TExES Certification Exams and Program Information
Admission to Teacher Education | TEAL Account Setup | State Testing Policy | UNT Testing Policy | Certification Requirements
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Admission to Teacher Education
Students must be admitted to an educator certification program in order to be eligible to take the TExES certification exams and become certified in the state of Texas. If you have not been admitted, or would like more information about the Teacher Education program at UNT, please contact the Student Advising Office at 940-565-2736.
Once a student has been officially admitted into the Teacher Education program, they should begin to prepare for their TExES certification exams. Utilizing the study materials available and taking practice exams will help students prepare for the TExES exams.
Many of our programs require students to take their content practice exam prior to their observations semester. For more information about your required TExES exams and to see your program testing sequence, please view the appropriate program Flight Plan below. If you are a post-baccalaureate student, please contact your program advisor for information on when you should take your required exams.
Core Subjects EC-6 (w/ESL, w/Bilingual, w/Special Education EC-12) Flight Plan
Interdisciplinary Studies Program for Grade Levels 4-8 Flight Plan
Secondary Education Flight Plan
All-Level Education (EC-12) Flight Plan
TEAL Account Setup
After a student has been admitted to the Teacher Education program, they should visit the TExES Advising Office within the same week of admission to create their TEAL Educator Account with the Texas Education Agency. Students who do not come by the TExES Advising Office to create their account will have an account created for them. If you need instructions on how to access your account, please visit our TEAL Educator Account Access guide.
State Testing Policy
Texas Administrative Code, §230.21(e) specifies the laws for educator testing which UNT must abide by. All certification candidates need to be aware that current law limits the number of attempts that can be made for each exam. Students will have a total of five attempts (initial, and 4 retakes) on each of their required certification exams. Candidates who are unsuccessful after their fifth attempt must request additional attempts through a test-limit waiver.
Members of the military and their spouses may be eligible for certain fee waivers in regards to certification expenses. Currently, UNT has no programs that offer assistance with the expense of your exams or certification fees. It is the student's responsibility to secure funding for exams, fingerprinting, and application fees related to the certification process.
UNT Testing Policy
Students are required to take their content practice exam, and any required supplemental practice exams (ESL, Bilingual, BTLPT, or Special Education EC-12), prior to their observations semester. Students should plan accordingly and familiarize themselves with the practice exam dates so that they can complete requirements in a timely fashion. Practice exams are offered four times in long semesters (Fall/Spring) and twice during summer semesters.
During a student's observations semester, they should plan to take their real content exam, and any supplemental exams required by their program (ESL, Bilingual, BTLPT, and Special Education EC-12).
During Clinicial Teaching, students should make sure they have passed all required content and supplemental exams, and complete testing for the PPR EC-12 exam prior to completion of Clinicial Teaching.
Students are granted test approval for their certification exams upon admission to the Teacher Education program. Candidates in professional programs (Principal, Superintendent, School Counseling, School Librarian, or Educational Diagnostician) will receive test approval after certain program requirements have been satisfied (please visit with your program advisor for more information).
Students who are unsuccessful in their testing attempts will be required to remediate based on the following:
1st Failed Attempt - Candidates will be granted approval for a second attempt and encouraged to take a practice exam.
2nd Failed Attempt - Candidates will be required to complete either a practice exam with a score of 75 or better or six hours of self-guided study through a program such as Certify Teacher.
3rd Failed Attempt - Candidates will be required to complete additional requirements, including visiting with program faculty.
4th Failed Attempt - Candidates must receive program approval for a 5th attempt.
5th Failed Attempt - Candidates are required to file a test-limit waiver with the Texas Education Agency for approval to retest.
Candidates for teacher certification are ineligible to be certified if they have not passed all required exams. It is in the students' best interest to complete testing prior to graduation.
Students who graduate and do not pass all of their certification exams, or do not apply for certification, before exams expire will not receive automatic approval to the new exams. If you are a former student whose program or exams have expired, please visit our information page on expired exams to find out more about the process for requesting test approval.
Teacher Certification Requirements
Steps to Teacher Certification - Do you know all the steps you must take to become certified? Check out this page to find detailed information regarding the Certification process from start to finish.
Requirements for Certification based on Program- Based on your program, there are multiple requirements you must meet before UNT can recommend you for your certification. On this page, you will find specific information related to your certificate.
Becoming a Teacher in Texas - Find out what the requirements are for becoming a teacher in the state of Texas.
Required Texas Certification Exams - See the current list of all TExES exams and dates certifications will be expiring.
