Educator Testing

Welcome to the office of Educator Testing at the Texas Education Agency. The office of Educator Testing is responsible for the overall management and monitoring of the statewide educator certification testing contract as well as the development and implementation of testing rules. This page provides testing information related to obtaining a Texas educator certificate. Texas law requires that educators pass appropriate tests to become certified. The appropriate examination(s) required for certification are specified in the Texas Administrative Code, §230.21(e). Further information about current, past and future tests may be found below:

• Required Texas Certification Tests (including deadlines to apply for certification)

Testing Information

Information related to testing is available below:

•  Test Registration and Preparation
•  Pre Admissions Content Testing (PACT)
•  Test Approval
•  Test Scores and Reports
•  Test Center Comments and Complaints
•  Test-Limit Waiver Information

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Test Exemption Information

• Deaf and Hard of Hearing Test Exemption Instructions 
• Deaf and Hard of Hearing Test Exemption Application 
• Audiologist Report Form 

Please submit a Help Desk ticket for additional guidance.

Please submit completed applications through the online submission form.

Testing Announcements and Updates 

Exam Score Load Error 

TExES, PACT, AAFCS, TASC, TASC-ASL, and edTPA exam scores that were scheduled to be released after 7/21/23 have not been loaded into the TEA ECOS system. We have escalated this issue to our IT team and it is of the highest priority. We currently do not have information on when candidate exam scores will be visible in the TEA ECOS account. Please log in to your TEA ECOS account tomorrow morning to confirm scores have been loaded. Thank you for your understanding as we diligently work to resolve this critical issue. 

Standards Advisory Committee Opportunity

During the July 21, 2023 SBEC meeting, TEA staff discussed with the SBEC the need to form the Teacher Pedagogy and ELAR and Math Content Educator Standards Advisory Committees. These committees will work to draft educator standards that are responsive to recent legislation including HB 159 and SB 226, 87^th Legislative Session, 2021 and HB 1605, 88^th Legislative Session, 2023. As an outcome of this discussion, TEA staff is currently seeking committee member applications from the SBEC, professional organizations, educator preparation programs, teacher organizations, and other key stakeholders to ensure each standards advisory committee represents a group of highly qualified educators. The application submission period begins July 24, 2023 and ends August 25, 2023.

The application for the Teacher Pedagogy and ELAR and Math Content Educator Standards Advisory Committees provides information about each committee in addition to a timeline for standards drafting.Access the application by selecting the link- https://forms.office.com/r/gFisJFqbFN. 

All applications should be submitted via the application link on or before the August 25, 2023 deadline. If there are any questions about the application, the application process, or standards drafting, please do not hesitate to contact DeMarco Pitre (demarco.pitre@tea.texas.gov).

Educator Preparation Program Exam Vouchers

Certification exam vouchers are available for purchase by educator preparation programs to provide candidates with codes to be used during registration for a Texas educator certification exam. Please contact your preparation program for more information. 

Early Childhood PK-3 #292 Certification

The Early Childhood: PK–3 #292 is not an exam available to be taken under the "Certification by Exam" option. It requires specific coursework and training to be completed with an Approved Educator Preparation Program. Please contact an approved educator preparation program for exam approval. The Early Childhood PK-3 FAQ is now available to address common inquiries. 

Educator Certification Examination Retake Limit Change

Candidates are limited to a total of 5 attempts to pass a certification examination under Texas Education Code §21.048. Beginning September 1, 2018, all attempts of the same examination, no matter when they occurred, will count toward the 5-attempt testing limit regardless of when the examination was first attempted.

Candidates who reach the 5-time testing limit must apply for a test-limit waiver to retest.

Note: TX PACT examinations are not subject to the 5-time test limit. Please visit www.tea.texas.gov/tlw

Testing Vendor Updates

Pearson - Texas Educator Certification Examination Program 1-800-877-4599

Mask requirements will be stated in your appointment reminder email, or you may call the test center directly to verify their requirements. Candidates who do not comply may forfeit their ability to take current and future exams. Pearson will not issue refunds to candidates who do not comply. 

The search functionality on Pearson’s COVID-19 Update Page remains an excellent way for candidates to verify specific test center requirements. 

ETS – Performance Assessment for School Leaders 1-855-628-5088

The PASL Assessment Spring 2023 late registration closes on April 7th. Fall 2023 dates will be posted this Summer on the website linked below.

Registration and Submission: https://www.ets.org/ppa/test-takers/school-leaders/register/dates-deadlines/ 

The Resources and Test Prep page contains a link to the guidance document for candidates who may be submitting their PASL assessment tasks while working in a virtual learning environment. 

The PASL Assessment Task 3 Library of Examples page has been updated to include a virtual learning response for each textbox.

Additional information is also available at https://www.ets.org/pasl.html

Teacher Certification Exam Updates

The following content-pedagogy assessments will be updated to include both multiple-choice and constructed-response questions.  The dates below represent the current target launch date and are subject to change to a later date.  Any updates to the schedule will be made on this site.  

All new assessments will have exam frameworks released about 12-18 months before the scheduled launch date on this website.

Opportunities to Participate in Exam Development Committees 

There are upcoming opportunities for Texas educators to participate in exam development committees. Committee members receive Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits for their participation in these exam development activities.  

Visit our recruitment website for information about the development process, the types of meetings conducted, and how to get involved.

September 2, 2024

• 7-12 ELAR - 331
  • exam #231 will be available until September 1, 2024, and can be used for certification through September 1, 2025. 
  • new #331 first administration will be on September 2, 2024, with a score reporting date of September 27, 2024. 
  • New ELAR 7-12 (331) informational one-pager is now available to address timelines and other frequently asked questions related to the exam launch, program requirements, and candidate preparation resources. 

• EC-12 Physical Education - 258
  • exam #158 will be available until September 1, 2024, and can be used for certification through September 1, 2025. 
  • new #258 first administration will be on September 2, 2024, with a score reporting date of September 27, 2024. 
  • New Physical Education EC-12 (258) informational one-pager is now available to address timelines and other frequently asked questions related to the exam launch, program requirements, and candidate preparation resources. 

• EC-12 Health 257
  • exam #157 will be available until September 1, 2024, and can be used for certification through September 1, 2025. 
  • new #257 first administration will be on September 2, 2024, with a score reporting date of September 27, 2024. 
  • New Health EC-12 (257) informational one-pager will be available soon to address timelines and other frequently asked questions related to the exam launch, program requirements, and candidate preparation resources. 

No earlier than September 2025

Exact dates to be determined. Approved new or updated exam frameworks will be posted online as soon as they become available. 

• Deafblind (185)
• Special Education Specialist EC-12 (186)

No earlier than September 2026

• Bilingual Spanish Supplemental
• Bilingual Special Education EC-12

No earlier than September 2027

• School Librarian (250)
• Reading Specialist (251)

No earlier than September 2028

• ESL Supplemental