Teacher Certification (Domestic): Testing Schedule
Certification Testing
The State Board for Educator Certification requires that each candidate for teacher certification takes and passes
two, at a minimum, certification tests. One test is in the specific content area (the content area will dictate whether the test
is an ExCET or a TExES) and the other test is in educational pedagogy and professional responsibilities (TExES PPR).
Additionally, Bilingual, Spanish, and French related fields are required to take an oral proficiency test (TOPT).
Research has shown that individuals taking only one certification test during a test administration have a higher
pass rate than individuals taking two tests on an administration date. Therefore, we suggest that candidates take
only one test on a single administration date.
Passing a content area test indicates to school districts that an individual is Highly Qualified under the No Child
Left Behind Act (NCLB). The only way to be Highly Qualified in the content areas of EC - 4 Generalist or 4 - 8
Generalist is to take and pass the content area test. You must be Highly Qualified to be hired in a core content area.
Limited guidelines have been issued by the state and the Department of Education regarding the highly qualified
requirements of Special Education. Therefore, all candidates seeking Special Education Certification should plan
on taking the EC-4 Generalist or the 4-8 Generalist content test.
Currently, there is not a shortage of EC-4 Generalist teachers. Since it is most difficult to obtain
an EC-4 Generalist teaching position, you are encouraged to be flexible and open to additional content
area testing, i.e. 4-8 Generalist.
Prior to registering for a test, candidates must obtain test approval from  .
Candidates will register for the certification tests online at www.texes.ets.org.
Participants should plan to take the content area tests early in their program participation. The content test covers
content knowledge in the content area the candidate is teaching. Passing the content test identifies to districts
that you are Highly Qualified.
The test approval for the PPR test is not released until the candidate has successfully completed the 6 instructional
courses and obtained a teaching position.
Study guides for the tests are available at www.texes.ets.org.
Test Approval
The test approval request form will be available on the secure side of this website approximately three weeks prior
to the program registration deadline.
Choice of Testing Methods
All certification tests are offered six times during a academic year on specific identified dates and are paper based
test (PBT). Several of the certification test are offered more frequently by computer administered testing (CAT). For a
complete listing of the CAT, please visit www.texes.ets.org.
TExES/ExCET
All candidates wishing to take a certification test must obtain test approval prior to registering for an ExCET / TExES
or TOPT. The PPR test cannot be taken until the content test has been passed, the TOPT test has been passed if
applicable, the instructional modules have been successfully completed, and the candidate has secured a teaching position.
Program policy permits that only one test can be taken during each test administration date.
TOPT
The Texas Oral Proficiency Test is taken by candidates seeking certification in a language related content area, i.e.,
Spanish, French, Bilingual. This test is taken in addition to the content area test and the PPR.
Test Dates
| 2008-2009 Certification Test Dates and Registration Deadlines |
| |
Texas Examination of Educatior Standards (TExES)
Examination for the Certification of Educators in Texas (ExCET)
|
| |
| Test Date |
iteachTEXAS
Office
Deadline |
Regular
Registration
Deadline |
Late
Registration
Deadline |
Emergency
Registration
Deadline |
Score
Reporting
SR Only |
Score
Reporting
SR & CR |
| 11/08/08 |
10/06/08 |
10/10/08 |
10/17/08 |
10/31/08 |
12/01/08 |
12/08/08 |
| 01/31/09 |
12/29/08 |
01/02/09 |
01/09/09 |
01/23/09 |
02/23/09 |
03/02/09 |
| 04/04/09 |
03/02/09 |
03/06/09 |
03/13/09 |
03/27/09 |
04/27/09 |
05/04/09 |
| 06/27/09 |
05/25/09 |
05/29/09 |
06/05/09 |
06/19/09 |
07/20/09 |
07/27/09 |
| 08/29/09 |
07/27/09 |
07/31/09 |
08/07/09 |
08/21/09 |
09/21/09 |
09/29/09 |
| |
|
Texas Oral Proficiency Tests (TOPT)
|
| Test Date |
iteachTEXAS
Office
Deadline |
Regular
Registration
Deadline |
Late
Registration
Deadline |
Emergency
Registration
Deadline |
Score
Reporting
SR Only |
Score
Reporting
SR & CR |
| 10/25/08 |
09/22/08 |
09/26/08 |
10/03/08 |
10/17/08 |
|
11/24/08 |
| 02/21/09 |
01/19/09 |
01/23/09 |
01/30/09 |
02/13/09 |
|
03/23/09 |
| 05/16/09 |
04/13/09 |
04/17/09 |
04/24/09 |
05/08/09 |
|
06/15/09 |
| |
|
American Sign Language (ASL)
|
| Test Date |
iteachTEXAS
Office
Deadline |
Regular
Registration
Deadline |
Late
Registration
Deadline |
Emergency
Registration
Deadline |
Score
Reporting
SR Only |
Score
Reporting
SR & CR |
| 11/22/08 |
10/20/08 |
10/24/08 |
|
|
|
12/22/08 |
| 04/18/09 |
03/16/09 |
03/20/09 |
|
|
|
05/18/09 |
|
