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Certification Testing Information

All certification areas offered by Southern Nazarene University require successful completion of the State Teacher Certification Test(s) before licensure. Registration booklets are available in the Teacher Education Office or from the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation. This testing requirement applies to all students completing certificate requirements. Current teachers seeking certification in another field must also take the appropriate test(s). Students are eligible to take the test(s) after completing ninety (90)semester hours. Approval of the Director of Teacher Education is required. For specific area tests, the student must have completed specific courses. There is no restriction on the number of times a test may be taken. SNU recommends serious preparation before taking the test(s) and remediation if a test is to be retaken. For information contact the Office of Teacher Education (405) 491-6317.

THE COMPETENCY-BASED ASSESSMENT is a multifaceted system basedupon what the teacher candidate should know and be able to do. The assessmentsystem consists of four components: (1) the Oklahoma General Education Test(OGET); (2) the Oklahoma Subject Area Tests (OSAT); (3) the OklahomaProfessional Teaching Examination (OPTE); and (4) the institutional portfolioassessment process.

The OGET is based upon the general educationcompetencies found in the Handbook. These competencies originated from StateStatute and the OCTP Report: A Report on Educator Preparation and ProfessionalDevelopment. The Buros Institute and NES are working collaboratively to validatethis assessment instrument for both teacher certification and for admissions toteacher preparation. It should be noted that SNU requires the OGET to be takenand passed before a person can be admitted to SNU’s teacher education program.

NOTE: A full-length Oklahoma General Education Test (OGET) PRACTICE test is now available from CEOE (Certification Examination for Oklahoma Educators) as PDF document that can be downloaded AT NO CHARGE. This practice test includes 100 OGET selected-response questions and one constructed-response writing assignment with sample responses at each writing score point. the test also includes an answer key and a score results worksheet that can be used to suggest areas of strength and areas in need of improvement.

Select OGET Practice Test (www.ceoe.nesinc.com/ce_practicetest.asp) on CEOE website at www.ceoe.nesinc.com to download the practice test.

The OSAT is based upon the SDE Full, Subject Area Competencies and theNCATE Curriculum Folio Guidelines. SDE rules state “the teacher candidate forlicensure and certification shall demonstrate in-depth knowledge of subjectmatter as reflected in the standards of the learned societies recognized by theNational Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). In programsareas in which NCATE has not recognized a learned society, the standards of alearned society appropriate to the subject area shall be used.”

The OPTEis based upon the SDE General Competencies for Licensure and Certification. Thisexamination is developed for four levels: (1) Early Childhood - PK-3; (2)Elementary/Middle Level - Grades 1-9; (3) Middle Level/Secondary - Grades 5-12;and (4) All Levels - PK-12. The all levels test is for certification areas suchas Physical Education, Music, Art, Foreign Language, and Special Education.

For registration information CLICK HERE .

Additional information may be found by contacting theOklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation. CLICK HERE

Admission to Professional Semester

All teacher candidates who are preparing to teach are required to take the all-day professional semester program. This program is an entire semester devoted to intensive course work and related laboratory experiences in the professional area, including student teaching. The teacher candidate must plan and expect to devote the full school day, Monday through Friday, to course work and laboratory experiences and additional time to co-curricular activities. During the off-campus period, the teacher candidate is expected to devote full time to professional responsiblities as does the teacher on the job. Application for the professional semester should be made during the year preceding the year in which the teacher candidate plans to take the professional sequence of course work. This application is separate from the application for admission to Teacher Education and approval is dependent upon the applicant meeting the following criteria:

  1. Admission to the Teacher Education program prior to application for the professional semester
  2. A cumulative GPA of 2.50 in the specialization and overall
  3. Completion of at least one-half of the total specialization
  4. Recommendation by the student's major department and two faculty members
  5. An approved certificate program on file
  6. Good standing (not on disciplinary probation)
  7. Completion of a minimum of 90 semester hours
  8. Completion of one semester in residence at SNU
  9. Professional liablity insurance coverage
  10. Completion of background check

This candidate's status is reviewed periodically as the teacher candidate progresses through the program. Final recommendation by the department is needed before student teaching is done. The Teacher Education Council is responsible for the implementation of the above criteria.

SNU Teacher Candidate Characteristics

  • The teacher possesses knowledge of general education coursework.
  • The teacher understands diverse populations.
  • The teacher understands the legal aspects in education.
  • The teacher understands developmental characteristics of the learner and appropriate instructional strategies.
  • The teacher integrates technology into the learning environment.
  • The teacher possesses the ability to maintain positive classroom management.
  • The teacher possesses the ability to provide effective assessment and evaluation of student learning.
  • The teacher possesses the ability to provide effective instruction for individual differences.
  • The teacher is able to design and implement effective strategies for instruction (including critical thinking and problem solving techniques).
  • The teacher is able to reflect on instructional practices and experiences, based on the OK Core curriculum.
  • The teacher possesses and utilizes effective written and verbal communication skills.
  • The teacher possesses professionalism through: a) demeanor-collegiality, b) scholarship, c) connection to professionalism, and d) data driven decision-making.
  • The teacher understands and appreciates community/home/school relationships.
  • The teacher possesses the ability to make professional decisions based on Christian principles. 

Approved Certificate Programs

To secure a license or a standard certificate to teach in most states, five general requirements must be met:

  1. Completion of an approved certificate program in an institution approved for Teacher Education.
  2. Graduation from an accredited college with a bachelor's degree.
  3. Passing the state teacher certification tests: Oklahoma General Education Test (OGET), Oklahoma Subject Area Test (OSAT), and Oklahoma Professional Teaching Examination (OPTE).
  4. Recommendation for licensure by the Director of Teacher Education of the college attended or review and acceptance of a student's file by the state office for teacher certification.
  5. Many states require special credits in the history of government of their state as well as other requirements particular to that state. If a prospective teacher has an interest in teaching in a state other than Oklahoma, it is the prospective teacher's responsibility to familiarize themselves with that particular state's specific requirements. Teacher's licenses/certificates are issued by the State Board of Education upon application by the prospective teacher and recommendation of the University. The curricular requirements for the certificate programs are divided into three (3) areas: General Education, Professional Education, and Specialization.

Additionally, it should be noted that Oklahoma requires the establishment of Foreign Language Proficiency for teacher certification. Click HERE for Foreign Language Proficiency Requirements.

General Education

The General Education requirement is essentially the same in all Teacher Education programs. In some certificate programs, a limited number of hours credit in General Education may be counted in the area of specialization when approved by the Teacher Education Committee. Detailed outlines of the General Education requirements for all degrees are given in the section of the catalog devoted to degree requirements. NOTE TO ELEMENTARY EDUCATION AND EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION MAJORS: General Education coursework may also be used to satisfy the Oklahoma state "4x12" Requirement; 12 hours of coursework in each of four areas - Mathematics, Science, Social Studies and Language Arts.

Professional Education and specialization requirements are printed in the Teacher Education Handbook.