TExES Chemistry 7-12 Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows

Understanding the TExES Chemistry 7-12 Pass Rate Data

Anyone researching the TExES Chemistry 7-12 (240) exam eventually runs into the same question: how many candidates actually pass? The Texas Education Agency publishes program-level testing data by year, and the two most recent cycles tell a clear story about a small but shifting candidate pool.

In the 2024-2025 program year, 81 examinees attempted the exam. Of those, 57% passed on their first attempt, and the best-attempt pass rate (which counts anyone who eventually passed, including retakes) climbed to 64%. The prior year, 2023-2024, was tougher: 71 examinees posted a 49% first-attempt pass rate and a 52% best-attempt rate.

Two things stand out. First, the candidate pool is small compared to many other Texas certification exams, so year-to-year swings can look dramatic even when the underlying change is modest. Second, the improvement between the two years is real and worth eight percentage points on first attempt alone. That movement is consistent with more candidates using structured preparation rather than walking in cold.

Why the Numbers Look the Way They Do

Pass rates for a content-heavy science certification exam are shaped by three forces: the breadth of the content, the format of the questions, and how well candidates' coursework matches the framework the state actually tests. All three apply here.

The exam itself is a computer-administered test delivered through Pearson VUE testing centers under the Texas Educator Certification Examination Program. Candidates answer 100 selected-response questions inside a five-hour appointment window that includes a 15-minute tutorial and compliance agreement, leaving 4 hours 45 minutes of actual testing time. Some forms include unscored field-test items mixed in with scored questions, but only scored items count toward the final scaled result.

That format matters for pass-rate analysis because selected-response testing rewards precise recall and applied problem-solving over partial credit. There's no essay to salvage a weak multiple-choice run. A candidate who is strong in three domains but shaky in the largest one, Matter and Energy, can still fail outright even with solid overall preparation. For a full breakdown of every tested area, the TExES Chemistry 7-12 Exam Domains 2026 guide maps all 17 competencies across the four domains in detail.

Domain Breakdown: Where Points Are Won or Lost

The exam's content framework, carrying a 2022 TEA copyright, is organized into four domains and 17 competencies. Domain weighting is not evenly distributed, and that imbalance is the single biggest lever behind pass or fail outcomes.

Because Domain II alone accounts for 41% of the scored items, a candidate who under-prepares stoichiometry, bonding, or thermochemistry is mathematically working against a much steeper climb than someone weak in Domain IV. This is exactly why the site's broader TExES Chemistry 7-12 Study Guide 2026 treats Matter and Energy as the backbone of a first-attempt strategy rather than one topic among many.

First-Attempt vs. Best-Attempt: What the Gap Means

The gap between first-attempt and best-attempt pass rates is a useful diagnostic. In 2024-2025, the gap was seven points (57% to 64%); in 2023-2024, it was only three points (49% to 52%). A wider gap in the more recent year suggests more candidates who initially failed were able to retake and pass, which is a meaningfully different story than candidates simply giving up after one attempt.

Retaking is only useful within the state's structural limits. Candidates are allowed five attempts per certification exam and must wait 30 days between sittings. That waiting period is not a formality - it forces a real study cycle rather than a same-week resit, which likely contributes to the higher best-attempt figures. Anyone weighing whether the investment of a retake is worth it should also read the broader context in Is the TExES Chemistry 7-12 Certification Worth It?.

Score reporting typically posts about seven days after testing, at 10:00 p.m. Central on the published score report dates, so candidates planning a 30-day retake window should build in that reporting lag when scheduling.

What a 240 Scaled Score Actually Requires

Scores are reported on a 100-300 scale, with 240 set as the minimum passing score. That number is not a raw percentage of the 100 selected-response questions answered correctly - it's a scaled score derived only from scored items, since some forms include unscored questions being field-tested for future administrations. This distinction matters because candidates sometimes assume they need to answer 80% correctly to "pass with room to spare," when the actual conversion is not a simple percentage.

Because the scale runs from 100 to 300 with 240 as the cut point, a candidate's margin above or below that line is what shows up on the score report, not a percent-correct figure. For a deeper explanation of how scaled scoring works on this exam, see TExES Chemistry 7-12 Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.

Registration, Fees, and Retake Mechanics

The exam fee is $116, with no separate member versus non-member pricing, though additional service fees may apply depending on how and where a candidate schedules. Before registering, most candidates need a TEA ID and must be admitted to an approved Texas educator preparation program with authorization to test, or qualify through certification by examination or an out-of-state credential review.

These mechanics matter for pass-rate context because they filter who actually sits for the exam. Unlike open-enrollment tests, the TExES Chemistry 7-12 pool is largely made up of candidates who have already cleared an EPP admission process, which is one reason the cohort size stays modest year over year. Full eligibility pathways are detailed in TExES Chemistry 7-12 Requirements 2026, and fee planning - including what happens on a retake - is broken down in TExES Chemistry 7-12 Certification Cost 2026.

If you're not sure when the next available testing window fits your preparation timeline, the TExES Chemistry 7-12 Exam Dates 2026 guide lays out scheduling and deadline mechanics through Pearson VUE.

Who's Testing and Why It Matters

The TExES Chemistry 7-12 (240) exists to certify secondary chemistry teachers under the Texas Education Agency's State Board for Educator Certification framework. Most examinees are pursuing initial certification through an approved educator preparation program, though some arrive via certification by examination or out-of-state credential review. This is a fundamentally different candidate profile than a generic content-knowledge test taken by a wide public audience.

Because the pool is almost entirely aspiring or transitioning secondary science teachers, pass-rate swings often track cohort-level factors - how many candidates in a given year came from strong undergraduate chemistry backgrounds, how many were completing an alternative certification route under time pressure, and how many had access to structured review material. If you're curious about where this credential leads once earned, TExES Chemistry 7-12 Jobs covers the hiring landscape for certified chemistry teachers.

A Texas standard certificate earned after passing is valid for five years, and renewal requires 150 continuing professional education clock hours per five-year period through ECOS, with at least 80% of those hours tied to the certificate area. That renewal structure reinforces that this is a career-long credential, not a one-time hurdle - which is worth keeping in perspective while grinding through Domain II practice sets.

A Study Approach Built Around the Data

Given that Domain II accounts for 41% of the exam and the statewide pass-rate gap between first and best attempts is largest in recent years, the most defensible use of limited study time is weighting effort to match domain size, then using short, focused review blocks rather than marathon sessions.

Short review cycles focused on one competency cluster at a time work better here than trying to re-read an entire textbook, because the exam rewards applied calculation speed as much as conceptual recall. For a competency-by-competency walkthrough of exactly what each domain covers, pair this timeline with the full domains guide, and gauge your overall readiness against the difficulty analysis before you schedule.

Once your review is structured, the most efficient way to confirm readiness is timed practice under real exam conditions. You can start building that familiarity now on the main practice test platform, where full-length simulations mirror the actual question format and pacing.

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