To become a math teacher in Nevada, earn a bachelor’s degree with an approved teacher preparation program, pass Praxis Core or qualify for an exemption, pass Praxis Mathematics (5165) and the PLT Grades 7-12 (5624), then apply through the Nevada Department of Education’s OPAL portal with fingerprints. Career changers can start through an Alternative Route to Licensure.
Nevada licenses teachers through the Nevada Department of Education’s Office of Educator Licensure. A secondary license with a mathematics endorsement lets you teach math in grades 7 to 12. Nevada follows the steps every state shares: a degree, exams, then a license. What’s specific to Nevada is the order of a few requirements and the deadlines attached to them. Here’s how to become a math teacher in Nevada, in four steps.
- Earn a Bachelor’s Degree and Complete an Approved Teacher Preparation Program
- Pass the Praxis Core, Mathematics and PLT Exams
- Apply for Your Nevada Teaching License Through OPAL
- Complete Nevada School Law Training and Renew Your License
Step 1. Earn a Bachelor’s Degree and Complete an Approved Teacher Preparation Program
You need at least a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college. The standard route is a math education program that includes Nevada’s professional education coursework and student teaching, so you graduate eligible for a secondary license.
Decide your grade band before you pick a program. The secondary license covers grades 7 to 12. If you only want to teach middle school, Nevada also issues a middle school or junior high license, and that endorsement uses a different content exam (see Step 2).
Approved Teacher Preparation Programs in Nevada
The Nevada Department of Education’s traditional education preparation program page links to its current list of approved programs (checked October 2026). Check that your program is on it before you enroll. Typical degree titles include:
- B.A. in Mathematics Education with Nevada Secondary Licensure
- Secondary Education B.S. with a Concentration in Mathematics
- B.A. in Secondary Education
- B.S. in Secondary Education
Student teaching is part of every approved program. If you’ve already taught full time for three years at the right grade level, that experience can substitute for student teaching under NAC 391.042.
Coursework for a Nevada Math Endorsement
Your transcript has to show a major or a minor in mathematics. NAC 391.13043 sets the credit counts (checked October 2026). Both a major and a minor can qualify you for a grades 7 to 12 math endorsement, but a minor limits the courses you may teach to Algebra II and Geometry I or below. If you want to teach precalculus or calculus, plan on the major.
Math major: 36 semester hours. At least 9 must be in calculus. The other 27 must come from courses in these areas:
- Probability or statistics
- Number theory
- Linear algebra
- Abstract or modern algebra
- Finite mathematics or discrete processes
If you still need credits to reach 27, these courses count:
- History of mathematics
- Euclidean geometry
- Non-Euclidean geometry
- Mathematical computer applications, data structures or programming
- Differential equations
- Real number analysis
- Multivariate calculus
- Numerical analysis
- Logic or methods of mathematical proof
Math minor: 24 semester hours. At least 6 must be in calculus. The other 18 must come from courses in these areas:
- Probability or statistics
- Finite mathematics, discrete mathematics or number theory
- Linear, abstract or modern algebra
If you still need credits to reach 18, these courses count:
- Multivariate calculus
- History of mathematics
- Differential equations
- Real number analysis
- Euclidean geometry
- Non-Euclidean geometry
- Mathematical computer applications, data structures or programming
- Numerical analysis
- Logic or methods of mathematical proof
One related rule changed in 2026. Regulation R014-26, filed July 1, 2026, repealed NAC 391.136, which let math and science applicants with a degree in the field and a passing content test count as having the major or minor. The major and minor requirements above still apply.
If You Already Have a Bachelor’s Degree
You don’t need a second bachelor’s degree. You have two routes.
Post-baccalaureate or master’s licensure program. Several Nevada universities offer post-baccalaureate and master’s programs (M.Ed., M.A., M.A.T.) for graduates of non-teaching fields. You complete the professional education coursework and student teaching, then apply for a standard license.
Alternative Route to Licensure (ARL). To qualify for an ARL provisional license under NAC 391.057, you generally need a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, acceptance into an approved ARL program, a passing Praxis Core score or an exemption, and the math subject qualification: a major or minor in mathematics or a passing score on the math content test (checked October 2026). You enroll with the provider first, get an ARL letter from them, then apply through OPAL. You teach on the ARL license while you finish the program, and you can convert it to a standard license after at least two full school years. Nevada doesn’t reciprocate ARL licenses from other states, so an alternative-route license from elsewhere won’t transfer.
Step 2. Pass the Praxis Core, Mathematics and PLT Exams
Every applicant for an initial Nevada license takes competency tests from ETS’s Praxis series or qualifies for an exemption. Your scores must be from within 10 years of your application, per NAC 391.036 (checked October 2026). Many programs require Praxis Core before you start upper-level coursework, so plan for it early.
| Exam | Code | Who Takes It | Nevada Passing Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Praxis Core: Reading, Writing, Mathematics | 5713, 5723, 5733 (older 5712, 5722, 5732 also accepted) | Every applicant, unless exempt | Listed by ETS for each subtest |
| Praxis Mathematics | 5165 | Secondary math (grades 7 to 12) | 159 |
| Principles of Learning and Teaching: Grades 7-12 | 5624 | Secondary math (grades 7 to 12) | 157 |
| Praxis Middle School Mathematics | 5164 | Middle school math endorsement | Listed by ETS |
Secondary candidates take both Praxis Mathematics and the PLT Grades 7-12. Middle school candidates also take a PLT. ETS tells Nevada candidates to match the PLT to the grade level they’ll teach, so confirm with the Department whether yours is Grades 5-9 (5623) or Grades 7-12 (5624) before you register. Passing scores change, so check them on the ETS Nevada requirements page too (checked October 2026). To get your scores to Nevada, enter your Social Security number when you register, and if you test outside Nevada or your Praxis profile address isn’t in Nevada, select the Nevada Department of Education (state code 8670) as a score recipient, per the ETS Nevada overview.
Praxis Mathematics (5165) is a 180-minute, 66-question computer test with an on-screen graphing calculator. Practice with that calculator before test day, and get the free study companion from the ETS 5165 test page.
Ways Around Praxis Core
You can skip Praxis Core if you meet one of these exemptions (checked October 2026):
- An SAT score of at least 1100 or an ACT score of at least 21, from within the last 10 years
- A master’s degree or higher plus a GRE score at or above the midpoint of the score range, taken within the 10 years before you apply
- A basic skills test that the Nevada Department of Education accepts as equivalent to Praxis Core
- A grade of B or better in an approved course in each Core subject you didn’t pass
If you’re otherwise qualified but still have outstanding requirements, such as a missing test, Nevada may issue a nonrenewable provisional license. The Department currently describes this license as valid for three years. You must satisfy each provision listed on your license by its own deadline, which can come before the license expires.
Step 3. Apply for Your Nevada Teaching License Through OPAL
You apply online through OPAL, the Department’s Online Portal for Application and Licensure. Have these ready:
- The $210 non-refundable application fee (a $25 military discount applies to active duty, retired and veteran applicants and their spouses)
- Official transcripts sent directly from each college, or by eScript to [email protected]
- Your Praxis score reports, or proof of an exemption
- Fingerprints for the state and FBI background check
Fees are from the Department’s General License Requirements and Fees page (checked October 2026).
Fingerprints and the Background Check
Nevada law (NRS 391.033) requires a full set of fingerprints with every license application. Submit them after you’ve applied and paid. If you live in Nevada, use a Department-approved Livescan vendor, listed in the email you get after you pay. If you live out of state, mail an FBI FD-258 fingerprint card, because Nevada doesn’t accept out-of-state Livescan submissions.
The check usually takes four to five weeks and can run eight weeks or longer. Nevada won’t issue a license, even a provisional one, until it’s done. Your school district runs its own background check too, so expect to be fingerprinted twice. The fingerprinting page has the mailing address and card rules.
Nevada License Types
| License | Valid For | Who Gets It |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Renewable/Provisional | 3 years | Otherwise qualified applicants with outstanding requirements, such as a test or course |
| Standard | 5 years | Applicants who meet every requirement and don’t hold a graduate degree |
| Professional | 6 years | Teachers with a master’s degree or higher and at least 5 years of verifiable full-time teaching |
| Retiree | 6 years | Retired educators with at least 15 years of service in Nevada public, charter or private schools |
Licensed in Another State
If you hold a valid, unexpired license from another state that isn’t conditional or provisional, you may qualify for reciprocal licensure. In most cases reciprocity waives Nevada’s testing requirements. Teachers moving from Arizona, Utah or Oregon apply the same way: upload a copy of every current license to the out-of-state licensure area of OPAL, and still send official transcripts. Nevada matches your license to its closest available license and endorsement.
Step 4. Complete Nevada School Law Training and Renew Your License
Within one year of being licensed and first hired by a Nevada school district, you must complete training in Nevada school law and the parts of the Nevada Constitution that relate to schools. That rule is in NRS 391.091 (checked October 2026). Teachers licensed only as substitutes are exempt. Your district or a vendor it approves provides the training, and the proficiency standard for it can include an exam. It’s a condition of employment, not a separate licensing exam, and it replaced the old school law and constitution tests in 2017.
Renewal depends on when your license was issued (checked October 2026):
- Issued on or after September 16, 2024: 90 clock hours of continuing education, 6 semester credits, or a mix, earned any time during the license period
- Issued before September 16, 2024: 15 hours for each year of the license, earned any time during the license period
If your first Nevada license was issued on or after July 1, 2019, your first renewal also needs proof of a multicultural education course under NRS 391.0347: at least 3 semester hours or 45 continuing education hours, and only courses on the Department’s approved list count. Substitute-only licenses are exempt.
Employer-provided training during the contract day counts toward renewal. You can renew through OPAL up to nine months before your license expires, and the renewal fee is $180, rising to $185 for renewals due on or after July 1, 2027. If you’re running short, you can buy a one-time six-month extension for $30. If your math endorsement was issued on or after January 14, 1998, you must also have completed a course in methods of teaching mathematics to renew it. Full details are on the Department’s licensure renewals page.
Graduate math education courses count toward renewal and move you toward the six-year Professional license once you have five years in the classroom. Before you choose a district, compare what Nevada math teachers earn.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to pass Praxis Core to teach math in Nevada?
Yes, unless you qualify for an exemption. As of October 2026, an SAT score of 1100 or higher, an ACT score of 21 or higher, a qualifying GRE score with a master’s degree, an equivalent basic skills test, or a B or better in an approved course in each subject you didn’t pass can replace it.
Can I teach math in Nevada without an education degree?
Yes. With a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college, acceptance into an approved Alternative Route to Licensure program, Praxis Core or an exemption, and a math major, minor or passing content test, you can teach on an ARL license while you finish the program. You can also complete a post-baccalaureate or master’s licensure program.
Can a math minor qualify me to teach high school math in Nevada?
Yes, but with a limit. A minor in mathematics can earn you a grades 7 to 12 math endorsement, but it only lets you teach courses up to and including Algebra II and Geometry I. A major lets you teach any math course in grades 7 to 12.
How long is a Nevada teaching license valid?
A standard license is valid for five years. A professional license, for teachers with a master’s degree and five years of experience, is valid for six. The Department currently lists the nonrenewable provisional license as valid for three years, and the retiree license for six.
Do Nevada teachers still take a school law or constitution test?
No. Nevada no longer requires the old standalone school law and constitution licensing exams. Under NRS 391.091, teachers instead complete training in Nevada school law and the Nevada Constitution within one year of being licensed and first hired by a school district, and that training can include a proficiency assessment.
- Two content paths: High school candidates take Praxis Mathematics (5165) and the PLT Grades 7-12 (5624). Middle school candidates take Praxis Middle School Mathematics (5164) plus a PLT matched to their grade level.
- Major or minor matters: Both qualify you for a grades 7 to 12 endorsement, but a minor limits you to courses through Algebra II and Geometry I.
- Praxis Core has exemptions: An SAT of 1100, an ACT of 21, a qualifying GRE with a master’s degree, an equivalent test, or a B in an approved course can replace it.
- Career changers have a route: A bachelor’s degree, acceptance into an approved ARL program, Praxis Core or an exemption, and the math subject qualification let you teach while you finish licensure.
- Renewal is 90 hours plus one course: Licenses issued since September 16, 2024 renew with 90 clock hours or 6 semester credits, and teachers first licensed since July 1, 2019 also need an approved multicultural education course at first renewal.
If you’re weighing an ARL program against a post-baccalaureate one, compare how each handles your first year in the classroom and whether you can study online while you work. The math education programs listed here accept students working toward Nevada licensure.