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Exam Overview
The 164 test is computer-administered by appointment, year round, at test centers in Texas and across the country. It contains one domain, Bilingual Education, which makes up the whole exam and is divided into four competencies.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental |
| Test code | 164 |
| Questions | 80 selected-response questions (some may be unscored) |
| Answer choices | Four choices, one correct answer |
| Appointment time | 5 hours, including a 15-minute tutorial and compliance agreement |
| Testing time | 4 hours 45 minutes |
| Delivery | Computer-administered at a test center, by appointment year round |
| Fee | $116 (additional fees may apply) |
| Score scale | 100 to 300 |
| Passing score | 240 |
| Score reports | Usually within 7 days, posted at 10:00 p.m. Central time on the report date |
| Retakes | Wait 30 days between attempts; five attempts in all on any certification exam |
| Language of the test | English |
The Four Competencies
The framework places every question under one domain, Bilingual Education, worth 100% of the test. TEA does not publish separate weights for the competencies, so the practice tests in this guide use estimated weights based on how much each competency covers.
| Competency | Focus | Practice Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 001 | Foundations of bilingual education, laws, identification and placement, program models, learning environment | 30% |
| 002 | First- and second-language acquisition, linguistics, ESL methods | 25% |
| 003 | L1 literacy development, assessment, transfer and biliteracy | 25% |
| 004 | Content-area instruction in L1 and L2 | 20% |
What Kinds of Questions to Expect
- Short knowledge questions that ask you to match a term, theory, law or court case to its meaning
- Classroom scenarios in which a teacher plans a lesson, responds to a student or chooses materials, followed by a question about the best decision
- Language samples: a student's spoken sentence or writing sample, with a question about what it shows about the student's language development
- Campus and LPAC situations about identification, placement, program choice, parent communication and reclassification
- Clusters in which one scenario supports two or three questions
- Some questions with a chart or small data table, such as assessment results in two languages
All questions are written in English. Spanish words and phrases appear only as examples.
How the Test Is Scored
Your result is reported as a scaled score from 100 to 300, and you need 240 to pass. Only scored questions count, and a few questions may be unscored trial questions that you cannot identify, so treat every question as if it counts. There is no penalty for a wrong answer, so answer every question. If you need to retest, you must wait 30 days, and Texas law limits each candidate to five attempts on any certification exam.
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