Because MATWL is both a teacher certification program and an MA program, applicants are required to pass both the PRAXIS II exam and the Master's exam.  This page is designed to help you navigate the preparation, scheduling, and successful completion of both.

Praxis II:

You will be required to pass the Praxis Principles of Learning and Teaching exam (PLT) test as well as the necessary content area Praxis II for your language. The Praxis exams are administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS).  You can find additional information on the certification exams, including study guides and sample questions, on their website: www.ets.org click on PRAXIS in the middle of the page to find information on registering, test dates, etc. Important: Passing the PRAXIS exams is required for you to receive your teaching certification.

Most of the Praxis tests are offered in both computer-based and paper-based forms; however, this is not true for all language tests. Whereas the computer-based tests are offered on numerous occasions at various testing locations, the paper-based tests are only given a certain number of times each year at designated testing locations. All of the paper-based PRAXIS tests are offered at the University of Kentucky; however, not all of them are available at the same time. Be sure to check with the Kentucky Educational Professional Standards Board (EPSB) to see which tests you need and then register early.  The EPSB website is http://www.kyepsb.net

While  MATWL students achieve high scores on the PRAXIS tests, you should guard against the possibility of failure. In other words, don’t wait until the last available test date to take all of your exams. If you do not pass any of them this will delay or possibly eliminate you from seeking employment upon completion of the MATWL program.

Review guides are available online and in the Education Library (205 Dickey Hall).

The State of Kentucky requires that you receive a passing score on the PRAXIS II test.  You can find more details about the PRAXIS II test and finding the Kentucky requirements here. Currently the requirements are:

Note that certain languages require a language test and the PLT while others require only the PLT test.  For Arabic, Japanese, and Russian, a minimum score of Advanced-Low on an OPI is expected.

The MA exam

You must schedule and take a Master’s exam in order to earn your degree and certification.  MA exams are scheduled for the first week of April every year for those planning to graduate in May. MA exams are scheduled during the last week of May or first week of June, for those planning to graduate in August. These dates are general guidelines and may be changed according to the needs of the exam committee.

The MA exam is a two-part examination.  The first part is the Oral Proficiency Interview that you will have had at some point previous to sitting for the exam. The second part is a pass/fail oral exam with your committee. The exam committee is composed of three professors chosen in consultation with Dr. DuBravac. The exam generally aims to measure your ability to articulate your knowledge of theory, your teaching philosophy, and practices from your own class. Questions will draw on your experiences in courses and field experiences. Your program chair will inform you of the format and general content coverage for the exam in reasonable time for you to prepare for the exam.

Scheduling the Exam:

Schedule your exam by submitting a Request for a Final Master’s exam online. This request MUST BE COMPLETED TWO weeks before to the exam is to take place. By the end of February, you should have made this request and scheduled the appropriate times with the committee. The two forms: Request for Final Master’s Exam AND Application for Degree, are now completed online at the following link:

https://gradschool.uky.edu/studentforms

Preparing for your exam

You should consult with your advisor for specific ways to prepare for your exam.  In general, the best way to prepare for the MA exam is to be attentive in courses, reflective concerning your teaching, articulate about your teaching philosophy, vision for the future, and specific goals that you have for your teaching.

The MA exam is also the time to verify that your coursework, general exams, and language skills are appropriate for graduation.  The form that facilitates this is called the curriculum contract and you should bring a copy of your curriculum contract to the exam.

Curriculum Contract

The curriculum contract is the form that delineates all of the work you have done to constitute your MA degree and your Certification. This is turned in to your advisor at the beginning of your MA Exam.

Graduation & the MA Exam

During the FIRST MONTH of the semester in which you plan to graduate (Spring or Summer) fill out a Request for Degree form available on myUK.uky.edu. Without this form, you will not be allowed to graduate on time. 

If you have only one or two courses to complete your degree and plan to take them in Summer for an August Degree, you may be able to get permission to “walk” at our May graduation ceremony…as long as you have registered for that coursework AND scheduled your May Master’s Exam (and taken it prior to graduation).  You can receive an August degree from the University of Kentucky, but there is only one official graduation ceremony, and that is held in May of each year.