This FAQs page provides an overview of key information for the Bilingual Education Spanish Supplemental (165) exam, including exam structure and timing, available preparation materials, constructed-response guidelines and requirements, exam features and functionality in the computer-administered testing environment, scoring and score reporting, and general policies and candidate questions.
1. How is the Bilingual Education Spanish Supplemental (165) exam structured?
TX165 is composed of three subtests:
2. Are the materials in the slide deck from the webinar items we can share with candidates?
The presentation slides and Q&A document have been distributed to all webinar registrants. Please feel free to distribute them to others for educational purposes. These materials should not be used for commercial purposes. For a copy, email [email protected] .
3. How can someone access the Preparation Manual?
The Preparation Manual is available on the program website.
4. Do you recommend studying the competencies and knowing those in order to help better understand what is being asked in each question? Is it wise to identify more than one area of need or strength to ensure a candidate covers it completely?
Candidates should work with their educator preparation programs to determine how best to prepare for an exam. Additional information about exam preparation is available in Section 2: How to Prepare for the Exams of the Preparation Manual.
5. Are all the Preparation Manual questions already final or is there room for editing?
The Preparation Manual, Representative Exam, and Interactive Practice Exam items have all been reviewed by committees of Texas educators and approved by the Texas Education Agency. To provide feedback about the Preparation Manual, please contact Pearson customer support . Pearson will review the input and work with the Texas Education Agency to update the manual if appropriate.
6. Does the Interactive Practice Exam include rationales for the answers?
Yes, rationales are provided for the correct responses to all questions in the Interactive Practice Exam. For more information visit the Interactive Practice Exam page on the program website. The Bilingual Education Spanish Supplemental Interactive Practice Exam will be available in summer 2026.
7. Can a candidate take the $10 Practice Exam multiple times? Or do we pay each time?
The Interactive Practice Exam can be submitted for scoring once per purchase. The exam and the results will be available for review until the end of the 120-day subscription period for that purchase. There is one version of each Interactive Practice Exam available. For more information, please visit the Interactive Practice Exam page on the program website. The Bilingual Education Spanish Supplemental Interactive Practice Exam will be available in summer 2026.
8. Is spellcheck available for the constructed-response item?
There is no spellcheck feature in the computer-administered exam. Spelling and grammar are not considered in the score unless errors are so significant that they interfere with a scorer's ability to understand the response.
9. What happens if a candidate's constructed response is under or over the 300–400-word count?
The assignment indicates a suggested range of 300–400 words; however, there is no limit to the candidate's written response. Candidate responses are scored on the merit of the response. Responses under 300 words and over 400 words are eligible for all score points.
10. Will candidates have a copy of the constructed response information on paper to refer to instead of having to scroll back to view the info? Can the exhibits be printed?
In the computer-administered certification exam, exhibits are available in tabs on a split screen with the exhibits on the left and the response box on the right.
11. Do the number of constructed-response item exhibits vary by exam?
Yes, it is possible that the number of exhibits may vary by exam because different versions of the exam have different questions covering the same subject area, including different constructed-response questions. However, all versions of the exam measure the same domains and competencies, and the number of selected-response and constructed-response items is the same in all versions.
12. Is listening included on the TX165 exam?
Yes. Listening content is assessed as part of Subtest 1, which focuses on Listening and Speaking in Spanish. However, there are no listening components within constructed-response tasks.
13. How much time is allowed for speaking responses?
Candidates have 2 minutes to record each oral constructed response.
A visible timer displays elapsed time.
The system automatically stops recording at 2 minutes.
Candidates may listen to and rerecord their response if time allows.
14. Is there designated preparation time before speaking responses?
No. There is no prescribed prep time. Candidates are instructed to monitor their time independently during the test.
15. Is there a notice that the time for a speaking response is over, or do the candidates have to keep track of the time?
When you are ready to record your response, begin recording by clicking the Record ( ) button. You will have two (2) minutes to record your response to each prompt. It is expected that you will use all or most of the time allotted for your response to provide an adequate speaking sample.
After you click Record , the recorder will show "Recording." You will have two (2) minutes to record your response. A sample of the recorder appears below.
You can monitor your recording time by referring to the timer, which will count up from 00:01 to 02:00. Bars will appear with the sound of your voice while the recording is in progress.
The system automatically stops recording at 2 minutes. Candidates may listen to and rerecord their response if time allows.
16. Is there a speech-to-text option?
Accommodations are reviewed and determined on a case-by-case basis. For information about requesting alternative testing arrangements, visit the Policies & Accommodations page .
17. Is there a way to highlight information in the question and/or eliminate answer questions on the screen?
A highlight feature and a strikethrough feature are both available in the computer-administered certification exam. Candidates can highlight or strikethrough text in selected-response and constructed-response questions, including question scenarios and answer options. However, the features cannot be used on graphics, which may include excerpts, charts, tables, reading passages, or other information that requires special formatting.
18. Will candidates be able to see stimuli while responding?
Yes. The exam uses a split-screen format, allowing candidates to view both the stimulus and the response area at the same time.
19. How do candidates take notes during the exam? Will plain paper be available for notetaking instead of the dry erase notebook?
Candidates can request a dry erase notebook that they will have access to after completing the nondisclosure agreement and the introductory tutorial. If the candidate fills up the dry erase notebook, they can raise a hand, and the test administrator will collect it and provide a fresh one.
20. Is AI used in scoring?
No. AI is not used in scoring TX165. The exam continues to use two trained human raters for constructed-response scoring.
21. Is it still possible to receive a zero score on a constructed response?
Constructed responses are scored using published rubrics. Responses that do not address the prompt are evaluated according to the rubric criteria. For current performance characteristics and score-point descriptions, candidates and EPPs should consult the following Preparation Manual sections:
22. Do candidates only have 5 attempts to take the exam?
Test takers are limited to 5 attempts on any certification examination under Texas Education Code §21.048(a-1). For information about test limits and test-limit waivers, visit the Texas Education Agency website .
23. Is it true if your teaching license does not match your driver license you cannot take the exam until they do?
To be admitted to a testing center, the first and last names on your identification must match exactly the first and last names in which you registered for the exam, as they appear in your TEA educator account. For more information about the ID policy, please visit the Policies & Accommodations page .
24. Do Practice Exams and Representative Exams include recording functionality?
No. Interactive Practice Exams and Representative Exams do not include recording functionality. For Representative Exams, an EPP proctor may time spoken responses manually if used for practice.
25. How can someone apply to be a scorer?
Individuals interested in becoming a scorer should follow the process outlined here: Scorer Recruitment .
26. What preparation materials are available and what do they cost?
27. Are candidates required to pass all subtests in a single attempt?
Candidates must pass all three subtests to pass the exam. If a candidate does not pass one or two subtests, they will need to re-register for TX165 and retake only the subtest(s) they did not pass. Candidates must continue to register for TX165 until they are down to just one remaining subtest, at which point they can register for the single-subtest retake.
28. How will partial failures appear in ECOS?
Results for the TX165 exam are reported as Passed or Not Passed, as there is no total passing score for the overall exam. Testers must earn a passing score of 240 on each individual subtest to pass the overall exam. Individual subtest scores will not be reported to ECOS at this time. Candidate score reports can be accessed in ResultsAnalyzer ® or within a candidate's Pearson testing account. Each exam administration will count as an attempt toward the five-test limit, regardless of how many subtests are completed in a single administration.
29. Does TX165 replace the former bilingual exams (e.g., 190 BTLPT, 164)?
The Bilingual Education Spanish Supplemental (165) exam will replace the Bilingual Target Language Proficiency Test (BTLPT) Spanish (190) and the Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) exams beginning September 1, 2027, for Bilingual Education Spanish EC–12 certificate candidates only. While the TX164 exam will continue for other languages, it will no longer be used to assess candidates seeking Bilingual Education Spanish certification after August 31, 2027. Additionally, the TX190 will be sunset on August 31, 2027, so any attempts on either of these exams to apply toward Bilingual Education Spanish certification should be made by this date. The last day to use passing scores from TX190 or TX164 must be used to apply for Bilingual Education Spanish certification by August 31, 2028.
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