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.

➡️Foundations of Reading Tutoring at NWAESC

🗓️Saturday, March 7 # 569604 🗓️Saturday, March 14 #569605

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