Exam Overview

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An Overview of the TExES School Counselor (252) Exam

Format, scoring, and what each domain measures

The TExES School Counselor (252) exam is part of the Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES) program, administered for the Texas Education Agency (TEA) by its testing contractor through the Texas Educator Certification Examination Program. Passing it is one of the requirements for the Texas School Counselor (Early Childhood–Grade 12) certificate.

Exam at a Glance
Feature	Details
Test code and name	252 · School Counselor
Format	Computer-administered test (CAT)
Questions	90 selected-response questions and 1 constructed-response question
Appointment time	5 hours total: about 15 minutes for the tutorial and compliance agreement and 4 hours 45 minutes of testing time
Scoring	Scaled scores from 100 to 300; the passing score is 240
Unscored items	Some selected-response questions are being tried out for future use and do not count toward your score; you cannot tell which ones they are
Guessing	No penalty for wrong answers; answer every question
Fee	$200 (additional fees may apply)
Where	Computer-based test sites in Texas and nationwide; appointments are first come, first served

The Four Domains and Ten Competencies

The framework divides the exam into four domains. Domains I–III are measured with selected-response questions; Domain IV is measured by the single constructed-response question. The percentages are approximate shares of the total score.

Approximate share of the exam by domain

Domain II · Comprehensive School Counseling Program — 44%Competencies 003–007

Domain IV · Analysis and Response (written) — 20%Competency 010 · constructed response

Domain I · Knowledge of Learners — 18%Competencies 001–002

Domain III · The Professional School Counselor — 18%Competencies 008–009

Domains and Competencies
Domain	Weight	Competencies
I · Knowledge of Learners	18%	001 Human development and learning · 002 Safe and supportive school environment
II · The Comprehensive School Counseling Program	44%	003 Guidance · 004 Responsive services · 005 Individual planning · 006 Systems support · 007 Program management
III · The Professional School Counselor	18%	008 Communication, consultation, and collaboration · 009 Professional practice
IV · Analysis and Response	20%	010 Analyze student data, select interventions, plan collaboration, and choose evaluation methods (constructed response)

What the Weights Mean for Your Study Plan

Domain II alone is worth more than Domains I and III combined. Know the four Texas Model delivery components cold and be able to sort any activity into the right one.
Domain IV is one question worth about a fifth of the test. A well-organized written response can carry a borderline selected-response score, and a skipped or thin one can sink a strong one.
Among the selected-response questions, roughly a fifth come from Domain I, a little over half from Domain II, and a fifth from Domain III.

Question Types You Will See

Scenario questions

A short campus situation asks for the best, most appropriate, first, or most effective counselor response.

Knowledge questions

Precise recall of a theory, law, ethical standard, Texas Model component, or assessment concept.

Data questions

A short table or description of school data asks what it shows or what to do next.

Constructed response

A case study with student data; you write an analysis, interventions, a collaboration plan, and evaluation methods.

Scoring and Score Reports

Your selected-response and constructed-response results are combined and converted to a scaled score from 100 to 300; you need 240 to pass. The scaled score is not a percentage, and the number of correct answers needed can vary slightly from one test form to another so that every form is equally difficult to pass. Score reports are released on scheduled score-report dates published on the program website and show whether you passed along with your performance by domain and competency.

Registration and Retakes

Create your account

Register through the Texas Educator Certification Examination Program website. Your educator preparation program must approve you to test (or you must be otherwise eligible under TEA rules).

Schedule

Choose a test site, date, and time; appointments fill quickly in late spring and summer.

Test day

Bring acceptable, current, government-issued photo identification whose name matches your registration exactly.

Retakes

Texas limits each certification exam to five attempts in total (the first attempt plus four retakes) and requires a 30-day wait between attempts. Attempts beyond the limit require a TEA waiver.

Becoming a Certified Texas School Counselor

Passing the 252 exam is one step. Texas rules for the school counselor certificate also call for a master’s degree from an accredited institution, two creditable years of teaching experience as a classroom teacher, completion of an approved school counselor educator preparation program, and the standard fingerprinting and criminal history review. Confirm the current requirements with TEA, because certification rules are periodically revised.

Confirm Before You Register

Fees, test-site policies, score-report dates, and certification rules can change. Use the official program and TEA websites as your final authority.

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