Praxis 5001 Requirements in Alabama: What Elementary (K–6) Candidates Take Instead

date: "2026-08-24"

If you searched "Praxis 5001 Alabama," here is the headline: Alabama no longer requires the Praxis 5001 for its elementary (K–6) certificate. The state's Educator Assessment Policies Manual B dropped the reading subtest (5002) on September 1, 2020, and the current elementary content requirement is the 5901 Three Subject Bundle (mathematics, social studies, science) — or the individual subtests 5003/5004/5005 — plus the Foundations of Reading 190 (a Pearson exam, not ETS) and the edTPA performance assessment. This page walks through the full 2026 path, from test codes to qualifying scores, with the honest caveats where numbers still need a second source.[1][2]

Alabama's Elementary (K–6) Testing Picture

Alabama's testing program is the Alabama Educator Certification Assessment Program (AECAP): Praxis subject assessments, edTPA, and the Foundations of Reading.[2] For elementary K–6 the pieces are:

Alabama's Manual B (effective September 1, 2024) lists the bundle and the single subtests as parallel options: candidates may take 5901 in one session, or take 5003, 5004, and 5005 individually. The scores from the manual for the verified rows are 157 (math) and 154 (social studies); the science row sits in the same table but was not captured in the excerpt used for this page — confirm it on ETS's Alabama scores page or in Manual B before registering.[1]

The Reading Requirement: Foundations of Reading 190

Alabama's reading requirement used to be the Praxis Teaching Reading: Elementary (5205) — qualifying 159 — but that test's final administration for Alabama was August 31, 2022. Since September 1, 2022, the requirement has been the Foundations of Reading 190, administered by Pearson, qualifying score 233.[1] This matters if you prepped for 5205: the content overlaps (foundational reading skills, assessment, instructional practices), but it is a different exam company, a different registration flow, and a different score scale.

Which Score Counts? (Alabama's Application Window Rule)

Read this twice: Alabama applies the manual in effect on the date your application is received in the Educator Certification Section, not the date you took the test. The ETS Alabama overview warns that test changes and score increases took effect September 1, 2023, and that the score earned on the test date may or may not be deemed passing depending on when your application arrives.[2] If you took a test under older lines, do not assume the old score still clears the bar — check the current manual.

edTPA and the PLT Question

For most teaching fields Alabama requires edTPA (the Educative Teacher Performance Assessment) as the pedagogy assessment; the Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) is only used for fields without an edTPA handbook (such as computer science, gifted education, and technical education). Elementary K–6 is an edTPA field.[2]

How to Confirm Your Requirement (Do This Before Registering)

1. Open the ETS Alabama requirements page — the test tables load by "licensure approach"; choose the approach that matches your pathway (for example, the Alabama Educator Preparation Program (TEP) approach) to see your exact list.
2. Read the current ALSDE Educator Assessment Policies Manual B for the K–6 rows (math 157, social studies 154, science — verify) and the reading line (Foundations of Reading 190, 233).
3. Cross-check science on ETS's Alabama scores page — the science qualifying score was not captured in this session's manual excerpt.
4. Ask your preparation program which content option they expect (5901 bundle vs. individual subtests) and their edTPA deadline.
5. Re-check before you register — Alabama's manual changes effective dates, and your application-receipt date rules.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Alabama require Praxis 5001 for elementary K–6?

No. The 5001's reading subtest (5002) stopped being a requirement on September 1, 2020, and the current content requirement is the 5901 Three Subject Bundle (or 5003/5004/5005 individually) plus Foundations of Reading 190 and edTPA.[1][2]

What are the Alabama qualifying scores for the elementary content tests?

Per Manual B (effective September 1, 2024): mathematics 5903/5003 = 157; social studies 5904/5004 = 154; science 5905/5005 = qualifying score on the ETS Alabama scores page (not captured here — verify).[1]

What is Foundations of Reading 190?

A Pearson-administered exam measuring foundational reading and instructional skills, required for Alabama elementary (K–6) (and early childhood and collaborative K–6) candidates since September 1, 2022 — qualifying 233. It replaced the Praxis Teaching Reading: Elementary (5205), whose last administration for Alabama was August 31, 2022.[1]

Is 5001 still accepted in Alabama with an older score?

Alabama's manual in effect at application receipt decides whether a test taken earlier still counts. Score lines changed effective September 1, 2023, so a pre-2023 5001-family score may not clear the current bar — confirm with ALSDE's Educator Assessment section.[2]

The Bottom Line

Alabama elementary (K–6) candidates take Praxis 5901 (math 157, social studies 154, science — verify) or the 5003/5004/5005 single subtests, the Foundations of Reading 190 (233), and edTPA. Praxis 5001 is not part of the current path, and prep materials aimed at the 5001 reading subtest will not satisfy Alabama's reading requirement. Triumph's free diagnostic and question bank still map the math/social studies/science content domains if you are on the 5003–5005 option — but confirm your exact code set with ALSDE first.

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