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Teacher Development Center

Certification Prep

Students hanging out in the residence halls.

Students seeking teacher certification in Texas must pass the following Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES) exams:

  • Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities (PPR) test for grades EC-12
  • Content specialization at the grade level for the certification sought (e.g., 4-8 or EC-6 Core Subjects, 7-12 Mathematics, etc.)
  • Effective January 2021, all EC-6 Core Subjects, 4-8 Core Subjects and 4-8 ELAR must pass an additional exam, The Science of Teaching Reading (STR).

Students must be officially admitted to the Teacher Development Program to be eligible to take TExES exams and to register for courses.

Step 1: Prepare for the TExES Exams

All students must take practice tests for all their required TExES exams prior to being released to take their official certification exams.

Starting summer 2025, students are permitted to take the following practice tests online through Pearson: PPR, STR, ELAR 4-8, ELAR 7-12, Math 7-12, Science 7-12. To be released to take the official exams, students must email their full score report to sheetal.kapoor@utdallas.edu Click Here to take the online practice test.

Practice Tests: Click Here to Reserve Your Spot

All practice tests are from 8am until noon. Students can only take one test per day and must reserve their spots at least 48 hours in advance.

  • Friday, September 5, 2025, Location ML2 1.216
  • Friday, September 20, 2025, Location ML2 1.218
  • Saturday, October 11, 2025, Location ML2 1.218
  • Friday, October 24, 2025, Location ML2 1.216
  • Saturday, November 8, 2025, Location ML2 1.218
  • Friday, November 21, 2025, Location ML2 1.216

Workshops: Click Here to Reserve Your Spot

Students can not attend workshops unless they have reserved a spot.

  • PPR: Saturday, September 20, 2025, Location ML2 1.214, 9am-1pm,
  • STR: Saturday, September 27, 2025, Location ML2 1.214, 9am-Noon
  • Core Subjects EC-6 & 4-8, Saturday, October 18, 2025, Location ML2 1.216, 9am-1pm

TDC’s Education Professors’ TExES Review Videos

Test Prep Study Guide

TESTPrepDownload

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Step 2: Register for the TExES Exams

Suggested Testing Timeline

  • Students will meet with the TDC Certification Advisor to determine when they will be taking the mandatory practice tests and official exams. These will be staggered so students are not taking more than one a semester.
  • The content specialization exam should be taken after completing content (subject area) courses. This is usually the first exam taken.
  • The Pedagogy & Professional Responsibility (PPR) exam will be the second exam taken, unless other arrangements are made with the Certification Advisor.
  • The Science of Teaching Reading (STR) exam should be taken during or after Diagnostic Reading (prerequisites Reading I & Reading II). This test takes 30 days to get the results back. Plan ahead and be aware of deadlines for Clinical Teaching.

Registration

  • You must be admitted to the TDC and obtain permission from the TDC to take a TExES exam.
  • Go to the Texas Educator Examination Program to register for your TExES exams.
  • Most TExES exams are $118.87 per test ($116 + $2.87 government fee). The STR exam is $139.

Step 3: Apply for Certification

After the University field supervisors have completed the final clinical teacher observations, students who have successfully fulfilled all requirements for Texas teacher certification (GPA, course work,  and TExES examinations and student/clinical teaching) should apply for certification on the TEA website.  Click on “Educator Certification,” select “Certification Information,” then click on “Apply for Certification.” (See below for fees.)

When the graduation date is posted on a student’s UT Dallas transcript, the certification officer will access the student’s online application, and upon verification of all certification requirements, will recommend the student for Texas certification. The student will receive an automated email message from the certifying agency when he or she has been recommended. When the TEA posts the certificate online, it can be viewed and printed.

Note: Students will need to retain their TEA ID numbers to retrieve copies of their certificates. Certificates may be printed on paper suitable for framing; however, the online certificate is the official teaching credential.

Additional Requirements for Teacher Certification

  • Completion of all professional education coursework taken at UT Dallas
  • Fingerprint Fee $40.25
  • $78 certification fee (Note: Application will be deleted from TEAL account if the fee is not paid within 48 hours.)

Teacher Certification