A student was transferred out of a bilingual program last year and now earns a failing grade in science. Under Texas Education Code §29.0561, what must happen?Texas Education Code §29.0561, Evaluation of Transferred Students; Reenrollment. Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 001
A tenth grader enrolls in a Texas public school for the first time. Under 19 TAC §89.1215, who signs the home language survey?19 Texas Administrative Code §89.1215, Home Language Survey (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 001
After a student is classified as emergent bilingual, how soon must the committee give the parent written notice under Texas Education Code §29.056, and in what language?Texas Education Code §29.056, Enrollment of Students in Program. Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 001
Courts weigh three factors when they judge a language program under the Equal Educational Opportunities Act. Two are sound educational theory and effective implementation. What is the third?U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Types of Educational Opportunities Discrimination. Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 001
Show all 44 questions (40 more)
Foundations of bilingual education, continued
In 19 TAC §89.1203, the term "emergent bilingual" replaces which term formerly used in Texas Education Code Chapter 29, Subchapter B?19 Texas Administrative Code §89.1203, Definitions (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 001
In Lau v. Nichols (1974), the Supreme Court found that a school system had failed about 1,800 students of Chinese ancestry who did not speak English. Which law did the Court hold was violated?Lau v. Nichols, 414 U.S. 563 (1974) (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 001
In the transitional bilingual/early exit model, when is a student prepared to move to English instruction with no second language acquisition supports?19 Texas Administrative Code §89.1210, Program Content and Design (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 001
Texas Education Code §29.063 names four members of a language proficiency assessment committee. Besides a bilingual educator, a transitional language educator and a campus administrator, who must serve?Texas Education Code §29.063, Language Proficiency Assessment Committees. Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 001
Under Texas Education Code §29.053, when must a school district offer a bilingual education or special language program?Texas Education Code §29.053, Establishment of Bilingual Education and Special Language Programs. Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 001
What sets the dual language immersion/two-way model apart from the one-way model in 19 TAC §89.1210?19 Texas Administrative Code §89.1210, Program Content and Design (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 001
With district and parent approval, students who do not have limited English proficiency may join a bilingual education program. What cap does Texas Education Code §29.058 set on them?Texas Education Code §29.058, Enrollment of Students Who Do Not Have Limited English Proficiency. Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 001
First- and second-language acquisition 11
A student learns that "Could you open the window?" is a request and not a question about ability. Which area of language studies meaning that depends on the speaker, the addressee and the context?SIL Glossary of Linguistic Terms, What is Pragmatics. Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 002
A student speaks fairly fluently with few errors in social situations, but new contexts and academic language are still a struggle because of gaps in vocabulary. Which stage of second language acquisition is this?Colorín Colorado, Language Acquisition: An Overview. Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 002
About what share of English words have a related word in Spanish, which makes cognates a bridge for Spanish-speaking students?Colorín Colorado, Using Cognates to Develop Comprehension in English. Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 002
According to Colorín Colorado, how long does it generally take a learner with strong first language and literacy skills to reach advanced fluency in a second language?Colorín Colorado, Language Acquisition: An Overview. Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 002
According to Krashen's Monitor hypothesis, what is the one function of consciously learned rules?Stephen D. Krashen, Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition (internet edition), Chapter II. Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 002
The exam framework refers to the proficiency levels of the English Language Proficiency Standards in 19 TAC §74.4. Which list names them?19 Texas Administrative Code §74.4, English Language Proficiency Standards (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 002
In Krashen's acquisition-learning distinction, how is language acquisition described?Stephen D. Krashen, Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition (internet edition), Chapter II. Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 002
Krashen's input hypothesis says a learner moves from stage i to the next stage under which condition?Stephen D. Krashen, Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition (internet edition), Chapter II. Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 002
Which description fits cognitive academic language proficiency (CALP) and not basic interpersonal communication skills (BICS)?Colorín Colorado, What are BICS and CALP?. Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 002
Which term names the smallest unit of contrast in a language's sounds?SIL Glossary of Linguistic Terms, What is a Phoneme. Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 002
Why do many Spanish speakers find it hard to hear the difference between the English words "seat" and "sit"?Colorín Colorado, Capitalizing on Similarities and Differences between Spanish and English. Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 002
Literacy in L1 and biliteracy 11
A district offers a bilingual program in the elementary grades. Besides the English test, what must it give a student who is eligible for the program, under 19 TAC §89.1226(d)?19 Texas Administrative Code §89.1226, Testing and Classification of Students (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 003
A kindergartner's home language survey lists a language other than English. Which parts of the English language proficiency test for identification are given under 19 TAC §89.1226?19 Texas Administrative Code §89.1226, Testing and Classification of Students (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 003
A Spanish reader is unsure how to pronounce "quiet" and "quick". Which feature of Spanish spelling explains this?Colorín Colorado, Capitalizing on Similarities and Differences between Spanish and English. Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 003
A student writes dialogue in English with dashes in place of quotation marks. Which convention of Spanish writing is being transferred?Colorín Colorado, Capitalizing on Similarities and Differences between Spanish and English. Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 003
A teacher warns students that "embarrassed" and "embarazada" look alike but do not mean the same thing. What are such word pairs called?Colorín Colorado, Using Cognates to Develop Comprehension in English. Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 003
How much of the instruction in a Texas dual language immersion program is delivered in the partner language?19 Texas Administrative Code §89.1210, Program Content and Design (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 003
In two-way immersion, as the Center for Applied Linguistics describes it, what role do the two groups of students play?Center for Applied Linguistics, Two-Way Immersion. Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 003
In which language may a student in a bilingual program model show mastery of the essential knowledge and skills of a content area, under 19 TAC §89.1210?19 Texas Administrative Code §89.1210, Program Content and Design (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 003
Under 19 TAC §89.1201, the academic goals of bilingual program models include mastery of grade level reading and language arts in which language?19 Texas Administrative Code §89.1201, Policy (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 003
What is the stated goal of dual language immersion in 19 TAC §89.1210?19 Texas Administrative Code §89.1210, Program Content and Design (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 003
Why does literacy in Spanish help a student learn to read in English, according to Colorín Colorado?Colorín Colorado, Capitalizing on Similarities and Differences between Spanish and English. Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 003
Content-area instruction in L1 and L2 11
A science teacher writes "Students will explain the water cycle using sequence words" beside the content objective. What kind of objective is this?Colorín Colorado, Language Objectives: The Key to Effective Content Area Instruction for English Learners. Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 004
According to the English Language Proficiency Standards, effective second language instruction lets students listen, speak, read and write at their current level while doing what?19 Texas Administrative Code §74.4, English Language Proficiency Standards (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 004
The English Language Proficiency Standards require content instruction to be "linguistically accommodated". Which three words does the rule put in parentheses to explain the phrase?19 Texas Administrative Code §74.4, English Language Proficiency Standards (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 004
The first learning strategy listed in the English Language Proficiency Standards of 19 TAC §74.4 expects a student to use what in order to understand meanings in English?19 Texas Administrative Code §74.4, English Language Proficiency Standards (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 004
How does 19 TAC §74.4 say school districts are to implement the English Language Proficiency Standards?19 Texas Administrative Code §74.4, English Language Proficiency Standards (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 004
How does 19 TAC §89.1203 define content-based language instruction?19 Texas Administrative Code §89.1203, Definitions (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 004
In the ESL/pull-out program model of 19 TAC §89.1210, in which subject does the certified ESL teacher provide instruction?19 Texas Administrative Code §89.1210, Program Content and Design (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 004
To meet students' affective needs, 19 TAC §89.1210 says program instruction should instill confidence, self-assurance and what else?19 Texas Administrative Code §89.1210, Program Content and Design (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 004
To meet students' cognitive needs, in which subjects must a Texas bilingual program provide instruction in both the home or partner language and English?19 Texas Administrative Code §89.1210, Program Content and Design (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 004
Under Texas Education Code §29.055, how do emergent bilingual students take subjects such as art, music and physical education?Texas Education Code §29.055, Program Content; Method of Instruction. Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 004
Which description of academic language matches Colorín Colorado?Colorín Colorado, Academic Language and ELLs: What Teachers Need to Know. Written to TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) Domain I, competency 004
How this list was compiled: Our own questions, written to the exam framework of TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) 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_164.htm (copyright Texas Education Agency), read 2026-10-08: 80 selected-response questions in a single domain, Bilingual Education, with four competencies and no weights published for them. This bank holds 44: eleven for each competency. Every fact was read on the public page named under its question (19 pages, each opened 2026-10-08): Texas Education Code Chapter 29, Subchapter B; 19 Texas Administrative Code Chapter 89, Subchapter BB, and §74.4; Lau v. Nichols; the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice; Colorín Colorado; the SIL Glossary of Linguistic Terms; the Center for Applied Linguistics; and Stephen Krashen's Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition on the author's site. Licence: Questions, choices and explanations are original work of this site.
How it works
This free TExES Bilingual Supplemental practice test covers exam 164 with 44 questions written for this site, eleven on each competency. It is unofficial and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by the Texas Education Agency or Pearson.
Read the full guide
One domain, four competencies
The whole exam is a single domain, Bilingual Education. Its competencies are the foundations of bilingual education, first- and second-language acquisition, literacy in the first language and biliteracy, and content-area instruction in both languages. The framework gives no weights for them.
Length and time
Candidates answer 80 selected-response questions and have 4 hours 45 minutes of testing time inside a 5-hour appointment. Exam mode sets 157 minutes for the 44 questions.
Texas rules as they read now
Law questions quote Education Code Chapter 29, Subchapter B, and 19 TAC Chapter 89, Subchapter BB, which today say emergent bilingual student. Theory questions rest on Colorín Colorado, the SIL glossary and Krashen's own book.
The framework's four proficiency levels come from 19 TAC §74.4. The revised standards in §120.20, in use from 2026-2027, name five.
Questions and answers
Is there a TExES Bilingual Supplemental 164 study guide?
The preparation manual on the exam program's site is free, and its Section 3 prints the four competencies in full. The statutes and rules quoted here are public as well, and each question links to the section it used.
Is this TExES Bilingual Education Supplemental (164) online practice test free?
Yes. All 44 questions are free and need no account. They are written in English, and a few use Spanish words as examples, such as a false cognate or the spelling of que and qui.
What score do you need on TExES 164?
The exam's page gives 240 as the passing score. Because scores are scaled, this page shows a count of right answers and no pass or fail.
Does this practice test use real TExES 164 questions?
No. All of them were written for this site, each from one competency and one public source. The real exam and the sample questions in the preparation manual were not used or reworded.