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NM · SLP licensure
Everything it takes to get your speech-language pathology license in New Mexico — the licensing board and application steps, the required Praxis 5331 exam and its 162 passing score, the Clinical Fellowship, fees, and renewal rules.
Required Praxis test
Praxis 5331 — Speech-Language Pathology
Passing score
162 (out of 200)
Format
132 multiple-choice questions · 150 minutes · computer-based
Registration
Register through ETS · $146 test fee · offered year-round
Every US state — including New Mexico — accepts the Praxis 5331 at the ASHA-set 162 cut score for SLP licensure. There is no separate state-specific SLP Praxis exam.
Licensing board
New Mexico's board sits within the Regulation and Licensing Department's Boards and Commissions Division. Praxis 5331 at 162 is required, and the state offers a provisional license valid during the nine-month Clinical Fellowship.
Authoritative reference: ASHA state-by-state advocacy page for New Mexico →
The New Mexico SLP market
New Mexico licenses Speech-Language Pathologists through the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department's Speech-Language Pathology, Audiology, and Hearing Aid Dispensing Practices Board. The state's SLP workforce is concentrated in Albuquerque and Santa Fe but stretched thin across a large rural footprint, including Navajo Nation and other tribal communities, which drives steady demand for bilingual and telepractice-capable clinicians. Praxis 5331 at the ASHA-aligned 162 cut score is the exam every applicant must pass.
BLS OES, New Mexico statewide (approximate range)
Passing score note: New Mexico accepts the standard ASHA-set 162 passing score on Praxis 5331 with no state-specific adjustment or additional exam.
The New Mexico Speech-Language Pathology, Audiology, and Hearing Aid Dispensing Practices Board issues the state SLP license after review of transcripts, clinical hours, and Praxis 5331 scores. Applicants must hold a master's degree from a CAA-accredited program and submit verification of supervised clinical practicum hours directly from their university.
SLPs working in New Mexico public schools also need a license from the New Mexico Public Education Department (PED), issued as an Educational Diagnostician or Speech-Language Pathologist license depending on role. The PED credential requires the same Praxis 5331 score and is typically processed alongside or shortly after the board license.
New Mexico issues a provisional or temporary license that allows a new graduate to complete the nine-month, 36-week Clinical Fellowship under the mentorship of a New Mexico-licensed CCC-SLP. Fellows must submit CF plans and final CF reports to the board to convert to full licensure.
Because rural districts and Indian Health Service facilities often struggle to find supervisors, many CF candidates arrange remote or hybrid supervision agreements. The board accepts supervision structures that meet ASHA CF standards as long as documentation is complete and the supervisor holds an active New Mexico license.
A large share of New Mexico SLPs work in public schools, particularly in Albuquerque Public Schools and Las Cruces Public Schools, alongside growing telepractice contracts serving remote districts. Indian Health Service facilities and tribal health programs also hire SLPs to serve Navajo Nation, Pueblo, and Apache communities, often with loan-repayment incentives.
Medical SLP roles are concentrated at Presbyterian Healthcare Services, University of New Mexico Hospital, and Lovelace Health System in Albuquerque, covering dysphagia, cognitive-communication, and voice therapy. Skilled nursing and home health also draw SLPs statewide given New Mexico's dispersed rural population.
New Mexico SLP licenses renew on a biennial cycle set by the state licensing board. Renewal requires payment of a fee and attestation of continuing education completed during the preceding renewal period.
The board requires continuing education hours in professional ethics and clinical practice topics relevant to speech-language pathology; ASHA-approved CE providers generally satisfy the requirement. SLPs who also hold the PED school credential must separately track any PED-specific professional development hours required for that certificate.
A partial list of larger CAA-accredited programs. All programs listed prepare graduates to sit for Praxis 5331.
What Praxis score does New Mexico require for SLP licensure?
New Mexico requires the standard ASHA-set passing score of 162 on Praxis 5331. There is no separate New Mexico version of the exam.
Do school SLPs in New Mexico need a separate license from the state board license?
Yes. School-based SLPs need both the state board license and a credential from the New Mexico Public Education Department, though both rely on the same Praxis 5331 score.
Can I complete my Clinical Fellowship remotely in New Mexico?
New Mexico allows CF supervision structures that meet ASHA's CF standards, which can include remote or hybrid supervision arrangements common in rural and tribal-health settings, as long as documentation is complete.
Where is SLP demand highest in New Mexico?
Albuquerque and Las Cruces have the largest concentration of school and hospital SLP jobs, while tribal health programs and rural districts across the state offer incentives to attract clinicians willing to relocate or provide telepractice services.
Earn a master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology
Complete a graduate program accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation (CAA) — the near-universal requirement across US jurisdictions.
Pass the Praxis 5331 with a score of 162 or higher
The Speech-Language Pathology Praxis (5331) is the single national exam accepted by all state boards. 162 is the ASHA-set passing score and every state uses that same cut score.
Complete a Clinical Fellowship (CF)
A 36-week (9-month full-time equivalent) mentored clinical experience under a licensed CCC-SLP. Some states use their own name for it (California calls it the RPE) but the requirement is functionally equivalent.
Submit fingerprints and a background check
Standard across all state boards. Processing typically takes 2–6 weeks and must be completed before the license is issued.
Apply to the state licensing board
Send your Praxis score (ETS score report), transcripts, CF verification, and background clearance to the state board. Some states also require a jurisprudence exam on state SLP practice law.
For the complete list of Praxis tests accepted in New Mexico (including elementary, secondary, and content-area exams), see the official ETS state page.
** New Elementary Education Fundamentals Tests:** Buy any 3 Elementary Education Fundamentals tests (8002–8005) in a single order for $149.49 (save $87), or 4 in a single order for $199.52 (save $116). Discount applied in cart. # New Mexico Certifying State or National Agency Alabama Alaska American Samoa Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Georgia Guam Hawaii Idaho Indiana Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Northern Mariana Islands Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virgin Islands Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Alberta College of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists American Speech-Language-Hearing Association College of Health and Care Professionals of British Columbia Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) National Association of School Psychologists Educator Preparation Program Requirement [GO](https://praxis.ets.org/state-requirements/newmexico-tests.html) - [Required Tests](https://praxis.ets.org/state-requirements/newmexico-tests.html) - [Overview](https://praxis.ets.org/on/demandware.store/Sites-ETS-Praxis-Site/en_US/Page-Show?cid=newmexico-overview) ## Tests Required by New Mexico State Agency New Mexico Public Education Department New Mexico Speech-Language Pathology, Audiology, and Hearing Aid Practices Board Find your certification area below to determine which test(s) you need to take. For test preparation materials, select the “View test details” link. If you are ready to register, you may add up to 4 tests to your cart before continuing on to scheduling.  Important Notice For students who are currently in and/or will be entering the alternative online portfolio program pathway, Core examinations will be waived but all other examinations will need to be completed and passed. ## Tests required for Initial licensure areas Individuals seeking additional endorsements must take 24 semester hours in the appropriate content area OR must take and pass the appropriate content knowledge assessment. Individuals seeking to add a gifted education endorsement to an initial license must either take 24 semester hours in gifted teaching coursework OR must take 12 semester hours of gifted teaching coursework AND pass the Gifted Education test. ### See also links to other Praxis web pages and resources - [The Praxis® Tests Information Bulletin (PDF)](https://praxis.ets.org/on/demandware.static/-/Library-Sites-ets-praxisLibrary/default/dwce037ad4/pdfs/praxis-information-bulletin.pdf) - [Find Tests & Prep](https://praxis.ets.org/storehome.html) - [Schedule Your Test](https://praxis.ets.org/test-taker/register-process.html) - [Accommodations for Test Takers with Disabilities or Health-related Needs](https://praxis.ets.org/test-takers/disability-accommodations.html) - [Need Assistance](https://praxis.ets.org/contact.html)  For more information about educator requirements in New Mexico: - New Mexico: [Certification website](https://webnew.ped.state.nm.us/bureaus/licensure/licensure-requirements/) Other Programs used in New Mexico [Previous](https://praxis.ets.org/state-requirements/newmexico-tests.html#carousel-6694dd4e8aa87992e2a66234d7) ## ParaPro Assessment Demonstrate your knowledge and skills for classroom assistance [Learn more](https://www.ets.org/parapro.html) [Next](https://praxis.ets.org/state-requirements/newmexico-tests.html#carousel-6694dd4e8aa87992e2a66234d7) ## Want to compare scores across states? [View scores requirements](https://praxis.ets.org/scores) 