How to Become a Teacher in Oklahoma: Tests, Fees and Routes

By the Transforming Education editorial team. Every fact on this page was checked against the source linked beside it on November 7, 2026.

No degree yet: the traditional route

For high school students, college students and anyone without a bachelor's degree. You earn the degree and the teacher preparation in one program.

Traditional Pathway

The traditional path is for people who complete a state-approved educator preparation program as part of a bachelor's degree or higher at an accredited Oklahoma institution. Candidates pass the required certification assessments, and the college submits a recommendation that opens an application in the Oklahoma Educator Credentialing System (OECS). The resulting Standard Certificate is valid for five years.

1. Complete a bachelor's degree or higher in a state-approved educator preparation program for the area sought.
2. Pass the required certification assessments.
3. Complete a certification or dual fingerprint background check if not already certified.
4. Create a Single Sign-On account to access OECS.
5. Submit the College Recommendation application once the college sends its recommendation.
6. Have official transcripts sent directly from the college to the Office of Teacher Certification.

Source: oklahoma.gov

Bachelor's in another field: the alternative route

For people who already hold a bachelor's degree in a subject other than education.

Alternative Placement Program

The Alternative Placement Program lets people with non-teaching degrees teach secondary and PK-12 subjects in Oklahoma accredited schools; it does not cover early childhood, elementary or special education. Applicants need a bachelor's degree with a 2.50 retention GPA or a terminal degree, or a bachelor's degree plus two years of relevant work experience. After approval and a passing subject area test, candidates receive a provisional certificate valid for up to three years while they complete the APK, two professional education courses and any assigned professional development. Other alternative options listed by the state include a special education boot camp, the Career Development Program and the Alternative Early Childhood and Elementary Program.

1. Check eligibility under Option A or Option B in the program guidelines.
2. Submit the online evaluation application in OECS with a current resume and send official transcripts.
3. Pass the subject area test named in the approval letter.
4. Complete a certification background check and apply online for the provisional certificate.
5. Within three years, pass the APK, complete two professional education courses and any assigned professional development.
6. Apply online for the standard certificate with updated transcripts.

Source: oklahoma.gov

Changing careers into teaching in Oklahoma

If you already have a bachelor's degree and some years in another job, start with the alternative route described above. It is built for people who did not study education. The 2 programs below are on the state's approved list, and one of them says its coursework is online.

For pay context, the median annual wage for high school teachers in Oklahoma was $48,710 in May 2025, according to the BLS OEWS state estimates. If your background matches a subject on the state's shortage list, that list is further down this page.

State-approved alternative certification programs

Programs shown are a selection from the state's approved list, checked November 7, 2026. "Online" reflects what the program or the state says about its coursework; teaching practice is always in a real school. The full, current list is on the agency's approved-program page.

Licensed in another state

For teachers who hold a license from another state and want to teach in Oklahoma.

Out-of-State Reciprocity

Teachers who hold a standard, professional or equivalent license from another state can be certified in Oklahoma in comparable areas. Provisional, emergency and temporary licenses are not accepted for reciprocity. No additional testing or coursework is required for the areas reciprocated. People who completed an out-of-state preparation program but were never licensed must pass the required Oklahoma assessments.

1. Complete a certification or dual background check if not already certified in Oklahoma.
2. Have official transcripts from all colleges attended sent directly to the Office of Teacher Certification.
3. Apply online in OECS through the Educator Application Wizard for Out-of-State Reciprocity.
4. Upload a copy of the out-of-state teaching certificate during the application.
5. Check the OECS Print History tab for the certificate or advisement letter.

Source: oklahoma.gov

Required tests, codes and qualifying scores

Oklahoma uses OSAT, Assessment of Professional Knowledge (APK), Foundations of Reading and Praxis for teacher licensure. The table lists the core tests by license area, with the qualifying score and fee exactly as the source publishes them. Which tests you take depends on the license area you are seeking, so check the full list for your subject before you register.

Scores and fees change. Confirm both on the testing company's page before you register.

Fees, background check and license validity

Background check

State law requires initial certificate applicants to have a current OSBI and FBI fingerprint-based criminal history search on file with the State Board of Education. Applicants register through IdentoGO and can be printed electronically at the State Department of Education by appointment, at a satellite site, or by mailing fingerprint cards (4 to 6 weeks processing). Background checks for certification are valid for one year, and a search done for any other purpose is not accepted. Fee: $58.25. Source

Your first license

License: Standard Certificate. It is valid for 5 years. Alternative Placement Program candidates first receive a provisional certificate valid for up to three years. Source

Renewal

A standard certificate is renewed online through the Renewal tab in OECS, and the renewed certificate is valid for five years. The renewal application opens on January 1 of the year the certificate expires. Teachers without a background check on file, or whose certificate has been expired for over a year, must complete a new fingerprint background check. Source

Teacher pay in Oklahoma

Elementary teachers in Oklahoma earned a median of $48,200 a year in May 2025, $15,770 below the national median of $63,970. Half of teachers in each occupation earn more than the median and half earn less. What you earn in a given district depends on its salary schedule, your experience and any graduate credits.

Annual wages, cross-industry estimates, from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025 state tables, retrieved through the BLS Public Data API on November 7, 2026. Special education teachers are shown separately; our guide to the online master's in special education covers the add-on and initial-license options.

Teacher shortage areas, 2026-27

Oklahoma reported these subject areas to the US Department of Education as teacher shortage areas for the 2026-27 school year.

• Art and Music Education: Choral Music (statewide)
• Core Subjects: Elementary Education (statewide)
• Early Childhood: General Curriculum/ Early Childhood (statewide)
• Health and Physical Fitness: Physical Education (statewide)
• Social Studies: History (statewide)
• Support Staff: Counseling, Psychologist (statewide)

Source: US Department of Education, Teacher Shortage Areas report, retrieved November 7, 2026.