The level of agreement among principals and teachers concerning the certification competencies needed by beginning teachers was studied, and an effort was made to determine the level of preparation or experience at which the competencies are mastered. Twenty-seven principals, 27 elementary school teachers, and 5 secondary school teachers from Alabama responded to a questionnaire about teaching competencies. Forty-nine principals, 22 elementary school teachers, and 17 secondary school teachers from Pennsylvania also responded to the questionnaire, which identified 30 competencies that had been compiled from the certification standards of both states. Respondents indicated their levels of agreement with the competencies a practitioner needed to be certified and indicated the level at which these competencies were achieved (undergraduate, graduate, or inservice programs). There was no significant difference between responses from the two states. Prospective educators who graduate from teacher education institutions in either state would probably meet the expectations of both groups. More importantly, principals in both states appeared to use similar perceptions to assess teacher competence. There were some differences in the perceptions of the points at which competencies would be mastered. Three tables present study findings. (SLD)