Required Exams for Initial Certification

All students finishing teacher certification programs under the educator standards at the undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, or graduate level, are required to take the appropriate Texas Examinations for Educator Standards tests (TExES) before they can be certified. Each prospective teacher must take at least two TExES exams, which can only be taken in the last semester of coursework or after all coursework for certification has been completed.

All students seeking early childhood to sixth grade with bilingual education certification MUST take the Bilingual Target Language Proficiency Test (BTLPT) in addition to the TExES exams, in order to be certified in that field. If you do not pass the BTLPT, you are still eligible for early childhood to sixth grade generalist certification as long as you pass the appropriate TExES exams.

TExES and BTLPT Exams

All-Level certification seekers are required to take:

• TExES #160, Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities EC-12
• TExES for your teaching field.

English as a Second Language (ESL)/Early Childhood to Sixth Grade Generalist certification seekers are required to take:

• TExES #193, ESL/Generalist EC-6
• TExES #160, Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities EC-12

Early Childhood to Sixth Grade Generalist with Bilingual Education certification seekers are required to take:

• TExES #160, Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities EC-12
• TExES #192, Bilingual Generalist EC-6
• BTLPT #190, Bilingual Target Language Proficiency Test (Spanish)

All-Level Generic Special Education certification seekers are required to take:

• TExES #160, Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities EC-12
• TExES #161, Special Education EC-12

Fourth through Eighth Grade certification seekers are required to take:

• TExES #160, Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities EC-12
• TExES 4-8 subject area test for your field

Eighth through Twelfth Grade certification seekers are required to take:

• TExES #160, Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities EC-12
• TExES 8-12 subject area test for your field

Required Professional Exams

All students finishing professional certification programs under the educator standards are required to take the appropriate Texas Examinations for Educator Standards tests (TExES) or Texas Examinations for Master Teachers (TExMaT) before they can be certified. Each prospective teacher must take the TExES or TExMaT exams, which can only be taken in the last semester of coursework or after all coursework for certification has been completed.

Please note that in the state of Texas, some areas of certification, such as school counselor and school librarian may only be obtained after an initial certification, and in some cases, a minimum of two years of teaching experience

Required Exams for Professional Certification:

Master Math certification seekers are required to take:

• TExMaT #088, Master Math 4-8
   or
• TExMaT #089, Master Math 8-12

Master Reading certification seekers are required to take:

• TExMaT #085, Master Reading EC-12

Master Science certification seekers are required to take:

• TExMaT #091, Master Science 4-8
   or
• TExMaT #092, Master Science 8-12

Principalship certification seekers are required to take:

• TExES #068, Principal

Reading Specialist certification seekers are required to take:

• TExES #151, Reading Specialist

School Counselor certification seekers are required to take:

• TExES #152, School Counselor

School Librarian certification seekers are required to take:

• TExES #150, School Librarian

Superintendency certification seekers are required to take:

• TExES #195, Superintendent

Registering for the TExES, TExMaT or BTLPT Tests

All students must register for tests online. TExES, TExMaT, or BTLPT test dates and study guides are available on the Educational Testing Service website. Paper-based or Computer-administered exams are available.

1. Go the Texas Education Agency Web site to create or update your educator profile by clicking on the Educator Login icon.
2. After completing or updating this profile, you should be able to see your TEA ID. This is a 7-digit number which you will use on the testing Web site to allow you to register for your eligible exams.
3. Once you have the TEA ID, go to the Educational Testing Service Website. You will then be able to register for both your content and pedagogy and professional responsibilities exams.
4. You may find help at the Education Testing Service Information and Support number, 1-800-205-2626. The hours of operation for this number are Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. (CT).

TExES Test Results:

Test results will be available online approximately three weeks after your test date. Be sure to save your TExES results, as the testing agency purges its records after ten years and you will no longer be able to get a copy of your scores from them.

Even if you do not plan to teach in Texas, we encourage you to take your appropriate exams. If you will be applying for a certificate in another state based on your Texas certification, you will need to have completed the certification program and these exams are a part of the program.

For any additional questions about the TExES exams, please call Laura Mecanick at (512) 471-3485, or Elizabeth Edds at (512) 471-3223.