- TExES 116 is the Texas Education Agency's Science 4-8 certification exam, administered by Pearson.
- The exam has 100 selected-response questions across a five-hour appointment, with 4 hours 45 minutes of actual testing.
- Four domains - Scientific Inquiry, Physical Science, Life Science, and Earth and Space Science - each carry 22% weight.
- Passing requires a scaled score of 240; the 2024-2025 statewide best-attempt pass rate was 56%.
What Exactly Is a TExES 116?
TExES 116 is the shorthand educators use for the TExES Science 4-8 (116) exam, one of the content-area certification tests administered under the Texas Examinations of Educator Standards program. It's a Texas Education Agency exam, delivered on computer through Pearson, designed to confirm that a candidate has the science content knowledge and pedagogical understanding needed to teach science to students in grades 4 through 8. If you're comparing terminology across sources, our companion pieces on TExES 116 Meaning and What Does TExES 116 Stand For? walk through the naming conventions in more detail.
Unlike a general knowledge screening, this exam is subject-specific. It doesn't ask about classroom management in the abstract or generic teaching philosophy - it tests whether you can explain photosynthesis at a middle-school level, interpret a rock cycle diagram, calculate simple physics relationships, and design a safe, standards-aligned inquiry lesson. That specificity is why generic test-prep advice only gets a candidate partway there.
Exam Format and Registration Mechanics
The TExES 116 is a computer-administered test consisting of 100 selected-response questions. Your total appointment window is five hours, but that includes 15 minutes upfront for the tutorial and a compliance agreement, leaving 4 hours 45 minutes of actual testing time. Some questions on the exam may be unscored field-test items, meaning not every question you answer counts toward your final result - though you won't know which ones those are, so every question deserves your full attention.
The exam fee is $116. Testing is offered year-round rather than during a narrow window, which gives candidates flexibility in scheduling around student teaching, coursework, or a full-time job. For a breakdown of how this fee fits into the bigger financial picture - background checks, application fees, and preparation program costs - see TExES 116 Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown. If you're trying to plan exactly when to sit for the test relative to your program's deadlines, TExES 116 Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling covers the scheduling mechanics.
One detail worth knowing before test day: a periodic table is provided on screen. You don't need to memorize element symbols or atomic masses - the exam is testing your ability to reason with chemical information, not recall a chart from memory.
Key Takeaway
Since some questions are unscored but indistinguishable from scored ones, treat every question on the TExES 116 as if it counts - pacing discipline across all 100 items matters more than trying to guess which ones are experimental.
The Five Content Domains
The TExES 116 blueprint is built around five domains, and understanding their relative weight is the single most useful piece of strategic information a candidate can have. Four of the five domains are tied for the largest share of the exam, each worth 22%:
Domain 1: Scientific Inquiry and Processes (22%)
Covers the practices of science itself - designing investigations, interpreting data, understanding measurement and lab safety, and reasoning through the scientific method as it applies to a middle-school classroom.
- Experimental design and variable identification
- Data interpretation from tables, graphs, and charts
- Laboratory and field safety procedures
Domain 2: Physical Science (22%)
Focuses on matter, energy, forces, and motion - the physics and chemistry concepts a 4-8 science teacher is expected to model and explain clearly.
- States and properties of matter, using the on-screen periodic table
- Forces, motion, and simple machines
- Energy transformation and conservation
Domain 3: Life Science (22%)
Addresses living systems from cells to ecosystems, including classification, heredity, and the interdependence of organisms and environments.
- Cell structure and function
- Genetics and inheritance patterns
- Ecosystems, food webs, and human impact
Domain 4: Earth and Space Science (22%)
Covers geology, meteorology, and astronomy content appropriate for middle-grade instruction.
- Rock cycle, plate tectonics, and weathering
- Weather systems and climate patterns
- Solar system structure and celestial motion
The fifth domain rounds out the exam with a different focus entirely:
Domain 5: Science Learning, Instruction and Assessment (13%)
This is the pedagogy domain - how to plan lessons, differentiate instruction, use formative assessment, and align classroom practices with how students actually learn science concepts.
- Lesson planning and inquiry-based instructional models
- Formative and summative assessment strategies
- Differentiation for diverse learners
Because four domains are equally weighted, no single content area can be skipped or under-prepared without real risk to your overall score. For an item-by-item breakdown of what falls under each competency, TExES 116 Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 5 Content Areas goes much deeper than a summary can.
| Domain | Weight | Core Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Inquiry and Processes | 22% | Investigation design, data, safety |
| Physical Science | 22% | Matter, energy, forces |
| Life Science | 22% | Cells, genetics, ecosystems |
| Earth and Space Science | 22% | Geology, weather, astronomy |
| Science Learning, Instruction and Assessment | 13% | Pedagogy and assessment design |
Who Takes This Exam and Why
TExES 116 is taken by candidates pursuing Texas certification to teach science in grades 4-8, typically through an educator preparation program (EPP) - either a university-based teacher education track or an alternative certification program. Testing approval generally comes through that EPP, and candidates on the Texas classroom-teacher pathway must also complete the approved preparation program, pass all required exams, submit an application, and complete fingerprinting as part of the background-check process.
This exam matters to school districts because it's the credentialing checkpoint that confirms a teacher candidate can actually handle middle-grade science content before they're placed in front of a classroom. Districts hiring for science positions at the intermediate and middle-school level use this certification as a baseline qualification. If you're weighing what certification actually opens up on the job market, TExES 116 Jobs looks at hiring patterns, and Is the TExES 116 Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 examines the return on the time and money invested. For a full walkthrough of every eligibility step before you can even schedule the test, see TExES 116 Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
Scoring, Passing, and Retakes
The passing scaled score for TExES 116 is 240. Scaled scores are used specifically so that a passing result means the same thing regardless of which particular set of scored questions appeared on your version of the test. For the 2024-2025 testing year, the statewide best-attempt pass rate was 56% - a number worth sitting with, because it shows this isn't an exam candidates can walk into unprepared and expect to pass on reputation or general classroom experience alone.
If you don't pass on your first try, you must wait 30 days before retesting, and you're limited to a maximum of five attempts total. That cap makes each attempt meaningful - treat every registration as a real opportunity rather than a low-stakes practice run. Our detailed breakdown of what the scaled score actually measures and how it's calculated is in TExES 116 Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass, and if you want the full statistical picture behind that 56% figure, TExES 116 Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows breaks it down further.
Key Takeaway
With only five attempts allowed and a 30-day wait between each, spend real preparation time before your first attempt rather than treating early tries as diagnostic runs.
Candidates often ask how difficult the exam actually feels in practice compared to other certification tests. Because it blends heavy content recall across four science domains with a pedagogy domain that requires applied judgment, the experience is different from a single-subject content test. How Hard Is the TExES 116 Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 unpacks that dynamic in more detail if you want an honest read before you commit to a study plan.
Preparing on a Timeline That Fits the Domains
Because four domains are weighted almost identically, an effective study plan for TExES 116 allocates time proportionally rather than favoring whichever science subject feels most comfortable. A candidate with a biology background, for example, still needs dedicated blocks for Physical Science and Earth and Space Science - skipping ahead based on comfort level is one of the most common reasons scores fall short of 240.
Scientific Inquiry and Physical Science
- Review experimental design vocabulary and safety protocols
- Practice using the on-screen periodic table for stoichiometry and property questions
- Work through force, motion, and energy problem sets
Life Science and Earth and Space Science
- Build a concept map linking cells, genetics, and ecosystems
- Review plate tectonics, weather systems, and solar system mechanics
- Take timed practice sets mixing both domains to simulate exam pacing
Science Learning, Instruction and Assessment
- Study lesson-planning frameworks and formative assessment strategies
- Practice scenario-based questions that ask you to choose the best instructional response
Full Review and Timed Practice
- Complete full-length practice tests under five-hour conditions
- Revisit weak domains identified from practice-test scoring
This kind of structured pacing works far better than open-ended review, because it forces equal attention across the four 22% domains instead of letting study time drift toward whatever's easiest to read about. For a more granular, week-by-week plan built specifically around this exam's content and format, TExES 116 Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt expands on this approach considerably. Running full-length timed sets on our practice test platform is one of the most direct ways to find out which domain actually needs another pass before test day.
After You Pass: Certification and Renewal
Passing the TExES 116 is a required step toward earning a Texas standard classroom-teacher certificate for grades 4-8 science. Once issued, that certificate is valid for five years, after which renewal requires completing 150 continuing professional education (CPE) hours. This renewal cycle is worth planning for early - many teachers spread CPE hours across the full five years rather than scrambling near the deadline.
If you're still mapping out the full certification process - from preparation program enrollment through fingerprinting and final application - TExES 116 Certification and What Is TExES 116 Certification? lay out each stage in sequence. And if formal coursework or a structured prep course is part of your plan, TExES 116 Training covers what those programs typically include.
For a condensed, at-a-glance reference you can review the night before test day, TExES 116 Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts pulls together the key numbers and domain facts in one place. And if salary expectations are part of your decision-making around whether this certification is worth pursuing, TExES 116 Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis addresses that question directly. You can also start practicing with realistic, domain-aligned questions any time at our TExES 116 practice test hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
TExES 116 specifically certifies candidates to teach science to grades 4 through 8 in Texas public schools. It's issued by the Texas Education Agency and is one of several grade-band-specific science certification exams in the TExES system.
The exam has 100 selected-response questions. Your total appointment is five hours, which includes a 15-minute tutorial and compliance agreement plus 4 hours 45 minutes of actual testing time.
You need a scaled score of 240 to pass. The statewide best-attempt pass rate for 2024-2025 was 56%, which reflects how much content preparation the exam genuinely requires.
You're allowed up to five total attempts, with a mandatory 30-day waiting period between each retake.
No. A periodic table is provided on screen during the test, so your preparation should focus on applying chemical concepts rather than memorizing element data.