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

Lamar University students who have graduated and completed all requirements for initial certification through Lamar University, but have not taken and passed all required exams must continue to register for exams through Lamar University.  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 Lamar University.

Retake Exams for Students

Lamar University 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.  

• http://www.tx.nesinc.com/PageView.aspx?f=GEN_PreparationMaterials.html 
• https://pact.tarleton.edu/TCERT/
• http://www.certifyteacher.com/

TExES Exam Dates

www.tx.nesinc.com

Educator Certification Examination Retake Limit Change

• Candidates are limited to a total of 5 attempts to pass a certification examination under Texas Education Code §21.048. 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.  
• Candidates, educators, and others who took certification examinations before September 1, 2015 and have not yet passed those examinations will find more information in the candidate guidance document. Testers impacted by the change must take their examination(s) by August 31, 2018 if the new test attempt counting method will make them ineligible on September 1, 2018. Candidates who reach the 5-time testing limit must apply for a test-limit waiver to retest.

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 Texas Education Code §21.048(a-1). The State Board for Educator Certification has defined the waiver application process in Chapter 230, Subchapter C of the Texas Administrative Code and authorized TEA staff to administer the waiver process. Application information is provided on the Test-Limit Waiver Information webpage.