The TExES History 7-12 (Test Code 223) exam is required for Texas candidates seeking to teach history in grade levels ranging from 7-12. This TExES test examines the candidate's knowledge of entry-level material in the following domains: World History, U.S. History, Texas History, and Foundations, Skills, Research and Instruction.
The TExES History 7-12 exam(Code 233) is a computer-administered test with an allotted time frame of 5 hours. The test consists of 100 selected-response questions distributed as follows:
Domain Title
# of Questions
World History
30
U.S. History
36
Texas History
20
Foundations, Skills, Research, and Instruction
14
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The TExES History 7-12 Test consists of four domains that are accompanied by 22 competencies or sub-categories. The weightage of each domain are as follows:
World History - 30%
U.S. History - 36%
Texas History - 20%
Foundational, Skills, Research, and Instruction - 14%
World History
In this domain, the candidate will be tested on historical events and developments ranging from the ancient world to present day, as well as the influence of culture, geography, and the governing systems present within each era. Competencies include:
Ancient World Civilizations
Candidates should review:
The impact of geography, diffusion, and agriculture on the development of early civilization.
Certain individuals and events that had a lasting impact.
Interactions between civilizations such as the Mayans, Incas, Egypt and Sub-Saharan civilizations, etc.
The Classical Period and empires such as Athens and Sparta.
The Code of Hammurabi and its influence on legal codes today.
World History from 600 A.D. to 1450 A.D.
This competency covers:
The Silk Road and the spread of religions such as Buddhism.
How political, social, and economic systems evolved after the fall of the Roman Empire.
The Black Death and its impact in history.
The influence the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church had on medieval Europe.
The economic, political, religious and social impact of the Crusades.
World History from 1450 A.D. to 1750 A.D.
This competency covers:
The fall of Constantinople.
Individuals such as Leonardo da Vinci and Martin Luther and their impact.
Interactions between Africa, the Americas, Western and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
The Reformation era and European Renaissance.
European expansion and impact including the Columbian Exchange and the Atlantic slave trade
World History from 1750 A.D. to present
This competency covers:
Developments, events, and issues such as the Great Depression, the Holocaust, and the decolonization that follows.
The cause and effect of both WWI, WWII, and the Industrial Revolution.
The spread of communism and the post-Cold war environment.
Individuals such as Charles Darwin, Mohandas Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Adolf Hitler, Mao Zedong, Mother Teresa.
Geography and Culture in World History
This competency covers:
The impact of geography on historical events.
The effects of migration and immigration.
The importance of Cuzco, Mecca, Jerusalem, Ganges River, and the Shrine of Guadalupe.
Religions and philosophical traditions
Gender roles across different historical cultures.
Government and Citizenship in World History
This competency covers:
Specific political and legal concepts.
Government impact on social and cultural values across different eras and places.
Individuals such as Hammurabi, John Locke, and Thomas Hobbes.
The evolution of democratic-republican governments
Economics, Science and Technology in World History
This competency covers:
The impact of the Neolithic agricultural revolution.
Major scientific, mathematical, and technological advances.
Free enterprise and socialist and communist economic systems.
Contemporary economic systems such as capitalism, socialism, and communism.
U.S. History
The U.S. History domain covers developments ranging from colonization to World War II as well as the influence of culture, geography, social developments, and governing systems present. Competencies include:
Exploration and Colonization
This competency covers:
The similarities and differences between American Indians groups.
The Spanish Colonial period in Texas.
Interactions and events between the Europeans, Africans, and American Indians.
The establishment of the 13 colonies.
Events that impacted colonization such as slavery, geography, and diffusion.
The foundations of representative government.
Revolutionary Era and the Early Years of the Republic
This competency covers:
Events such as taxation without representation, Lexington, Concord, enforcement of the Navigation Acts, Winter at Valley Forge, etc
American political party divisions such as the Federalists, Whigs, Democrats, etc.
Causes of the American Revolution.
Conflicts surrounding the Republic and the Age of Jackson.
The Stamp Act (1765), the Townshend Acts (1767,) and the Tea Act (1773).
Westward Expansion, the Civil War and Reconstruction
This competency covers:
Manifest Destiny and its relationship with westward expansion.
The effects of westward expansion on the nation.
Major events such as the United States-Mexican War, the Emancipation Proclamation, Lee's surrender at Appomattox, McCulloch v. Maryland, and The Seneca Falls Convention.
Individuals such as Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, etc.
The effects of Reconstruction on politics, the economy, and social life.
The United States as a World Power
This competency covers:
Individuals such as Alfred Thayer Mahan, Henry Kissinger, and notable presidents
Events such as the Berlin airlift, the Korean War, the Marshall Plan, Sputnik I, the Vietnam War, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, McCarthyism, etc
Decisions and discord between WWI and WWII.
Political, Economic and Social Developments from 1877 to the Present
This competency covers:
Political parties, transportation, labor unions, agriculture, civil rights movements, and industrialization.
Reform and third party movements such as Populism, Progressive Era reforms, and the New Deal legislation.
Individuals including Susan B. Anthony, Jr., Cesar Chavez, Betty Friedan, Malcolm X, etc.
Events that shaped the United States such as immigration restriction, globalization, terrorism, the the 19th Amendment, etc.
Geography and Culture in U.S. History
This competency covers:
The impact of immigration and migration.
The evolution of gender and race relations.
The adaptation of different racial and religious groups in the United States.
The impact of religion on certain regions across different eras.
Major reform movements.
Government and Citizenship in U.S. History
This competency covers:
Events such as suffrage, peace movements, Watergate, and the New Deal.
Important Supreme Court rulings.
Efforts to expand civil rights and democratic processes.
Constitutional amendments.
Documents such as the Magna Carta, the Declaration of Independence, the English Bill of Rights, and the Federalist Papers.
Economics, Science and Technology in U.S. History
This competency covers:
The development of free enterprise in the United States.
The impact of scientific and technological advances on the standard of living.
The economic environment following both World War I and II and the developments between them.
Domestic and foreign issues such as tariff policies, anti-trust acts, and international conflicts.
Texas History
This third domain gets even more localized, testing on events ranging from the Mexican National Era to present-day Texas. Competencies include:
Exploration and Colonization
This competency covers:
The Spanish Colonial period in Texas.
Individuals such as Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca, Jose de Escandon, etc
The differences among American Indian groups.
The effect of European colonization on Texas.
Cultural and economic developments in the Mexican National Era.
Independence, Statehood, Civil War Reconstruction, and the Aftermath
This competency covers:
The independence of Mexico from Spain.
Individuals such as George Childress, Mary Maverick, Stephen F. Austin, etc
Events such as the Law of April 6, 1830, the Fredonian Rebellion, and notable battles and wars
The expansion of settlement along the frontier in Texas.
Texas in the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries
This competency covers:
Reform movements such as the Progressive movement and the Civil Rights movement and their impact in Texas.
Individuals such as Kay Bailey Hutchison, Barbara Jordan, Henry B. Gonzalez, etc
The impact of migration and immigration on Texas.
The social, political, and economic impact of World War I, the Great Depression, World War II and the Cold War.
The impact of the gas industry, petroleum, manufacturing, and commercial agriculture on the environment in the 1900s.
Foundations, Skills, Research and Instruction
In this final domain, candidates show their pedagogy skills when teaching History in the classroom. Competencies include:
History Foundations and Skills
This competency covers:
Historical concepts such as philosophical foundations, historical inquiry, and historical terminology.
The importance of the application of historical events.
Methods used by historians to decipher past events.
The importance of chronology and theme when assessing historical events and their impact.
Problem-solving techniques to evaluate historical contexts.
Sources of Historical Information; Interpreting and Communicating Historical Information
This competency covers:
Primary and secondary sources to interpret history.
Ability to analyze the validity of certain sources.
Maps, their use, and their impact on relationships.
Ability to translate historical information across different mediums and forms.
Historical Research
This competency covers the examinee's ability to:
Form research questions.
Compare, contrast, analyze, interpret, and categorize historical information.
Justify conclusions and context in regard to historical events and evidence.
Evaluate and report on historical information.
History Instruction and Assessment
This competency covers:
Performance standards for the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills.
Materials, practices, and technologies used for students to advance.
Ability to provide instruction that creates connections between historical content and other content areas being learned.
Knowledge of appropriate assessment strategies to track student progress.
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TExES registration for the History Exam can be done through the Texas Educator Certification website. This site will redirect to the Pearson site in order to locate testing centers and a date. Tests may be taken at any Pearson VUE approved test center and may be taken year-round. Military personnel may find a test center located on a nearby military base.
The TExES exam cost is $116 at the time of registration and must be paid using a credit card, debit card, or check card. Registration is valid for 170 days following the date of payment.
Individuals who are nursing mothers, have a disability, or have health issues, can request alternative testing arrangements. This request should be made during the registration process. Candidates will receive an email that states if their request was approved or denied within 3 weeks. At this time, candidates can then schedule their exam.
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A minimum score of 240 is needed to pass the TExES History Exam. TExES scores are available 2-7 days after the completed exam date.
Once the test scores have been received, the candidate does NOT need to send them to the TEA, score reports are for the candidate's records. Upon completion, one may cancel their exam scores and retake the exam after 30 days. Individuals are limited to 5 attempts without further approval via test waiver.
As reported by the TEA in 2016, the passing rate for the TExES History Exam is 60% with an average score of 242.
TExES History 7-12 Test Preparation
So, how to pass the TExES History 7-12? In TExES preparation, candidates might separate the content by subject matter and weightage. This will help the candidate to manage their time aiming for a certain time limit per section. A TExES History 7-12 study guide can help with the content.
TExES History 7-12 Practice Test & Study Guide
The best way to prepare for the exam is through the use of TExES History 7-12 practice tests that present similar question format and timing. These should be worked into a candidates study guide that offer more specified information in regard to each section within the exam.
Exam Day Strategy
On the day of the TExES History 7-12 test, candidates should NOT bring:
Smoking or vaping products
Weapons of any kind
Family and friends
Belongings like phones, watches, etc, can be stored in an on-site locker.
Two forms of identification are required that have the candidate's photo and signature. Arriving 15 minutes late will disqualify a candidate from taking the test. Reimbursement for missing an exam requires documentation of an emergency.
Expert Contributor
Zenobia Denny
Zenobia Denny, M.A. has been a dedicated educator for over 10 years. She holds teaching certifications in Elementary Education, Special Education, and ESL. She has taken and passed numerous Praxis and TExES exams, including the TExES Principal Certification exam. Zenobia completed an M.A. in Early Childhood Education from Walden University and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology with an emphasis in Gifted and Talented.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many questions are on the TExES History 7-12?
There are 100 selected-response questions on the TExES History 7-12 exam. These 100 questions are taken over the course of a 4 hour and 45 minute testing period, giving candidates an average allotted time of about three minutes per question.
What can you teach with TExES History 7-12?
After meeting basic teaching requirements and passing the TExES History 7-12 exam, candidates are qualified to teach history to upper-grade levels (7th-12th) within the Texas public schooling system.
