TExES Exam

The TExES Exam: What It is All About

The TExES exam is required by the state of Texas for any person who wants to teach in a Texas public school. It came about as part of the great wave of educational reform in the U.S. over the last several decades, when politicians and other leaders concluded that there were far too many unqualified teachers in America's classrooms. State after state initiated rigorous certification tests for prospective teachers, and the TExES exam is the Lone Star State's version.

By passing the test, potential teachers demonstrate that they have thoroughly mastered the subject they will be teaching in the classroom and are competent and skilled at helping kids learn the subject as well. The test is timed, and it follows a multiple-choice format. There is a substantial fee to take the exam, which is given at testing centers all over the state. While the exam is not the most challenging test in the world, it is no picnic, either, as evidenced by the fact that ten percent of the people who take it every year get a failing score. Failure, of course, is quite a career setback, as it is impossible to be certified to teach in Texas without passing the TExES exam.

The TExES Test: Can You Pass It?

The TExES test is that dreaded certification test that every aspiring teacher in Texas must pass before being certified to teach. Did you know that over ten percent of all the people who take the TExES every year fail it? That shocking statistic should be a wake-up call to everyone who will be taking the test in the near future. Think about that: one out of ten potential teachers, most of whom just graduated from college with an education degree, fail the certification test. Obviously, the test is a challenge, and what is more, some state officials believe it is still too easy and are considering making the TExES test even more difficult.

Can you yourself pass the TExES test? Do not be too sure. How many of the ten percent of aspiring teachers who failed it in recent years thought they would pass? Odds are good that every single one of them walked into the testing center expecting to pass, and they walked out of the testing center with their dreams of a teaching career dashed. The real tragedy is that almost all of them could have passed. A person who is intelligent enough to earn a college degree should be able to pass the state teacher certification exam with a little bit of preparation. Do not make the mistake of failing to study. Prepare for the TExES test as if your career is on the line-because it is.

TExES Study Is Essential

TExES study is imperative if a person wants to make sure that he or she is authorized to teach in public schools in the state of Texas. Failure on the TExES is not an option. Yet, year in and year out, over ten percent of the people who take the test fail it. Some of these people will come back and try it again and succeed, while others will eventually have to give up their dream of teaching. By spending some time on TExES study, however, most of those individuals could have passed the exam. The test is challenging, but it is certainly not something that a person with a degree in education should not be able to handle if he or she spends some time studying for it.

Why do not more people study for the exam? There are lots of reasons given when you ask, but there really are not any good reasons. Some people claim they did not have time to study. Others say that they thought they were prepared enough already. Still others may have heard that the test was easy. If you are thinking of taking the TExES without a good study plan, let these misconceptions be a lesson to you. No matter what, you had better make time for some serious TExES study, or you may find your dream of being a Texas schoolteacher slipping through your fingers.

TExES Generalist Exam

The TExES Generalist is the state certification exam that is administered to those individuals who have the desire to become elementary school teachers within the state of Texas public school system. Unlike TExES content exams, the Generalist exam covers material on various subjects. The subjects covered on the test are English, science, math, and social studies, along with fine arts, health and physical education. The test is comprised of one hundred and thirty multiple-choice questions, and it is a timed exam.

There is a substantial fee to take the test, which is given at testing centers all over the country. The test is in multiple-choice format, and consists of 140 questions, of which 125 count toward the applicant's score. The other 15 questions are experimental, but there is no way for the test taker to know which are which. About 32 percent of the questions will be over English, 19 percent will be over math, 19 percent will be over social studies, 18 percent will be over science, and the remaining questions will be on fine arts, health and physical education. (These numbers and percentages are different for the Bilingual Generalist exam.) It is a challenging test. Failure of the TExES Generalist will prevent a person from being allowed to teach school in the public school systems of Texas.