- What TExES 164 Certification Actually Certifies
- Who Governs and Administers the Exam
- Exam Format: 80 Questions, One Domain
- The Four Competency Areas You Must Master
- Fees, Registration, and the HB 2 Waiver
- Passing Score and Attempt Limits
- Eligibility Pathways
- Why It's Paired With BTLPT 190
- The Retirement Timeline You Can't Ignore
- Who Hires TExES 164-Certified Teachers
- Building a Study Plan Around the Domains
- Frequently Asked Questions
- TExES 164 has 80 selected-response questions with 5 hours of appointment time.
- Under House Bill 2, eligible first-time candidates get the $116 exam fee and $78 certification application fee waived.
- Passing requires a scaled score of 240 out of a 100-300 range.
- The exam is one domain, Bilingual Education, split into four competencies covering Standards II-VI.
What TExES 164 Certification Actually Certifies
The TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) is the exam Texas uses to verify that a certified classroom teacher has the pedagogical knowledge to deliver instruction in a bilingual education setting. It is not a general content exam and it is not a language proficiency test on its own - it measures whether a candidate understands how bilingualism develops, how to teach literacy in two languages, and how to deliver content-area instruction across L1 and L2. Because it is a supplemental certificate, it attaches to an existing or simultaneously pursued classroom teaching certificate rather than standing alone as a credential.
If you're still trying to nail down exactly what this designation means for your certification file, the breakdown in What Is TExES 164? covers the basics in plain language, and TExES 164 Meaning untangles how this specific exam number fits inside Texas's broader certification system.
Who Governs and Administers the Exam
TExES 164 is governed by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and the State Board for Educator Certification, and it is administered by Pearson Evaluation Systems. Candidates sit for it at computer-administered testing sites throughout Texas and at Pearson VUE sites nationwide, which matters if you're finishing an out-of-state program or relocating mid-certification.
Exam Format: 80 Questions, One Domain
TExES 164 consists of 80 selected-response questions delivered within a 5-hour appointment window. Some administrations may include unscored field-test items mixed in with the scored questions, which is standard practice across TExES exams and not something candidates can identify during the test.
Structurally, the official framework treats Bilingual Education as a single domain weighted at 100% of the exam, built around Bilingual Education Standards II-VI. That domain is then subdivided into four competency areas, and your score report breaks out performance by each of those competencies in addition to your total score. For test-day planning purposes, most candidates and prep resources refer to these four competency areas as the exam's "domains" - a naming convention this article follows for clarity.
Key Takeaway
Because the exam is scored as one domain with competency-level feedback, you can't "skip" a weak competency the way you might deprioritize a low-weight domain on other TExES exams - every competency contributes to the same overall score.
The Four Competency Areas You Must Master
Understanding what each area actually tests - not just its title - is the difference between recognizing a question pattern and guessing. A full breakdown of subskills and sample question logic lives in TExES 164 Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 4 Content Areas, but here's the working framework.
Domain 1: Foundations of Bilingual Education, Bilingualism and the Learning Environment
Covers program models, legal foundations, and the social-emotional and cultural dynamics of bilingual classrooms.
- Distinguishing program models (transitional, dual language, maintenance) and their goals
- Creating a classroom environment that affirms students' home languages and cultures
- Understanding the legal and policy framework behind bilingual education in Texas
Domain 2: First-Language and Second-Language Acquisition and Development
Tests theoretical models of how students acquire and develop proficiency in two languages simultaneously or sequentially.
- Stages of second-language acquisition and observable student behaviors at each stage
- Cross-linguistic transfer between L1 and L2
- Factors influencing acquisition: age, motivation, input, and social context
Domain 3: Development and Assessment of L1 Literacy and Biliteracy
Focuses on building foundational literacy in the primary language and transferring those skills into biliteracy.
- Sequencing literacy instruction so L1 skills scaffold L2 reading and writing
- Selecting formal and informal assessments appropriate for emergent bilinguals
- Interpreting assessment data to differentiate literacy instruction
Domain 4: Content-Area Instruction in L1 and L2
Evaluates a candidate's ability to deliver math, science, and social studies instruction that is comprehensible and rigorous in both languages.
- Applying sheltered instruction strategies within a bilingual framework
- Building academic language alongside content mastery
- Planning cross-linguistic connections between content vocabulary in L1 and L2
Fees, Registration, and the HB 2 Waiver
The standard exam fee for TExES 164 is $116. That changed materially under House Bill 2, signed June 4, 2025: eligible Bilingual Education certification candidates now have their registration fee waived for their first attempt at exam 164, and the separate $78 certification application fee is waived as well. This is a meaningful reduction in out-of-pocket cost for first-time test-takers who qualify.
Because eligibility rules and what counts as a "first attempt" can trip candidates up, it's worth reading the full fee mechanics in TExES 164 Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown before you register, so you don't accidentally forfeit a waiver by registering incorrectly.
Passing Score and Attempt Limits
TExES 164 uses a scaled score range of 100-300, and the passing score is 240. Your score report shows your total scaled score alongside a performance breakdown for each of the four competency areas, so you can see exactly where you lost points even if you passed overall.
TEA limits candidates to five attempts on a certification exam, with a mandatory 30-day wait between attempts. If you exhaust those five attempts without passing, you need a test-limit waiver from TEA before you can register again. For a full explanation of how the scaled score is calculated and what a "borderline" score report actually tells you, see TExES 164 Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
Eligibility Pathways
Not every candidate reaches TExES 164 the same way. TEA recognizes several routes:
- Approval through an educator preparation program (EPP) as part of standard certification progress
- An out-of-state pathway for candidates certified elsewhere who need the Texas bilingual supplemental
- A charter school pathway for candidates employed in eligible charter settings
- Certification-by-exam routes for candidates who qualify without a traditional EPP
Each pathway has its own documentation requirements before Pearson will open your testing window. The complete eligibility checklist, including what counts as sufficient coursework or classroom experience for each route, is laid out in TExES 164 Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
Why It's Paired With BTLPT 190
TExES 164 is explicitly a supplemental certification exam - it does not stand alone. For candidates pursuing the Spanish bilingual supplemental, TEA requires it to be paired with the Bilingual Target Language Proficiency Test (BTLPT 190), which measures Spanish-language proficiency itself. TExES 164 tests pedagogical and theoretical knowledge; BTLPT 190 tests whether you can actually function at the required proficiency level in the target language. You need both to be recommended for the bilingual supplemental certificate.
Key Takeaway
Passing 164 alone does not complete your bilingual certification. Confirm your BTLPT 190 status and requirements alongside your 164 prep, not after it.
The Retirement Timeline You Can't Ignore
TEA is phasing out this exam pathway in favor of a redesigned credential. The replacement, TExES 165 Bilingual Education Spanish Supplemental, launches September 1, 2026. That does not mean 164 disappears immediately, but the runway is short and the dates are firm.
| Date | What Happens |
|---|---|
| September 1, 2026 | TExES 165 Bilingual Education Spanish Supplemental launches as the replacement pathway |
| August 31, 2027 | Last day candidates can take TExES 164 and BTLPT 190 |
| September 1, 2028 | Last day to apply for or be recommended for certification using 164 and 190 scores |
If you're currently enrolled in a program or already have exam approval, this timeline affects how much scheduling flexibility you actually have. The full breakdown of testing windows, blackout considerations, and how to sequence your attempts before the cutoff is in TExES 164 Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling. Waiting too long to schedule your first attempt shrinks your margin for retakes if you need one, given the 30-day gap TEA requires between attempts.
Who Hires TExES 164-Certified Teachers
Texas school districts running dual-language, transitional bilingual, or maintenance bilingual programs at the elementary and, in some cases, middle school level are the primary employers seeking this supplemental certification. Demand tends to concentrate in districts with large emergent bilingual populations, where state and federal program requirements make bilingually certified teachers a staffing necessity rather than a preference. Charter networks operating bilingual programs also actively recruit candidates who hold or are actively pursuing the 164/190 combination.
For a closer look at the kinds of roles, campus types, and program models that specifically require this credential, TExES 164 Jobs maps out where the certification opens doors. If you're weighing whether pursuing it is worth the time and testing costs given your career goals, Is the TExES 164 Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 walks through that decision in more depth, and TExES 164 Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis looks at how bilingual certification tends to factor into compensation conversations.
Building a Study Plan Around the Domains
Because TExES 164 reports performance by competency, the smartest prep sequence works competency by competency rather than cramming everything at once. Start with whichever domain feels most abstract to you - for most candidates that's Domain 2 (acquisition theory), since it's dense with named models and stages that are easy to mix up under time pressure.
Domain 1 & Domain 2 Foundations
- Map out program models and where each legal framework applies
- Build a reference sheet of acquisition stages and transfer concepts
Domain 3 Literacy and Assessment
- Practice matching assessment types to literacy development stages
- Review how L1 literacy skills scaffold into L2 reading
Domain 4 Content-Area Application
- Work through sheltered-instruction scenario questions
- Practice academic-language-building strategies across subjects
Full-Length Practice and Review
- Take timed practice sets under 5-hour appointment conditions
- Revisit weakest competency using your prior score-report patterns
For a more detailed week-by-week strategy tied to specific competency subskills and realistic question patterns, see TExES 164 Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt. And if you're still calibrating how much preparation you actually need, How Hard Is the TExES 164 Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 and TExES 164 Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows both help set realistic expectations before you commit to a timeline.
Once you've built your competency map, running full-length timed sets through our TExES 164 practice test platform is the fastest way to see whether your competency-level understanding actually holds up under exam conditions. A quick reference tool like TExES 164 Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts is also useful in the final week to reinforce terminology across all four competencies at once.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. It's a supplemental certification exam that attaches to a base teaching certificate. For the Spanish bilingual supplemental, it must be paired with BTLPT 190.
The standard fee is $116, but under House Bill 2, eligible first-time candidates can have that fee and the $78 certification application fee waived.
You need a scaled score of 240 out of a 100-300 range. Your report also shows performance broken out by each of the four competency areas.
TEA allows five attempts with a required 30-day wait between attempts. Beyond five attempts, you need a test-limit waiver from TEA.
TEA is replacing it with TExES 165, launching September 1, 2026. Candidates can still take 164 and BTLPT 190 through August 31, 2027, with a final application deadline of September 1, 2028.
Whichever stage of the process you're at, start with a clear picture of the four competency areas and the fee mechanics above, then move into structured practice through our practice test platform to convert that knowledge into a passing score before the retirement deadlines close in.