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I'm a teacher candidate at a university/college I'd like to transition to teaching I'm a current / former teacher I'm in leadership for K-12 or Higher Ed (EPP)Everything You Need to Know About TExES Scores
Whether you are just starting your TExES exam preparation or well into a study plan, you can reduce your test anxiety by understanding what you need to know about the exam, including how it is scored and what score you need to pass! The Texas Examinations of Educator Standards, or TExES exams, cover a wide range of topics to ensure that aspiring teachers have the skills and knowledge to succeed in Texas public schools.
In this article, we will cover everything you need to know about TExES scores, including:
- How the TExES is scored
- The minimum score needed to pass
- How long it takes to receive scores
- How to interpret a score report
- How hard it is to pass a TExES exam
- How long you have to wait before you can retake an exam.
Finally, we’ll set you up with scoring resources and study material to help you pass your TExES exam! Are you ready? Let’s get started.
What Score Do You Need to Pass the TExES Test?
Knowing how a TExES exam is scored is one of the easiest ways to increase your confidence and improve your performance. Once you know how the TExES is scored you can make a customized study plan and manage your test time to your own advantage. Scores of 240 or higher meet the standard needed to pass TExES, and score reports reflect a total test performance status of “Passed.” There is no penalty for incorrect answers, so it is better to guess than to leave answers blank. Answer every question, but make sure to keep track of time as you go.
In summary:
- All TExES exams are scored on a scale of 100-300 points.
- The minimum score that you need to pass a TExES test is 240 points. (Yes, this passing score is where our name comes from!)
- Your best strategy is to select the best answer for every question.
More information about the score range and the minimum passing score for TExES exams can be found at the Texas examination program website.
How Many Questions Can You Miss on TExES Exam?
There is no way for you to determine how many number of correct answers you need to pass your TExES exam, because there are several versions of each exam, and each version contains different questions. Additionally, the questions on each version vary in difficulty and are weighted differently depending on that. Therefore, the number of answers you need to get right to pass one version of an exam might vary slightly from the number needed to pass another version.
How Long Does It Take to Get TExES Scores?
TExES score reports are released within seven days following the test date for most exams. For example, scores for an exam on March 12 would be available online by March 19. Score reports for exams that include a constructed-response assignment are released within 28 days. Score report dates for individual test dates can be found at the Texas examination program scores page by navigating to the Score Report Dates section.
Start studying for your TExES exam by taking a free practice test!
How Long Do You Have to Wait Before You Can Retake the TExES Exam?
The retake policy for TExES exams is a 30-day wait period and a maximum of five attempts per exam. This means that you can register at any time for a retake appointment, as long as the new test date is at least 30 days after the date you received the results for the failed exam. The five-attempt maximum includes the initial test plus four retake attempts.
In summary:
- Retakes cannot be scheduled until at least 30 days after receiving a score report.
- Five total attempts are allowed.
More information about TExES retakes, wait times, and test-limit waivers can be found at the Texas examination program website.
DID YOU KNOW? If you need a retake test waiver, you can earn 25 credit hours by completing a 240 Tutoring study guide. For more information, check out TExES 4x Waiver Request.
How Do You Interpret a TExES Score Report?
TExES score reports are presented in different formats with multiple sections:
- Total Test Performance
- Performance by Domain
- Performance by Competency
- Holistic Scores
However, you may only receive a score for Total Test Performance, depending on the exam.
Take a look at the example score reports in the links below. The ELAR 7-12 score report shows Performance by Domain, while the CORE Subjects EC-6 and 4-8 score reports show Performance by Subject Test.
291 CORE Subjects EC-6 Example Score Report (Note: The 291 exam has been retired)
211 CORE Subjects 4-8 Example Score Report
231 ELAR 7-12 Example Score Report
Total Test Performance shows either Passed or Not Passed. Passed TExES exams are those that receive a scaled score of 240 or higher. Scaled scores mean that different versions of the same exam are all scored in a comparable manner. The Total Test Performance is the only section of the score report that shows whether you passed or failed the exam.
Performance by Domain shows how well you performed in major content areas called domains. The ratio of correctly answered questions to the total number of scored questions in each domain is listed in the Performance by Domain section of the TExES score report. There is no Passed/Not Passed designation for domains.
Performance by Competency shows how well you performed in subsections of major content areas called competencies. The ratio of correctly answered questions to the total number of scored questions in each competency is listed in the Performance by Competency section of the TExES score report. There is no Passed/Not Passed designation for competencies.
Holistic Scores are provided for exams with constructed-response components. These responses are scored by selected professionals and experts in each subject area. Holistic response scoring varies between individual exams.
More information on TExES score reports and example score reports can be found on the Texas examination program page for Understanding Your Exam Results.
How Hard Is It to Pass the TExES Exam?
TExES exams test the knowledge and skills required for an entry-level position as an educator in Texas public schools. There is a wide range of passing rates on the TExES, depending on the exam. Pass rates and summary statistics for past exams can be found here. No matter the pass rate, you should prepare for all of your TExES exams. The cost of failure is too high.
The first steps to preparing for TExES come from knowledge and skills gained through your education and certification process, but it is important to keep up with a study plan to achieve the best results on test day. This starts with understanding which TExES exams you need to take. You can use our TExES practice test and prep guides to create your own study plan, or if you want full confidence you can pass, get a subscription to our TExES Study Guides.
