Â鶹ÊÓƵ

The Texas State Education Agency (TEA) requires that all students seeking certification in Texas pass comprehensive examinations.  Students must pass an exam in their content area and the Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities (PPR).

To be eligible to take the TExES State Exams, students must:

• Demonstrate mastery for course standards in READ 3390, 4305& 3350 PEDG 3300, 3350, 3351, 3352, 3380, 4340, & 4380. Music students, MUSCI 3380 & 3310
• Demonstrate mastery for content standards set out in course work by content department.
• Students must take the required Lamar Proficiency Exam(s) in their content area, Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities (PPR) and pass the required TExES State Exam(s) before students are eligible to enroll in Clinical Teaching or Residency.  
• It is likely that a student whose major is in a department other than Professional Pedagogy will need the approval of the major academic department faxed to the TExES Office (409) 880-1804) or email at texes@lamar.edu to receive test approval.

Initial Certification by Exam Only

Â鶹ÊÓƵ students who have graduated and completed all requirements for initial certification through Â鶹ÊÓƵ, but have not taken and passed all required exams must continue to register for exams through Â鶹ÊÓƵ.  Students who hold an initial certification and want to add another content/teaching field to their teaching certificate by challenging an exam are not required to register through Â鶹ÊÓƵ.

Retake Exams for Students

Â鶹ÊÓƵ College of Education and Human Development is dedicated to every student continued success. Aligned with TEA requirements, the following procedure is in place for retakes of the TExES State Exam.

Students that have been out of the Teacher preparation program for one year or longer and have not attempted the TExES State exam (s) for the first time, or failed a TExES State exam will be required to complete a remediation review before allowed to retest.

TExES State Exam Failed Attempt(s):

If a student does not pass the TExES State Exam for teacher certification, the student is required to contact the faculty of which the exam is associated for the course.

Students must complete a remediation review from the designated faculty in the areas in which they are unsuccessful in passing the exam. Students are responsible for contacting the faculty member who taught the associated class for a remediation review.

If that faculty is not accessible, students should contact their assigned faculty advisor for the remediation review.

Students must complete a remediation review with the faculty for the course before they are allowed to register to retake the TExES State Exam. The TExES office will provide the remediation review form for completion.

Once students have completed the required remediation review which is provided within the review process, you will need to apply again with Lamar for approval to retake the TExES State exam. You must also submit your remediation review documentation to texes@lamar.edu   

The TExES office will process your application and verify your remediation review documentation for approval to register. You will be notified via email at the email address you provided on your application.

For questions, please contact texes@lamar.edu or Lamar TExES Office at (409) 880-7774.                 

We also recommend students to visit websites for additional remediation reviews.  

TExES Exam Dates

Educator Certification Examination Retake Limit Change

• Candidates are limited to a total of five 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-Limit Waiver Information

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.