school classrooms.
Do I need National Board certification to renew my Indiana license?
No. National Board certification is one of three renewal options, alongside six semester hours of coursework or a 90-point Professional Growth Plan. Every renewal also needs a current CPR card and child abuse and neglect training.
Can I teach math in Indiana with a math degree but no teaching degree?
Yes, through an alternative route. Transition to Teaching gives you a three-year permit while you finish a program, and the Alternative Secondary and STEM routes lead to an Initial Practitioner license. Required tests depend on your license area and route: secondary math generally uses Praxis 5165, Middle School Mathematics uses 5164, and a pedagogy test or other route requirements may apply.
How long is an Indiana teaching license valid?
Your first license, the Initial Practitioner license, lasts two years. After two years of full-time teaching and a 40-point Professional Growth Plan or IMAP, you convert to the five-year Practitioner license. The ten-year Accomplished Practitioner license requires a separate application and qualifying requirements, so holding a five-year license doesn’t earn it automatically.
- Praxis, not CORE: For a standard initial license, Indiana math candidates take Praxis Mathematics (5165, score 159) or Middle School Math (5164, score 157) plus the pedagogy test 5624 (score 157).
- Four trainings: CPR/Heimlich/AED, suicide prevention, human trafficking and child abuse and neglect training must be done before your first application in LVIS. Renewals need only CPR and child abuse and neglect training.
- Two-year start: Your first license is a two-year Initial Practitioner license that converts to a five-year Practitioner license after two years of full-time teaching and a 40-point PGP or IMAP. Until then, you renew it.
- Renewal options: Renew with six semester hours, a 90-point PGP or National Board certification, plus a current CPR card.
- Career changers: Transition to Teaching and the 2025 Alternative Secondary and STEM routes let degree holders reach the classroom without a second bachelor’s degree.
Whether you’re starting a math education degree or adding a Transition to Teaching program to the degree you already have, the program you pick decides when you can start student teaching or teaching on a permit. Compare the schools listed here on format, start dates and how they arrange student teaching in Indiana.