The TExES Special Education EC-12 (161) exam is administered for those interested in becoming an entry-level educator within the Texas public school system, specifically for teaching special education to children from early childhood through the 12th grade.
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TExES Special Education EC-12 Exam Outline
The TExES Special Education EC-12 exam contains 150 multiple-choice questions and has a time limit of 4 hours and 45 minutes.
The questions are split into four domains:
I. Understanding Individuals with Disabilities and Evaluating Their Needs (13%)
The questions in this domain assess your knowledge of the following topics:
- The characteristics and needs of students with disabilities
- Formal and informal assessment and evaluation procedures
- Making instructional decisions to evaluate student competencies
II. Promoting Student Learning and Development (33%)
The questions in this domain assess your knowledge of the following topics:
- Planning instruction for individuals with disabilities
- Managing the teaching and learning environment
- Assistive technology
- Promotion of students’ educational performance
- Issues and procedures for teaching appropriate student behavior
- Transition issues and procedures across an individual’s lifespan
III. Promoting Student Achievement in English Language Arts and Reading and in Mathematics (33%)
The questions in this domain assess your knowledge of the following topics:
- Promotion of English language arts and reading performance
- Promotion of mathematics performance
IV. Foundations and Professional Roles and Responsibilities (20%)
The questions in this domain assess your knowledge of the following topics:
- The philosophical, legal, and historical foundations of special education
- Professional roles and responsibilities
- Legal and ethical requirements
- Effective communication and collaboration
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TExES Special Education EC-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
You should arrive at the testing center 15-30 minutes prior to your scheduled exam time. This will leave you enough time to go through the check-in process. After you arrive, you will be asked to present one form of valid, government-issued photo ID.
After the check-in process, you will be asked to leave all personal items (cell phone, bags, notes, wallet, coat, etc.) in a secure 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 TExES Special Education EC-12 Exam is Scored
The TExES Special Education EC-12 (161) 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 200 will be more difficult than a question marked 175).
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 Special Education EC-12 exam?
A
There are 150 multiple-choice questions on the exam.
Q
How long is the TExES Special Education EC-12 exam?
A
The time limit for this exam is 4 hours and 45 minutes.
Q
What is the passing score for the TExES Special Education EC-12 exam?
A
To pass the exam, you must achieve a scaled score of at least 240.
Q
How much does the TExES Special Education EC-12 exam cost?
A
The examination fee for this exam is $116.
