A reading test gives a student very different scores on two days of the same week, although nothing about the student has changed. Which quality does the test lack?Wikipedia, "Reliability (statistics)". Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain I, competency 001
A sixth grader meets the word "manuscript" and works toward its meaning from the roots man and script. Which independent word-learning strategy from competency 004 is this?English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) preparation manual, Section 3, Domains and Competencies (Texas Educator Certification Examination Program). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain I, competency 004
A teacher reads a sentence aloud with expression and the students at once read the same sentence back the same way. Which practice named in competency 003 is this?English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) preparation manual, Section 3, Domains and Competencies (Texas Educator Certification Examination Program). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain I, competency 003
Show all 60 questions (57 more)
Foundations of reading, continued
According to competency 001, how does an English learner's level of English language proficiency relate to the student's grade level?English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) preparation manual, Section 3, Domains and Competencies (Texas Educator Certification Examination Program). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain I, competency 001
According to competency 002, how should phonics instruction be sequenced?English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) preparation manual, Section 3, Domains and Competencies (Texas Educator Certification Examination Program). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain I, competency 002
An eighth grader reads every word of a paragraph correctly, but so slowly and with such effort that she cannot say what it meant. Which link named in competency 002 does this show?English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) preparation manual, Section 3, Domains and Competencies (Texas Educator Certification Examination Program). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain I, competency 002
Competency 001 lists five parts of research-based reading instruction. Four are phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency and vocabulary. What is the fifth?English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) preparation manual, Section 3, Domains and Competencies (Texas Educator Certification Examination Program). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain I, competency 001
The grade 4 TEKS list six syllable types for decoding multisyllabic words: closed, open, VCe, vowel teams, r-controlled and which other?19 Texas Administrative Code §110.6, English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 4, Adopted 2017 (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain I, competency 003
The grade 5 TEKS expect students to decode words with consonant changes. Which pair is their example of /t/ changing to /sh/?19 Texas Administrative Code §110.7, English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 5, Adopted 2017 (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain I, competency 003
"I used to be a banker, but I lost interest" plays on two meanings of one word. Which term from the grade 5 vocabulary standard names this?19 Texas Administrative Code §110.7, English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 5, Adopted 2017 (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain I, competency 004
In the first week of school a teacher gives every student a brief reading measure before any teaching begins. Which type of assessment in competency 001 is this?English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) preparation manual, Section 3, Domains and Competencies (Texas Educator Certification Examination Program). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain I, competency 001
In the three tiers of vocabulary that competency 004 describes, which tier holds general academic words?English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) preparation manual, Section 3, Domains and Competencies (Texas Educator Certification Examination Program). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain I, competency 004
The introduction to the ELAR TEKS calls two skills reciprocal and says one is internalized when tactile and kinesthetic chances for the other are provided. Which two?19 Texas Administrative Code §110.6, English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 4, Adopted 2017 (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain I, competency 002
Under Texas Education Code §38.003, in which grades are students universally screened for dyslexia and related disorders?Texas Education Code §38.003. Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain I, competency 001
"Unlike her talkative brother, Mia was reticent." Which kind of context clue, named in the grade 7 TEKS, helps a reader with the word "reticent"?19 Texas Administrative Code §110.23, English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 7, Adopted 2017 (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain I, competency 004
Which of these is a basic component of a tiered instructional model such as Response to Intervention, as competency 001 describes it?English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) preparation manual, Section 3, Domains and Competencies (Texas Educator Certification Examination Program). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain I, competency 001
Which of these is an inflectional ending, in the list competency 003 gives?English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) preparation manual, Section 3, Domains and Competencies (Texas Educator Certification Examination Program). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain I, competency 003
Which pair is a set of homophones, like the grade 4 TEKS example reign and rain?19 Texas Administrative Code §110.6, English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 4, Adopted 2017 (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain I, competency 004
Which three indicators of fluency do both the grade 4 TEKS and competency 003 name?19 Texas Administrative Code §110.6, English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 4, Adopted 2017 (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain I, competency 003
With no print in front of her, a student hears the word "moth" and says /m/, /o/, /th/. Which skill is this?Wikipedia, "Phonemic awareness". Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain I, competency 002
Text comprehension and analysis 15
A class is about to read an article on honeybees. What do students write in the first column of a KWL chart?Wikipedia, "KWL table". Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain II, competency 005
A narrator outside the story reports the thoughts and feelings of every character. Which point of view, named in the grade 6 TEKS, is this?19 Texas Administrative Code §110.22, English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 6, Adopted 2017 (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain II, competency 006
A novel opens with a mountain rescue, then moves back three days to show how the hikers became lost. Which non-linear plot element, named in the grade 6 TEKS, is this?19 Texas Administrative Code §110.22, English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 6, Adopted 2017 (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain II, competency 006
A speech asks, "Who among us wants dirtier rivers?" and expects no reply. Which rhetorical device, named in the grade 7 TEKS, is this?19 Texas Administrative Code §110.23, English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 7, Adopted 2017 (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain II, competency 007
A student's editorial says, "Three out of four of us have signed the petition for a longer lunch, so the idea must be right." Which logical fallacy, named in the grade 8 TEKS, is this?19 Texas Administrative Code §110.24, English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 8, Adopted 2017 (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain II, competency 007
According to the introduction to the ELAR TEKS, which of these makes a text more complex?19 Texas Administrative Code §110.6, English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 4, Adopted 2017 (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain II, competency 005
After a story, a teacher asks, "Why do you think Mara hid the letter? Use clues from the text." The story never states the reason. Which level of comprehension named in competency 005 does the question target?English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) preparation manual, Section 3, Domains and Competencies (Texas Educator Certification Examination Program). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain II, competency 005
An article explains why a coral reef is dying and what then happens to the fish that live there. Which text structure listed in competency 007 organizes it?English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) preparation manual, Section 3, Domains and Competencies (Texas Educator Certification Examination Program). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain II, competency 007
The grade 4 TEKS ask students to recognize argumentative text by identifying the claim, explaining how the author used facts, and identifying what else?19 Texas Administrative Code §110.6, English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 4, Adopted 2017 (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain II, competency 007
The grade 4 TEKS list four plot elements for students to analyze: rising action, climax, falling action and which other?19 Texas Administrative Code §110.6, English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 4, Adopted 2017 (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain II, competency 006
In a script, the bracketed line "[She crosses to the window]" tells the actor what to do. Which element of drama structure in the grade 4 TEKS is this?19 Texas Administrative Code §110.6, English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 4, Adopted 2017 (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain II, competency 006
Two pages into a chapter, a reader finds he can no longer tell who is speaking, so he turns back and reads the scene again. Which comprehension skill in the TEKS is he using?19 Texas Administrative Code §110.6, English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 4, Adopted 2017 (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain II, competency 005
Where the grade 4 TEKS say "central idea", which term do the grade 6 TEKS use for the main point of an informational text?19 Texas Administrative Code §110.22, English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 6, Adopted 2017 (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain II, competency 007
Which instructional method builds comprehension through a collaborative dialogue in which students practice questioning, clarifying, summarizing and predicting?Wikipedia, "Reciprocal teaching". Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain II, competency 005
"The wind whispered through the pines" gives a human action to something that is not human. Which kind of figurative language, named in the grade 4 TEKS, is this?19 Texas Administrative Code §110.6, English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 4, Adopted 2017 (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain II, competency 006
Oral and written communication 15
A student restates a paragraph from a website in his own words and names the website as his source. What has he done?19 Texas Administrative Code §110.6, English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 4, Adopted 2017 (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain III, competency 009
A student writes without stopping for five minutes, ignoring spelling and grammar, to find ideas for a first draft. Which planning strategy from the grade 4 TEKS is this?19 Texas Administrative Code §110.6, English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 4, Adopted 2017 (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain III, competency 008
A website about an energy drink lists its benefits and leaves out every health warning. Which problem, named in the grade 8 research standard, should a student notice?19 Texas Administrative Code §110.24, English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 8, Adopted 2017 (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain III, competency 009
According to the grade 6 TEKS, what guides a student in refining the major research question?19 Texas Administrative Code §110.22, English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 6, Adopted 2017 (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain III, competency 009
Between drafts, a student deletes a paragraph that wanders off topic and reorders two others so the argument builds. Which step of the writing process in the grade 4 TEKS is this?19 Texas Administrative Code §110.6, English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 4, Adopted 2017 (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain III, competency 008
During a classmate's talk a student takes notes, then asks, "Did you mean the dam was built before the flood?" Which grade 4 oral language expectation is she meeting?19 Texas Administrative Code §110.6, English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 4, Adopted 2017 (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain III, competency 010
For a report on the year a town's first school opened, a century ago, which of these is a primary source?Wikipedia, "Primary source". Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain III, competency 009
"However", "for example" and "as a result" link one idea to the next. Which part of purposeful structure in the grade 4 drafting standard are they?19 Texas Administrative Code §110.6, English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 4, Adopted 2017 (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain III, competency 008
In an argumentative paragraph, what does competency 008 say reasoning does?English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) preparation manual, Section 3, Domains and Competencies (Texas Educator Certification Examination Program). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain III, competency 008
The introduction to the ELAR TEKS says the strands focus on academic oracy. How does it define oracy?19 Texas Administrative Code §110.6, English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 4, Adopted 2017 (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain III, competency 010
The last research expectation in each of the grade 4 to grade 8 TEKS asks students to present results in an appropriate mode of delivery. Which three modes does it name?19 Texas Administrative Code §110.6, English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 4, Adopted 2017 (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain III, competency 009
"We missed the bus, we walked to school." Which sentence error from the grade 4 editing standard is this?19 Texas Administrative Code §110.6, English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 4, Adopted 2017 (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain III, competency 008
Which pair is an example of the correlative conjunctions that the grade 6 TEKS add to the editing standard?19 Texas Administrative Code §110.22, English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 6, Adopted 2017 (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain III, competency 008
Which practice do the grade 8 TEKS list for collaborative discussions?19 Texas Administrative Code §110.24, English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 8, Adopted 2017 (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain III, competency 010
Which set of speaking skills do the grade 4 TEKS name for expressing an opinion aloud?19 Texas Administrative Code §110.6, English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 4, Adopted 2017 (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain III, competency 010
All learners and professional practice 10
A student reads far below grade level. Under the IDEA definition, which cause would keep the reading problem from counting as a specific learning disability?34 CFR §300.8 (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain IV, competency 011
A teacher gives students three ways into the same poem: the printed text, a recording of it read aloud, and a picture glossary of its hard words. Which principle of Universal Design for Learning is this?Wikipedia, "Universal Design for Learning". Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain IV, competency 011
A unit taught students to compare themes across two poems, but the unit test asks only for definitions of literary terms. Which requirement in competency 013 does the test fail?English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) preparation manual, Section 3, Domains and Competencies (Texas Educator Certification Examination Program). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain IV, competency 013
During independent reading a teacher writes short, dated, factual notes on what she sees each student do. Which type of systematic observation in competency 013 is this?English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) preparation manual, Section 3, Domains and Competencies (Texas Educator Certification Examination Program). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain IV, competency 013
The English Language Proficiency Standards adopted in 2024 say that teaching and learning cognates that connect a student's languages can do what?19 Texas Administrative Code §120.21, English Language Proficiency Standards, Grades 4-12, Adopted 2024 (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain IV, competency 012
Midway through a lesson on theme, several students' answers show they are confusing theme with topic. What does competency 011 expect the teacher to do?English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) preparation manual, Section 3, Domains and Competencies (Texas Educator Certification Examination Program). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain IV, competency 011
One low benchmark score suggests a student needs reading intervention, but her classwork and a fluency check do not. What does competency 013 advise?English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) preparation manual, Section 3, Domains and Competencies (Texas Educator Certification Examination Program). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain IV, competency 013
Students lose several minutes each time they rotate between reading stations. Which response fits competency 012?English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) preparation manual, Section 3, Domains and Competencies (Texas Educator Certification Examination Program). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain IV, competency 012
Under Standard 3.1 of the Code of Ethics and Standard Practices for Texas Educators, when may a teacher reveal confidential information about a student?19 Texas Administrative Code §247.2, Code of Ethics and Standard Practices for Texas Educators (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain IV, competency 011
What does the introduction to the ELAR TEKS say about an English learner's first language?19 Texas Administrative Code §110.6, English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 4, Adopted 2017 (Legal Information Institute copy). Written to TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) Domain IV, competency 012
How this list was compiled: Our own questions, written to the exam framework of TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217) 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_217.htm (copyright Texas Education Agency), read 2026-10-12: 90 selected-response questions and 1 constructed-response question in five domains, Foundations of Reading about 27%, Text Comprehension and Analysis 20%, Oral and Written Communication 20%, Educating All Learners and Professional Practice 13%, and Constructed Response 20%. This bank holds 60 selected-response questions spread over the first four domains in those proportions: 20, 15, 15 and 10. The constructed response is not practiced here. Every fact was read on the public page named under its question, each opened 2026-10-12: the competency statements of that framework; the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for English Language Arts and Reading, grades 4 to 8 (19 Texas Administrative Code §§110.6, 110.7, 110.22, 110.23 and 110.24), 19 Texas Administrative Code §§120.21 and 247.2 and 34 CFR §300.8 in the Legal Information Institute copies; Texas Education Code §38.003 on tcss.legis.texas.gov; and Wikipedia articles on named terms of reading and rhetoric. Licence: Questions, choices and explanations are original work of this site.
How it works
A free TExES ELA and Reading 4-8 practice test for Texas teacher candidates: 60 questions of our own on exam 217, each with its source. Unofficial, and not affiliated with or endorsed by the Texas Education Agency or Pearson.
Read the full guide
Four domains here, one written
Foundations of reading is about 27% of the exam, text comprehension and analysis 20%, oral and written communication 20%, and educating all learners 13%. The 60 questions split 20, 15, 15 and 10. Domain V, 20%, is one written response and is not practiced here.
No clock in exam mode
The real exam gives 4 hours 45 minutes for 90 selected-response and 1 constructed-response question together, with no separate time for either part. Exam mode therefore runs these 60 untimed.
Tied to the grade 4 to 8 TEKS
Many questions quote the Texas standards for the grades this certificate covers, so you learn which grade first meets flashback, the counter argument or bandwagon appeals.
The exam's page says this certificate also requires Science of Teaching Reading (293). That exam is not covered here.
The framework names fluency as accuracy, rate and prosody, and vocabulary in three tiers. Learn both lists before test day.
Questions and answers
Are these practice tests for reading 4-8 in Texas for teachers or for students?
For teachers. This page practices TExES English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 (217), the certification exam for teaching the subject in grades 4 to 8. It is not the state reading test that students in those grades take.
What is on the TExES ELA and Reading 4-8 exam?
Fourteen competencies: foundations of teaching reading, foundational reading skills, word analysis and fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, literary texts, informational and argumentative texts, composition, inquiry and research, listening and speaking, three on teaching all learners, and one written response on planning standards-based instruction.
Is the TExES ELAR 4-8 exam 117 or 217?
It is 217. The exam program's page for the older 117 says its final administration was December 31, 2021, and the program's list of exams now shows English Language Arts and Reading 4–8 as 217.
What is the passing score for TExES 217?
The exam's page lists 240. That is a scaled score, not a count or a percent of right answers, so this page gives the number you got right and no verdict.
Are these real TExES ELAR questions?
No. Each one was written for this site from a competency and the public page named under it, most often the TEKS. The real exam and the manual's sample questions were not copied or reworded.