The Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES) History 7-12 exam is a certification exam designed to assess whether you have the knowledge and skills required to teach history in grade levels 7-12 in Texas public schools.
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TExES History 7-12 Exam Outline
The History 7-12 exam contains 100 selected-response questions and has a time limit of 4 hours and 45 minutes.
Teaching Standards
The TExES History 7-12 exam is aligned with the ten standards for educators that have been outlined by the State Board for Educator Certification.
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Approved Educator Standards
- Knowledge: You are expected to understand the social sciences and recognize their value.
- Integration: You are expected to effectively integrate the various social science disciplines.
- Implementation: You are expected to plan and implement effective social studies curricula, instruction, assessment, and evaluation.
- History: You are expected to apply knowledge of significant historical events and developments and multiple historical interpretations and ideas in order to facilitate student understanding of relationships between the past, present, and future.
- Geography: You are expected to apply knowledge of people, places, and environments to facilitate student understanding of geographic relationships in Texas, the US, and the world.
- Economics: You are expected to understand how people organize economic systems to produce, distribute, and consume goods and services and use this knowledge to enable students to understand economic systems and make informed economic decisions.
- Government: You are expected to understand how governments and structures of power function, provide order, and allocate resources, and use this knowledge to facilitate student understanding of how individuals and groups achieve their goals through political systems.
- Citizenship: You are expected to understand citizenship in the United States and other societies and use this knowledge to prepare students to participate in society through an understanding of democratic principles and citizenship practices.
- Culture: You are expected to understand cultures and how they develop and adapt, and use this knowledge to enable students to appreciate and respect cultural diversity in Texas, the US, and the world.
- Science, Technology, and Society: You are expected to understand developments in science and technology and use this knowledge to facilitate student understanding of the social and environmental consequences of scientific discovery and technological innovation.
Exam Domains
The exam is split into four domains, each of which covers one or more of the ten standards mentioned above.
| Domain | Percentage of Exam | Standards Used |
|---|---|---|
| 1. World History | 30% | IV-X |
| 2. US History | 36% | IV-X |
| 3. Texas History | 20% | IV-X |
| 4. Foundations, Skills, Research, and Instruction | 14% | I-III |
For the questions in this domain, you will be asked to demonstrate your knowledge of the following aspects and time periods of world history:
- Ancient world civilizations
- World history from 600-1450 AD
- World history from 1450-1750 AD
- World history from 1750 AD to present
- Geography and culture
- Government and citizenship
- Economics, science, and technology
2. US History
For the questions in this domain, you will be asked to demonstrate your knowledge of the following aspects of US history:
- Exploration and colonization
- Revolutionary era and the early years of the republic
- Westward expansion, the Civil War, and reconstruction
- The US as a world power
- Political, economic, and social developments since 1877
- Geography and culture
- Government and citizenship
- Economics, science, and technology
3. Texas History
For the questions in this domain, you will be asked to demonstrate your knowledge of the following aspects of Texas history:
- Exploration and colonization
- Independence, statehood, and Civil War reconstruction and aftermath
- Texas in the 20th and 21st centuries
4. Foundations, Skills, Research, and Instruction
For the questions in this domain, you will be asked to demonstrate your knowledge of the following:
- History foundations and skills
- Sources of historical information
- Interpreting and communicating historical information
- Historical research
- History instruction and assessment
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TExES History 7-12 Exam Registration
To register for the exam, you must create an online NES account via their website. Once your account has been created, you can use it to register for the exam and schedule an exam date. When you register, you will need to pay the $116 examination fee.
Test Day
On the day of your exam, you should arrive at the testing center at least 30 minutes before your scheduled appointment in order to leave enough time for the check-in process. After you arrive, you will be asked to present one form of valid photo ID. If you forget to bring your ID, or if your ID is invalid, you will not be permitted to take the exam and your exam fee will not be refunded.
After the check-in process, you will be asked to leave all personal items in a locker outside the testing area.
Once you enter the testing room, you will be asked to sign an NDA, and you will be given a brief tutorial on the computer-adaptive testing system. Once the tutorial is complete, the exam will begin.
You are allowed to take a restroom break during the exam, but the timer will not be paused while you are away.
How the Exam is Scored
The TExES History 7-12 exam is computer-adaptive. Here’s a look at how it works:
The first question is judged to be of medium difficulty, and depending on your performance, the next question may be easier or harder. If you do well on the first question, the second question will be harder; conversely, if you do poorly on the first question, the second question will be easy.
The questions on this exam are rated on a scale of 100-300. The higher a question is rated, the harder the question is (e.g., a question marked as 220 will be more difficult than a question marked 120).
To pass the exam, your final question must be on or above the 240 mark. If your final question is below this mark, you will not pass the exam, even if you have answered some questions above the 240 mark at some point during the exam. This is because the computer has rated the difficulty of your final question based on how you answered the previous questions.
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FAQs
Q
How many questions are on the TExES History 7-12 exam?
A
There are 100 selected-response questions on the exam.
Q
How long is the TExES History 7-12 exam?
A
The time limit for the exam is 4 hours and 45 minutes.
Q
What is the passing score for the TExES History 7-12 exam?
A
To pass the exam, you must achieve a minimum scaled score of 240.
Q
How much does the TExES History 7-12 exam cost?
A
The examination fee is $116.
