Some candidates in Indiana are required to take and pass a state content exam prior to officially enrolling with Relay. This guide serves to help support candidates during pre-enrollment in registering and preparing for their exams.
Test Requirements: The Indiana Department of Education requires that all candidates to a Transition to Teaching program (such as Relay) demonstrate content mastery in their certification area prior to enrollment. This could be through a combination of undergraduate degree type, undergraduate cumulative GPA, graduate degree(s), years professional experience, and/or passing of a state content exam.
- See Relay Indiana’s Certification Eligibility to learn whether you are required to pass a state content exam for admissions.
If you are required to pass a content exam prior to enrolling with Relay, you will need to provide Relay with an official score report by no later than July 1, 2021. If a candidate does not meet this deadline, they will not be eligible to continue enrollment at Relay.
Test Registration
Step 1: Identify your exam. If you need to demonstrate content mastery by passing a state content exam, find the exam associated with your subject area in the table below.
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Certification Area |
State Content Assessment(s) |
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Elementary |
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Elementary Generalist (Grades K-6) |
(060) Subtest 1: Reading & English Language Arts |
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English Language Arts |
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Secondary English Language Arts (Grades 5-12) |
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Mathematics |
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Secondary Mathematics (Grades 5-12) |
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Sciences |
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Secondary Life Science (Grades 5-12) |
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Secondary Physical Science (Grades 5-12) |
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Secondary Physics (Grades 5-12) |
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Secondary Chemistry (Grades 5-12) |
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Secondary Earth/Space Science (Grades 5-12) |
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Social Studies |
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Secondary Historical Perspectives (Grades 5-12) |
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Secondary Psychology (Grades 5-12) |
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Secondary Sociology (Grades 5-12) |
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Secondary Government and Citizenship (Grades 5-12) |
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Secondary Economics (Grades 5-12) |
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Secondary Geographical Perspectives (Grades 5-12) |
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Note: Candidates for secondary certification in ELA, math, science, or social studies should NOT register for Middle School-specific content assessments, as they do not apply toward a certification major with Relay.
Step 2: Register for your exam. Register for all required exams on the Pearson website for Indiana CORE Assessments here. (This also includes requesting alternative testing arrangements if applicable.) Candidates are responsible for paying for test fees upon registration.
Step 3: Receive and submit 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.
Your official score report will be available in your account on the Pearson website within 10 business days after testing. Please upload your official score report PDF to your Relay Extended Admissions Checklist.
Step 4: Retake tests (if necessary). If you need to retake a test, you must complete the registration process again. You must wait 30 days before retaking a test.
Preparing for Your Exams
Because the content exams are state-specific, not national, there’s a limited number of standards-aligned study resources. That being said, graduate students have found the following resources helpful in preparing for their exams.
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Exam |
Resource |
Notes |
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All subjects |
Pearson provides a free study guide for each exam that tells you which standards will be assessed, along with showing some free sample questions. These guides do not provide substantial study materials but will give you a much better sense of what to prioritize when you study. Pearson also has full practice tests for most exams but with a cost associated. |
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All subjects |
Relay will provide access to Mometrix’s suite of study books, practice questions, flashcards, and other test prep resources if candidates can confirm employment with a partner school and/or acceptance to a partner preparation program (i.e. TFA). Instructions:
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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 an Exam Edge voucher code for one free practice test per candidate who can confirm employment with a partner school and/or acceptance to a partner preparation program (i.e. TFA). Practice tests are available in most all Indiana content areas, but students have reported some imperfect alignment to the Pearson exams. Instructions:
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Many subjects |
Quizlet has free flashcards for several of the Indiana CORE assessments. 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. Indiana CORE Psychology. |
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Math, Science |
While not aligned to Indiana educator or student standards, many Relay students have found success in preparing for math or science exams by reviewing free resources at Khan Academy. |
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Elementary, Math, English Language Arts |
Study guides and practice questions are available on 240Tutoring.com for a monthly fee, though they also have a practice test option and a free resources section. |