Texas Special Education Certification: TExES 186, Routes and Costs

Estimated reading time: 16 minutes

Texas special education certification is the credential issued by the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) that a teacher needs to teach special education in a Texas public school. Since September 2025, new candidates earn it through the Special Education Specialist: Early Childhood-Grade 12 certificate and its TExES exam, the Special Education Specialist EC-12 (186). This guide covers which certificate and exams apply, where the Science of Teaching Reading requirement fits, the routes into the field, the federal rule that special education teachers hold full state certification, what 2025 Texas legislation changed for uncertified teachers, costs and fee waivers, and online programs.

Executive Summary

Texas served 911,342 students in special education programs in 2025-26, 16.7% of enrollment, according to TEA. Special education is one of the teacher shortage areas the U.S. Department of Education approved for Texas for 2026-2027, and one of the critical shortage areas that let teachers apply for TEACH Grants or Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

The rules changed quickly. A new certificate and exam replaced the old ones in 2025, House Bill 2 of 2025 waived first-attempt exam and application fees for special education candidates, and TEA confirmed that the permit and waiver routes used to staff other subjects do not apply to special education assignments. This page describes the rules as published in October 2026.

Which Texas Special Education Certification Do You Need?

For almost every new special education teacher in Texas, the answer is the Special Education Specialist: Early Childhood-Grade 12 certificate, which SBEC rules allow to be issued from September 1, 2025 (19 TAC 233.8(d)).

TEA calls it “a new certification area.” It replaced two older options. The last day to test on the Special Education EC-12 (161) or the Special Education Supplemental (163) was August 31, 2025, and the last day to be recommended for certification with those scores was September 1, 2026, according to TEA’s 186 transition sheet. TEA’s program FAQ adds that “there will not be a separate supplemental certificate for Special Education.”

Sources: 19 TAC 233.2 and 233.8; exam codes and dates from TEA’s HB 2 page, educator testing page and October 14, 2026 update to preparation programs. Teachers already certified under the older certificates should confirm with TEA how their assignments are coded; TEA’s FAQ tells candidates, programs and districts to “review the assignment rules” for each position.

The TExES Special Education Specialist EC-12 (186) Exam

Pearson administers the exam for TEA. According to the 186 exam page:

• Format: computer-administered, 90 selected-response questions and one constructed-response question.
• Time: five hours of appointment time, including 4 hours 45 minutes of testing.
• Scheduling: by appointment, at test centers in Texas and nationwide.
• Passing score: 240.
• Fee: $136, waived on the first attempt under HB 2 (see below).

The preparation manual groups the content into five domains: legal and ethical guidelines and knowledge of learners (about 18%), assessment and program planning (18%), curricular knowledge and instructional practices (27%), professional collaboration, learning and responsibilities (18%), and analysis and response (20%). TEA announced no introductory period for the exam: candidates must meet the passing standard from the start. The heaviest domain is instruction, the work described in our page of specially designed instruction examples.

The Pedagogy Exam and the Science of Teaching Reading

Candidates for a standard certificate also pass a pedagogy exam. Today that is generally the Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities EC-12 (160): 100 selected-response questions, a $116 fee and a passing score of 240. TEA is building the Texas Test of Educator Proficiency (T-TEP), a performance assessment that, pending SBEC action, would replace the PPR for standard certification. The T-TEP page still shows a September 2027 launch, but TEA’s April 29, 2026 update to preparation programs revised the launch date to 2029. Candidates should confirm with their program which pedagogy assessment applies when they finish.

The Science of Teaching Reading (293) rests on a provision of the Education Code amended in 2019: SBEC must adopt rules requiring that, to teach any grade from prekindergarten through grade 6, a person demonstrate proficiency in the science of teaching reading on a certification exam for certificates issued after January 1, 2021 (TEC 21.048(a-2)). SBEC’s table of required exams (19 TAC 230.21(e)) attaches the 293 to five current fields: Early Childhood PK-3, Core Subjects EC-6, Core Subjects 4-8, and two English language arts certificates for grades 4-8. The special education certificates in that table require their content exam and a pedagogy exam, not the 293. SBEC rules also create a Core/Special Education with the Science of Teaching Reading: EC-6 certificate, issued no earlier than September 1, 2027 (19 TAC 233.2(e)), for teachers who want both; TEA now expects its exams in 2029.

Routes to Special Education Certification

House Bill 2 rewrote the certificate types in 2025 (TEC 21.0412). Each route runs through an educator preparation program (EPP) approved by SBEC, except adding a certificate by exam.

Certification by exam cannot be used for a first certificate, and SBEC excludes the vision impairment and deafblind supplementals and the Early Childhood PK-3 certificate from it (19 TAC 230.105). The Special Education Specialist is not excluded, and TEA’s HB 2 page confirms that the fee waiver applies “via the additional certification by examination pathway.”

The Federal Requirement: Full State Certification

Under 34 CFR 300.156(c), each public school special education teacher must have obtained “full State certification as a special education teacher” or passed the state licensing exam and hold a license, must not have had those requirements “waived on an emergency, temporary, or provisional basis,” and must hold at least a bachelor’s degree.

• Alternate route exception: a teacher in an alternate route program meets the standard for up to three years if they receive sustained professional development, intensive supervision or mentoring, and show satisfactory progress toward full certification (300.156(c)(2)).
• District duty: the state must require districts to “take measurable steps to recruit, hire, train, and retain” qualified staff (300.156(d)).
• Texas rule: special education personnel must be certified, endorsed or licensed in their area of assignment (19 TAC 89.1131(a)), and the special education teacher at an ARD meeting must be appropriately certified or licensed (19 TAC 89.1050(c)(2)).

One exception is specific to Texas: a provider of dyslexia instruction does not need special education certification unless employed in a special education position that requires it (19 TAC 89.1131(b)). Training requirements for those providers are in our guide to the Texas Dyslexia Handbook.

Uncertified Teachers and 2025 Texas Legislation

House Bill 2 (89th Legislature, 2025) added TEC 21.0032: a district “may not employ as a teacher of record for a course in the foundation curriculum” a person without the appropriate certificate or permit. The commissioner may approve district plans that delay compliance until the 2029-2030 school year, and TEA’s HB 2 page lists 572 districts with approved plans. TEA’s August 21, 2025 letter sets the District of Innovation phase-out:

For special education, the same letter is direct: the school district teaching permit (TEC 21.055) and the certification waiver (TEC 7.056) “are not applicable for assignments in special education, bilingual education, English as a Second Language (ESL), or prekindergarten programs.” Two other rules apply to any uncertified or inappropriately certified teacher:

• Parent notice: when a district assigns an uncertified or inappropriately certified teacher to the same classroom for more than 30 consecutive instructional days in a school year, the superintendent must notify parents in writing no later than the 30th instructional day after the assignment (TEC 21.057); TEA’s October 2025 letter states that districts can no longer exempt themselves from this rule.
• Incentive: a one-time $1,000 payment to the district for each eligible first-year teacher hired uncertified in 2022-23 or 2023-24 who earns a standard certificate by the end of 2026-27 (TEC 21.0033).

Staffing decisions under these rules have legal consequences; check them with TEA and district counsel.

Cost and Fee Waivers

HB 2 added TEC 21.0411, which requires SBEC to waive, for candidates seeking special education or bilingual certification, the exam fee “for the first administration of the examination” and the certification application fee. TEA’s HB 2 certification page explains how it works:

• Which exams: first attempts taken June 4, 2025 or later on the listed special education exams, including the 186, 181, 182 and 185.
• How: the exam fee is waived automatically at registration; the $78 application fee is waived for intern, probationary and standard certificates and for certification by exam; candidates in a preparation program must first be recommended by it.
• What remains: retakes, preparation program tuition and fees, which vary by program, and the national criminal history check (19 TAC 230.101). Check whether other exams on your route, such as the PPR, are covered before budgeting.

Because special education is a critical shortage area for 2026-2027, teachers may also qualify for TEACH Grants or Public Service Loan Forgiveness, subject to those programs’ own rules.

Online Special Education Certification Programs

Only an SBEC-approved preparation program can recommend a candidate. TEA’s EPP interactive map lists active programs and can be filtered by certificate and route. HB 2 also limits self-paced online models: SBEC must require training “synchronously” in the traditional, residency and preservice alternative routes, with asynchronous delivery only when SBEC approves an exception (TEC 21.04421 to 21.04423). Every route also includes field-based experience or an internship (TEC 21.050(b)), and the traditional, residency and preservice alternative routes require practice in a PK-12 classroom. Online coursework can be part of a program; the classroom component cannot.

Bilingual Special Education and ESL

A Texas law of 2021 directed SBEC to create a bilingual special education certificate, with coursework on IEPs and assessment for English learners with disabilities (TEC 21.04891). The Bilingual Special Education Supplemental: EC-12 may be issued no earlier than September 1, 2027, and TEA schedules its exam, the Bilingual Special Education EC-12 (187), for September 2028. Until then, a teacher serving emergent bilingual students with IEPs typically combines special education certification with bilingual or ESL certification; exams and pathways are in our guide to Texas bilingual and ESL certification.

Funding and Staffing

Sources: TEC Chapter 48; TEC Chapter 21. The shortage is national: in the Learning Policy Institute’s 2026 overview of teacher shortages, 45 states reported shortages in special education for 2024-25, the most commonly reported shortage area.

Common Mistakes District Leaders Make

1. Recruiting for a certificate that no longer exists. The Special Education Supplemental has no replacement; new candidates take the 186.
2. Using a district teaching permit for a special education vacancy. TEA says the flexibility does not apply.
3. Relying on a District of Innovation plan without checking the 2026-27 and 2027-28 limits and the federal rule.
4. Forgetting the parent notice for an uncertified teacher assigned to a classroom for more than 30 consecutive instructional days.
5. Budgeting as if the waiver covered retakes. Only the first attempt is waived.
6. Partnering with programs without checking approval on TEA’s EPP map.
7. Ignoring certified general education teachers who could add special education by exam.

Questions District Leaders Should Ask

• How many special education teachers of record are on intern certificates, and when does each one’s window close?
• How many certified general education teachers could add special education by exam?
• Do our District of Innovation plan and staffing practices comply with the 2026-27 limits?
• Did every parent receive notice when an uncertified teacher was assigned to the classroom for more than 30 consecutive instructional days?
• Which approved programs place candidates in our classrooms, and could a partnership qualify for the new allotment?

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get my special education certification in Texas?

Complete an SBEC-approved educator preparation program through a traditional, residency or alternative route, pass the TExES Special Education Specialist EC-12 (186) and the pedagogy exam (generally the PPR 160), and apply for the certificate after the program recommends you. If you already hold a standard Texas classroom certificate (not an intern or probationary one) and a bachelor’s degree, you can add the certificate by passing the 186.

Is special education certification free in Texas?

Not entirely. Under House Bill 2 (2025), Texas waives the fee for the first attempt on eligible special education exams taken June 4, 2025 or later, such as the 186, and the certification application fee. Candidates still pay for retakes, preparation program tuition and fees, and the criminal history check, unless a district or partnership program covers them.

Can you teach special education in Texas without certification?

Generally no. Federal rules require special education teachers to hold full state certification, with no emergency, temporary or provisional waiver, except a teacher in an alternate route program for up to three years under conditions. TEA states that district teaching permits and certification waivers do not apply to special education assignments. Teachers on intern certificates in approved programs can serve while finishing.

Can I get my special education certification online?

Partly. Some approved programs deliver coursework online, but House Bill 2 requires synchronous training in most routes unless SBEC approves an exception, and every route includes field-based experience or an internship in a PK-12 classroom. Only programs approved by SBEC can recommend you for certification; check TEA’s educator preparation program map before enrolling.

What is the TExES 186 exam?

The TExES Special Education Specialist EC-12 (186) is the content exam for Texas special education certification since September 2, 2025. It has 90 selected-response questions and one constructed-response question, five hours of appointment time, a passing score of 240 and a $136 fee, waived on the first attempt. It replaced the Special Education EC-12 (161) and Special Education Supplemental (163) exams.

Can AI help me study for the TExES special education exam?

AI tools can quiz you on the exam competencies, explain terms such as prior written notice or least restrictive environment, or give feedback on a practice written response. Check every answer against TEA’s preparation manual and the regulations, because AI can be confidently wrong, and never paste in real student information from your classroom. The ChatGPT for teachers guide covers safe use.

Related Resources

• ARD Meeting Guide
• Texas Bilingual and ESL Certification
• Texas Dyslexia Handbook
• Texas Procedural Safeguards
• Specially Designed Instruction Examples
• IEP Goals: How to Write Measurable Goals

Conclusion

Texas special education certification now runs through one main certificate and one content exam, the 186, with first attempts paid for by the state and no permit or waiver shortcut for special education assignments. For districts, the levers are clear: grow certified teachers from within through add-by-exam and partnership programs, keep intern teachers on track inside their three-year window, and notify parents whenever a classroom is not yet staffed as the law requires.

Sources: 34 CFR 300.156, Personnel qualifications; TEA, Special Education Specialist EC-12 (186) Candidate Certification Testing Requirements (October 2024); TEA, 186 Special Education Specialist EC-12 Webinar Comprehensive FAQ (February 2025); Pearson, Special Education Specialist EC-12 (186) Preparation Manual; TEA, House Bill 2 Educator Certification Initiatives; TEA, HB 2 Implementation: New Teacher Certification Requirements Update (October 16, 2025); Texas Education Code, Chapter 21; TEA, Certification Exams: The Science of Teaching Reading (STR) Exam; 19 TAC Chapter 89, Subchapter AA (TEA, October 2026 update); TEA, Student Loan Forgiveness for Teachers: Teacher Shortage Areas 2026-2027; TEA, Enrollment in Texas Public Schools, 2025-26. Other sources are linked where they are cited.

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