AEPA Tests

Since November 1997, the AEPA (Arizona Educator Proficiency Assessments) tests have been used to determine which candidates for teacher certification actually possess the subject and professional knowledge necessary to teach in the state's public schools. Candidates for the Superintendent, Principal, and Supervisor certificates must also pass the AEPA tests.

While some people may be able to take the AEPA test and succeed with minimal preparation, most test takers will benefit from allocating time to study beforehand and reading through a AEPA Test Study Guide or practicing with a set of AEPA Exam Flashcards. Regardless of your studying techniques, be sure that you plan ahead and leave yourself enough time in advance of the test day to become adequately prepared. Last minute studying is likely to be rushed and does not maximize your chances of being successful.

The tests are criterion-referenced, meaning that they are designed to measure a candidate's abilities in relation to an established standard rather than in relation to other candidates' performances. The tests are also objective-based, meaning that they are designed to reflect broad objectives based on the subject matter that an educator is expected to know and the types of skills the educator needs.

AEPA Exam Study Guides | AEPA Test Flashcards

Each set of test objectives has been subjected to a content validation survey that involved randomly-selected Arizona school personnel, including Arizona college and university educators. These survey participants ensured that the objectives selected for the tests are relevant for Arizona educators.

The AEPA tests include the following categories:

Professional Knowledge Tests: Each of these tests (Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary) evaluates skills and knowledge by using approximately 100 selected-response (multiple-choice) questions and three written assignments.

Subject Knowledge Tests: Each of these AEPA tests evaluates the candidate's knowledge of a particular subject area. Most of these tests are comprised of approximately 100 selected-response questions and one written assignment. The exceptions are those tests for French, German, and Spanish, which have approximately 55 selected-response questions, a written assignment, and an oral expression assignment.

Constitutions of the United States and Arizona Test: With approximately 100 selected-response questions, this AEPA test evaluates content knowledge of the United States and Arizona Constitutions.

Administrator Tests: There are three of these AEPA tests (Supervisor, Superintendent, and Principal), each of which has approximately 100 selected-response questions. In addition to those 100 questions, the Supervisor test has one written assignment, while the Superintendent and Principal tests have four written assignments. Those four assignments include two on a case study, one on an educational issue, and one on a work product. Examinees will be assigned a single combined score for these tests.

Basic Skills Test Developed by the Arizona Department of Education (ADE): This AEPA test evaluates the basic skills of students preparing to become educators. The Basic Skills test has three subtests: Reading Comprehension, Writing, and Mathematics. All of these subtests have approximately 42 selected-response questions. The Writing subtest has, in addition, one written assignment.