- Why TEA Doesn't Publish a Traditional Pass Rate
- What a 240 Passing Score Actually Tells You
- The Five-Attempt Limit and What It Signals About Difficulty
- Where Candidates Actually Lose Points
- How the Exam Format Shapes Outcomes
- The HB 2 Fee Waiver Changes the First-Attempt Calculus
- A Retiring Pathway Adds Time Pressure to Every Attempt
- Building a Timeline That Targets Your Weakest Domain
- Frequently Asked Questions
- TEA does not publish a public pass rate for TExES 164; the real signals are the passing score and attempt rules.
- You need a scaled score of 240 out of a 100-300 range to pass, based on 80 selected-response questions.
- Candidates get five attempts with a mandatory 30-day wait between each; beyond that, a TEA waiver is required.
- HB 2 (signed June 4, 2025) waives the $116 fee and the $78 certification application fee for eligible first-time candidates.
Why TEA Doesn't Publish a Traditional Pass Rate
If you've searched for a headline pass-rate percentage for TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164), you've likely come up empty. That's not an oversight - the Texas Education Agency does not release a standalone, public pass-rate figure for this specific supplemental exam the way some larger certification tests get widely reported. Because 164 is a supplemental credential, not a stand-alone certification, it sits in a smaller reporting category than core content exams, and candidate volume data for it isn't packaged into the kind of press-friendly statistic you'd find for a high-volume exam.
That absence of a published number doesn't mean there's no data to work with. It means the meaningful signals come from the exam's actual structure: the passing score, the scaled range, the attempt limits, and the format itself. Those four elements tell you far more about your realistic odds than a single aggregate percentage ever could, because they describe exactly what you're up against on test day rather than an average across every candidate who ever sat for the exam.
This article works through what that structural data actually shows, without inventing numbers that don't exist for this credential. If you want a broader orientation to the exam before diving into pass-rate mechanics, the overview of what TExES 164 is and the eligibility requirements are good companion reads.
What a 240 Passing Score Actually Tells You
TExES 164 uses a scaled score range of 100 to 300, and the passing score is 240. That's a useful number because it tells you the exam isn't graded on a simple percentage-correct basis - your raw number of correct answers out of 80 selected-response questions gets converted onto that scale, which accounts for slight variations in difficulty between different test forms.
What matters for your preparation is that your score report doesn't just give you a pass/fail flag. It breaks down performance by competency across the exam's single domain, Bilingual Education, which is weighted at 100% and organized around Bilingual Education Standards II through VI. That competency-level breakdown is arguably more valuable than any pass-rate statistic, because it shows you precisely which of the four domains pulled your score down if you fall short. For the exact scoring mechanics and how the 240 threshold is calculated, see the full passing score breakdown.
Key Takeaway
Treat your practice test competency reports the same way you'll treat your official score report: as a domain-by-domain diagnostic, not a single pass/fail number. That habit tells you where to spend your remaining study hours.
The Five-Attempt Limit and What It Signals About Difficulty
One of the clearest pieces of real data about TExES 164 is TEA's attempt policy: candidates are limited to five attempts on a certification exam, with a mandatory 30-day wait between attempts. Beyond five attempts, you need a formal test-limit waiver from TEA to try again.
That policy exists across TEA certification exams generally, but it's worth sitting with what it implies for a supplemental exam like 164. A 30-day gap between attempts is long enough that a failed attempt costs you real calendar time, not just a retake fee. If you're pairing 164 with the BTLPT 190 for a Spanish bilingual certification, a failed attempt on either exam can delay your full certification timeline by a month or more per retake. This is one of the strongest arguments for treating your first attempt as the one that counts, rather than planning around an easy do-over.
For a candid look at how the exam's difficulty compares to other certification tests and what actually trips candidates up, the difficulty guide for TExES 164 goes deeper into this than a pass-rate number alone ever could.
Where Candidates Actually Lose Points
Because Bilingual Education is scored as one domain at 100% weight, every competency contributes to the same total - there's no domain you can afford to treat as optional. The four content areas are:
Domain 1: Foundations of Bilingual Education, Bilingualism and the Learning Environment
This covers the historical, legal, and theoretical foundations of bilingual education models in Texas, along with how to structure a classroom environment that supports biliteracy.
- Program models (dual language, transitional bilingual, etc.) and their goals
Domain 2: First-Language and Second-Language Acquisition and Development
Candidates need a working command of how L1 and L2 develop, including stages of acquisition and factors that accelerate or slow progress in each language.
- Cross-linguistic transfer and common misconceptions about language acquisition
Domain 3: Development and Assessment of L1 Literacy and Biliteracy
This domain focuses on how literacy develops in a student's first language and how that supports biliteracy, plus how to assess literacy growth accurately in both languages.
- Formal and informal biliteracy assessment tools and their appropriate use
Domain 4: Content-Area Instruction in L1 and L2
Here candidates apply bilingual instructional strategies to actual content areas - math, science, social studies - in both the primary and second language.
- Scaffolding content instruction without watering down academic rigor
Because these four domains collapse into a single scored area rather than separately weighted sections, a weakness in any one of them drags on your overall scaled score the same way a weakness in any other would. A full breakdown of testable objectives inside each domain is available in the complete exam domains guide, and a structured walkthrough of preparation strategy by domain is in the TExES 164 study guide.
| Domain | Core Focus | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Domain 1 | Foundations, bilingualism, learning environment | Combined under one domain, weighted 100% |
| Domain 2 | L1/L2 acquisition and development | |
| Domain 3 | L1 literacy development and biliteracy assessment | |
| Domain 4 | Content-area instruction in L1 and L2 |
How the Exam Format Shapes Outcomes
TExES 164 consists of 80 selected-response questions, administered in a 5-hour appointment window at Pearson Evaluation Systems computer-administered testing sites in Texas and nationwide. The appointment may also include unscored field-test items mixed in with scored questions, which means you won't know in the moment which questions count toward your final score.
That format has two practical implications for anyone thinking about their odds of passing. First, 80 questions across 5 hours gives you generous time per question, so time pressure is rarely the reason candidates come up short - content gaps are. Second, because you can't identify field-test items during the exam, the only reliable strategy is to treat every question as if it counts, rather than trying to guess which ones are "real."
Selected-response questions on this exam frequently use classroom scenarios, student work samples, or short case descriptions rather than pure recall questions. That style rewards candidates who can apply bilingual education theory to a specific instructional situation, not just candidates who memorized definitions.
Key Takeaway
Since you can't isolate field-test questions during the exam, don't burn mental energy trying to spot them. Answer every item with full effort and manage your 5-hour window with steady pacing instead.
The HB 2 Fee Waiver Changes the First-Attempt Calculus
A significant and fairly recent development affects how much a failed first attempt actually costs. Under House Bill 2, signed June 4, 2025, the registration fee for a candidate's first attempt at exam 164 is waived for eligible Bilingual Education certification candidates, along with the separate $78 certification application fee. Outside that waiver, the standard exam fee is $116.
This matters for pass-rate discussions because it removes some of the financial disincentive that might otherwise push underprepared candidates to attempt the exam before they're ready "since it's free anyway." The smarter framing: because the waiver only applies to eligible candidates' first attempt, retakes still cost money and still cost the 30-day waiting period. Use the fee waiver to your advantage by treating it as a reason to prepare thoroughly for a single, strong first attempt - not as a low-stakes trial run. A full cost breakdown, including what happens if you don't qualify for the waiver, is covered in the TExES 164 certification cost guide.
A Retiring Pathway Adds Time Pressure to Every Attempt
There's a structural factor unique to right now that any pass-rate discussion for TExES 164 has to account for: this pathway is being retired. The replacement exam, TExES 165 Bilingual Education Spanish Supplemental, launches September 1, 2026. August 31, 2027 is the last day to sit for 164 (paired with the BTLPT 190 for Spanish candidates), and September 1, 2028 is the final date to apply for or be recommended for certification using 164 and 190 scores.
That timeline compresses the margin for retakes. If you're planning to test close to the 2027 cutoff and you use up multiple attempts with 30-day waits between them, you risk running out of testing windows before the pathway closes entirely. Anyone currently weighing whether to pursue 164 now versus waiting for 165 should read the exam dates and testing windows guide to map out a realistic timeline, and the certification overview for how 164 fits into the broader Bilingual Education certification path.
Because this exam is not stand-alone - for Spanish certification it pairs with the BTLPT 190 - your effective "pass rate" as a candidate is really about clearing two separate assessments within a shrinking window. Building slack into your schedule now, rather than after a first attempt falls short, is the single most controllable factor in that equation.
Building a Timeline That Targets Your Weakest Domain
Since all four domains feed into one 100%-weighted score, the most efficient use of a study timeline is to front-load whichever domain diagnostic data shows is weakest, rather than working straight through in numerical order. A domain-aware schedule looks something like this:
Diagnose and Prioritize
- Take a full-length practice test to identify your weakest domain among the four
- Review foundational program models and legal frameworks in Domain 1
Language Acquisition Deep Dive
- Study L1/L2 acquisition stages and cross-linguistic transfer patterns for Domain 2
- Work scenario-based practice items, not just flashcard recall
Literacy and Assessment
- Focus on biliteracy development and assessment tools covered in Domain 3
- Practice interpreting sample student work and assessment data
Content-Area Application and Full Review
- Apply bilingual instructional strategies across subjects for Domain 4
- Retake a full practice exam and review every missed competency
This kind of spaced, domain-targeted review is more useful for TExES 164 than a generic weekly template, because your score report will ultimately break down by these exact four competencies. For a condensed, at-a-glance version of the must-know facts to review in your final days before the exam, keep the TExES 164 cheat sheet on hand, and run timed sets on a full-length TExES 164 practice test platform so your pacing on test day matches your practice pacing exactly.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. TEA does not release a standalone public pass-rate percentage for this supplemental exam. The most reliable data available is the passing score of 240 on a 100-300 scale, the attempt-limit rules, and the exam's format.
TEA allows up to five attempts on a certification exam, with a mandatory 30-day wait between attempts. Beyond five attempts, you need a test-limit waiver from TEA to continue testing.
The standard exam fee is $116. Under House Bill 2, eligible Bilingual Education certification candidates get that fee waived on their first attempt, along with the $78 certification application fee. Retakes are not covered by the waiver.
Yes, if your certification path fits within the window. August 31, 2027 is the last day to test on 164 and the BTLPT 190, and September 1, 2028 is the last day to apply using those scores. Anyone testing near those dates should plan retake time carefully.
Start with a full practice test to see which of the four domains - foundations, language acquisition, biliteracy assessment, or content-area instruction - shows the lowest competency score, and prioritize that one first since all four count equally toward your 100%-weighted total.
Understanding what actually determines whether you pass TExES 164 - the 240 scaled score, the five-attempt limit, the fee mechanics, and the closing testing window - gives you a far more actionable picture than a single statistic ever could. Pair that structural understanding with focused, domain-by-domain preparation and a realistic timeline, and you put yourself in the strongest possible position for a single, successful attempt.