ExCET, TExES, and TOPT Testing

ExCET - Examination for the Certification of Educators in Texas
All students who finished teacher certification programs under the educator standards in place before Sept. 1, 2002 were required to take the appropriate ExCET tests before certification. There are now only a few ExCET exams given and they will all be phased out by the 2007-2008 academic year as new standards for all certification programs are put into place. If there is not a TExES exam for your program, ask the certification specialist in SZB 216 about the appropriate ExCET exam. ExCET's can only be taken in the last semester of coursework or after all coursework for certification has been completed.

TExES - Texas Examinations for Educator Standards
All students finishing teacher certification programs under the educator standards beginning on Sept. 1, 2002 are required to take the appropriate TExES exams before certification. Each prospective teacher must take at least two TExES tests. TExES tests can only be taken in the last semester of coursework or after all coursework for certification has been completed.

TOPT - Texas Oral Proficiency Test
All students seeking secondary certification in Spanish or French, or students seeking early childhood to fourth grade with bilingual education certification MUST take the TOPT in order to be certified in that field. If you are pursuing secondary Spanish or French certification and do not pass the TOPT, you are not eligible for certification. If you are pursuing early childhood to fourth grade with bilingual education certification and do not pass the TOPT, you are still eligible for early childhood to fourth grade generalist certification (if you pass the appropriate TExES tests).

ExCET & TExES Test Dates & Results

ExCET and TExES test dates are available on the State Board for Educator Certification website.

Test results will be mailed to you approximately four weeks after your test date. Unofficial test results are also available online using your test identification number at 5 p.m. on the score report mailing date. Be sure to save your ExCET or TExES results, as the testing agency purges its records after five 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, take your appropriate tests. 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. The tests are a part of that program. For any additional questions about the ExCET or TExES exams, please call (512) 471-3223 and ask for Laura Mecanick, the UT Certification Specialist.

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Required TExES Tests

(for all students finishing teacher certification programs under the standards beginning Sept. 1, 2002)

All-Level certification seekers are required to take:

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

Early Childhood to Fourth Grade Generalist certification seekers are required to take:

• TExES #100, Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities EC-4
• TExES #101, Generalist EC-4

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

• TExES #100, Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities EC-4
• TExES #103, Bilingual Generalist EC-4
• TOPT #81, 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 #110, Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities 4-8
• TExES 4-8 subject area test for your field

Eighth through Twelfth Grade certification seekers are required to take:

• TExES #130, Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities 8-12
• TExES 8-12 subject area test for your field

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Registering for the ExCET, TExES, or TOPT Tests

Stop by the Student Division of the Dean's Office for the College of Education, SZB 216, and pick up one of the registration booklets. Study guides are available on the State Board for Educator Certification website.

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