CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (AP) — Some aspiring Missouri teachers are finding themselves struggling on a new test they must pass to get a job.

The Southeast Missourian reports that the state in September switched the exam it requires before awarding a teaching certification. Instead of taking a teaching test known as Praxis II, students now must fare well on a more rigorous assessment called the Missouri Content Assessment.

Southeast Missouri State University’s College of Education dean Diana Rogers-Adkinson said current students are caught in the transition.

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education assistant commissioner Paul Katnik said teacher candidates had about 15 months to prepare for, take and pass the Praxis II exam before it was discontinued. But university officials and students say they feel they weren’t given enough time to prepare.