- TExES 164 is a supplemental certificate covering one domain, Bilingual Education, tested across four competencies.
- The exam has 80 selected-response questions and a 5-hour appointment window, with a 240/300 passing score.
- House Bill 2 (signed June 4, 2025) waives the $116 exam fee and $78 certification application fee for eligible first-attempt candidates.
- For Spanish bilingual certification, 164 must be paired with the BTLPT 190 - it is never stand-alone.
What Is TExES 164 Certification?
TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) is a Texas educator certification exam governed by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and the State Board for Educator Certification. It is administered by Pearson Evaluation Systems at computer-based testing centers throughout Texas and at select sites nationwide. Unlike a general classroom certificate, TExES 164 is a supplemental credential - it adds a bilingual education endorsement onto an existing or in-progress base certification, rather than standing on its own.
If you're just starting to research this credential, our companion pieces on What Is TExES 164? and TExES 164 Meaning walk through the naming and scope in more depth. This article focuses specifically on what the certification covers, how the exam is built, and what it takes to qualify.
Who Needs This Certification
Candidates pursuing TExES 164 are typically enrolled in an educator preparation program (EPP) that has approved them to test, or they qualify through an out-of-state credential, a charter school route, or certification-by-exam. This exam exists because Texas requires teachers assigned to bilingual education classrooms - generally early childhood through elementary grades, depending on program design - to demonstrate specific knowledge of bilingual pedagogy, language acquisition theory, and biliteracy development beyond what a general classroom certificate covers.
School districts hire bilingual-certified teachers for dual-language programs, transitional bilingual education classrooms, and content-area instruction delivered in a student's first language while English is developed. If you're weighing whether this credential fits your career goals, see TExES 164 Jobs for a look at the roles this certification opens up, and Is the TExES 164 Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 for a broader cost-benefit view.
Exam Structure and Format
TExES 164 is built around a single official domain - Bilingual Education - weighted at 100% of the exam. That domain draws from Bilingual Education Standards II through VI and is broken into four testable competencies (detailed below). Because there is only one domain, every question on the exam ultimately traces back to bilingual pedagogy, language development, or biliteracy - there is no separate "general education" section to prepare for.
- Format: 80 selected-response (multiple-choice) questions
- Appointment time: 5 hours, which may include unscored field-test items mixed in with scored questions
- Passing score: 240 on a 100-300 scaled range
- Score report: shows total performance plus a breakdown by competency, so you can see exactly where points were lost
Because the appointment window is long relative to the question count, pacing is rarely the biggest challenge - depth of content knowledge is. For a full breakdown of what a passing scaled score actually requires, read TExES 164 Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
Key Takeaway
With one domain and four competencies feeding 80 questions, there's no "easy" section to skip - every competency deserves dedicated review time, not just the ones that feel familiar from coursework.
The Four Domains Explained
TEA's framework subdivides the single Bilingual Education domain into four competency areas. Score reports break performance down by these same four areas, so understanding each one's scope is essential to a targeted study plan.
Domain 1: Foundations of Bilingual Education, Bilingualism and the Learning Environment
Covers the historical, legal, and theoretical foundations of bilingual education in Texas, program models, and how to structure an environment that supports additive bilingualism.
- Program models (dual language, transitional bilingual, developmental)
- Legal and policy foundations specific to Texas bilingual education
- Creating a linguistically and culturally supportive classroom
Domain 2: First-Language and Second-Language Acquisition and Development
Focuses on how children acquire and develop L1 and L2, including stages of acquisition, cross-linguistic transfer, and factors that influence the pace and success of bilingual development.
- Stages and theories of first- and second-language acquisition
- Sociocultural and cognitive factors affecting bilingual learners
- Cross-linguistic transfer between L1 and L2
Domain 3: Development and Assessment of L1 Literacy and Biliteracy
Tests knowledge of how literacy develops in a student's first language and how that foundation supports biliteracy, plus how to assess literacy growth in both languages.
- Emergent literacy and biliteracy development
- Formal and informal assessment strategies in L1 and L2
- Using assessment data to guide biliteracy instruction
Domain 4: Content-Area Instruction in L1 and L2
Covers instructional strategies for teaching core content - math, science, social studies - through both a student's first language and their developing second language.
- Instructional strategies for content delivery in L1 and L2
- Scaffolding academic language across content areas
- Transitioning content instruction as English proficiency develops
For a competency-by-competency study breakdown with sample question styles, see TExES 164 Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 4 Content Areas. And if you're trying to gauge realistically how much preparation this exam demands, How Hard Is the TExES 164 Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 breaks down the difficulty factors domain by domain.
Registration, Fees, and House Bill 2
The standard exam fee for TExES 164 is $116. However, under House Bill 2, signed into law on June 4, 2025, eligible Bilingual Education certification candidates now have their first-attempt registration fee waived, along with the separate $78 certification application fee. This is a significant financial change for candidates entering the bilingual pathway, and it's worth confirming your eligibility before you register.
| Item | Standard Cost | Under HB2 (First Attempt, Eligible Candidates) |
|---|---|---|
| Exam 164 registration fee | $116 | Waived |
| Certification application fee | $78 | Waived |
Beyond the fee structure, TEA caps candidates at five attempts on a certification exam, with a mandatory 30-day wait between attempts. Anyone who reaches the five-attempt limit must obtain a test-limit waiver from TEA to test again. For a full accounting of every cost involved - including retesting, application fees, and prep materials - see TExES 164 Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown, and check TExES 164 Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify to confirm you meet the EPP-approval or alternative eligibility pathway before scheduling.
Why This Pathway Is Being Retired
TEA is phasing out the 164/190 pairing in favor of a new, unified assessment. The replacement, TExES 165 Bilingual Education Spanish Supplemental, launches September 1, 2026. This does not mean TExES 164 disappears overnight - there is a defined transition window:
- August 31, 2027 is the last day candidates can sit for either the 164 or the 190.
- September 1, 2028 is the last day EPPs or candidates can apply for certification or have TEA recommend certification using 164 and 190 scores.
If you're currently in a preparation program or planning your testing timeline, this retirement schedule should directly shape when you register. Waiting too long risks running out of eligible testing windows or recommendation deadlines. Our practice platform at the TExES 164 practice test hub is built around the current 164 framework, so if you're targeting a test date before the 2027 cutoff, that's the right place to start building familiarity with question style.
Key Takeaway
If your EPP or certification plan places your test date near or after 2027, confirm with your program advisor whether you should target 164 now or wait for TExES 165 - don't assume the older exam will remain available indefinitely.
How to Prepare Strategically
Because TExES 164 concentrates its entire question bank into four competencies under one domain, the most efficient study approach is to map your available prep weeks directly onto those four areas rather than following a generic study calendar. Spend early weeks on the domains that are conceptually newest to you - for many candidates that's the acquisition-theory content in Domain 2 or the assessment mechanics in Domain 3 - then reserve final review time for practicing full-length question sets that mix all four domains together, since that's how the actual 80-question exam is structured.
Foundations and Acquisition Theory
- Review program models and legal foundations (Domain 1)
- Study stages of L1/L2 acquisition and cross-linguistic transfer (Domain 2)
Literacy, Biliteracy, and Content Instruction
- Work through biliteracy assessment strategies (Domain 3)
- Practice content-area scaffolding scenarios in L1 and L2 (Domain 4)
Mixed Practice and Weak-Spot Review
- Take full-length practice sets spanning all four competencies
- Revisit competency-level score breakdowns to target remaining gaps
For a detailed week-by-week plan with specific readings and practice targets, see TExES 164 Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt. And when you're ready for a fast final review the night before your appointment, TExES 164 Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts condenses the must-know terms and frameworks onto a single page.
Regardless of which week you're in, running timed practice sets on our TExES 164 practice test platform is the most reliable way to see how your competency-level understanding translates into actual scaled-score performance before test day.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. It's a supplemental certificate. For Spanish bilingual certification, it must be paired with the BTLPT 190; it adds a bilingual endorsement to an existing certification pathway rather than certifying you independently.
The exam consists of 80 selected-response questions, and candidates are given a 5-hour appointment window, which may include unscored field-test questions mixed in with scored items.
The standard fee is $116, but under House Bill 2 (signed June 4, 2025), eligible Bilingual Education candidates have their first-attempt registration fee and the $78 certification application fee waived.
You need a scaled score of 240 out of a possible 100-300 range. Score reports also show performance broken down by each of the four competencies.
Yes, on a fixed schedule. TExES 165 launches September 1, 2026, as the replacement. August 31, 2027 is the last day to test on 164 or 190, and September 1, 2028 is the last day to apply for or receive certification using those scores.