Many teachers in Ghana aspire to achieve the highest mark of professional accomplishment: the Professional Teaching License. This prestigious license not only demonstrates a teacher’s expertise but also makes them a member of a larger network of accomplished educators who are shaping the profession and human lives. The license is a legal authorization of the mandate of the National Teaching Council (NTC) and indicates that the teacher has met all the standards required for the profession.
For teachers who wish to obtain this license in 2023, the question on their minds is when the NTC Licensure Exams registration forms will be out. While the exact date has not yet been announced, it is expected to be released soon. Teachers are advised to keep an eye on official communication from the NTC and to prepare for the exam in the meantime. By passing the licensure exam and obtaining the Professional Teaching License, Ghanaian teachers can continue to raise the bar for excellence in the profession and positively impact the lives of their students.
Why the Need for Licensure Examination?
The purpose of the NTC Licensure Examination is to ensure that teachers in Ghana are licensed and authorized to practice their profession. As mandated by the Education Act 2008 (ACT 778), Section 9, the NTC is responsible for licensing teachers across the country. The examination is designed to help candidates acquire a professional license, which is necessary to practice as a teacher in Ghana.
In addition to providing teachers with a professional license, the NTC Licensure Examination also aims to prepare teachers to meet the National Teachers’ Standards. These standards require teachers to possess a minimum set of knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes that are necessary to deliver effective education in schools. By passing the licensure examination, teachers demonstrate their competency and experience, which are essential qualities for effective teaching
The Licensure Examination; its Reliability and Validity
To ensure that the Professional Examination is effective, it must be both reliable and valid, producing consistent results. Validity is essential, as passing the exam should indicate that the candidate has the necessary knowledge and skills to meet both the Ghana Teachers’ Standards and global standards, ensuring that teachers are prepared to deliver quality education in schools.
Additionally, the Professional Examination should be tailored to its purpose. It is not simply an academic exam, but rather designed to assess a teacher’s practical skills and knowledge, ensuring that the exam content is relevant to the requirements of the profession.
Ghana Teacher Licensure Examination (GTLE) Curriculum Areas
The Ghana Teacher Licensure Examination (GTLE) covers a range of curriculum areas that are essential for a successful teaching career. The examination is designed to assess candidates’ knowledge and competence in these areas. The broad curriculum areas covered in the GTLE include the National Teachers’ Standards, Numeracy, and Literacy.
- The National Teachers’ Standards serve as a framework for assessing the competencies and skills of Ghanaian teachers. The standards provide guidance on what is expected of teachers in terms of their knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes. Candidates are expected to have a good understanding of these standards and demonstrate how they can be applied in the classroom.
- Numeracy is another essential curriculum area covered in the GTLE. It focuses on basic computation skills such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Candidates must be able to perform these operations accurately and efficiently. They may also be asked to solve more complex problems that require higher-level mathematical skills.
- Literacy is the third curriculum area covered in the GTLE. It assesses candidates’ verbal aptitude and essay writing skills. Candidates must demonstrate their ability to express themselves clearly and coherently in both written and oral forms. They may be asked to write essays on a range of topics, including social, economic, and political issues. The ability to write persuasively and present a logical argument is also important.
Getting Ready for the Examination
Preparing for a Licensure Examination is an extensive and resource-intensive process, requiring a considerable amount of time, personnel, logistics, and funds to execute successfully.
Typically, each test item that appears in an examination takes one or two days to plan, write, and evaluate before it is considered suitable for use in an examination. Moreover, additional time is necessary to edit, moderate, review, store, distribute, provide security, and administer the items in an examination.
To ensure that the examination’s quality is top-notch, the NTC might hire testing consultants or test providers who can evaluate the examination’s psychometric quality before administering it.
Minimum Passing Score
To successfully pass each category of the Ghana Teacher Licensure Examination, candidates are required to obtain a minimum of 50% points, while the maximum score for each examination is 100%. Achieving the passing score is crucial for teachers as it indicates that they have met the required standards in that particular category, ensuring their readiness to teach in schools across the country. Therefore, adequate preparation and study are necessary to ensure success in the examination.
When to Expect 2023 NTC Licensure Exams Registration Forms
The Professional Teacher Licensure Examination is held twice a year in Ghana, usually in March and September. The registration for the examination typically begins in March and continues for a week or two. According to available information, the registration forms for the 2023 NTC Licensure exams will be released in April 2023.
New candidates who wish to sit for the examination are required to pay GHS350 as registration fees. Candidates who have previously taken the examination and wish to re-sit for all three papers are expected to pay GHS300, while those who want to re-sit for a single paper will pay GHS150.
Before registering for the licensure examination, applicants are advised to check their confirmation status on the portal. The NTC recommends that all candidates confirm their status before purchasing the voucher for the Ghana teacher Licensure examination (GTLE) application.
Checking Your NTC Confirmation Status
To check your confirmation status for the NTC examination, follow these simple steps:
- Visit the NTC examination Portal by clicking on this link: https://exams.ntc.gov.gh/.
- Choose the Confirmation tab and input your school or college index number.
- Click the Confirm button.
- If your status is confirmed, you will see your details displayed. However, if your status is not confirmed, visit your previous college to provide your submission details. This way, the school can upload your information to the NTC portal.
- Once your NTC status is confirmed, you can proceed with the registration process.