- What TExES 237 Actually Is
- Who Administers It and How Registration Works
- Exam Format and What Test Day Looks Like
- The Four TExES 237 Domains
- Passing Score and How Scoring Works
- Who Needs This Exam and the Certification Pathway
- Building a Domain-Weighted Study Plan
- After You Pass: Certification and Renewal
- Frequently Asked Questions
- TExES 237 is a 100-question computer-administered test covering four domains, with Chemistry weighted heaviest at 41%.
- Passing requires a scaled score of 240; the exam fee is $116 through Pearson VUE.
- You get 4 hours 45 minutes of testing time within a 5-hour appointment, plus an on-screen Periodic Table and calculator.
- Failed attempts require a 30-day wait, with a five-attempt standard limit before a waiver is needed.
What TExES 237 Actually Is
TExES Physical Science 6-12 (237) is the certification exam Texas uses to confirm that a teacher candidate has the science content knowledge to lead secondary physical science classrooms - physics and chemistry primarily, taught to students in grades 6 through 12. It's one of dozens of exams in the Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES) program, administered on behalf of the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and the State Board for Educator Certification.
If you're searching for background on the credential itself, this overview complements our companion pieces on what the TExES 237 designation means and what TExES 237 stands for. This article focuses specifically on the mechanics: what's tested, how it's delivered, and who needs it.
Who Administers It and How Registration Works
TExES 237 is developed and scored by Evaluation Systems, a Pearson business, and delivered through Pearson VUE test centers as a computer-administered test (CAT). Registration, scheduling, and score reporting all run through Pearson's testing infrastructure rather than through your educator preparation program directly, though your program typically has to approve you to test before you can register.
The standard exam fee is $116. That fee covers a single sitting; if you need to retake the exam, you'll pay the fee again for each new attempt. For a full breakdown of what test-takers actually spend across preparation materials, retakes, and application fees, see our TExES 237 certification cost breakdown.
Retake policy matters here: after an unsuccessful attempt, candidates must wait 30 days before testing again. The standard limit is five total attempts, though a waiver process exists for candidates who need to exceed that cap. Because of this wait period, it pays to plan your first attempt seriously rather than treating it as a practice run - check testing windows and scheduling deadlines before you lock in a date.
Exam Format and What Test Day Looks Like
TExES 237 consists of 100 selected-response (multiple-choice) questions. You're given 4 hours and 45 minutes of actual testing time, inside a 5-hour total appointment - the remaining 15 minutes covers the tutorial and the compliance agreement you sign before the clock starts on questions.
Because this is a CAT exam, everything happens on-screen at a Pearson VUE test center. Three references are built into the testing software:
- An on-screen scientific calculator
- A Periodic Table of the Elements
- A Definitions and Physical Constants reference sheet
These tools matter for pacing. Knowing before test day exactly what the calculator can and can't do, and how the constants sheet is organized, saves minutes you'll want later for the more calculation-heavy physics items. If you're unsure how tough the format itself feels in practice, our difficulty guide walks through pacing and question-style specifics in more depth.
Key Takeaway
With 100 questions across nearly 5 hours, you have roughly 2.5 to 3 minutes per question on average - but physics calculation items typically eat more time than chemistry conceptual items, so budget unevenly rather than pacing every question the same.
The Four TExES 237 Domains
The exam is organized around four content domains defined in the current online 237 framework. Their weightings tell you exactly where to invest study hours - Chemistry alone accounts for more of the exam than Physics, Scientific Inquiry, and Instruction combined against any single one of them.
Domain 1: Scientific Inquiry and Processes (14%)
Covers the nature of science, experimental design, lab safety, data analysis, and how scientific knowledge is built and revised.
- Designing controlled experiments and identifying variables
- Lab safety protocols and equipment use
- Interpreting data sets, graphs, and measurement uncertainty
Domain 2: Physics (36%)
The second-largest domain, spanning mechanics, energy, waves, electricity and magnetism, and thermodynamics at a level appropriate for secondary instruction.
- Force, motion, and Newtonian mechanics
- Energy transformation, work, and power
- Waves, sound, light, and electromagnetism
Domain 3: Chemistry (41%)
The single largest domain on the exam. Candidates need fluency with atomic structure, bonding, reactions, stoichiometry, and the properties of matter.
- Periodic trends and atomic/molecular structure
- Chemical bonding, reactions, and equation balancing
- Stoichiometry, solutions, and thermochemistry
Domain 4: Science Learning, Instruction and Assessment (9%)
The smallest domain, focused on pedagogy specific to science classrooms - instructional planning, assessment design, and safety/equity in the lab setting.
- Selecting instructional strategies for science concepts
- Formative and summative assessment design
- Classroom and lab safety management
For a deeper dive into subtopics, sample question styles, and how each domain tends to show up on the actual test, see our full TExES 237 exam domains guide.
| Domain | Weight | Core Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Inquiry and Processes | 14% | Experimental design, data, lab safety |
| Physics | 36% | Mechanics, energy, waves, E&M |
| Chemistry | 41% | Atomic structure, bonding, reactions |
| Science Learning, Instruction and Assessment | 9% | Pedagogy, assessment, safety practice |
Passing Score and How Scoring Works
TExES 237 uses a scaled-score system, and the passing score is 240. Scaled scores aren't the same as raw percentage-correct - they're calculated to account for slight variations in test form difficulty, so two candidates who answer a different mix of questions correctly can both land at 240 if the difficulty balances out. Our passing score explainer breaks down exactly what that scaled number represents and how it's derived.
On the pass-rate side, Pearson's reported data for the September 1, 2023 through August 31, 2024 period showed 31 passes out of 77 administrations, or 40.26%. That's an administration-level historical figure - it reflects all test sittings in that window, not a first-attempt-only rate, and it isn't a prediction for 2026 outcomes. For more context on how to interpret that number responsibly, see our dedicated pass rate analysis.
Who Needs This Exam and the Certification Pathway
TExES 237 is required for anyone seeking initial certification to teach physical science at the secondary level in Texas public schools, typically grades 6-12. School districts hiring for physical science, general science, or combined physics/chemistry positions will list this certification as the credential requirement.
For a first-time classroom teacher, the general pathway looks like this:
- Complete a bachelor's degree
- Enroll in and complete an approved educator preparation program (EPP)
- Receive program approval to test from your EPP
- Register for and pass TExES 237 (along with any other required exams for your certification area)
- Submit your certification application to TEA
- Complete fingerprinting and a background check
Candidates who already hold a Texas teaching certificate and want to add physical science as an additional certification area follow a separate, streamlined route rather than repeating the full EPP process. Full eligibility detail - including what counts as an approved program and how the additional-certification track differs - is covered in our requirements guide.
If you're weighing whether pursuing this certification is worth the time and cost relative to other paths into teaching, our ROI analysis and salary guide look at the broader career picture beyond the exam itself.
Building a Domain-Weighted Study Plan
Because Chemistry (41%) and Physics (36%) together make up 77% of the exam, a smart study plan front-loads those two domains and treats Scientific Inquiry (14%) and Instruction/Assessment (9%) as later reinforcement rather than starting points. A generic "study everything equally" approach wastes time on the exam's lightest-weighted content.
Chemistry Foundations
- Atomic structure, periodic trends, and bonding
- Balancing equations and stoichiometry practice
Physics Foundations
- Mechanics, forces, and energy problems
- Waves, electricity, and magnetism review
Scientific Inquiry and Instruction
- Experimental design and data interpretation
- Assessment and lab-safety scenarios
Full-Length Practice and Timing
- Timed practice sets mimicking the 100-question format
- Drill weak domains identified from practice results
Practicing with timed, full-length question sets under conditions similar to test day is the single most useful habit you can build in the final weeks - it's the best way to know whether your pacing across 100 questions in under five hours actually holds up. You can run through realistic practice questions on our TExES 237 practice test platform to get a feel for question style before you sit the real exam. A more detailed week-by-week plan, including which reference materials to memorize versus rely on the on-screen tools for, is in our full study guide.
Key Takeaway
Spend roughly twice as much study time on Chemistry and Physics combined as on the other two domains - their combined 77% weighting justifies it.
After You Pass: Certification and Renewal
Passing TExES 237 doesn't itself expire - but the standard classroom-teacher certificate you receive after passing does require renewal every five years, contingent on completing 150 continuing professional education (CPE) hours during that cycle. It's worth keeping the exam and the certificate conceptually separate: TExES 237 is the entry gate, while the certificate is the ongoing credential that requires maintenance.
For quick reference material once you're deep in study mode, our one-page cheat sheet condenses the must-know facts - domain weights, passing score, format details - into a single scannable resource. And if you want a broader look at the certification itself beyond just the test, see our TExES 237 certification overview or browse TExES 237 job outcomes to see where this credential typically leads.
Whichever stage of the process you're in - deciding whether to pursue this certification, mid-way through an EPP, or counting down to your test date - running practice questions on the main practice test site before you schedule your Pearson VUE appointment is one of the most reliable ways to confirm you're ready for the actual 100-question format.
Frequently Asked Questions
TExES 237 refers to Physical Science 6-12 (237), one exam within the Texas Examinations of Educator Standards program used to certify secondary science teachers in Texas.
The exam has 100 selected-response questions, delivered as a computer-administered test within a 5-hour appointment that includes a 15-minute tutorial and compliance agreement.
The passing score is 240 on the exam's scaled-score system, which adjusts for minor variations in difficulty between different test forms.
Chemistry is the largest domain at 41%, followed by Physics at 36%, Scientific Inquiry and Processes at 14%, and Science Learning, Instruction and Assessment at 9%.
You must wait 30 days before retesting, and pay the $116 fee again. The standard limit is five total attempts, with a waiver process available if you need to exceed that.