ORELA Physics (NT308)

The program announced on 4/9/25 that several National Evaluation Series™ tests would no longer be available for registration through ORELA after August 28, 2025, but the announcement does not say which ones. Because NT308 also carries the qualifier "for testing through 8/31/2027," confirm its status in the registration system before you pay.

Both appear on the ORELA test list: NT308 is labeled "Physics (for testing through 8/31/2027)" and NT323 is listed simply as "Physics." The site does not explain the difference, and it notes that testing requirements depend on licensure type, so confirm the correct test with your educator preparation program before registering.

Not necessarily. ORELA announced on 10/10/23 that online proctoring is available, so you can test remotely, including from home. The Tests page also links to test dates and sites if you prefer a physical location, and to alternative testing arrangements if you need accommodations. Review both options before scheduling.

The ORELA pages reviewed here do not publish an item count, time limit, fee, or passing score for NT308. Those specifics sit on the individual test page reached from the test table, and in the registration and score-reporting policies, so open the Physics listing and read the Policies section before you schedule.

Yes, in many cases. ORELA announced on 12/5/23 that for National Evaluation Series™ tests with a practice test available at the time of registration, the practice test is provided automatically at no additional cost. The Prepare section also links to expanded study guides and a test preparation video you can use alongside it.

Right Start preparation courses are available for select National Evaluation Series assessments, announced 11/8/23. Whether one exists for physics is not stated on the pages reviewed, so check the Prepare section directly. A full-length practice test plus the expanded study guide is the fastest way to locate your weak content areas.

Work in dependency order. Start with the nature of science - units, significant figures, uncertainty, graphing - because every later calculation rests on it. Then mechanics, since force, energy, and momentum recur in thermodynamics, waves, and electricity. Do waves before optics, and save modern physics for last, since it assumes energy, charge, and wave ideas.

Recurring losses come from unit and prefix slips, unlabeled free-body diagrams, and sign errors in kinematics and thermodynamics. In optics, candidates confuse the conditions for interference and diffraction; in electricity, they misapply the right-hand rule or mix up conventional current and electron flow. Write the governing equation before substituting numbers.

The pages reviewed do not state a retake policy, waiting period, or score validity period for NT308. ORELA's Policies section covers registration, testing, and score reporting rules and is the authoritative place to check before you assume you can re-test on a particular timeline.

The requirement was revised on 10/10/23: some educator preparation providers meet it through coursework, while others require passage of the ORELA Protecting Student and Civil Rights in the Educational Environment assessment. Ask your EPP which applies to you rather than registering for that test by default.