Certification Exams
Exam Approval & Registration Instructions
Content Exams & PPR Exams
Content exam approval will be granted by your program, via the Aggie Educator Portal. Once approved, you will receive an email after your approval has been submitted to the Texas Education Agency (TEA). You will be provided with directions on how to create an account with Pearson and how to register for your exam.
For questions about test approval, please contact your program director or instructor.
State Exam
Texas educator candidates using the Pearson website for the first time to register and schedule their tests will need to create a Pearson testing account.
To create a Pearson testing account, you will:
- Specify a permanent email address to use as your username. Do not use an email address that is temporary, your TAMU email is temporary, please use your personal email address.
- Create a password. Passwords are required to be between 6 and 30 characters and must contain at least one letter and one digit and cannot contain spaces or any of the characters “&=`”<>\[]-“.
- Create a security question and answer. Your security question will be used to verify your identity should you need to change your password.
- Enter your TEA ID number. You will need to provide your TEA ID number so that your Pearson testing account can be linked to your TEA Educator Profile.
To register for an exam, choose the “Register” option on the Texas Educator Certification Examination Program website.
- Select your exam. You will be able to select only those exams which you are eligible to take.
- Opt in for Alternative Testing Arrangements (see below for more information on accommodations) if you have documented physical, learning, or cognitive disabilities and require additional arrangements beyond the following, which are available for all test-takers without prior approval:
- Wheelchair Access
- Access to visual enhancement features including color contrast and enlarged font
- Comfort aids
- Breaks to use the restroom, take medication, use an inhaler, etc.
- Review the period for which your registration is valid. Tests may be scheduled at any time within the 170-day period.
- Answer the background questions. These questions are required and are only used for the purpose of evaluating exam questions. They are not maintained as part of your educator certification records with Pearson.
- Best Language: What is your best language of communication?
- First Language: Which language(s) did you first learn as a child?
- Select score reporting options. Your score report will be available in your Pearson testing account at 10 p.m. central time on your score report date, but you may also opt to have it sent to you via email.
- Submit your payment. Follow the instructions to enter your payment information.
Certification Exams by Teaching Certificate
Required TExES Exams by Certification Area
Most of the TExES exams are offered continuously via computer-administered testing (CAT) while a few select exams (BTLPT-Spanish, LOTE-Spanish and 7-12 ELAR) are only offered during specific test date windows (Limited-Administration CAT).
- Candidates being recommended for EC-6 certification after December 2020 will also be required to take and pass the new Science of Teaching Reading (STR) exam to be eligible for their teaching certificate. Additionally, the EC-6 Core Subjects #291 is being replaced with a new #391 exam.
- All new EC-6 Core Subjects testers beginning with Fall 20 will be required to take the #391 which will be available 1/1/2021.
- Former program completers who have not sought certification will need to take the STR exam if certification has not been awarded by 12/31/20, with the current #291 EC-6 Core Subjects exam only being good for certification purposes through December 31, 2022. New exams for all classroom certification areas are being developed and as they are implemented they will increase in cost from $120.00 to $140.00 each. New exams will include both multiple choice and constructed response questions which will require an increase in time to grade for score posting.
Certification Exam Fee Assistance
Lift High Foundation Future Teacher Certification Fund
We don’t want money to prevent you from registering for your exams. Thanks to Lift High Foundations, students may apply for financial assistance to cover the costs of their teacher certification exams. Fill out the Fee Assistance Application and please return it to Kristy Anderson (kanderson@tamu.edu).
College of Education and Human Development Exam Fee Assistance Fund
The College of Education and Human Development Exam Fee Assistance Fund helps students pursuing initial teacher certification in the College of Education’s Educator Preparation Program at Texas A&M University cover the costs of their first attempt at teacher certification exam(s).
To apply for this fund, complete the information below and submit this application to the Office of Educator Preparation Programs & Certification (EPPC).
This fund is intended for first exam attempts only. All recipients of this fund are limited to three access codes. For additional testing, fingerprint, and application fee assistance, students are encouraged to apply for the Lift High Foundation Future Teacher Certification Fund.
Exam-Prep Resources
240 Tutoring
240 Tutoring, an online test preparation program, is provided to students enrolled in educator preparation programs during testing semesters. This is the minimum test preparation provided on the College level, and supplements coursework to prepare students for TexES exams. The service is available to anyone outside of these semesters for a fee paid by student.
Science of Teaching Reading Exam
The Preparation Manual for Science of Teaching Reading (293) is now available on the Texas Educator Certification Examination Program website.
This preparation manual includes the STR examination framework and approaches to answering different question types.
TEA Study Tips
Make sure you do your best with these preparation recommendations and test-taking strategies.
Interactive Practice Exams
There is a free sample exam to see the format of the exam and program. For an additional fee, there are practice exams for specific content areas.
TExES Preparation Manuals
There is a manual for every certification exam that provides a breakdown of the exam, a list of domains and competencies that will be tested, strategies for answering selected-response questions, and sample exam questions with an answer key and rationales.
T-CERT
(1) Click on “Subscribe” (2) On the Subscription page, you will identify yourself as a student in the TAMU System and “Click Here” (3) Complete the form, select Texas A&M University and use your TAMU email address (4) A verification email will be sent to you and then you can “Register”
Free Practice Exams by Mometrix
Free practice exams by content area.
Study.com
Free practice exams, study guides and tools.
Quizlet
Search for pre-made flashcards for specific content areas to prepare for certification exams.
Additional TEA training and resources
Preparation resources from the Texas Education Agency.