1.1 GACE Program Overview, Pearson Transition & Exam Mechanics

GACE Program Overview, Pearson Transition & Exam Mechanics

Quick Answer: The Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators (GACE) operates under the statutory authority of the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC Rule 505-2-.26). Effective July 1, 2025, the state transitioned test development and administration from Educational Testing Service (ETS) to Pearson (Evaluation Systems). GACE 350 (Fundamentals of the Science of Reading) consists of 60 selected-response questions administered over 90 minutes for a $90 registration fee, requiring a scaled passing score of 220. Candidates must adhere to a strict 30-day retake interval and manage a pacing budget of 90 seconds per question.

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1. Statutory Authority and Mission: GaPSC Rule 505-2-.26

The Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators (GACE) is Georgia's state-mandated educator testing program. Established under the official rulemaking authority of the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) pursuant to Official Code of Georgia Annotated (O.C.G.A.) § 20-2-200, the GACE system ensures that prospective educators possess the academic knowledge, clinical pedagogical competencies, and professional ethical commitments required for effective practice in Georgia public schools.

Under GaPSC Rule 505-2-.26 (Certification Assessment), passing the applicable content assessments is a non-negotiable statutory requirement for issuing initial teaching certificates, adding certification fields, and completing state-approved educator preparation programs (EPPs). Rule 505-2-.26 states that all GACE assessments are aligned with state-approved educator preparation program standards, national standards, and the state standards for the P–12 curriculum.

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2. The Historic Shift: ETS to Pearson (Evaluation Systems)

For more than a decade, the GACE program was developed and administered by Educational Testing Service (ETS). Following a comprehensive state procurement and evaluation process, the GaPSC formally awarded the educator testing contract to Evaluation Systems group of Pearson (Pearson VUE), taking effect July 1, 2025.

Strategic Objectives of the Pearson Transition

• Modernized Test Delivery Platforms: Pearson VUE provides expanded testing capacity through its nationwide network of dedicated, highly secure Pearson Professional Centers and authorized partner institutions.
• Granular Diagnostic Reporting: Enhanced score reporting provides candidates and EPP faculty with actionable item-level objective feedback across subareas, accelerating remediation for candidates who fail to meet passing standards.
• New Georgia Literacy Assessments: Working with GaPSC subject-matter experts, Evaluation Systems built the literacy assessments required under GaPSC Rule 505-2-.26, which implements the Georgia Early Literacy Act (House Bill 538, 2023). Georgia uses more than one literacy assessment, and knowing which one applies to you is the single most important registration decision:
  • 350 Fundamentals of the Science of Reading is the aligned literacy assessment for Middle Grades (4–8) English language arts, mathematics, science, and social science; Secondary (6–12) fields; Career, Technical and Agricultural Education fields; and the P–12 fields of Art, Computer Science, Dance, Drama, Engineering and Technology, English to Speakers of Other Languages, Health and Physical Education, Music, and World Languages.
  • 418 Application of the Science of Reading (90 selected-response questions, 150 minutes) is the aligned literacy assessment for Birth Through Kindergarten, Special Education Preschool, Elementary Education (P–5), Special Education General Curriculum/Elementary Education (P–5), Middle Grades Reading (4–8), Reading P–12, and the Special Education (P–12) fields.
  • 406 Application of Literacy Instruction for Deaf Education is the aligned assessment for Deaf Education.
  • Under the GaPSC transition policy, an educator who passes 418 does not also need 350, but an educator who passed 350 must still pass 418 to be certified in a field aligned to 418.

The GaPSC Transition Policy Timeline (Published March 24, 2025)

Two separate timelines are easy to confuse, and GACE candidates are tested on both.

Timeline 1 — the supplier change. The GACE program with Evaluation Systems launched July 1, 2025. June 15, 2025 was the last date to take a GACE content assessment with ETS for teaching, service, Educational Leadership (Tier I), and paraprofessional fields; June 30, 2025 was the last date to complete an ETS ethics assessment; and June 12, 2025 was the last date to register with ETS. Because scores from two suppliers are not comparable, an examinee must pass all parts of an assessment with the same supplier — you cannot pass Test 1 with ETS and Test 2 with Evaluation Systems.

Timeline 2 — the literacy-assessment requirement. The June 1, 2025 / July 1, 2025 / July 1, 2026 dates below govern who must pass a GACE literacy assessment, not which supplier delivers the test.

+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|                    GAPSC LITERACY-ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENT TIMELINE                     |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  [March 24, 2025]   GaPSC publishes the statewide GACE transition policy              |
|  [June 1, 2025]     Candidates beginning an initial teaching preparation program on   |
|                             or after this date must attempt the aligned literacy      |
|                             assessment before program completion and pass it for      |
|                             certification                                             |
|  [July 1, 2025]     GACE program with Evaluation Systems launches; add-a-field        |
|                             candidates must pass the aligned literacy assessment      |
|  [July 1, 2026]     All out-of-state educators applying by reciprocity must meet the  |
|                             literacy assessment requirement                           |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

[!IMPORTANT] Banking Passing Scores: Under GaPSC Rule 505-2-.26, the GaPSC accepts passing scores on required GACE ETS content assessments taken in their entirety on or before June 30, 2025, and passing scores on the ETS GACE ethics assessment series earned on or before June 30, 2025. Scores are recorded in the candidate's MyPSC account. Ethics assessments still in progress with ETS after June 30, 2025 were cancelled with no refund.

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3. Testlet-Based Architecture and GACE 350 Blueprint

GACE content examinations are organized using a testlet-based architecture. Depending on the complexity and breath of the certification field, exams are configured as:

• Assessments without testlets: Standalone assessments delivered in a single testing block and reported against a single passing score (e.g., 350 Fundamentals of the Science of Reading, 418 Application of the Science of Reading).
• Assessments composed of testlets: Broader certification fields are partitioned into shorter subject-specific testlets that candidates may take separately on different dates or back to back in one appointment. Each testlet report shows your testlet score, whether the floor (minimum testlet score) was met, and performance by objective; the Comprehensive Assessment Report then combines your best attempt at each testlet into a cumulative total point amount that is compared against the assessment-level passing score.
• GACE Ethics for Teachers (351) is neither of these. It is an untimed, online, nine-module training-and-assessment program with a 30-question summative assessment in Module 9 and a percentage score — not a testlet-based, scaled-score content assessment.

Detailed Architecture: GACE 350 Fundamentals of the Science of Reading

Assessment 350 is designed to evaluate foundational knowledge of evidence-based literacy instruction across two comprehensive subareas:

+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|                   GACE 350 EXAM SUBAREA PROPORTIONAL WEIGHTING                        |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Subarea I: Essential Components of Reading (67%)                                      |
|  [================================================================] (~40 Items)       |
|                                                                                       |
|  Subarea II: Assessment, Evaluation, Curriculum & Instruction (33%)                   |
|  [=================================] (~20 Items)                                      |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

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4. Registration Protocols, Pearson VUE Delivery & Retake Policies

Navigating the operational mechanics of the GACE exam requires strict adherence to administrative procedures established jointly by GaPSC and Pearson.

Step-by-Step Registration Workflow

1. Establish/Access GaPSC Account: Every candidate must possess an active MyPSC account at gapsc.com to secure a unique GaPSC Account Number (Educator Identification Number). Certification records and eligibility permissions are anchored to this number.
2. Obtain Program Eligibility: Candidates enrolled in Georgia EPPs must receive electronic testing approval from their preparation program provider. Programs verify that the candidate has completed prerequisite coursework before granting permission to test.
3. Establish an Evaluation Systems Testing Account: Candidates create an account on the GACE program website (www.gace.es.pearson.com), linking their GaPSC Account Number. The name in your MyPSC and testing accounts must match your government-issued identification exactly — including middle initial and hyphenated surnames.
4. Schedule Exam Appointment: Candidates select their exam (e.g., GACE 350), pay the required $90 fee via credit/debit card, and select a testing center date and time. Exams are delivered at brick-and-mortar Pearson Professional Centers, select university test centers, and through Pearson OnVUE remote proctoring where authorized.
5. Day of Testing Protocol: Report to the test center 15 minutes before your scheduled testing time. Bring one piece of original (no photocopies or digital IDs), current, government-issued identification printed in English, bearing your name exactly as it appears in your MyPSC account, a recent recognizable photograph, and your signature — a driver's license, passport, state or national ID, military ID, or alien registration card. Credit cards, student IDs, and employee IDs are not acceptable. Test center staff collect a digital signature, a digital photograph, and (where used) a palm vein scan. After you are seated, you have four minutes and thirty seconds to review and accept the nondisclosure agreement before your testing time begins.

Retake Policy: The 30-Day Rule

If a candidate does not achieve the minimum passing scaled score of 220, GaPSC and Pearson enforce a strict 30-day waiting interval before the candidate may retest:

• Calendar Calculation: The 30-day clock begins on the calendar day immediately following the test date. For example, if a candidate tests on October 10, Day 1 is October 11, and the earliest eligible retest date is November 10 (the 31st day).
• System Lockout: The Pearson VUE registration portal automatically blocks attempts to schedule a retest prior to the expiration of the 30-day period. Attempting to circumvent this policy using duplicate accounts is a severe violation of testing regulations that results in score cancellation and potential referral to the GaPSC Educator Ethics Division.

Score Reporting

• Receipt of Completion: You receive a receipt of completion after testing. Official results are released on the published GACE score report date schedule rather than instantly at the test center, so check the score report dates for your test date before promising a date to a district or program.
• Official Scaled Score Reports: Scores are reported to you, to the GaPSC, to your educator preparation provider (if applicable), and to any other score recipients you designated at registration. Your score report is for your records only — do not submit it with your certification application. Neither Evaluation Systems nor the GaPSC will release score information by phone, fax, or in person.
• What the report shows: For an assessment without testlets such as 350, the Comprehensive Assessment Report shows your passing status plus performance details by objective for that attempt.

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5. Realistic Exam Scenario & Pacing Analysis

Classroom / Testing Center Scenario

The Case of Elena Rodriguez: Elena is a candidate completing her Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Middle Grades Science (4–8) at a Georgia university, and she began the program in August 2025. Because Middle Grades content fields are aligned to Fundamentals of the Science of Reading, Elena must pass GACE 350 — not 418 — to qualify for her Five-Year Induction certificate. She arrives at a Pearson VUE center in Macon, Georgia, at 8:30 AM for a 9:00 AM appointment.

During the 90-minute testing session, Elena encounters 60 questions. Early in the exam, she encounters three consecutive multi-paragraph diagnostic scenario questions presenting running record errors and student phonemic segmentation inventories. Elena spends nearly 3.5 minutes deliberating on each of these items. By Question 20, Elena glances at the countdown timer and realizes 38 minutes have elapsed.

Strategic Pivot: Elena realizes she has only 52 minutes remaining to answer 40 questions (an average of 78 seconds per question). Recognizing that questions carry equal point weight, Elena immediately executes a systematic pacing strategy: she reads the answer choices and question stem before scanning lengthy diagnostic student transcripts, flags uncertain questions using Pearson's on-screen flag tool, and avoids spending more than 90 seconds on any single item. She finishes Question 60 with 4 minutes remaining, allowing her to review her 5 flagged items.

Pacing Breakdown for GACE 350

$\text{Available Time} = 90 \text{ minutes} = 5,400 \text{ seconds}$ $\text{Total Items} = 60 \text{ questions}$ $\text{Pacing Allocation} = \frac{5,400 \text{ seconds}}{60 \text{ questions}} = 90 \text{ seconds (1 minute 30 seconds) per item}$

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6. Common Candidate Traps

1. The ETS/Pearson Account Conflation Trap: Many candidates mistakenly believe their historical ETS GACE profile transfers automatically to Pearson VUE. Candidates must register a brand-new Pearson VUE account while ensuring their GaPSC Account Number is identical across both systems to prevent orphaned score reports.
2. The Graduation / Employment Deadline Trap: Candidates scheduled to graduate in May or start teaching in August frequently delay testing until the final week before district deadlines. If a candidate fails to achieve a 220, the non-negotiable 30-day waiting rule makes it mathematically impossible to retest before contracts or degree clearances are finalized.
3. The Raw Score vs. Scaled Score Fallacy: Candidates often believe a scaled passing score of 220 corresponds to answering 22 out of 60 items correctly (36.7%) or 220/300 (73.3%). In psychometric scaling, raw scores are converted using item response theory equating; there is no fixed linear percentage, and raw cutoffs adjust slightly based on the statistical difficulty of the specific test form administered.
4. The Wrong-Literacy-Assessment Trap: The most expensive registration error in the Pearson era is paying $90 and sitting for the wrong literacy assessment. Elementary (P–5), Birth Through Kindergarten, Special Education, Middle Grades Reading, and Reading P–12 candidates need 418, not 350. A passing 350 score does not satisfy the requirement for a field aligned to 418.
5. Over-Analyzing Unscored Pretest Field Items: GACE exams frequently embed unscored operational field-test items among the 60 questions. Candidates who encounter an unusually obscure or complex scenario often become demoralized, draining cognitive energy and precious time on what may be an experimental validation item.