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Exam Overview
The Special Education Specialist EC–12 (186) exam is part of the Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES) program, delivered 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 Special Education Specialist: Early
Test code and 186 · Special Education Specialist EC–12 name
Computer-administered test (CAT) taken at a test center
Every selected-response question has four options (A–D) and one best answer; a few questions share a stimulus such as a student profile or data table
5 hours total: 15 minutes for the tutorial and compliance agreement and 4 hours 45 minutes of testing time
Scaled scores from 100 to 300; the passing score is 240
The exam may include questions that are being evaluated for future use and do not affect your score; you cannot tell which ones they are
No penalty for wrong answers; answer every question
Fee $136 (additional fees may apply)
By appointment, year-round, at test sites in Texas and nationwide; appointments are first come, first served
Question Types You Will See
Scenario questions
A short classroom, ARD, or campus situation asks for the best, most appropriate, first, or most effective response by the special education teacher.
Applied-knowledge questions
A rule, timeline, role, or term is tested in a brief context, such as which ARD committee member must be present or which timeline applies.
Data questions
A table of scores, progress-monitoring probes, or behavior data asks what the data show or what to do next.
Constructed response
Exhibits with one student’s formal and informal assessment data and a given assignment; you write about 400–600 words.
The Five Domains and Ten Competencies
The framework divides the exam into five domains. Domains I–IV are measured with selected-response questions; Domain V is measured by the single constructed-response question. The percentages are approximate shares of the total
APPROXIMATE SHARE OF THE EXAM BY DOMAIN (%)
Domain I Domain II Domain III
Domain IV Domain V (written)
I · Legal and Ethical Guidelines and 18%
001 Legal and ethical guidelines · 002 Knowledge of learners
II · Assessment and Program 18%
005 Subject matter content and specialized instructional strategies · 006 Supporting
III · Curricular Knowledge and 27% learning using effective instruction · 007 Supporting social, behavioral, and emotional
008 Consultation and collaboration · 009 Professional learning and responsibilities
010 Analyze a student’s assessment data and design appropriate instruction
V · Analysis and Response 20%
WHAT THE WEIGHTS MEAN FOR YOUR STUDY PLAN
Domain III is the largest selected-response domain: about a third of the 90 questions cover curriculum,
Domain V is one question worth about a fifth of the exam. A complete, well-supported response can carry a borderline selected-response score, and a thin one can sink a strong one. Domains I, II, and IV are equal in weight. Each contributes roughly 20 selected-response questions, so none can
The written task gives you several exhibits about one student and an assignment the class has been given. Your response must do four things: identify one strength and one need from the data; use the strength to describe one additional accommodation, instructional strategy, or approach that would give the student access to the assignment; explain why it would work; and describe how you would monitor and evaluate the student’s progress. Scorers rate the response from 1 to 4 on completion, application of content, and support. Chapter 16 teaches the task step by step.
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 differ slightly from one test form to another so that every form is equally difficult to pass. Score reports are posted to your testing account on the scheduled score-report dates published on the program website; results are not released at the test center. The report shows whether you passed and how you performed by domain and competency.
Create your account
Register through the Texas Educator Certification Examination Program website. If you are in an educator preparation program, the program must approve you to test.
Choose a test site, date, and time. Appointments can fill quickly, so schedule early.
Request arrangements early
Candidates with documented disabilities or other qualifying needs can request alternative testing arrangements before
Bring acceptable, current, government-issued photo identification whose name matches your registration exactly. Personal items are stored outside the testing room.
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.
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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Next, start the first chapter.