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National Board Resource Center

Application for the Illinois National Board Retake Candidate Fee Subsidy

Opening date: November 2, 2024 at 10:00 AM. Closing date: February 2, 2025 at Midnight. Please do not register with NBPTS until after meeting with the NBRC Retake Team (see further instructions in the Retake Candidate Application). Deep Breaths, you got this!

If you are a candidate who completed and submitted ALL components (Component 1, Component 2, Component 3, and Component 4) and received final scores for ALL components by December 2024, you may qualify for the Illinois NB RETAKE Candidate Fee Subsidy.

Fees will be paid to retake Components 2, 3, and/or 4 once; for Component 1, the three Constructed Response Exercises and/or the Selected Response Items (SRIs) will be paid once for each section.

NOTE: If you received the Illinois NB Retake Candidate Fee Subsidy for any portion of Component 1 in the past you are not eligible to apply again for that portion unless you withdrew from the portion within the required timeline. If you applied in a previous year and are unsure if you withdrew in the required timeline, call the National Board Resource Center (NBRC) at 1.309.438.1835 for assistance.

Please refer to the National Board Scoring Guide (starting on page 43) or contact the National Board using their Contact Us web form to help determine which component(s) to retake.

To qualify for the Illinois NB RETAKE Candidate Fee Subsidy:

  • You must have completed and submitted work to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) for ALL components (Components 1 - 4) and received final scores for ALL components by December 2024.
  • You must have paid the $75 registration fee with NBPTS, registered for retakes with NBPTS, and selected one or more of the components by the NBPTS February 2, 2025 deadline. (Note: Attend the Jumpstart meeting and talk with our retake expert before selecting the components.)
  • You must have received the Illinois NB First Time Candidate Fee Subsidy.
  • Your Illinois teaching license must be current and unencumbered (e.g., not suspended or revoked).
  • You must hold a valid Illinois Educator Identification License Number (IEIN).
  • You must hold a valid Illinois Professional Educator License (PEL).
  • You must be teaching or a counselor in an Illinois Public School.
  • You must complete the Illinois NB RETAKE Candidate Fee Subsidy online application by midnight on February 2, 2025.
  • You must complete the scoring form before you meet with a retake expert so you can discuss which RETAKE components you select. Below are the deadlines for testing/submitting:
    • RETAKE Component 1: Content Knowledge Testing Window exercise(s) which you selected in your NB Account registration by the NBPTS June 2025 deadline.
    • RETAKE Components 2, 3, and 4 that you selected in your NB Account registration by the NBPTS May 2025 deadline (see the NB guide for the exact date in May).

Support Information:

Direct all questions specific to the four components to NBPTS using their Contact Us web form.

Read ALL details below regarding the Illinois NB Retake Candidate Fee Subsidy application.

Important Dates

Step 1:

Complete the Practice Application before proceeding to the online application for the Illinois NB Retake Candidate Fee Subsidy application. This document provides links to information, making it easier to complete the online application. DO NOT send the practice application to the NBRC.

Step 2:

Open NOW!

The Illinois NB Retake Candidate Fee Subsidy OPENS.

Complete the Illinois NB Retake Candidate Fee Subsidy application.

Note: It is best to use Mozilla Firefox, Chrome or Safari. DO NOT use Internet Explorer.

Step 3:

Updated: Janaury 17th, 2025 at 8:00 a.m

The names of the retake candidates who have applied to receive the Illinois NB Retake Candidate Fee Subsidy and are approved for the funding will begin to be posted on the Approval List until the Illinois NB Retake Candidate Fee Subsidy application closes on Feburary 2nd, 2025 (midnight). Final approvals will be posted on February 7th, 2025. Being approved only means that you have completed the application and all of your information is accurate. The funds will only be paid if all required steps are followed.

Once you are found eligible, look for an email from the NBRC outlining the next steps. This will include how to pay the $75 registration fee to NBPTS and complete the NBPTS RETAKE registration for Component 1 (one or more exercises), Component 2, Component 3, and/or Component 4 using your NBPTS Account system. DO NOT PAY FOR YOUR COMPONENTS. Once approved, the ISBE will make payment.

Step 4:

February 2nd, 2025 - Midnight

This is the last day the National Board Resource Center will accept applications for the FY25 llinois NB Retake Candidate Fee Subsidy application. The deadline to complete and submit the application is midnight.

Step 5:

February 7th, 2025

This is the final date that the names of the approved retake candidates will be added to the Illinois NB Retake Candidate Fee Subsidy Approval List.

Step 6:

After the close of the subsidy

Illinois NB Retake Candidate Fee Subsidy payment schedule:

  • Payments of $125 per Component 1 Retake exercise, for a maximum of $500, will be made to NBPTS for ONLY the Retake Candidates who completed ALL of the required steps listed above.
  • Payment of $475 per Component 2, Component 3 and Component 4 Retake submissions, for a maximum of $475 per component, will be made to the NBPTS for ONLY the Retake Candidates who completed all the required steps listed above.
  • NBPTS will apply the Illinois NB Retake Candidate Fee Subsidy payment to the NB Account of those Illinois FY23 Retake Candidates who completed all of the required steps listed above.
  • The Illinois NB Retake Candidate Fee Subsidy will be credited directly to the individual Retake Candidate’s NBPTS Account.
  • The Illinois NB Retake Candidate Fee subsidy payment will NOT be paid directly to the Retake Candidate.

Step 7:

By June 2025 deadline*
*See NBPTS for the deadlines for 2025 component submission

Complete the RETAKE components which you selected:

Complete Component 1: Content Knowledge Testing exercise(s) by the NBPTS 2024 deadline.

and/or

Complete Component 2, Component 3 and Component 4 ePortfolio submissions by the NBPTS 2024 deadline.