To become a math teacher in South Carolina, you need a bachelor’s degree, an approved educator preparation program or alternative route, and a passing math content score: Praxis Mathematics (5165) for grades 9-12 or Middle School Mathematics (5164) for grades 5-8. You also pass a pedagogy assessment, usually the PLT. Most teachers start on a three-year Initial certificate.
South Carolina certifies math teachers in two fields: Middle Level Mathematics (grades 5-8) and Mathematics (grades 9-12). The field you choose decides which Praxis exams you take. Both fields are on the state’s 2026-27 critical need list, approved by the State Board of Education on March 3, 2026. Here’s how to become a math teacher in South Carolina in four steps, current as of October 2026.
- Complete an Approved Math Teacher Preparation Program
- Pass South Carolina’s Math Certification Exams
- Apply for Your South Carolina Initial Certificate
- Advance to and Renew Your Professional Certificate
Step 1. Complete an Approved Math Teacher Preparation Program
Every state’s route starts with the same core certification steps: a degree, a preparation program, and exams. South Carolina’s version depends on whether you’re still in college, changing careers, or already certified somewhere else.
Traditional Route: A Math Education Degree
If you’re planning ahead for college, choose a mathematics education program that the State Board of Education has approved. SCDE keeps the list of approved educator preparation programs. The math portion of these programs covers content-area courses in:
- Calculus
- Linear algebra
- Geometry and trigonometry
- Statistics and probability
The education portion covers how to teach math: lesson planning, assessment, and classroom management. It ends with student teaching, where you’re paired with an experienced math teacher who gives you feedback on your lessons.
Before full admission to an undergraduate program, you’ll need passing scores on a basic skills test in reading, writing, and math, usually Praxis Core. That’s set by S.C. Code Ann. Section 59-26-20. Qualifying SAT or ACT scores can exempt you (ETS South Carolina requirements, checked October 2026). Praxis Core gets you into a program. It isn’t a certification exam.
Alternative Routes for Career Changers
If you already hold a bachelor’s degree and didn’t student teach, you can enter through an alternative route and teach while you finish your training. Admission, training, and completion rules differ by program. SCDE’s testing rule covers every route: a passing Praxis subject score before admission, then a passing pedagogy score during your three years in the program.
The state-run route is the Program of Alternative Certification for Educators (PACE). As of October 2026, it requires:
- A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college with a major in mathematics, or an equivalency: 30 semester hours of math with a C or better (21 of them at the junior or senior level), or 24 graduate hours
- A passing score on Praxis 5165 or 5164
- A current all-clear FBI/SLED background check
- No prior student teaching in a traditional program, and no unfinished enrollment in another South Carolina alternative route
The order matters. Apply through My SC Educator Portal without paying the fee, send official transcripts, and wait for SCDE’s evaluation letter. Then pass your Praxis subject exam, complete fingerprinting, and pay the $105 processing fee. A math or engineering degree alone doesn’t guarantee eligibility, which is why the transcript review comes first.
Next, SCDE issues a Statement of Eligibility and you look for a job in a South Carolina public school district. After you’re hired, you attend a ten-day PACE I Institute to earn your first one-year Alternative Route certificate. Training registration is $250 for PACE I and $250 for PACE II, paid separately. Praxis fees and the required training books are extra. PACE requires a three-year commitment to your field and grade level and three approved college courses.
Other SCDE-approved options include American Board (ABCTE), Teach For America, the Greenville Alternative Teacher Education Program (GATE), Teachers of Tomorrow, CarolinaCAP, LEAP, C-PACT, and TeachCharleston. Eligibility and teaching fields vary by program, so check the current SCDE alternative certification directory.
Teachers Certified in Another State
If you hold a standard certificate from another state, you apply through out-of-state certification. With fewer than 27 months of qualifying teaching in the last seven years, you’ll receive an Initial certificate and must pass a pedagogy exam before you can advance. Teachers holding current National Board Certification can qualify for a Professional certificate under S.C. Code Ann. Section 59-26-85. If you’re deciding between the Carolinas, compare this process with our North Carolina guide before you apply.
Step 2. Pass South Carolina’s Math Certification Exams
South Carolina uses the Praxis series from ETS. On the standard preparation-program route, you need a passing math content score for your field and a passing pedagogy assessment. Most candidates take the Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) exam matched to the field’s grade span. These are the qualifying scores for the 2026-27 academic year, from SCDE’s subject area and pedagogy lists:
| Certification Field | Content Exam | Content Score | Pedagogy Exam (Score) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Level Mathematics (grades 5-8) | Middle School Mathematics (5164) | 157 | PLT: Grades 5-9 (5623), 160 |
| Mathematics (grades 9-12) | Mathematics (5165) | 159 | PLT: Grades 7-12 (5624), 157 |
SCDE lists 5165 as Mathematics: Content Knowledge, and ETS calls it Mathematics. It’s the same test. Your PLT must match the grade span of your certification field, not the school where you end up teaching. If your preparation program uses the edTPA performance assessment during student teaching, a qualifying edTPA score can replace the PLT.
When you register with ETS, enter your full nine-digit Social Security number and list the South Carolina Department of Education (code 8108) as a score recipient. Scores are matched to your certification record by Social Security number, and a missing or wrong number delays your application. See SCDE’s certification assessments page for current rules.
Step 3. Apply for Your South Carolina Initial Certificate
You apply online through My SC Educator Portal, run by the SCDE Office of Educator Services. Have these ready:
- Official transcripts from every college you attended
- A recommendation from your approved preparation program
- Official Praxis score reports sent by ETS (code 8108)
- Fingerprints for the state and FBI criminal records review
The Office of Educator Services is at 849 Learning Lane, West Columbia, SC 29172 (803-896-0325, [email protected]). You can track your documents in the portal. Each route leads to a different certificate first:
| Certificate | Who Gets It | Valid For | What Comes Next |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alternative Route | PACE and other alternative route participants | One year at a time during the program | Professional, after your program’s completion requirements and the pedagogy exam |
| Initial | Program completers and newer out-of-state teachers | Three school years, not renewable (employer-requested extensions possible) | Professional, after induction and a “met” ADEPT evaluation (out-of-state teachers may also need a pedagogy score) |
| Professional | Teachers who meet advancement requirements | Five school years | Renewal with 120 credits |
Step 4. Advance to and Renew Your Professional Certificate
Moving From Initial to Professional
Your Initial certificate lasts three school years and isn’t renewable. If you’re a completer of an approved preparation program, advancing to a Professional certificate requires you to:
- Work in a South Carolina public school
- Take part in your district’s induction program
- Earn a “met” on your summative evaluation at the annual contract level under ADEPT
ADEPT (Assisting, Developing, and Evaluating Professional Teaching) is still the state’s evaluation system. The formal evaluation now uses the South Carolina Teaching Standards (SCTS) 4.0 rubric, in a version called Expanded ADEPT. Its four domains are Instruction, Planning, Environment, and Professionalism. Out-of-state teachers and alternative route participants have additional or different requirements.
Each year in late July, SCDE automatically reviews Initial certificates that expired that June. You advance only if you completed the summative evaluation within your certificate’s validity period and your district reported a “met” result. No separate request is needed. If you haven’t advanced yet, your district can request annual extensions, but you can’t exceed four annual contracts on one Initial certificate. Otherwise you’ll need to reapply under current requirements.
Renewing Every Five Years
A Professional certificate is valid for five school years. To renew it, you need 120 renewal credits during that period, earned through the options in the Renewal Credit Matrix. These include college coursework, SCDE-approved courses, and district professional learning. The State Board approved updated renewal guidelines on August 4, 2026, so check the matrix before you plan your credits.
Two statutory requirements also apply:
- Read to Succeed (R2S): you must earn the R2S endorsement for your field. Each approved R2S course also counts for 60 renewal credits.
- Jason Flatt Act: if you teach in a public middle or high school, you must complete approved suicide awareness training before renewal, unless you’ve already met the training requirement.
Raising Your Class Level
Your certificate also shows a class level, which sets part of your pay on your district’s salary schedule. The levels are Bachelor’s, Master’s, Master’s plus 30 (MA+30), and Doctorate. You can reach MA+30 through 30 approved graduate hours beyond the master’s, a second master’s, a specialist degree, or certain longer master’s programs. Request approval through the portal at least 45 days before you enroll in online coursework you plan to use. For what math teachers earn in the state, see our South Carolina math teacher salary page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to pass Praxis Core to get certified in South Carolina?
No. Praxis Core is required for full admission to an undergraduate teacher preparation program, and qualifying SAT or ACT scores can exempt you. For certification, you need a math content exam (5164 or 5165) and a pedagogy assessment, either the PLT or a qualifying edTPA.
What score do I need on Praxis Mathematics 5165 in South Carolina?
For the 2026-27 academic year, the qualifying score on Mathematics (5165) is 159. Middle Level candidates need 157 on Middle School Mathematics (5164). SCDE posts updated scores each August.
Can I teach math in South Carolina with an engineering degree?
Possibly, through an alternative route. PACE accepts a math major or an equivalency of 30 semester hours of math coursework, 21 of them upper level, or 24 graduate hours. SCDE reviews your transcript before you test, so an engineering degree with enough math may qualify. Other approved programs set their own admission rules.
How long is a South Carolina Initial certificate valid?
Three school years, and it isn’t renewable. Advancement to Professional is reviewed automatically each July once your district reports a “met” evaluation. If you haven’t advanced, your employer can request annual extensions, up to four annual contracts in a public school district, or you reapply under current requirements.
Is math a shortage area in South Carolina?
Yes. Mathematics and Middle Level Mathematics are both on the 2026-27 critical need subject list. Borrowers with a South Carolina Teachers Loan or SC PACE Loan may be able to forgive part of it by teaching in critical need subjects and schools. Ask SC Student Loan for current terms.
- Two math fields: Middle Level Mathematics covers grades 5-8 and Mathematics covers grades 9-12, and your field sets your exams.
- Two assessments: you need 157 on Praxis 5164 or 159 on 5165, plus a pedagogy assessment, usually the matching PLT (5623 or 5624) or a qualifying edTPA.
- Praxis Core is for admission: it gets you into an undergraduate program, and it isn’t a certification exam.
- Career changers: PACE and other approved routes let you teach while you train. Each program sets its own admission and training rules, and all require a passing Praxis subject score first.
- Professional certificate: for program completers, induction plus a “met” ADEPT evaluation reported within the Initial certificate’s validity moves you up, and renewal takes 120 credits every five years.
Math is a critical need field in South Carolina, so the program you pick shapes how quickly you reach a classroom of your own. Compare how each school listed here handles student teaching and PLT preparation, and whether you can finish coursework online while you work.