I first came across this program in Cebu City Philippines, when one employment agency (E-World) included the program in their portfolio and advertised in the Philippines that United States needs thousands of teachers and ABCTE can be an effective bridge in getting the job. I enrolled and I actually liked it. So here’s what it’s about:

United States actually require a specific certification per state and believe me, different states have different qualifications. Alabama for example wants future teachers to qualify for the State Board of Education (SBE), while California offers a variety of routes for one to earn what they refer to as Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. other states would accept Educator Certification System (ECS) while others have their own certification testing systems.

Yes, different state, different credentials. That’s why ABCTE sounds really good for me. Why? It’s like this, one only needs to pass two exams: the PTK or the Professional Teaching Knowledge and then one subject area which he intends to teach and then he is allowed entry to multiple states with his ABCTE certification. Yes! It’s that simple!

I am sure however that ABCTE is still working it out with other states since it hasn’t actually covered all states in the US but it’s already penetrated Florida, Utah, Missouri, Illinois, Idaho and many other states! There is also a wide variety of subject areas to choose from, one can take Biology, Mathematics, Elementary Education, Special Education and others. The best part is that, one can take and pass all subject areas and be able to teach multiple subjects in multiple states! Awesome!

But well, of course, nothing comes free nowadays, so ABCTE also comes with a price. Different subject areas have different price but ABCTE offers payment flexibility program to aid enrollees in managing the financial aspect of the program.

When I enrolled on 2006 (yes, membership and certification is lifetime but the exam should be taken and passed within the year of enrollment or it will be forfeited), I paid $500 for PTK and Mathematics. But today, I learned that the fee would be $450 for every subject area, which makes it a whooping $900 to be certified.

I already passed my PTK examination; I got a big score though I was nervous with the essay part. I actually wasn’t expecting to pass since I didn’t study education and thus I don’t have the edge that those Education graduates were enjoying. But maybe I’m cut to be a teacher since some of those Education graduates failed the PTK and I passed. I failed my Mathematics Exam however, very devastating. It was actually my fault since I never studied enough. I’m yet to take my subject area exam, I’m planning to take Mathematics again but I’m leaning towards Elementary Education as well. We’ll see.

The good thing about these exams however is that ABCTE will allow you to purchase Reviewers (hard-copy) and Practice Exams (compact disc) which looks like the actual exam (timed). Also, for every subject area you enroll, ABCTE will provide an adviser for you who will assist you on your learning curve and assess your knowledge as well so they can recommend to you what to do and which specific part of the subject area you must worked with more.

ABCTE is a great program, now only if I can pass one subject area

Rating: 10