Paraprofessional requirements in North Carolina

How to qualify as a paraprofessional in North Carolina

North Carolina does not use the Praxis para exams. It uses the ACT WorkKeys (Teacher Aide Level I), and that is a different test with its own passing standard. Here is what it is, what is on it, and where we stand on preparing you for it.

See what is on the Teacher Aide Level INo card. We are honest about what we do and do not cover.

The exam North Carolina actually uses

Passing scores are set by the state or the district, never nationally.

Not a Praxis exam
Level I

Occupational profile

ACT WorkKeys (Teacher Aide Level I)

From ACT. WorkKeys reports skill levels, not a scaled score.

This is not the Praxis exam. Nothing like the Praxis exams. You sit three separate assessments and each returns its own level, so there is no single number to aim at.

Source: North Carolina DPI paraprofessional qualifications. Your state or district is the authority. Confirm before you book.

What is on the Teacher Aide Level I

ACT WorkKeys (Teacher Aide Level I). Select any band to see what it covers.

ACT WorkKeysTeacher Aide Level I · Three separate assessments

Reading for Information

Reading and using the kind of workplace and classroom documents a job actually puts in front of you.

Required

Three ways to meet the requirement

Federal law gives Title I paraprofessionals three qualifying routes.

Route A

Two years of college

Complete at least two years of study at an institution of higher education.

Route B

An associate degree or higher

Hold an associate degree or above. Already earned it, and you are done.

Route C

Pass the assessment

Pass a formal state or local assessment. In North Carolina that assessment is the ACT WorkKeys (Teacher Aide Level I), not a Praxis exam.

We do not prepare you for the Teacher Aide Level I yet

We could sell you ParaPathways prep and let you work out later that North Carolina does not use it. We would rather tell you now. The ACT WorkKeys (Teacher Aide Level I) is a different exam and it deserves a course built for it, not a relabelled one.

We will tell you the day it is ready, and nothing else.

Questions we get from North Carolina

Which exam does North Carolina use for paraprofessionals?

North Carolina uses the ACT WorkKeys (Teacher Aide Level I), from ACT. It is not one of the Praxis para exams, so ParaPathways and ParaPro prep is aimed at a different test.

What is the passing standard on the Teacher Aide Level I?

Occupational profile is Level I. WorkKeys reports skill levels, not a scaled score.

Does ParaReady prepare me for it?

Not yet, and we are not going to pretend otherwise. Leave your email and we will tell you the day it is ready. The reading, writing and math overlap with what we teach, but the format and the standard are different, and that difference is what a course has to get right.

Do I need a degree to be a paraprofessional in North Carolina?

No. Federal law gives three routes: two years of college, an associate degree, or passing a formal assessment. The assessment is the fastest of the three and the one you can finish this month.

Looking for another state? See paraprofessional requirements in every state.