Paraprofessional Testing
The paraprofessional test is an examination utilized by the Ohio Department of Education to add the
ESEA endorsement to an educational aide permit. ESEA stands for the federal Elementary and
Secondary Education Act, or No Child Left Behind, which requires educational aides or
paraprofessionals to meet certain qualifications. However, any qualified person may add the
designation regardless of their employment setting. To add the term “ESEA Qualified” to an
educational aide permit, the individual must have successfully completed one of the following:
The examination for paraprofessionals prescribed by the State Board of Education (ParaPro).
An associate degree (or higher) from an accredited institution of higher education; or at least two
years of study at an accredited institution of higher education (defined as 48 semester hours or 72
quarter hours). Please be prepared to scan and upload your original, official transcript in PDF format.
The paraprofessional examination is a 2 ½ hour assessment administered at the Fairfield County ESC by
appointment. To schedule an appointment, email Email Us and be sure to
include your phone number, district that you will be employed by and questions you may have.
Cost of the assessment:
For employment purposes = $57.00
For non-employment purposes (i.e. Graduating/CTE Credentialing) = $95.00
Additional information regarding the assessment can be located at ETS ParaPro Website.