Georgia Teacher Certification Exam Prep

Teacher certification in Georgia is managed by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC), with applications and certificate management handled through the MyPSC portal. The assessment program is GACE, which includes Program Admission, Content, Georgia Educator Ethics, Educational Leadership, and Paraprofessional assessments, with field-to-assessment mapping set by GaPSC and GACE.

A major recent change: GACE moved from ETS to Evaluation Systems, Pearson on July 1, 2025. Registration now happens at gace.es.pearson.com, and the old ETS fee structure no longer applies. If a study resource cites gace.ets.org or the old fees, it is out of date.

GaPSC certificate tiers under Rule 505-2 include:

• Pre-Service Certificate - For candidates enrolled in educator preparation programs.
• Induction Certificate - For early-career educators and educators new to Georgia, on a 5-year pathway.
• Professional Certificate - Standard Professional and Performance-Based Professional; requires 3 years of experience in the last 5 and a professional-level GACE content score.
• Advanced Professional / Lead Professional - Veteran-teacher upgrade tiers; confirm current criteria in Rule 505-2.

GACE assessments are administered by Evaluation Systems, Pearson. The assessment you need depends on your certification field: Program Admission, Content, Georgia Educator Ethics, Educational Leadership, or Paraprofessional. Some assessments are split into testlets that can be taken and paid for individually. Check gace.es.pearson.com for your field's current test structure and registration steps.

GACE passing standards vary by assessment and by certificate tier; for example, the Professional Certificate requires a professional-level GACE content score. Confirm the current passing score for your specific assessment with GACE and GaPSC before test day.

The typical path to Georgia certification involves:

• Completing the GACE assessments required for your field, per the GaPSC and GACE field-to-assessment mapping.
• Passing the Georgia Educator Ethics assessment.
• Managing your application and certificate through the MyPSC portal (mypsc.gapsc.org).
• For the Professional Certificate: 3 years of experience in the last 5 plus a professional-level GACE content score under Rule 505-2-.05.

Requirements can change. Always confirm current certification rules with the official state licensing authority before applying.

Per the official GACE fee schedule: content assessments (all testlets) cost $169, middle grades content $84.50, School Counseling / School Librarian / School Psychology and Certificate Upgrade / Educational Leadership assessments $263, Georgia Ethics $30, Paraprofessional $49, and literacy assessments $90. Some testlets can be paid individually. A GaPSC certificate processing fee of $20 via MyPSC is reported but should be confirmed on gapsc.com. Always confirm current fees on the official Pearson fee schedule before registering.

A 6 to 8 week plan for a GACE content assessment:

• Week 1-2: Review your field's GACE test objectives and take a diagnostic practice test.
• Week 3-4: Study the content domains where the diagnostic showed gaps, using your preparation program materials.
• Week 5-6: Practice pedagogy scenarios, assessment concepts, and classroom management questions.
• Week 7-8: Take full-length timed practice tests and review every missed question until your scores are stable.