Licensure Assessments

About Licensure Area & Test Prep Support

As part of the NWAESC Novice Mentoring Program, we offer additional tools to help you succeed:

📋Initial Licensure Areas and Required Assessments

➡️View Initial Licensure Areas ➡️View Testing Requirements

📚Foundations of Reading (FoR) Support

If you are preparing for the Arkansas Foundations of Reading (FoR) exam, DESE offers free virtual FoR Bootcamps with live tutoring & targeted support.

➡️Register for FoR Bootcamp & Tutoring

➡️ NES FoR (890) Free-After-Three policy :

• As of July 1, 2025, all candidates will take the Foundations of Reading (890), which replaced the 190. The change from Foundations of Reading (190) to Foundations of Reading (890) is a change in test code only. No changes have been made to the test framework or content. The 890 has the benefit of the Free-After-Three retake policy, which provides candidates who have not passed the Foundations of Reading (890) three times to reregister the next time at no cost.

General Test Preparation Resources

DESE also provides free study resources and webinars for common licensure assessments, including the Praxis and other required exams. 

➡️Access General Test Prep Resources