Texas Examinations of Educator Standards

The Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES) is required for individuals seeking to teach in the state of Texas. All educators are required to pass comprehensive tests to ensure they have the knowledge necessary to meet state and national teaching standards. The TExES test measures a teacher’s knowledge based on specific criteria and is not competitive.

To register for the TExES test, you must first obtain approval from your Educator Preparation Program (EPP). Once you receive approval, you can register online (the easiest and quickest way) or via telephone or mail. You can only register for the test(s) for which your EPP has given you approval. To register online, you will need to create an account, submit an application, and pay the fee of $120 per test. Once the registration for your TExES test has been submitted, you will receive an admission ticket. It is important to print this and take it with you to the testing center. Sometimes there are last-minute changes to tests, so it is a good idea to check your online account and view the admission ticket the day before your TExES test.

The TExES test can be taken by computer or with paper and pencil, depending on the test. Not all tests are available in both administrations. The paper-and-pencil test is available only three times per year. The TExES test is available in many subjects including agriculture, sign language, art, bilingual education, business, chemistry, computer science, dance, language arts, journalism, foreign language, math, music, reading, social studies, speech, and theater. There are two types of tests that must be taken in order to become certified as a teacher: a content area test and a pedagogy test. The TExES test will include mostly multiple-choice questions (anywhere from 70-200 of them) with several written response or essay questions. All TExES tests last five hours.

On the day of the TExES test, you should plan to arrive at 30 minutes early at the testing center for check-in. You will be photographed and fingerprinted. You will need to bring a valid ID that contains your signature and photo, as well as your admission ticket. If you are taking a paper-and-pencil test, you will need to bring several sharpened No.2 pencils and a good eraser. Pencils will not be provided at the testing site. If you are taking a science or math TExES test, you may bring an approved scientific or graphing calculator with you. Do not bring any other electronic devices, such as cell phones and cameras, to the testing center. Failure to obey this rule will result in your dismissal from the TExES test without a refund.

After you complete the TExES test, your scores will be available online within 17-30 days, depending on whether the test was multiple-choice only or if it had an essay portion. The TExES test contains scaled scores in each content area to measure your performance. The test has a range of 100-300, with a score of 240 considered passing. If you do not pass, you can retake the test. If you originally took the TExES test as a paper-and-pencil administration, there is no waiting period. You can retake the test as early as the next day. For computer-based testing, you must wait 60 days before retaking it.