- TExES 118 is the Social Studies 4-8 (118) certification exam administered by Pearson for TEA.
- It has 100 selected-response questions across two domains: Content (71%) and Foundations/Skills/Instruction (29%).
- The exam runs 4 hours 45 minutes of testing time within a 5-hour appointment; the fee is $116.
- A passing score of 240 is required; the 2024-25 statewide best-attempt pass rate was 62% among 815 candidates.
Overview: What TExES 118 Actually Is
TExES 118 is shorthand for the Texas Examinations of Educator Standards: Social Studies 4-8 (118), the state-mandated certification test for candidates who want to teach social studies to students in grades 4 through 8 in Texas public schools. It is administered on behalf of the Texas Education Agency (TEA) by Pearson, and it is one of many content-specific TExES exams that stand between a candidate and a standard classroom teaching certificate.
Because "TExES 118" is a number that could theoretically apply to different things depending on context, it's worth being precise here: this article is exclusively about the Social Studies 4-8 (118) exam, its content, its logistics, and what it demonstrates about a candidate's readiness to teach middle-grades social studies. If you've landed here after searching for general background, our companion piece on TExES 118 Certification covers the credentialing process in more depth.
Exam Format and Registration Mechanics
TExES 118 is a computer-administered test delivered at Pearson-affiliated test centers year-round, by appointment. There is no fixed "testing window" the way there is for some paper-based exams - candidates schedule a seat when they are ready, which gives more flexibility than many other licensure tests. For a breakdown of how to plan around this flexibility, see TExES 118 Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling.
- Question count: 100 selected-response questions. Some items may be unscored field-test questions used by TEA to evaluate future exam content, though candidates cannot tell which items those are.
- Time: The total appointment is 5 hours, which includes a 15-minute tutorial and compliance agreement plus 4 hours 45 minutes of actual testing time.
- Fee: $116 per attempt, paid during registration.
- Eligibility: Candidates typically need approval through a Texas educator preparation program (EPP) or another TEA-authorized alternative route before they can register and sit for the exam.
Because eligibility is gated by an approved program, this is not an exam you can simply sign up for on a whim - you need to be enrolled in or have completed a qualifying pathway. If you're unsure whether you meet the prerequisites, the detailed walkthrough in TExES 118 Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify is a good next stop. For a full cost picture beyond just the test fee, check TExES 118 Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
Key Takeaway
Register only after your EPP or alternative certification route confirms you're approved to test - showing up unauthorized isn't an option, and confirming eligibility early avoids scheduling delays.
Inside the Two Domains
TExES 118 is organized into two domains, and the weighting is heavily lopsided toward content knowledge rather than pedagogy. Understanding this split should shape how you allocate study time.
Domain 1: Social Studies Content (71%)
This is by far the largest portion of the exam and covers the substantive academic content a middle-grades social studies teacher must know cold: world and U.S. history, geography, government and citizenship, economics, and the interconnections among these disciplines. Because this domain carries the majority of scored points, weak content knowledge in any one area - say, economics or geography - can meaningfully drag down your overall score.
- Chronological reasoning and major eras/turning points in U.S. and world history
- Geographic tools, spatial reasoning, and human-environment interaction
- Structures of government, civic participation, and constitutional principles
- Economic systems, markets, and personal financial concepts appropriate to the grade band
- Culture, social institutions, and how historical events connect across regions and time periods
Domain 2: Social Studies Foundations, Skills and Instruction (29%)
This domain shifts from "what do you know" to "how do you teach it." It tests understanding of instructional planning, how to build primary-source and document-based lessons, assessment strategies, and how to differentiate social studies instruction for diverse learners in grades 4-8.
- Applying research and inquiry skills using primary and secondary sources
- Designing standards-aligned instruction and assessments
- Instructional strategies for developmentally appropriate historical thinking
- Supporting literacy and critical thinking within social studies content
Because Domain 1 is worth more than twice as much as Domain 2, most candidates should spend the majority of their study hours reviewing content - history, geography, government, and economics - while treating Domain 2 as a smaller but still necessary layer covering instructional application. A full item-by-item breakdown of both domains, including sub-competencies, is available in TExES 118 Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 2 Content Areas.
| Domain | Weight | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Social Studies Content | 71% | History, geography, government, economics, culture |
| Foundations, Skills and Instruction | 29% | Pedagogy, inquiry skills, assessment, instructional design |
Who Takes TExES 118 and Why
TExES 118 is taken almost exclusively by people pursuing certification to teach social studies in Texas middle schools (grades 4-8), most commonly:
- Undergraduate education majors completing a university-based EPP with a social studies concentration
- Career changers enrolled in alternative certification programs who want to move into middle-grades social studies teaching
- Certified teachers adding a social studies certification area to an existing credential
School districts hiring for 4th-8th grade social studies, history, geography, or government positions generally require this certification (or evidence that a candidate is actively working toward it) before offering a teaching contract. If you're weighing whether this specific certification opens doors worth the effort, the analysis in Is the TExES 118 Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and the market overview in TExES 118 Jobs are useful supplements. For compensation context tied to Texas teaching roles, see TExES 118 Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis.
Scoring, Pass Rate, and What It Means
TExES 118 uses a scaled passing score of 240. Scaled scores account for slight difficulty differences between test forms, so 240 isn't a raw percentage - it's a calibrated threshold. For the exact mechanics of how raw questions convert to that scaled number, see TExES 118 Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
Statewide, the 2024-25 best-attempt pass rate for TExES 118 was 62% among 815 test takers. That figure reflects candidates' best attempt (not necessarily first attempt) and gives a realistic sense that a meaningful share of test-takers do not clear the bar on a given try - which is a strong argument for deliberate content review rather than a last-minute refresher. A deeper dive into what drives that number, and how it compares across recent years, is in TExES 118 Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows. For a broader take on exam difficulty relative to other certification tests, read How Hard Is the TExES 118 Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026.
Key Takeaway
A 240 passing score and a 62% statewide pass rate together suggest TExES 118 rewards genuine content mastery over test-taking tricks - plan your prep accordingly.
How to Approach Preparation
Given the 71/29 domain split, a sensible preparation sequence front-loads content review before layering in instructional-strategy practice. Rather than studying both domains simultaneously in equal measure, most candidates benefit from dedicating early weeks to filling content gaps - especially in whichever of history, geography, government, or economics feels weakest - and reserving later weeks for Domain 2's instructional and assessment concepts, followed by full practice tests under timed conditions.
Content Foundations
- Review U.S. and world history timelines and major turning points
- Refresh geography skills: map reading, regions, human-environment interaction
Government, Economics, and Culture
- Study constitutional structures, civic processes, and government systems
- Cover economic systems and personal finance concepts for the 4-8 grade band
Instruction and Foundations
- Practice designing standards-aligned lessons and assessments
- Review primary-source analysis and inquiry-based teaching strategies
Timed Practice and Review
- Take full-length timed practice sets covering both domains
- Target weak sub-competencies identified from missed items
This sequencing isn't a rigid template - condense or expand it based on your existing background. A candidate with a history degree may need far less time on Domain 1 and more on Domain 2's instructional concepts, and vice versa for a career-changer with classroom experience but a thinner content background. For a more granular, week-by-week study system built specifically around this exam's structure, see TExES 118 Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt. If you want a compact reference to review the night before test day, the TExES 118 Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts condenses the highest-yield facts. And to build genuine testing stamina across the full 4 hours 45 minutes of content, running full-length timed sets on our practice test platform is one of the most direct ways to simulate exam-day conditions before you sit for the real thing.
After the Exam: Certification Details
Passing TExES 118 is one requirement toward earning a Texas standard classroom teaching certificate with a social studies 4-8 certification area. Once issued, that standard certificate is valid for five years, and renewal requires completing 150 continuing professional education (CPE) hours within that period - so passing the exam is the entry point into a longer professional cycle, not a one-time event.
Some educators pursue formal coursework or structured programs to prepare, both for the exam itself and for the classroom skills it validates; if you're evaluating options, TExES 118 Training outlines what that landscape looks like. And if you're still mapping out foundational terminology and definitions before diving into deeper prep, our related explainer pieces - TExES 118 Meaning, What Does TExES 118 Stand For?, and What Is A TExES 118? - cover the basics from slightly different angles.
Frequently Asked Questions
TExES 118 refers to the Social Studies 4-8 (118) exam within the Texas Examinations of Educator Standards system, used to certify teachers for middle-grades social studies instruction in Texas.
The exam contains 100 selected-response questions. Some of these may be unscored field-test items that TEA uses to evaluate future exam content, though test-takers cannot identify which questions those are.
The standard testing fee is $116. This covers the appointment itself; additional costs may apply for study materials or program-related fees depending on your certification pathway.
Generally no - testing normally requires approval through a Texas educator preparation program or another TEA-authorized route before you can schedule an appointment.
You need a scaled score of 240 to pass. Statewide, the 2024-25 best-attempt pass rate was 62% among 815 test takers, reflecting that thorough content preparation matters.