TEA Required Test

ADMISSION EXAM – TX PACT

All teacher candidates must pass the appropriate teacher admission exam, TX PACT, for the content area and grade level they wish to teach. Students with a foreign transcript may have to prove English proficiency.

TEXES CONTENT CERTIFICATION EXAM

After a student is accepted and begins to take classes, they will be approved to take a content area exam. You may access more information and prep material for the TExES test. This test and the STR (if required) must be passed before July 1 in order to begin a teaching assignment in the fall or by December 1 to begin a teaching assignment in the spring semester.

STANDARD OF TEACHING READING TEST (STR)

Beginning on January 1, 2021 all students pursuing a certification in EC-6 Core, 4-8 Core, 4-8 ELAR or 4-8 ELAR/SS are required to pass the STR exam before beginning their teaching assignment.

Once you have started taking your alternative certification classes, you may seek approval for your TExES content exam.

NOTE: Per TEA guidelines, teacher candidates seeking certification in EC-6 Core, 4-8 Core, ELAR 4-8 and ELAR/SS 4-8 will be required to pass a “Science of Teaching Reading” exam and their TExES content exam.

PEDAGOGY AND PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES TEST (PPR)

Once you have completed EDCI 514 and three (3) additional alternative certification classes, you will be qualified to take the PPR TExES exam. The teacher candidate will need approval from our program staff prior to test registration for the PPR. This test must be passed before a student will be considered for a Texas teaching certificate.

  • Seek approval for the Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities (PPR) exam once you have completed the four (4) minimum required classes. 
  • A passing score on the PPR is required before you can obtain a Texas Teaching Certificate.
  • If you pass the PPR before you obtain an internship position, then a Probationary Certificate can be approved.

NOTE: Once a teacher candidate is Texas certified they may take additional content area certification exams “by exam” without any additional training or EPP approval to add to their initial certification.

ENGLISH PROFICIENCY

  • Educators who apply for certification are required to demonstrate English language proficiency by fulfilling one of the following requirements:
    • Completion of an undergraduate or graduate degree at an accredited institution of higher education in the United States or one of its territories; or
    • Completion of an undergraduate or graduate degree earned at an institution of higher education in a country outside of the United States approved by the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC); or
    • A standard certificate issued by the Department of Education in another state, where examinations for the certificate were taken and passed.

If these requirements are not met, then a passing score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language internet-Based Test (TOEFL-iBT) exam must be submitted. You are required to score within the High-Intermediate level in each section.

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