Certification Exams
Which exams do I take to become a certified teacher in Texas?
There are three teacher certification exams in the State of Texas:
- TExES: Texas Examination for Educator Standards
- ExCET: Examination for the Certification of Educators in Texas
-
TOPT: Texas Oral Proficiency Test
Certification |
Required Exams |
Standard Certification |
All students must take the TExES Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities (PPR) Exam for the appropriate certification level (i.e., EC - Grade 4, Grades 8-12 or All Level).
All students must also take TExES or ExCET Subject Exam in the subject area of their intended certification, for example Grades 8-12 Mathematics (Exam #135) or EC-4 Generalist (Exam #101). A list of subject tests is available here. |
Teach a foreign language |
Students who wish to be certified to teach a foreign language must take the PPR exam for the certification level where they expect to teach (i.e., Grades 8-12). For the subject exam, students must take the ExCET exam in the language (i.e., Spanish).
The Texas Oral Proficiency Test™ (TOPT™) must be taken in addition to the TExES and ExCET exams for certification to teach either Spanish or French as a foreign language. The TOPT assesses your ability to speak Spanish or French. Please check the registration bulletin for information about the TOPT and test dates. |
Combined Certification (Middle Grades & High School) |
Students seeking combined certification to teach both high school and middle grades must take a minimum of four TExES exams -- Two PPR exams (i.e., PPR Grades 4-8 and PPR Grades 8-12) AND two subject exams (i.e., Mathematics Grades 4-8 and Mathematics Grades 8-12). |
Supplemental Certification in ESL or Special Education |
Students seeking a supplemental certification in either Special Education or ESL must pass the required TExES exam to earn either of these supplemental endorsements. Candidate must take individual tests to earn a supplemental certification in ESL and/or SPED. |
**These are the dates when the paper based tests are physically administered. In order to avoid costly surcharges, you should plan to register for the examinations roughly a month in advance on the ETS website. Additionally, students may self-schedule a Computer Administered Test (CAT) and take them on any date of their choosing.
How do I register for my exams?
Only currently enrolled M.A.T. students may register for the certification exams listed above. You must be pre-approved by the Certification Specialist to enroll for a test. Exam registration is done online AFTER you have created your SBEC user profile and have received a TEA identification number. Make sure that the information you enter for your ETS registration matches that in your SBEC profile.
At the time of registration, you must choose your test location from the offerings throughout Texas. Testing sites are available on a first come, first served basis so register early to ensure your first choice. For test locations, consult the comprehensive schedule. If you would like to watch a step-by-step presentation to guide you through the test registration process, click here.
To read more about the exam format and passing scores, click here.
