Testing Requirements
In order to earn a teaching license in Illinois, candidates must take and pass all relevant content exams. These exams are required to enter Relay Chicago’s licensure track. We recommend that prospective students pass all required exams by May of the year they plan to start classes. The deadline for TFA Candidates to submit official score reports is 6/22/2022 and for all other candidates it is 7/6/2022. If a candidate does not meet this deadline, they will not be eligible to continue enrollment at Relay. Passing these exams is an Illinois state requirement and Relay does not have any flexibility around it.
*Note: Upon applying to a Relay partner (e.g. a Residency program or Teach For America), you may receive specific testing deadlines unique to your timeline that differ from the date above. If that is the case, you must follow the deadlines assigned to you.
How to Register
Licensure exams are administered by the Illinois Licensure Testing System (ILTS) at Pearson Vue Testing Centers. Licensure is overseen by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).
Step 1: Identify Your Exam(s)
All candidates seeking licensure must pass the content exam(s) associated with their subject area. Please use the table below to determine which exam(s) to take.
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Content Area |
ILTS Exam(s) |
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Special Education (Learning Behavior Specialist I (PK- Age 22)) |
Learning Behavior Specialist I (155) AND |
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Elementary Education (Grades 1-6) |
Through March 13, 2022: Elementary Education (Grades 1-6) (197-200):
Beginning March 16, 2020: Elementary Education (Grades 1-6) (305) |
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Middle Grades Language Arts (Grades 5-8) |
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Middle Grades Mathematics (Grades 5-8) |
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Middle Grades General Science (Grades 5-8) |
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Middle Grades Social Science (Grades 5-8) |
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Secondary ELA (Grades 9-12) |
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Secondary Mathematics (Grades 9-12) |
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Secondary Science- Biology (Grades 9-12) |
Through July 31, 2022: Science: Biology (105) Beginning August 3, 2020: Science: Biology (239) |
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Secondary Science- Chemistry (Grades 9-12) |
Through July 31, 2022: Science: Chemistry (106) Beginning August 3, 2020: Science: Chemistry (240) |
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Secondary Social Science- History (Grades 9-12) |
**The Elementary Education exam has been redesigned from four tests into a single test. The older version with four tests (197-200 individually; 701 together) will still count. The new single test (305) is available for testing starting March 16, 2020. We anticipate the new version will be easier to pass since you don’t need to obtain a passing score in each sub-area individually but instead have an average passing score overall.
Step 2: Register
Register for all required exams on the ILTS website here. Candidates are responsible for paying for test fees upon registration.
When registering for your ILTS exam on Pearson’s website, there will be a dropdown option asking you to share your teacher preparation program. In order for us to receive your scores, you should select Relay Graduate School of Education from the drop-down menu. See this Support Center article for detailed instructions.
Step 3: Receive Scores
When you take an exam at a testing center, an unofficial pass/fail report is printed out and given to you. Please keep this and let your partner school program or Relay know if you have unofficially passed your test.
Two to four weeks later, your official scores will be sent to you by email. Click here to see the Score Report schedule for content area tests. If you were not able to select Relay as an automatic score recipient, you will need to upload your official score report pdf to your Relay Admissions Checklist.
Step 4: Retake Tests if Necessary
ILTS has shortened its retake waiting period from 30 days to 14 days. This means that you must wait 14 days after your last test date to retake an exam. Your official score report will show your subscores on each area, so it is worth waiting for that report before retaking an exam so that you know which areas to concentrate on studying.
Study Resources
Following is a list of study materials that we have heard are helpful to prospective graduate students.
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FREE RESOURCES |
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Exam |
Resource |
Notes |
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All subjects |
ILTS provides a study guide for each exam that tells you the standards the exam is testing on and shows some free sample questions. These guides do not provide any study material content but give you a sense of the items the exam will test you on. Graduate students have also reported that the practice questions included are easier than on the actual exams, so individuals will likely need study materials beyond these resources. ILTS also offers practice tests for most exams for a fee. |
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All Subjects |
Mometrix offers comprehensive study materials aligned to each certification exam. Click on the "Teaching" link for access to ILTS study guides, flashcards, and/or practice tests. Available through Relay Library. |
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Elementary, ELA, Math, Biology, Chemistry, Social Science / History |
Relay offers a free online course with access to many test prep materials and best practices. Click the link to the left to create a free account and access the modules for each content area. |
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Many subjects |
Relay will provide voucher codes for two free practice tests per candidate through Exam Edge. Practice tests for many content exams are available, though for some subjects they only have practice tests for old versions of the exam. Instructions:
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Many subjects |
Quizlet has free flashcards for several of the ILTS tests. These are created by users and not an official test prep company, so keep in mind there may be errors. Enter keywords in the search function to find your test - e.g. ILTS 155 Learning Behavior Specialist. |
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Math |
This document maps the standards that were tested in the math section of the TAP to free online videos from Khan Academy. Sections may still be helpful for Math content exams. |
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LBSI (155) |
Free 155 LBSI Study Guide Download on TeachersPayTeachers.com |
Create a free account on TeachersPayTeachers.com and download this study guide for no cost. The links in the “Review” section help you familiarize yourself with key concepts of Special Education. Also includes links to Quizlet flashcards - see below for more info on Quizlet.com. |
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LBSI (155) and Special Ed (163) |
Educational Rights and Responsibilities: Understanding Special Education in Illinois is a document developed by the Illinois State Board of Education for parents and others to learn about the educational rights of children who have disabilities and receive special education services. This document has been helpful for some in becoming familiar with the content of the 155 and 163 Special Education content exams. |
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LBSI (155) and Special Ed (163) |
Read about Special Education at Chicago Public Schools, including the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), and Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). |
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FOR PURCHASE |
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Elementary, Math, MS Science, MS Language Arts |
240Tutoring’s online study guides break down what candidates need to know, what to study, and in what order to study. Each study guide comes equipped with instructional content, flashcards, and authentic practice questions. The cost is $40/month. |
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Most exams (including Special Ed 163) |
Study.com has detailed online study materials and practice questions available for a monthly fee. Some resources are accessible without paying, so click around and see what you can access. They offer a 30-day money-back guarantee if you are not satisfied with the resource. The cost is approximately $60/month. |
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All Content Exams |
Amazon has study books with practice tests and flashcard sets available for purchase. Graduate students have reported that XAM and Mometrix brand study books and flashcard sets have been helpful. Search by your test name - e.g. ILTS Math 208. |
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