About the GACE^® Assessments

The Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators^® (GACE^®) is Georgia's state-approved educator certification assessment program. The purpose of the GACE assessments is to help the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) ensure that candidates have the knowledge and skills needed to perform the job of an educator in Georgia's public schools.

How Were the GACE Assessments Developed?

The GACE assessments are the result of collaboration between trained ETS assessment developers and experienced Georgia educators and educator preparation faculty members who serve on GACE committees for test development, bias review, and standard setting. These committees are composed of Georgia educators, educator preparation faculty, and other content and assessment specialists, including individuals from school systems, local schools, institutions of higher education (public and private), and other stakeholders. Test blueprints were reviewed and approved by the committees.

What Do the GACE Assessments Measure?

The customized GACE assessments measure competency in the knowledge and skills needed to teach in Georgia's P–12 classrooms. Criterion-referenced and objective-based, these tests are designed to measure the skills and knowledge of a prospective educator in relation to a universal standard, rather than in comparison to other candidates.

Which Assessments Do Candidates Take?

Candidates who are actively pursuing, or have completed, an educator preparation program in preparation for educator certification in the state of Georgia need to identify which assessment they must take. See Georgia Certification Fields and Required GACE Assessments.

Some assessments contain more than one test. Each test may be taken at a separate administration, or for assessments that offer a combined test format, the combined version can be taken at one administration. More information about educator testing requirements can be found on the GaPSC website.

Role of the Program Provider

As a program provider, your role in the GACE assessments is to:

• provide approval to test for candidates who have been admitted to your educator preparation program
• help your candidates prepare for the appropriate test(s) necessary for completion of the certification in their field of study

See the list of GACE assessments offered in the test-taker section of this site. For more information about the approval process, contact the GaPSC.

See also:

• Preparing Educator Certification Candidates
• Accommodations for Test Takers with Disabilities or Health-related Needs