TEA is redesigning Texas’ principal certification standards and corresponding tests. For more information, visit the . The TExES Principal (068) exam will be available to first-time test takers through December 31, 2018, and for retesters only through August 31, 2019.
Given the evolving role of the principal as an instructional leader and the needs of Texas schools and communities, the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) adopted new principal standards in 2016. Informed by the expertise of practicing principals, principal preparation program faculty, and other educators and aligned with the Texas Principal Evaluation and Support System (T-PESS), the new standards emphasize the critical role of the school principal with an increased emphasis on instructional leadership.
With the implementation of the new standards, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) began working with principal preparation program faculty and practicing principals to develop a new test framework and new test instruments to certify Texas principals. The new instruments have been created to reflect the skills needed for beginning principals to be effective.
A comprehensive communication plan has been initiated by TEA to ensure that Texas principal preparation programs and candidates are informed of the upcoming changes. The information below reflects the current plan, which is subject to revision as additional information becomes available.
Principal certificate candidates can expect the following changes:
The TExES Principal (068) test will be available to first-time test takers through 12/31/2018 and for re-testers through 8/31/2019.
The will transition to a new vendor, NCS Pearson, Inc., beginning September 1, 2018, for the following tests: TExES, TExMaT, TASC, and TASC-ASL. ETS will administer the new Performance Assessment for School Leaders (PASL) when it becomes effective in fall 2019.
Candidates are limited to a total of 5 attempts to pass a certification examination under . A subsection of the law, which currently counts all attempts of the same examination taken before September 1, 2015 as only one attempt, is set to expire. Beginning September 1, 2018, all attempts of the same examination, no matter when they occurred, will count toward the 5-attempt testing limit regardless of when the examination was first attempted.
You are limited to five attempts to take a certification exam. The five-attempt limit also applies to intensive pre-service candidates taking a pre-admission content test (PACT). PACT exams taken for purposes of admission into a Texas EPP or to satisfy requirements for a charter school teaching assignment are not subject to the five-attempt limit.
The five attempts include the first attempt to pass the exam and four retakes. Each testing session counts as another attempt for the TExES Core Subjects (211 or 391) or TX PACT Essential Academic Skills (700) exam, whether the overall exam or an individual subject exam is attempted. If you choose to register again for the same exam after completion of the fifth testing attempt, scores will not be counted toward certification and you will assume responsibility for exam fees paid. For more information, please consult with your educator preparation program and review the score reporting policies on this website.
Note that the retired 291 Core Subjects EC–6 exam and current 391 Core Subjects EC–6 exam are separate exams; therefore, previous attempts on the 291 exam do not count toward the attempt limit for the 391 exam.
If you are unable to successfully pass the examination after five attempts, you will not be allowed to take the examination again unless the Texas Education Agency approves a . If you are not able to pass an examination that is a requirement for a given certification, you will not be able to be issued an intern, probationary, or standard certificate in that certification field.
Note: Individuals who did not test before September 1, 2015 are not affected by the change since all examination attempts have always been included in the attempt count for these testers.
Test takers are limited to 5 attempts on any certification examination under . The State Board for Educator Certification has defined the waiver application process in and authorized TEA staff to administer the waiver process. Application information is provided on the webpage.