To become a math teacher in Virginia, you need a bachelor’s degree, the Mathematics endorsement (an approved preparation program or 36 semester hours of math), a passing Praxis score (Mathematics 5165 at 159, or Middle School Mathematics 5164 at 157), and Virginia’s required trainings. You apply to VDOE online through VALO. Career changers can start through Career Switcher.
Virginia’s math teacher rules changed a lot in the last few years. The Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment (VCLA) is gone, renewable licenses now run 10 years instead of five, and a teacher with three years on an out-of-state license can transfer it without retesting. Here’s how to become a math teacher in Virginia as of October 2026, with each requirement sourced to the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), the Licensure Regulations for School Personnel (8VAC20-23), the Code of Virginia or ETS.
If you’re still comparing states, start with the national certification requirements. In Virginia, it takes four steps:
- Earn a Degree and Meet the Mathematics Endorsement Requirements
- Pass Virginia’s Required Praxis Math Test
- Complete the Required Trainings and Apply for Your Virginia License
- Renew Your Virginia Teaching License
Step 1. Earn a Degree and Meet the Mathematics Endorsement Requirements
Every route starts with a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution (8VAC20-23-40). Virginia calls the subject you’re licensed to teach an endorsement, and the endorsement you choose decides your grade band, your coursework and your Praxis test.
Choose Your Grade Band
- Mathematics (secondary grades 6-12): complete an approved teacher preparation program in mathematics, or hold a math major or 36 semester hours of math coursework (8VAC20-23-430).
- Middle Education 6-8 with a mathematics concentration: complete an approved middle education program, or hold a liberal arts or sciences degree with a 24-semester-hour math concentration covering algebra, geometry, probability and statistics, applications of mathematics, and methods of teaching middle school math (8VAC20-23-170). You can teach only the concentration areas listed on your license.
- Mathematics: Algebra I (add-on): not a starting endorsement. You add it to a Collegiate or Postgraduate Professional License, or to a Provisional License once you’ve passed the test for your first endorsement. The Algebra I test (5162, passing score 148) can’t be used for initial licensure (VDOE Assessment Requirements, updated September 2025).
If you go the coursework route for the secondary endorsement, the 36 hours must cover each of these areas:
- Algebra, including linear algebra and abstract algebra (ring, group and field theory)
- Geometry, including Euclidean and non-Euclidean geometries
- Analytic geometry
- Probability and statistics
- Discrete mathematics, including linear programming
- Calculus, including multivariable calculus
- Mathematical modeling
- Computer science, including two programming languages
Which Route Fits You
Here’s how the four main routes compare:
| Route | Who It Fits | Key Requirements | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approved preparation program | New students and anyone willing to complete a full program | Bachelor’s degree, VDOE-approved math program, passing Praxis score | 8VAC20-23-430 |
| Coursework plus Provisional License | Math or math-heavy graduates hired by a Virginia school division | Endorsement coursework met, division request, professional studies and assessments finished before the provisional license expires | 8VAC20-23-90 B |
| Career Switcher | Career changers with work experience | Bachelor’s degree, 3 years of full-time work, passing Praxis score before you start | 8VAC20-23-90 A |
| Universal reciprocity | Licensed teachers moving to Virginia | Full out-of-state license in force and in use for at least 3 years, no Virginia tests | Code § 22.1-298.1 |
The Traditional Route: An Approved Preparation Program
If you’re starting college or going back for a teaching degree, choose a math education program from VDOE’s list of approved teacher preparation programs. The program covers both the math content and the professional studies, and it confirms your completion to VDOE on a College Verification Form when you apply.
Some programs ask for Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators scores at admission. ETS lists Core as an accepted entry test for Virginia’s approved programs, not a licensure test (ETS Virginia overview).
No Education Degree? The Coursework and Provisional License Route
If you already hold a math degree or the 36 hours listed above, a Virginia school division can hire you and request a Provisional License on your behalf (8VAC20-23-90). It’s issued for three years and can’t be renewed, but the Board extends it by one or two years when your division superintendent recommends it and your evaluations are satisfactory (8VAC20-23-50). While you teach, you finish the professional studies coursework, complete one year of successful full-time teaching, and pass your Praxis test before the license expires (8VAC20-23-40 B).
With at least three years of documented full-time work and a passing Virginia content test score, you can also ask that experiential learning replace the endorsement coursework (8VAC20-23-90 E).
Career Switcher Program
The Career Switcher Program is built for professionals moving into teaching. Under 8VAC20-23-90 A, you need a bachelor’s degree, the endorsement requirements or their equivalent through experience or study, at least three years of full-time work experience, and passing Praxis scores before you enter. Level I is at least 180 clock hours of preparation, including field experience. You then teach for one year on a one-year Provisional (Career Switcher) License with a trained mentor and at least five seminars totaling 20 hours. If your division recommends a second year, you enter Level III for any further preparation it identifies. Once you finish, with your division’s recommendation, you’re eligible for a 10-year renewable license.
Moving From Another State: Licensure by Reciprocity
Universal reciprocity is the fastest route if you already teach. If your out-of-state license is a full credential without deficiencies, and it has been in force and in use in a non-virtual K-12 classroom for at least three years, Virginia requires no service requirements and no licensing tests (Code of Virginia § 22.1-298.1, 8VAC20-23-100).
With less than three years, you can still qualify for a comparable endorsement if you finished a state-approved program at an accredited four-year institution or hold a valid out-of-state license, but you’ll take Virginia’s tests unless you’re exempt. National Board certification also qualifies you, and military spouses with a full out-of-state license get a decision within 15 business days of a complete application. If you’re weighing a move across a border, compare how Maryland, Tennessee and West Virginia license math teachers.
Step 2. Pass Virginia’s Required Praxis Math Test
As of October 2026, unless reciprocity or another exemption covers you, you pass one Praxis subject test matched to your endorsement:
| Praxis Test | Endorsement | Virginia Passing Score | Format and Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics (5165) | Mathematics (secondary 6-12) | 159 | 180 minutes, 66 questions, $130 |
| Middle School Mathematics (5164) | Middle Education 6-8 mathematics | 157 | 180 minutes, 66 questions, $130 |
Passing scores are from VDOE’s Assessment Requirements for Virginia Licensure, and length and fees are from ETS.
You no longer take the VCLA. House Bill 731 eliminated the Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment for initial licensure effective July 1, 2024, per VDOE, and the licensure requirements in Code of Virginia § 22.1-298.1 C no longer name a communication and literacy test. The text of 8VAC20-23-40 still mentions communication and literacy, so ignore older checklists that list the VCLA. If you were cited for the VCLA before July 1, 2024 and met everything else, you can ask VDOE to update your evaluation and issue a renewable license.
If you test outside Virginia, or your Praxis profile address isn’t in Virginia, add VDOE (code 8425) as a score recipient, because your scores won’t reach it automatically. And if you narrowly miss, Virginia accepts ETS’s Praxis Bridge for both 5165 and 5164 as of November 1, 2025, which can let an eligible candidate complete a learning module instead of retesting.
Step 3. Complete the Required Trainings and Apply for Your Virginia License
Virginia law sets a short list of trainings every new license applicant completes (8VAC20-23-40, Code § 22.1-298.1 D):
- Emergency first aid, CPR and AED training, including hands-on CPR practice
- Child abuse recognition and intervention
- Dyslexia awareness training provided by VDOE
- Positive behavior interventions, crisis prevention and de-escalation, and restraint and seclusion, if your program didn’t cover them
- Cultural competency training, which the Code of Virginia requires for initial licensure and renewal
Initial licensure also requires study in attention deficit disorder, gifted education, and school-family communication (8VAC20-23-40 E). If you’re hired on a Provisional License, you finish the trainings during your first year instead of before you’re licensed (8VAC20-23-40 L). VDOE keeps the current list on its Licensing Forms and Information page.
Then apply through Virginia Licensure Online (VALO), which replaced the old eGOV portal. You can pay online there. VDOE also accepts a single paper packet mailed to the Office of Licensure, PO Box 2120, Richmond, VA 23218-2120. Either way, include:
- The application and the nonrefundable fee: $100 in-state or $150 out-of-state (VDOE fee schedule)
- Official transcripts
- Your College Verification Form, if you completed any part of a preparation program
- Copies of your official Praxis score reports
- Proof of each required training
Once you’ve met every requirement in Steps 1 to 3, a bachelor’s degree qualifies you for the Collegiate Professional License, and a relevant graduate degree for the Postgraduate Professional License. Both are 10-year renewable licenses, and licenses take effect July 1 of the school year you apply (8VAC20-23-50). Once you’re licensed, VDOE’s job opportunities page is a good place to start your search, and the Virginia math teacher salary guide shows what those jobs pay.
Step 4. Renew Your Virginia Teaching License
Your renewable license lasts 10 years, and renewal takes 270 professional development points earned in that window, or 180 on an older five-year license (8VAC20-23-110). You can earn points through any mix of eight options:
- College credit
- Professional conferences of four or more hours
- Curriculum development
- Publication of an article
- Publication of a book (self-published books don’t count)
- Mentorship, including supervising a student teacher
- An educational project
- Professional development activities
Virginia can’t require college coursework for renewal, master’s degree or not (Code § 22.1-298.1 D 2). Each renewal also requires CPR and AED training, dyslexia awareness training, training on teaching students with disabilities, and cultural competency training. Plan to document child abuse recognition training as well: 8VAC20-23-110 G requires it at every renewal, and the Code requires it of anyone who hasn’t completed it. Your school division recommends your renewal. If you aren’t employed by one, you send VDOE a renewal application, the $50 renewal fee, your renewal record, and transcripts for any college coursework.
National Board Certification
National Board certification is optional, and Virginia rewards it. Under Code of Virginia § 22.1-299.2, public school teachers who earn certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards receive a $5,000 initial award and $2,500 each year for the life of the certificate, including after it’s renewed, to the extent state funds are available. VDOE’s National Board incentive page explains how school divisions submit eligible teachers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I still need to pass the VCLA to teach math in Virginia?
No. The VCLA stopped being an initial licensure requirement on July 1, 2024, after House Bill 731, according to VDOE. For math, the test you need now is Praxis 5165 or 5164.
Can I teach math in Virginia without an education degree?
Yes. With a math major or 36 semester hours of math coursework, a school division can hire you on a three-year Provisional License while you finish professional studies. With three years of full-time work experience, you can also apply to the Career Switcher Program.
Which Praxis math test does Virginia require?
Unless reciprocity exempts you, the Mathematics endorsement needs Praxis Mathematics (5165) with a 159. For Middle Education 6-8 with a math concentration, you take Middle School Mathematics (5164) and need a 157. Both are 180-minute, 66-question computer tests.
How long is a Virginia teaching license valid?
A renewable license is valid for 10 years. Renewal takes 270 professional development points (180 on an older five-year license), the required trainings and a renewal application. A Provisional License runs three years and can’t be renewed, though the Board can extend it by one or two years.
Can I transfer my teaching license to Virginia?
Usually, yes. If your full out-of-state license has been in force and in use in a K-12 classroom for at least three years, universal reciprocity requires no Virginia tests or service requirements.
- Endorsement first: Mathematics covers secondary grades 6-12 and Middle Education 6-8 needs a 24-hour math concentration, so pick your grade band before you pick a program.
- One Praxis test: Unless reciprocity exempts you, pass Mathematics (5165, score 159) or Middle School Mathematics (5164, score 157), and skip the VCLA, which ended July 1, 2024.
- Career changer routes: Career Switcher needs three years of full-time work, and the three-year Provisional License route needs a hiring school division.
- Apply in VALO: Send your application, transcripts, scores and training proof with a $100 in-state or $150 out-of-state fee.
- Renew every 10 years: Earn 270 points through any of eight options and complete the renewal trainings, with no required college coursework.
If you’re coming to teaching from engineering, finance or another math-heavy field, compare programs by how they fit a Career Switcher year or a provisional year in your own classroom. The schools listed here include online options for candidates still working while they finish.