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The New Jersey State Seal of Biliteracy is awarded by the New Jersey Department of Education to high school graduates who show proficiency in English and at the Intermediate Mid level in at least one other language, on an NJDOE-approved assessment. It exists under P.L. 2015, c. 303, first applied in the 2016-2017 school year, and it is one of the largest seal programs in the country: 12,200 students earned it in 2024-25, in 61 languages. This guide covers the requirements, the approved tests and scores, the testing window, and how districts award it.
Table of contents
What the New Jersey Seal of Biliteracy Is
Quick answer: the New Jersey Seal of Biliteracy recognizes graduates who meet New Jersey’s English language arts graduation requirements and score at Intermediate Mid or higher in a world language on an approved test. Districts opt in, test their students, and report them; the state verifies eligibility and issues the certificates.
Key Facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Administered by | New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) |
| Law | P.L. 2015, c. 303 (N.J.S.A. 18A:7C-13 to -16); rule N.J.A.C. 6A:8-5.3 |
| English | New Jersey ELA graduation requirements, or ACCESS for ELLs for multilingual learners |
| World language level | Intermediate Mid or higher on an NJDOE-approved assessment |
| Testing window | January 1 of junior year to February 17 of senior year |
| Participation | Voluntary for districts; 84.3 percent of eligible LEAs took part in 2024-25 |
| 2024-25 | 12,200 students, 12,644 seals, 61 languages; 11.1 percent of the Class of 2025 |
New Jersey Seal of Biliteracy Requirements
- English: meet the English language arts graduation requirements. Multilingual learners may instead score “at least 4 on all sections (e.g., listening, speaking, reading, and writing) on Tier B or Tier C of the ACCESS for ELLs assessment during their junior year.”
- World language: score “At Intermediate Mid linguistic proficiency level (or higher) in the world language assessed using a NJDOE-approved assessment.”
There is no coursework route. NJDOE is explicit that the seal is “not awarded based on seat time or course completion requirements, and it is not tied to credits.” American Sign Language, classical languages and Native American languages count as world languages.
Approved Tests and Minimum Scores
| Assessment | Minimum score |
|---|---|
| AAPPL Form B | I-3 on all four components |
| STAMP 4S | 5 or higher in all four components |
| STAMP for ASL, Latin, STAMP WS | 5 |
| Avant SuperLanguage | 5 in writing and speaking |
| OPI or OPIc plus WPT | Intermediate Mid (both tests required) |
| AP Language and Culture | 4 |
| IB Language B (SL or HL) | 4, IB students only |
| NEWL | 4 |
| ALIRA (Latin) | I-3 |
| ALTA | 6 or ILR 1+ on listening/speaking and writing |
| ASLPI; SLPI:ASL | 3; Intermediate Plus |
| DELE, DELF, DALF, Goethe, SIELE, CAPLE, Ellinomatheia | B1 |
Note the AP bar: New Jersey asks for a 4, where most states accept a 3. For a language with no approved test, the rule lets a district administer “a Department-approved, locally designed proficiency-based assessment.” How these tests compare across states is in Seal of Biliteracy test.
The Testing Window and the Calendar
- Testing: from January 1 of junior year through February 17 of senior year. An AP, IB or NEWL exam taken in senior year does not count.
- Multilingual learners must be in one of their final two years of high school to test, and eligibility “is not determined by seat time, course completion, or exit from ESL services.”
- Reporting: districts report eligible students in NJSLEDS; for 2025-26 the deadline was March 10, 2026.
- Certificates: NJDOE verifies eligibility and posts certificates in May and June.
How New Jersey Districts Award It
Students do not apply to the state. A district opts in by naming a biliteracy coordinator, identifies candidates, pays for and proctors the tests, and reports the results. Test costs are set locally. Adult high school students are eligible. The rule requires the seal insignia on the transcript, while NJDOE’s FAQ describes it as at the district’s discretion; check your district’s practice.
New Jersey’s own numbers show where the seals come from: 25.5 percent of multilingual learners in the Class of 2025 graduated with the seal, against 11.1 percent of all graduates.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the New Jersey Seal of Biliteracy requirements?
New Jersey’s ELA graduation requirements (or ACCESS for ELLs at 4 or higher on all sections for multilingual learners), plus Intermediate Mid or higher in another language on an NJDOE-approved test.
What score do you need on the AAPPL or STAMP in New Jersey?
AAPPL Form B I-3 on all four components, or STAMP 5 in all four components.
When can students take the test in New Jersey?
From January 1 of junior year to February 17 of senior year. Senior-year AP, IB and NEWL exams do not count.
Can English learners earn the New Jersey seal?
Yes. They can meet the English requirement with ACCESS for ELLs and the world language requirement in their home language; a quarter of multilingual learners in the Class of 2025 earned it.
How do students apply?
They do not apply to the state. Their district tests them and reports them to NJDOE, which verifies eligibility and issues the certificate.
Related Resources
- Seal of Biliteracy Test
- What Is the Seal of Biliteracy?
- How to Get the Seal of Biliteracy
- New York Seal of Biliteracy
- Connecticut Seal of Biliteracy
- Seal of Biliteracy by State
Conclusion
New Jersey’s seal is simple to state and demanding in its details: Intermediate Mid on every component of the test, an AP bar of 4, and a testing window that closes in February of senior year. Districts that test in junior year, and that look at their multilingual learners first, award the most seals.
Sources: NJDOE, State Seal of Biliteracy (updated May 12, 2026); NJDOE, Seal of Biliteracy annual report; P.L. 2015, c. 303; N.J.A.C. 6A:8. Verified September 28, 2026.
A Quarter of Multilingual Learners, Two Languages on the Diploma
New Jersey’s data make a point districts can act on: multilingual learners earn the seal at more than twice the rate of their classmates. The students who stall usually stall on one component, most often speaking for students who learned the language in class, because a class of twenty-five leaves each student a few minutes of talk a day.
Some schools add speaking practice that does not depend on class time. Telo AI is one example: short conversation sessions in English, Spanish or French that adapt to each student’s level and ask follow-up questions instead of accepting one-word answers. See how that works across a school year.
The seal measures all four components. The one students practice least usually decides it.
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