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Endorsements / Specializations

Adding Endorsements

Teaching licenses may include multiple endorsements, and teachers may add endorsements to the license at any point during the life of the license.

School Administrator and Personnel Services are offered only one endorsement (e.g., a Preliminary School Counselor License holds a School Counselor endorsement, a Principal License holds a Principal endorsement). Endorsements cannot be added to these license types.


How to add an endorsement:

Requests to add an endorsement require an application and fee as well as other evidence to process.


For an overview of the requirements to add an endorsement, review the following PDF:

Teachers Adding endorsements 12.2023


For specific steps to add endorsements to teaching licenses, review the following PDF:


More Information on Adding Endorsements



Testing Information 

TSPC does not administer any test directly; instead, we work with three testing companies to provide Oregon educator tests.

  • The Oregon Educator Licensure Assessments (ORELA) exams are offered by National Evaluation Serviced (NES), Inc. Most tests required in Oregon are ORELA exams. You may obtain information concerning how to take and study for the ORELA exams by going to the ORELA website.
  • The Praxis exams are offered by Educational Testing Service (ETS). Since Praxis used to offer all of Oregon's subject tests, applicants frequently go directly to Praxis and take a Praxis subject matter test before checking to ensure that is still the correct test. Please check before signing up to take an exam. You may obtain information concerning hot to take and study for the Praxis exams by going to the Praxis website.
  • The Oral Proficiency Assessments (including OPI and OPIc) are offered by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). The OPI or OPIc tests are required for the Bilingual Specialization and the Dual Language Specialization. You may obtain information for the OPI and OPIc tests by going to the ACTFL website.

The following Test Guide provides a comprehensive list of required tests and appropriate testing company:

Test Guide.pdf


Adding Specializations

A specialization is different from an endorsement area. It indicates a specialized expertise or preparation in a particular area the Commission recognizes as “added value” on a license. It is not required by TSPC to teach or work in the specialized area, whereas an endorsement is required to work in the subject-matter area. See below for specific steps to add specializations to your license.

More information on Adding Specializations