Principles of Statistics
Self-paced online Principles of Statistics course (Statistics 101). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
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24 hours or the Praxis: North Carolina residency licence
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
For a North Carolina residency license you meet the content rule in one of two ways: 24 semester hours of coursework in the licence area, or a passing score on the State Board-approved content exam, often a Praxis test. Your EPP checks which on Form RL. Choose by how close you are on hours and how well you know the subject.
The two routes side by side
G.S. 115C-270.20 gives both routes the same weight for the first year of a residency license. The table compares them in practice.
| Point | 24 semester hours | Content exam |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Coursework in the licence area on a college transcript | State Board-approved content test for the area |
| Who checks | Your EPP, on Form RL | Your EPP, from your score report |
| Time | Weeks to months, depending on the gap | Study time plus a test date |
| Best when | You are a few courses short or need the grounding | You know the subject well |
Count your hours first
Before you choose, ask your EPP to count the hours already on your transcripts. A degree in a related subject may already give you 24 hours in the area, or come close. A count in writing tells you whether the gap is one course or six, and that answer usually decides the route.
Ask at the same time whether a grade minimum applies to each course and whether older courses still count.
- Bring every transcript, including community college
- Ask for the count in writing
- Ask about grades and course age
When the test makes sense
If you studied the subject in depth or use it at work, a content test may be the faster way. Ask your EPP which test your area uses and the passing score. Book early: test dates and score reports take time, and the content item has to be met for year 1 of the license.
A test also avoids the posting step. Coursework has to reach your EPP on a college transcript, which can take weeks after the last course; a score report goes straight to the EPP and NCDPI.
When courses make sense
If you are close on hours, or you want to strengthen weak topics before you stand in front of a class, courses may be worth it. Pick courses your EPP says will count toward the area. Courses with ACE or NCCRS credit recommendations reach your EPP only via a college transcript, so choose the college first and ask it in writing which courses it will post.
Mathematics and science examples
A candidate with an engineering degree applying for a mathematics license may have calculus hours but no statistics or discrete mathematics; two courses could close the gap. A candidate with a health science degree applying for science may have anatomy and chemistry but little general biology. In both cases the EPP decides what counts in the area, so ask before you start.
Do both if the clock is tight
Some candidates register for the content test and start a course at the same time, then stop whichever is not needed. That costs a little more but protects your start date. Tell your EPP and your school what you are doing so Form RL can be completed as soon as one route is met.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Ask your EPP in writing which courses it will count toward the 24 hours in your licence area, and ask the college in writing which courses it will post, before you enrol.
UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited. ACE and NCCRS review our courses and recommend credit; a college decides whether to give that credit and records it on its own transcript.
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
Questions people ask
Is the content test always a Praxis?
North Carolina uses State Board-approved content exams, and many areas use Praxis subject tests. Ask your EPP which exam and passing score apply to your area before you register, because the list changes from time to time.
Can I mix hours and the test?
The rule asks for one or the other for the content item. You can prepare for both and use whichever you finish first. Ask your EPP how it will record it on Form RL.
Does my EPP or NCDPI decide which hours count?
Your EPP certifies the content item on Form RL and NCDPI issues the license. Ask your EPP for a written count, and if anything is unclear, ask NCDPI's licensure office as well.
Courses that fit
ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses, studied online at your own pace.
Discrete Mathematics
Self-paced online Discrete Mathematics course (Maths 230). NCCRS recommends 4 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Calculus 1
Self-paced online Calculus 1 course (Math 165). NCCRS recommends 4 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →Start when you have it in writing
Fill a content-hour gap with ACE- or NCCRS-recommended courses, moved via a college transcript, once your EPP agrees they count.
Sources
- N.C. General Statutes Chapter 115C Article 17E (Licensure), G.S. 115C-270.20 (official)Residency license: degree, 24 semester hours of relevant coursework or passing the content exam, enrolment in an EPP, requested by an employing entity with supervision; one year, renewable twice (read via ncleg.gov search extract; the PDF returned 403). Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- NCDPI: Residency licensure (official)An approved EPP must find the applicant qualified and enrol them; a North Carolina public school system or charter school must employ them; one-year license renewable twice for up to three years; Form RL from the employing system. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.
- NCDPI: Licensure forms and FAQs (official)A nationally normed performance or pedagogy assessment (edTPA or PPAT) is required for residency applicants; the 24-hour coursework route for adding an area excludes Elementary Education and Exceptional Children: General Curriculum. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.