2007–2008
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The purpose of the Arizona Educator
Proficiency Assessments (AEPA) is to ensure that each certified educator
has the necessary knowledge to practice effectively in Arizona public schools.
The Arizona Department of Education (ADE), in conjunction with National Evaluation
Systems (NES®), has developed 42 tests as part of the
AEPA program. The tests in the AEPA program address areas covered by the Arizona
Academic (K–12) Standards, the Arizona Professional Teaching Standards, and
the Arizona Professional Administrative Standards.
Below are some answers to frequently asked questions.
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General Questions |
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Questions Candidates Ask About the Registration Process |
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Questions Candidates Ask About Their Scores |
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GENERAL QUESTIONS |
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Who is required to take an AEPA test? |
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Every person seeking educator certification in Arizona is required to take
and pass one or more comprehensive tests of subject and/or professional knowledge.
The AEPA program has been designed to meet this requirement.
ADE rules require that applicants for teaching certificates take tests of
professional knowledge and subject knowledge, and demonstrate an understanding
of the United States and Arizona Constitutions. The purpose of the AEPA program
is to ensure that each certified teacher has the necessary knowledge to teach
in Arizona public schools.
Applicants for administrator certification must take the appropriate test
for the Superintendent, Principal, or Supervisor certificate and demonstrate
an understanding of the United States and Arizona Constitutions.
Applicants for Career and Technical Education certification must take the
Professional Knowledge—Secondary test and demonstrate an understanding of
the United States and Arizona Constitutions.
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Where did the content of the AEPA tests come from? |
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The AEPA tests are based on the Arizona Professional Teaching Standards and
the Arizona Professional Administrative Standards. These standards are aligned
with the state-mandated student curriculum and the Arizona Academic (K–12)
Standards.
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What kinds of AEPA tests are there? |
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Basically, there are five kinds of AEPA tests: subject-knowledge tests (i.e.,
those that match a particular Arizona certificate), professional knowledge
tests, administrator tests (Superintendent, Principal, Supervisor), the
test on the Constitutions of the United States and Arizona, and the Basic Skills test. Most candidates
for certification must take one or more subject-knowledge tests. In addition,
with the exception of those seeking administrator certification, candidates
for certification must take an AEPA professional knowledge test.
Arizona educator preparation programs may require students to take and pass the Basic Skills test; passing the Basic Skills
test is not a requirement for an Arizona teaching certificate.
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How many questions are on the AEPA tests? |
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The number of questions varies from test to test. In general, the subject
knowledge tests include approximately 100 selected-response questions and
one written performance assignment. Subject knowledge tests for French, German,
and Spanish contain approximately 55 selected-response questions that include
questions assessing reading and listening comprehension, a written expression
performance assignment, and an oral expression performance assignment.
The three Administrator tests—Superintendent, Principal, and Supervisor—each
include approximately 100 selected-response questions. The Superintendent
and Principal tests also include four written performance assignments—two
relating to a case study, one on an educational issue, and one a work product
assignment. The Supervisor test includes one written expression performance
assignment.
The Constitutions of the United States and Arizona test includes approximately
100 selected-response questions. It does not include a performance assignment.
The Basic Skills test is composed of three subtests: Reading Comprehension, Writing, and Mathematics.
The Reading Comprehension and Mathematics subtests each contain approximately 42 selected-response
questions. The Writing subtest contains approximately 42 selected-response questions and one written
performance assignment.
The individual test study guides provided at
www.aepa.nesinc.com contain this information (click
here).
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QUESTIONS CANDIDATES ASK ABOUT THE REGISTRATION PROCESS |
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How do I register
for a test?
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There are a number of ways to register
for an AEPA test. You may register online at the AEPA Web site (click
here) or you may obtain the current copy of the AEPA Registration Bulletin,
which contains instructions for registering by mail or by telephone. Registration
bulletins are available on the AEPA Web site (click
here), and from NES, at (800) 239-8105.
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Can I fax my registration form to NES? |
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No. Registration forms are scanned
electronically by NES, and the original form must be sent. Candidates may
use Internet registration as an alternative to registration by mail.
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If my Internet connection disconnects before I finish registering online,
will my information still be processed? |
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No. If a registration session is
terminated before an e-mail acknowledgment is generated and sent to you,
your information is lost and you must begin again.
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I tried registering via the Internet on a public computer but could not complete
the registration. What went wrong? |
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Some public computers are configured
not to allow transmittal of secure information (e.g., credit card numbers).
Contact the system administrator to change the computer’s settings or try
using a different computer.
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How many tests may I take at one test administration? |
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There is one morning test session
and one afternoon test session on each test date. You are permitted to register
for only one test per session. This means that, on a single test date, you
may take up to two tests (e.g., a professional knowledge test and a subject
knowledge test).
The morning session reporting time is 8:00 a.m. and ending time is approximately
12:30 p.m. The afternoon session reporting time is 1:00 p.m. and ending
time is approximately 5:30 p.m. Examinees will be assigned to one or both
test sessions, according to the tests for which they have registered.
The registration bulletin contains a table of all AEPA tests.
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How long do I have to take the tests? |
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Both the morning and afternoon test sessions are four hours long.
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Can I choose to take my AEPA tests during one morning or afternoon session?
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The professional knowledge tests and the Basic Skills test
are administered only during the morning test session. Subject knowledge
tests, the Supervisor test, and the Constitutions of the United States and
Arizona test are administered only during the afternoon session. The Superintendent
and Principal tests are full-day (two-session) tests.
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What forms of payment can I use to pay for the test? |
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The method of payment depends on when and how you register, as indicated in
the table below.
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REGISTRATION
PERIOD |
VIA
INTERNET |
BY
MAIL |
BY
PHONE |
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Regular Registration |
MasterCard
or VISA
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Check or Money
Order
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Not
Applicable |
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Late Registration |
MasterCard
or VISA
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Check or Money
Order
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Not
Applicable |
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Emergency Registration |
MasterCard
or VISA
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Not
Applicable |
MasterCard
or VISA |
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How do I obtain a study guide for the test that I am taking? |
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Study guides can be viewed and printed free of charge at www.aepa.nesinc.com (click
here).
To obtain a printed copy of a study guide, complete and mail the Study Guide Order Form with correct payment to National Evaluation Systems. Study Guide Order Forms are available at the AEPA Web site (click here). Please allow 4 weeks for delivery.
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Whom do I contact if I have questions about my registration? |
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If you have questions about your registration, contact:
AEPA Program
National Evaluation Systems
Post Office Box 660
Amherst, MA 01004-9011
Telephone: (800) 239-8105
or (413) 256-2883 (Automated Information
System available 24 hours daily.)
Fax: (413) 584-7340
Teletypewriter (TTY): (413) 256-8032
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I have registered for a test but want to make a change in my registration. What
do I do? |
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Use the online form found at www.aepa.nesinc.com (click
here) or refer to "Changing Your Registration" and complete and mail in the Change of Registration
Request Form. Information about deadlines for making such changes is provided
in the bulletin and on the Web site.
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I have a disability. How do I request alternative testing arrangements? |
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Refer to "Registering for Alternative Testing Arrangements" and submit the Alternative Testing
Arrangements Request Form at the same time that you register. If you have any questions about making alternative testing arrangements,
call NES at (800) 239-8105.
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I have a religious conviction that prohibits me from testing on Saturday. Can
I test on an alternative date? |
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Refer to "Registering for Alternative Testing Arrangements" and submit the
Alternative Testing
Arrangements Request Form at the same time that you register. If you have any questions about making alternative testing arrangements,
call NES at (800) 239-8105.
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How many times may I retake a test? |
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There is no limit to the number of times you may take a test.
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I did not receive an admission ticket. What should I do? |
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If you know your AEPA ID number, select
"Confirm or Modify Registration" to confirm your
registration status and request another copy of your admission ticket. You may request that the copy be sent by
e-mail or by U.S. mail and e-mail. If you are unable to receive a copy of your admission ticket before your
test date, you may use this service to print the admission information you need to bring to the test site to be
admitted to the test administration.
If you do not know your AEPA ID number, contact NES (see "Contact Information").
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I lost my admission ticket. May I still be admitted to the test site without it? |
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Yes, you may still be admitted to the test site and permitted to test. However, you may first be
required to complete additional paperwork, which could reduce your available testing time. See
"What to Bring to the Test Site" for details about what you may be required to
do or provide at the test site if you do not have your admission ticket.
If you know your AEPA ID number, you may request another copy of your admission ticket online by selecting
"Confirm or Modify Registration." If you are unable to receive a copy of
your admission ticket before your test date, you may use this service to print the admission information you need
to bring to the test site to be admitted to the test administration.
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QUESTIONS CANDIDATES ASK ABOUT THEIR SCORES |
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When will my
test scores be available?
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Official score reports will be mailed
approximately four weeks after the test date. Unofficial score reports will
be available on the Internet by 5:00 p.m. mountain
time on the score report date for each test administration. Only
an official score report can be used for certification purposes with the
ADE.
See "Test Dates" for the score report date
associated with each test date.
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How are the AEPA tests scored?
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Scores for the AEPA tests are based
on the number of questions answered correctly and performance on the performance
assignments. Scores are reported on a scale of 100 to 300, with a minimum
passing score of 240.
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How many questions do I have to answer correctly to pass an AEPA test? |
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The number of questions you have
to answer correctly to pass the AEPA tests varies across test fields and
may vary slightly across test dates. For this reason, the total test score
is reported as a scaled score.
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Why are scaled scores used? |
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AEPA tests are not scored by the
percentage of questions answered correctly. Rather, the raw score (the number
of questions answered correctly) is converted to a scaled score by placing
each administered form of the test on a scale common to all forms of that
AEPA test.
Examinee performance on a test form is placed on a common scale because
each test form may differ from other forms of an AEPA test. While efforts
are made to create test forms that have the same overall level of difficulty
as the original form of the test (on which the passing standard was set),
there are often minor differences in overall difficulty from test form to
test form. The total scaled score adjusts for these differences.
Each test form is statistically equated back to the original form of the
test. Therefore, in order to maintain fairness to all candidates, a candidate
who takes a slightly more difficult form of a test may be required to answer
one or two fewer questions correctly in order to achieve the scaled passing
score of 240 than a candidate who takes a slightly less difficult form of
the test. Conversely, a candidate who takes a slightly less difficult form
of the test may be required to answer one or two more questions correctly.
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How is the passing score determined? |
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When the original form of a test
in any field is administered, committees of Arizona technical and content
experts and educators in that field meet to review the questions on that
test form. Committees recommend a passing standard to the ADE and the Arizona
State Board of Education (ABE). The ABE makes the final determination of
the passing standard and periodically reviews the standards on all tests
in the AEPA program.
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Why are total test scores not presented for examinees who pass the AEPA tests? |
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By recommendation of the Arizona Educator Assessments Advisory
Committee, total test scores are presented only for examinees who do not pass
the tests. This is to prevent the scores of those who pass from being misused,
for example, to rank examinees for purposes other than credentialing, such
as for employment or assignment. Scores are presented for those who do not
pass to help them prepare to retake the tests.
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Copyright ©
Pearson Education, Inc. or its affiliate(s). All rights reserved.
National Evaluation Systems, P.O. Box 226, Amherst, MA 01004
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