Practitioner, Advanced, Expert: How Teacher License Tiers Work

Passing Saudi Arabia’s teacher professional license exam does not mean the same thing for every candidate. The GTT and STT feed into one of three license tiers, Practitioner, Advanced or Expert, and which tier you land in depends on your score, not just whether you cleared the pass mark.

What are the three tiers and their thresholds?

Both the GTT and the STT are scored out of 100. A Practitioner license, the entry-level license every new teacher needs before stepping into a classroom, requires 50 percent. An Advanced license requires 70 percent or higher, and the top tier, an Expert license, requires 80 percent or higher.

Does my tier depend on one test or both?

Both. Your license tier is set by the lower of your two scores, because the same percentage threshold has to be cleared on the GTT and the STT for a given tier to apply. A candidate scoring 85 percent on the GTT but only 55 percent on the STT is licensed at Practitioner level, not Expert, since the STT score is what caps the outcome.

Why does the tier matter beyond just passing?

Clearing the exam at all gets you the license you need to teach, but the tier is a materially different bar depending on what you are aiming for. A candidate content with the entry-level Practitioner license can prepare to a 50 percent standard on both tests, while a candidate aiming for Advanced or Expert standing needs a substantially stronger score across the same subject matter, not a different exam. How to prepare for the GTT and STT covers preparation approaches that apply regardless of which tier you are aiming for.

Can I retake a test to move up a tier later?

The exam’s underlying structure treats a retake the same way it treats a first attempt: you sit the same GTT or STT again and are scored the same way, so a higher score on a later attempt moves you into a higher tier. What happens if you do not pass on your first attempt covers the retake process and its fee. Is there negative marking on the GTT or STT is also worth reading before a retake, since it changes how aggressively you should answer questions you are unsure of. The exam’s own page, Professional License Exam for Teachers, lists the full scoring pattern for both tests.

Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum score to get any teacher license at all? 50 percent on both the GTT and the STT, which qualifies you for a Practitioner license, the entry tier.

Can I get an Expert license with an 80 percent GTT score and a 60 percent STT score? No. Your tier is capped by the lower of the two scores, so a 60 percent STT score would place you at Practitioner or Advanced level depending on exactly where it falls, not Expert.

Is the Advanced tier automatically given for retaking after Practitioner? No automatic upgrade happens on its own; you would need to score 70 percent or higher on both tests, whether on your original attempt or a retake, to be classified at Advanced.

Do all specializations use the same thresholds? Yes, the 50, 70 and 80 percent thresholds for Practitioner, Advanced and Expert apply the same way regardless of which STT specialization you sat.