To become a math teacher in Kentucky on the traditional route, you complete an EPSB-approved educator preparation program, pass Praxis Middle School Mathematics (5164, score 157) or Mathematics (5165, score 159) plus the matching Principles of Learning and Teaching test (160), and apply through KECS. Alternative routes set their own testing timelines.
Kentucky certifies math teachers in two grade bands, middle school (grades 5-9) and high school (grades 8-12), and the band you choose decides which Praxis tests you take. The path follows the core certification steps every state uses, but the Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) sets Kentucky’s own exams, scores and forms. Here’s how to become a math teacher in Kentucky in five steps, checked against official Kentucky sources as of October 2026.
- Complete Your Math Education Coursework
- Take the Praxis Exams Required in Kentucky
- Complete Your Student Teaching Requirements
- Apply for Your Kentucky Math Teaching Certificate
- Renew Your Certificate and Advance in Rank
Step 1. Complete Your Math Education Coursework
The traditional route is a bachelor’s degree through an EPSB-approved math educator preparation program. To be admitted, 16 KAR 5:020 requires a cumulative GPA of 2.75, or a 3.0 on your last 30 credit hours, plus one of these basic skills results:
- ACT composite of 22, or section scores of 20 in reading, 18 in writing and 19 in math
- Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators (CASE): Reading (5713): 156, Writing (5723): 162, and Mathematics (5733): 150
You can combine ACT and CASE section scores. If your cumulative GPA is 3.0 or higher, a program can admit you when you’re within five points of a CASE minimum.
Only an approved program can recommend you for certification. Confirm that a school’s program is EPSB-approved for the grade band you want, middle school or high school math, before you enroll.
Math Education Degrees for Initial Certification
Kentucky math education degrees range from a bachelor’s to a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT). Some programs make math the major and build certification in:
- Bachelor of Science in Mathematics Education Grades 8-12
- Bachelor of Science in Mathematics/Teaching
- Bachelor of Arts in (Applied) Mathematics with Secondary Teacher Certification
- Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics with Secondary Certification (8-12)
- Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Mathematics Education
Others make education the primary degree, with a math focus:
- Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education 8-12 (major in math)
- Bachelor of Science in Education (focus on 5-9 or 8-12 math)
- Bachelor of Arts in Education (focus on 5-9 or 8-12 math)
Some schools require a double major instead. At those schools you pair a math major with a Science and Mathematics Education (SMED) major.
Every route pairs math with professional education coursework. You’ll take courses like these:
- Assessment in education
- Exceptional learners in inclusive classrooms
- Human development and learning
- Introduction to education
The math core usually includes:
- Calculus I and II
- Discrete mathematics
- Logic and set theory
- Linear algebra and matrices
- Modern college geometry
- Modern algebra I
- Probability and statistics
If You Already Have a Bachelor’s Degree
You don’t need a second bachelor’s. A graduate-level initial certification program, usually an MAT, admits you on GPA alone: 2.75 cumulative, or 3.0 on your last 30 hours of undergraduate and graduate credit. 16 KAR 5:020 doesn’t require CASE scores at that level.
Kentucky’s alternative routes are numbered Option 1 through Option 9 in KRS 161.048. Senate Bill 265 (2024) removed the job-offer requirement from Options 1, 3, 5, 7 and 8, so you can now start those applications yourself (KDE certification guidance, July 2024). Each route below starts with a one-year provisional certificate, the length set in KRS 161.048, and leads to a professional certificate once you meet the route’s teaching and testing requirements:
| Route | Who It Fits | How It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Option 1: Exceptional Work Experience | Bachelor’s or graduate degree (2.75 GPA, or 3.0 on your last 30 hours), documented exceptional work in math, and a math major or a passing Praxis math score | One-year provisional certificate, then a professional certificate after one year of teaching and a district recommendation |
| Option 3: College Faculty | Master’s or doctorate in math and five years of full-time college teaching in math, or its equivalent | One-year provisional certificate, then a professional certificate after one year of teaching and a district recommendation |
| Option 5: Armed Forces Veterans | Honorable discharge or six years of honorable service, a bachelor’s degree, the same GPA rule, and a math major or passing Praxis math score | Five-year statement of eligibility, then a one-year provisional certificate on approval of your application |
| Option 6: University-Based Route | Bachelor’s degree, the same GPA rule, admission to an approved Option 6 program, and a job offer from a Kentucky district | One-year provisional certificate, renewable four more years while you finish the program and its content assessments |
| Option 7: Institute Route | A math major (or a related graduate degree), the same GPA rule, and CASE or GRE scores to enter an approved institute | One-year provisional certificate, renewable four more years, plus a 180-hour institute for middle or high school teaching |
| Option 8: Teach For America | Bachelor’s degree, the Teach For America summer institute, and a passing Praxis math score | One-year provisional certificate, renewable two times |
Option 7 entry requires the CASE scores listed earlier or GRE scores of 150 verbal, 143 quantitative and 4.0 analytical writing. Option 2 (a local district training program) exists in statute, but the EPSB has no approved Option 2 programs right now. Option 4 (adjunct instructor) doesn’t lead to a professional certificate, and Option 9 is an expedited bachelor’s program run by partner districts. The GoTeachKY alternative pathways page has an interactive form that points you to the right option.
Step 2. Take the Praxis Exams Required in Kentucky
On the traditional route, you pass two Praxis tests before Kentucky certifies you: a math content test and a Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) test for your grade band. These passing scores come from 16 KAR 6:010, current as of October 2026:
| Grade Band | Math Content Test | Pedagogy Test |
|---|---|---|
| Middle school (grades 5-9) | Middle School Mathematics (5164): 157 | PLT: Grades 5-9 (5623): 160 |
| High school (grades 8-12) | Mathematics (5165): 159 | PLT: Grades 7-12 (5624): 160 |
On an alternative route, the testing timeline depends on the option. Some require a passing Praxis math score before you apply, and others before you receive the professional certificate. Check your route’s requirements before you schedule.
A passing score stays valid for five years from your test date. If you don’t apply for certification inside that window, you retake the test and meet whatever score is required at that point.
Register through the ETS Kentucky test requirements page. If you test outside Kentucky, or your Praxis profile has an out-of-state address, add the Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board (code 7283) as a score recipient. Otherwise your scores reach the EPSB automatically.
Step 3. Complete Your Student Teaching Requirements
Before you can student teach, you complete at least 200 clock hours of field experience in P-12 school settings, and your program records them in the Kentucky Field Experience Tracking System (KFETS). Student teaching itself runs a minimum of 70 full days, or the equivalent, in a classroom that matches your grade band and content area. Both rules come from the current 16 KAR 5:040.
You student teach under a cooperating teacher who holds a valid certificate for that grade and subject and has at least three years of experience, with a university supervisor who observes you at least four times.
The EPSB filed a proposed amendment to 16 KAR 5:040 on August 31, 2026, and it isn’t in effect yet. As proposed, it would let a teacher with two years of experience serve as a cooperating teacher with district and program approval, allow up to two of the four observations to be remote, and let programs count time as an emergency-certified substitute toward the placement. Public comment runs through November 30, 2026.
On the provisional routes in Step 1, you teach on a provisional certificate instead. Your district then verifies your year of teaching before Kentucky issues your professional certificate.
Step 4. Apply for Your Kentucky Math Teaching Certificate
Once you finish your program and pass both Praxis tests, you apply in the Kentucky Educator Credentialing System (KECS) using the Initial Kentucky Certification (CA-1) application wizard. The GoTeachKY initial certification page lists the steps:
- Create a KECS account and start the CA-1 application
- Have official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate coursework sent directly from each institution, since forwarded copies aren’t accepted
- Pass the required assessments for each certification area and the PLT test for your grade range
- Have your preparation program verify that you completed it
- Complete the Character and Fitness review
- Pay the certification fee through the KECS online payment service, then submit
Kentucky issues a five-year professional certificate, and with a bachelor’s degree you start at Rank III, the state’s bachelor’s-level salary rank. The Kentucky Teacher Internship Program (KTIP) is no longer part of initial certification. Senate Bill 265 (2024) removed KTIP from state law, and its implementing regulation, 16 KAR 7:010, was repealed. Many districts run their own mentoring for first-year teachers, so ask about it when you interview.
Step 5. Renew Your Certificate and Advance in Rank
Your certificate renews every five years through the Renew Certification (CA-2) wizard in KECS. According to the GoTeachKY renewal page, each renewal needs one of these:
- Three years of classroom teaching during the last five-year period of the certificate, verified by your district
- Six semester hours of additional graduate credit, shown on an official transcript
You then complete the Character and Fitness review and pay online in KECS. You don’t need a master’s degree for a standard renewal. Older guides, including earlier versions of this page, say you do.
How Kentucky’s Rank System Works
Kentucky sorts teachers into salary ranks under KRS 161.1211, and district salary schedules pay by rank. Rank III is generally the bachelor’s-level rank. Rank II generally reflects an approved master’s-level qualification, and Rank I reflects further approved advanced preparation. The GoTeachKY rank change page lists the approved pathways:
- The Continuing Education Option (16 KAR 8:030)
- An approved rank change program at a Kentucky college or university
- An approved master’s program that leads to an additional certification, such as counselor or administrator
- A master’s degree or equivalent in the content area you’re certified in
- National Board Certification
A rank change isn’t automatic. You apply through the Rank Change (CA-1) wizard in KECS with your documentation, and a rank issued on your certificate by September 15 counts for that school year’s state salary schedule. To see what each rank is worth, compare Kentucky math teacher pay by experience and rank.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I become a math teacher in Kentucky without an education degree?
Yes. With a bachelor’s degree and a 2.75 GPA (or 3.0 on your last 30 hours), you can enter an MAT program or an alternative route such as Option 6, which lets you teach on a one-year provisional certificate while you finish. Testing deadlines depend on the route, so confirm when your option requires the Praxis math test.
Which Praxis tests do I need to teach high school math in Kentucky?
On the traditional route, you need Praxis Mathematics (5165) with a score of 159 and Principles of Learning and Teaching: Grades 7-12 (5624) with a score of 160. Middle school candidates take Middle School Mathematics (5164), passing score 157, and PLT: Grades 5-9 (5623), passing score 160.
Is KTIP still required in Kentucky?
No. Senate Bill 265 (2024) removed the Kentucky Teacher Internship Program from state law, and its implementing regulation was repealed. Some older sources, including the ETS Kentucky overview page, still list it as a requirement.
Do I need a master’s degree to keep my Kentucky teaching certificate?
No. You renew every five years with three years of teaching or six graduate hours. An approved master’s-level qualification can move you from Rank III to Rank II through a rank change application, which raises your pay, but it isn’t required for a standard renewal.
How long are Praxis scores valid in Kentucky?
Five years from the test date. If you apply for certification after that, you retake the test and meet the passing score in effect at that time.
- Pick your band first: Kentucky certifies math teachers for middle school (5-9) or high school (8-12), and the band sets your Praxis tests.
- Know your scores: The traditional route requires Mathematics (5165) at 159 or Middle School Mathematics (5164) at 157, plus the matching PLT at 160, and scores last five years.
- Degree holders have options: An MAT admits you on GPA alone, and the alternative routes start with a one-year provisional certificate, with their own testing timelines.
- Everything runs through KECS: You apply with the CA-1, renew every five years with the CA-2, and KTIP and a master’s are no longer required.
If you already hold a math or engineering degree, compare programs by whether they run an Option 6 route that lets you teach on a provisional certificate while you finish. Check which of the schools listed here offer online coursework and schedules that fit a full-time job.