Why you can't just trust one article (including this one)
Three structural reasons make single-source answers unreliable right now.
Two series overlap
The legacy series (5001, 7001, 5901, 7811) retires in August 2028. The new 8000 series began testing on 2026-03-09. Which one applies to you depends on your state, your program, and your test date — all three.
Most articles are stale
Much of what ranks in search was written before the 8000 series launched and still describes only the 5001. Some third-party pages even publish incorrect score scales for the new series. Anything not dated and not sourced to an official page should be treated as background reading only.
Codes collide
Praxis 8006 (ETS, Teaching Reading) and PECT 8006 (Pearson, a Pennsylvania PreK-4 module) are completely different tests that share a number. In Pennsylvania contexts, 8001/8002/8003 can mean PAPA modules, not Praxis tests. A bare code alone proves nothing.
Build your verification path
Answer four questions. You'll get a checklist of official pages to open, the exact fields to compare, and the dates that matter for your situation. No eligibility verdicts — that's not ours to give.
The four-step verification method (works for any state)
Whatever your inputs above, every reliable answer comes from the same four sources, checked in this order.
Open the ETS state requirements page for your state
ETS maintains per-state listings of required Praxis tests and qualifying scores. This is the master cross-check for any code you've been shown.
What to compare: the exact test code, the exact test name, and the qualifying score. If the 8000 series appears, it will be listed by subject (8002–8006). If only legacy codes appear, note that requirements can change — check the page date.Cross-check your state department of education
The state's own certification/licensure pages are the authority ETS pages reflect. Search the department site for "teacher certification testing requirements" for your grade band.
What to compare: which tests the state accepts for your specific license area, and any published transition or sunset dates between old and new series.Check your educator preparation program
Your program's handbook, advising page, or certification officer can specify which code they recommend for — and programs sometimes run their own transition timelines.
What to compare: the code your program names versus what the state lists; ask specifically whether Praxis Steps are accepted if you're considering them. If the two sources disagree, that disagreement is exactly what to raise with your advisor.Match everything against your test date
The same code can be valid for one test date and retired for another. Line your planned date up against the series dates before registering.
What to compare: first 8000-series administration (2026-03-09), Praxis Steps availability (8002–8005 from September 2026; Praxis 8006 in 2027), and the legacy-series retirement in August 2028.Official verification entry points
Start from these. If a requirement you read anywhere else can't be traced back to one of these, treat it as unverified.
ETS — Praxis state requirements
From the ETS Praxis site (https://www.ets.org/praxis.html), open State Requirements and select your state. This page lists required test codes and qualifying scores per license area. For the new series, individual test pages are also published by ETS, e.g. praxis.ets.org/test/8002.html (8002), /8003.html, /8004.html, /8005.html, and /8006.html (Praxis 8006, Teaching Reading).
Your state department of education
Search for "[your state] department of education teacher certification tests". The licensure section publishes which exams the state accepts and any transition timelines between test series. This is the final authority — ETS pages reflect state decisions, not the other way around.
Your educator preparation program's advising or certification page
Programs publish required assessments in student handbooks and advising pages, and certification officers answer code questions directly. If you're not yet admitted, program admission pages often list the testing expectations for applicants.
Pennsylvania candidates: PECT / PAPA portal
Pennsylvania's PreK-4 route uses the PECT series (administered by Pearson, see pa.nesinc.com), and codes 8006 (PECT), plus 8001/8002/8003 (PAPA), are not Praxis tests. If your materials show these codes, verify on the Pennsylvania certification testing site, not on ETS Praxis pages. Pennsylvania Grades 4–8 certification uses ETS's PA-specific core assessment (5152) or its modules (5153/5154/5155).
Dates that decide old series vs. new series
All dates below are from official ETS sources, verified 2026-09-27.
| Date | What happens | Why it matters to you |
|---|---|---|
| Late Feb 2026 | Registration opened for the 8000 series | Accounts created before this may show only legacy codes. |
| 2026-03-09 | First 8000-series test administration | Before this date, only the legacy series existed — older articles reflect that world. |
| September 2026 | Praxis Steps become available for 8002–8005 | A staged testing option appears mid-transition. Whether your state or program accepts Steps is a separate verification step. |
| 2027 | Praxis Steps become available for Praxis 8006 | Exact month not yet published on the ETS test page at verification time — recheck if Steps matter to you. |
| August 2028 | Legacy series retires: 5001, 7001, 5901, 7811 | Testing on or after retirement means the new series (where adopted) — confirm with your state before banking on either. |
Note on Praxis Steps timing: ETS's own materials have described the launch both as "Summer 2026" (study documents) and "September 2026" (test pages). We use September 2026 and flag the discrepancy rather than smooth it over.
Frequently asked questions
Is Praxis 8006 the same as PECT 8006?
No. They are completely unrelated tests that happen to share a number.
Praxis 8006
- Full name
- Elementary Education Fundamentals: Teaching Reading
- Publisher
- ETS
- Context
- New 8000 series; state adoption in progress
- Scale
- 100–200, qualifying score set by each state
PECT 8006
- Full name
- PreK-4 Module 1: Child Development, Learning & Assessments; Collaboration & Professionalism
- Publisher
- Pearson
- Context
- Pennsylvania PreK-4 certification only
- Note
- PA codes 8001/8002/8003 are likewise PAPA modules, not Praxis
Search results for "8006" mix both. If your materials say 8006, confirm which publisher's account you're registering in before anything else.
An article said the 8000 series is scored 100–300 with a passing score of 240. Is that right?
No. The 8000 series uses a 100–200 score scale, consistent with the official ETS state requirements data confirmed so far (for example, West Virginia lists qualifying scores of 152, 152, 147, and 143 for 8002–8005; Arkansas lists 137, 136, 130, 126). A "240 passing score" claim contradicts those official listings and should be treated as an error. Always read qualifying scores off the ETS state requirements page for your own state.
Can I still take the 5001 now that the 8000 series exists?
The legacy series (5001, 7001, 5901, 7811) is scheduled to retire in August 2028, and the two series overlap until then. But "still offered" is not the same as "accepted for your license." Whether your state and your program accept a legacy-series score for your planned date is precisely what the verification path above helps you confirm with official sources.
Will this tool tell me which test I have to take?
No — deliberately. Determining your required test is the role of your state licensing agency and your educator preparation program, and a website that answers it for you is taking on liability it can't back. What this tool does is narrower and more useful: it tells you which official pages to open, which fields to compare, and which dates decide between series, personalized to your inputs.
My program handbook says one code; the state page says another. Which one wins?
We won't adjudicate that — but the conflict itself is your answer: do not register until it's resolved. Contact your program's certification officer with the state page in hand, and if needed confirm with the state licensing agency directly. Discrepancies during a transition window are common; registering on an unresolved conflict is how candidates end up paying for the wrong test.
What are Praxis Steps, and should I consider them?
Praxis Steps is a staged format for the 8000 series: the content of a full test is split into separately scheduled, separately priced steps ($39.50 per step at verification time; a full single test is $79). Steps for 8002–8005 became available in September 2026; Steps for Praxis 8006 follow in 2027. Whether your state or program accepts Steps-based scores has not been verified for any state — treat acceptance as an open question to confirm before choosing that route.
Go deeper on learndiag
Praxis 5001 Study Guide Hub
Everything for the legacy Multiple Subjects test: structure, content categories, and study plans while it remains offered through August 2028.
Elementary Education Fundamentals (8000 Series) Hub
The new series in one place: 8002–8006 formats, question types, and diagnostic mini tests by subject.
5001 vs. 8000 Series: Side-by-Side
Structure, timing, content coverage, and cost compared — so a conversation with your advisor starts from facts.
8000 Series State Requirements Tracker
State-by-state adoption status and qualifying scores as we verify them against official pages. Seven states confirmed so far — see which.