• 50 questions

TExES Art Teacher Practice Test

Unofficial practice for TExES Art EC–12 (178): studio media, art history by region, criticism and art teaching.

A student paints a still life entirely in shades of gray so that the fruit looks carved from stone. What is a painting executed this way called?

Pick an answer, then press Check answer. Then you see Correct or Not quite, with the reason. Keys: A to D pick, Enter checks.

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Exam mode: 50 questions, 142 minutes.

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Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with the Texas Education Agency or Pearson. Bank checked October 15, 2026.

Next step More studio questions: FTCE Art K–12The other exam art teachers take: TExES PPR EC–12

All 50 questions

Creating works of art 16

  • A figure drawing class begins with a model who changes pose every thirty seconds while students lay in the action and pose with quick, loose lines. What is this warm-up called? Wikipedia, Gesture drawing, lead section. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain I, competency 002
  • A jewelry student solders thin wire onto a copper pendant to make small cells, then fills each cell with colored enamel and fires it. Which technique is this? Wikipedia, Cloisonné, lead section. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain I, competency 005
  • A metals student lays a sheet of copper on a bed of pitch and hammers it from the back so that a leaf design stands up in low relief on the front. Which technique is she using? Wikipedia, Repoussé and chasing, lead section. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain I, competency 005
  • A painting of a calm harbor is built on long horizontal lines of quay, water and horizon. In the Getty's account of the elements of art, what do horizontal lines suggest? J. Paul Getty Museum, Elements of Art: Line. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain I, competency 001
Show all 50 questions (46 more)

Creating works of art, continued

  • A printmaker rocks a toothed steel tool over a whole copper plate until it would print solid black, then burnishes areas smooth to bring out the lights. Which process is this? Tate, Art Terms: Mezzotint. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain I, competency 006
  • A senior fills a whole classroom with hanging thread, lamps and recorded sound, and visitors must walk through it. Which contemporary art form is this? Tate, Art Terms: Installation art. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain I, competency 007
  • A student coats a red clay tile with white slip and, once it stiffens, scratches a drawing through the white so that the red shows. Which technique is this? Wikipedia, Sgraffito, lead section. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain I, competency 004
  • A student designs a school logo that must print sharply on both a business card and a gymnasium banner. Why should she build it as vector graphics and not as a raster image? Wikipedia, Raster graphics, lead section. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain I, competency 007
  • A student paints a still life entirely in shades of gray so that the fruit looks carved from stone. What is a painting executed this way called? Wikipedia, Grisaille, lead section. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain I, competency 003
  • A student rolls ink on a sheet of plexiglass, draws into it and pulls one print. She cannot pull a second identical print. Which form of printmaking is this? Tate, Art Terms: Monoprint. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain I, competency 006
  • A student scratches a design straight into a copper plate with a sharp needle. The printed lines come out soft and velvety. What gives a drypoint line that look? Tate, Art Terms: Drypoint. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain I, competency 006
  • A student working in soft pastel wants to blend a small shadow without using a fingertip. Which drawing tool, a small cylinder of tightly rolled paper, is made for the job? Tate, Art Terms: Pastel. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain I, competency 002
  • An art room's oil painting unit ends with a bin of rags soaked in linseed oil. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, why must the rags go into a covered container that keeps air out? U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Art and Craft Safety Guide (publication 5015): Store flammable materials safely. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain I, competency 003
  • Before a glaze firing a ceramics teacher sets three small cones of different numbers on the kiln shelf beside the pots. What do the cones tell her? Wikipedia, Pyrometric cone, lead section. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain I, competency 004
  • In an altarpiece, one large central figure is flanked by a smaller figure on each side, and a vertical line down the middle would give two mirror-image halves. Which kind of balance is this? J. Paul Getty Museum, Principles of Design: Balance. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain I, competency 001
  • On a sunny day students lay leaves on paper coated with a light-sensitive solution, set it outdoors, then rinse it in water. The paper turns deep blue with white leaf shapes. Which process have they used? Wikipedia, Cyanotype, lead section. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain I, competency 006

Art, culture and history 13

  • A class studies Dada works of 1915 to 1920 that cut and paste news photographs to protest the First World War. Which technique carried that political dissent? Tate, Art Terms: Photomontage. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain II, competency 008
  • A lesson compares a Tibetan sand painting with a rose window. The first is a geometric configuration of symbols used to focus attention and aid meditation. What is it called? Wikipedia, Mandala, lead section. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain II, competency 009
  • A museum label reads "tapa, Tonga". What is tapa made from? Wikipedia, Tapa cloth, General. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain II, competency 011
  • A scroll shows misty peaks and a waterfall brushed in ink, with tiny travelers on a path. The style's Chinese name means "mountain-water". What is it? Wikipedia, Shan shui, lead section. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain II, competency 010
  • A textile from Ghana is made by sewing together narrow hand-woven strips of silk and cotton, and was historically worn like a toga among the Asante, Akan and Ewe. Which cloth is it? Wikipedia, Kente cloth, lead section. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain II, competency 010
  • Around 1900 a group of American painters turned from polite subjects to scenes of daily life in New York, often in its poorer neighborhoods. What is the group called? Wikipedia, Ashcan School, lead section. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain II, competency 013
  • At the Paris autumn salon of 1905 a critic saw fiercely colored canvases by Matisse and Derain and gave the group a name. What does the name mean? Tate, Art Terms: Fauvism. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain II, competency 012
  • During the Great Depression, which New Deal program paid artists to make murals, posters and easel paintings for public buildings? Wikipedia, Federal Art Project, lead section. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain II, competency 008
  • In 1971 and 1972 an art teacher at Papunya, northwest of Alice Springs, encouraged Aboriginal people to put their Dreamings onto canvas. Which painting style emerged from that movement? Wikipedia, Indigenous Australian art, Papunya Tula and dot painting. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain II, competency 011
  • In the twentieth century a potter of San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico, and her husband perfected a ware with matte designs on a polished surface of the same color. Which ware is it? Wikipedia, Maria Martinez, History. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain II, competency 013
  • Monumental cedar poles carved with symbols and figures stand in villages of western Canada and the northwestern United States. To which artistic tradition do they belong? Wikipedia, Totem pole, lead section. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain II, competency 013
  • On an island in eastern Polynesia, people carved monolithic stone figures with very large heads between about 1250 and 1500 and set many of them on platforms around the shore. What are the figures called? Wikipedia, Moai, lead section. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain II, competency 011
  • Thousands of cast metal plaques and sculptures once decorated a royal palace in what is now Edo State, Nigeria. By what name are these works known? Wikipedia, Benin Bronzes, lead section. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain II, competency 010

Aesthetic knowledge and analysis of art 7

  • A painted violin seems to hang from a real nail on a real door, and viewers reach out to touch it. Which French term, meaning "deceives the eye", names this kind of painting? Tate, Art Terms: Trompe l'oeil. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain III, competency 014
  • A teacher wants students to read a political cartoon the way they read a paragraph: to interpret it and make meaning from it. Which ability is she building? Wikipedia, Visual literacy, lead section. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain III, competency 015
  • According to the introduction to the Texas art TEKS, students' personal observations and perceptions are developed through what? 19 TAC §117.302(b)(2), Art, Level I, Legal Information Institute copy. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain III, competency 015
  • Art, Level I students make judgments about the "expressive properties" of artwork. Which examples of expressive properties do the TEKS give? 19 TAC §117.302(c)(1)(D), Art, Level I, Legal Information Institute copy. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain III, competency 016
  • Art, Level I students select and analyze artwork, portfolios and exhibitions to form "precise conclusions". About which four things? 19 TAC §117.302(c)(4)(D), Art, Level I, Legal Information Institute copy. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain III, competency 016
  • The Art, Level I TEKS give an example of a method of critique in four steps. Which order do they give? 19 TAC §117.302(c)(4)(B), Art, Level I, Legal Information Institute copy. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain III, competency 016
  • In a poster, twelve small circles placed close together read as one cluster, apart from a lone circle across the page. Which Gestalt principle of grouping explains this? Wikipedia, Principles of grouping, lead section and Proximity. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain III, competency 014

Art education 14

  • A fourth grade class will assemble cardboard sculptures. Which glue gun does the Consumer Product Safety Commission recommend for children up to 12 years of age? U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Art and Craft Safety Guide (publication 5015): Guidelines for Selecting Art and Craft Materials for Children. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain IV, competency 019
  • A Grade 3 lesson connects art to careers. Which list of careers comes from the examples in the Grade 3 art TEKS? 19 TAC §117.111(b)(3)(C), Art, Grade 3, Legal Information Institute copy. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain IV, competency 022
  • A Grade 5 art teacher plans a critique. According to the Grade 5 art TEKS, which methods may students use to identify themes in collections of artworks? 19 TAC §117.117(b)(4)(B), Art, Grade 5, Legal Information Institute copy. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain IV, competency 018
  • A Grade 5 art teacher reads that students "produce drawings; paintings; prints; sculpture, including modeled forms; and other art forms such as ceramics, fiber art, constructions, digital art and media, and photographic imagery using a variety of materials." Under the TEKS, which of these must be mastered? 19 TAC §117.117(a)(3) and (b)(2)(C), Art, Grade 5, Legal Information Institute copy. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain IV, competency 020
  • A kindergarten art teacher checks which elements of art her students are expected to identify. Which two elements appear in the Grade 3 TEKS list but not in the Kindergarten list? 19 TAC §117.102(b)(1)(B), Art, Kindergarten, Legal Information Institute copy. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain IV, competency 017
  • A kindergarten lesson sends children outdoors to touch bark, smell leaves and listen before they draw. Which Kindergarten art expectation does the lesson address? 19 TAC §117.102(b)(1)(A), Art, Kindergarten, Legal Information Institute copy. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain IV, competency 018
  • A teacher sets a box fan in the middle of a closed art room while students use spray fixative. Why does the Consumer Product Safety Commission say this is not adequate ventilation? U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Art and Craft Safety Guide (publication 5015): Ensure appropriate ventilation. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain IV, competency 019
  • According to the Grade 3 and Grade 5 art TEKS, how should students discuss the elements of art and the principles of design? 19 TAC §117.111(b)(1)(C), Art, Grade 3, Legal Information Institute copy. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain IV, competency 018
  • An art teacher scores a self-portrait with four separate marks: composition, use of value, craftsmanship and effort. Which type of rubric is she using? Wikipedia, Rubric (academic), Types. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain IV, competency 021
  • An Art, Level I student wants to base a painting on a photograph found online, with the photograph's subject as her focal point. Which understanding do the TEKS expect her to apply? 19 TAC §117.302(c)(2)(C), Art, Level I, Legal Information Institute copy. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain IV, competency 022
  • In Art, Level I, students "construct a physical or electronic portfolio by evaluating and analyzing personal original artwork." What purpose do the TEKS give for the portfolio? 19 TAC §117.302(c)(4)(C), Art, Level I, Legal Information Institute copy. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain IV, competency 021
  • Second graders will paint with powdered tempera. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission's rules for children using art materials, who should mix the powder? U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Art and Craft Safety Guide (publication 5015): Safety Rules to Be Followed When Children Are Using Art Materials. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain IV, competency 019
  • The Texas art TEKS are organized in four strands. What do the standards say about the order in which a teacher presents them? 19 TAC §117.302(b)(2), Art, Level I, Legal Information Institute copy. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain IV, competency 017
  • Which Art, Level I expectation asks students to take their work beyond the classroom? 19 TAC §117.302(c)(3)(C), Art, Level I, Legal Information Institute copy. Written to TExES Art EC–12 (178) Domain IV, competency 022

How this list was compiled: Our own questions, written to the exam framework of TExES Art EC–12 (178) in Section 3 of the preparation manual on the Texas Educator Certification Examination Program website, https://www.tx.nesinc.com/Content/StudyGuide/TX_SG_obj_178.htm (copyright Texas Education Agency), read 2026-10-15: 100 selected-response questions in four domains, Creating Works of Art about 32%, Art, Culture and History 27%, Aesthetic Knowledge and Analysis of Art 14%, Art Education 27%. This bank holds 50 in those shares: 16, 13, 7 and 14. Every fact was read on the public page named under its question, each opened 2026-10-15: Tate's Art Terms, the J. Paul Getty Museum's pages on the elements of art and principles of design, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's Art and Craft Safety Guide (publication 5015), the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for art (19 TAC Chapter 117, read in the Legal Information Institute copy) and Wikipedia articles on techniques, works and movements. Licence: Questions, choices and explanations are original work of this site.

How it works

A free TExES art teacher practice test for Art EC–12 (178): 50 questions of our own across the exam's four domains. It is unofficial and not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by the Texas Education Agency or Pearson.

Read the full guide

Four domains, weighted like the exam

Creating Works of Art is about 32% of the exam, Art, Culture and History 27%, Aesthetic Knowledge and Analysis of Art 14%, and Art Education 27%. The 50 questions here split 16, 13, 7 and 14.

100 questions in 4 hours 45 minutes

The real exam asks 100 selected-response questions in 4 hours 45 minutes of testing, inside a 5-hour appointment. The timed round gives these 50 questions 142 minutes, the same pace.

Where the answers were checked

Technique terms come from Tate's Art Terms and the Getty. Studio safety answers quote the Consumer Product Safety Commission's Art and Craft Safety Guide, and teaching answers quote the Texas art standards, 19 TAC Chapter 117.

  • Four of the six competencies in Art, Culture and History each cover a part of the world, and only one of the four is Europe.
  • The Texas art standards keep the same four strands from Kindergarten to Art, Level I, and say they may be taught in any order.

Questions and answers

Where is the TExES EC-12 art study guide?

The Texas Educator Certification Examination Program publishes a free preparation manual for Art EC–12 (178). Section 3 of it lists the four domains and their 22 competencies, and every question on this page names the competency it was written to.

Is the TExES art exam 172 or 178?

178. On October 15, 2026 the program's exam list carried Art EC–12 as exam 178 and no exam numbered 172, so a study guide for the test given today follows the 178 framework.

What is on the TExES Art EC-12 (178) exam?

The elements and principles of art; six families of media, from drawing to electronic art; art history and culture by region; perception, visual literacy and criticism; and art teaching, from curriculum and safety to assessment and careers.

What score do you need to pass the TExES art exam?

240, by the exam's page on the program site. The score is scaled and some questions may not count, so a number right on a practice page cannot be turned into it.

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