TExES Bilingual Target Language Proficiency Test (BTLPT) – Spanish (190)

The Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES) Bilingual
Target Language Proficiency Test (BTLPT) – Spanish 190 exam assesses your
proficiency as an entry-level educator as a bilingual instructor in Spanish. To
obtain your teaching credential in the state of Texas, the TExES BTLPT is one
of the requirements.

Registration,
scheduling the exam, and cost

Registration is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week
at the Texas Educator Certification Examination Program website. You will
establish an account on the program website as well as the Texas Education
Agency (TEA) website. The BTLPT – Spanish exam is administered during two-week
testing periods throughout the year at testing centers located at select sites
in Texas, Puerto Rico, and Mexico.

Exact testing dates and locations are found on the program
website. The registration fee is $116.00 and is paid by debit or credit card
before you can select your testing appointment date, time, and location. You
have 170 days from the time you paid the registration fee to choose your
testing appointment.

Test design

The exam consists of two parts – speaking and writing. The
BTLPT is scheduled for five hours. There are 20 minutes allotted for a tutorial
and compliance agreement, an optional ten-minute break after the speaking test,
and three and a half hours for the examination.

There are 84 selected-response, four speaking constructed-response,
and three writing constructed-response questions delivered by computer for a
total of 91 items. An on-screen character selector is provided for the writing
tasks, and a microphone and headset are provided for the speaking tasks. There
may be additional questions that are not scored on your exam.

Four standards and domains within the BTLPT – Spanish exam are:

  • Listening Comprehension Domain/Spanish Standard I – 21% of your total score comes from this area.  Competencies include the application of literal, inferential, and interpretive listening skills heard in Spanish. Examples include parent-teacher conferences, oral discourse, professional and social interaction with students and their families, and determining meaning in verbal communication while expressing cultural knowledge.
  • Reading Comprehension Domain/Spanish Standard II – These questions make up 26% of your total score. Competencies include the ability to apply literal, inferential, interpretive, and critical reading skills in Spanish. Examples include comprehending a variety of written texts, the sequence of events, purpose, point of view, implied cause-and-effect relationships, and the application of critical reading skills that represent cultural aspects in Spanish.
  • Oral Expression Domain/Spanish Standard III – The four speaking questions are valued at 29% of the exam. Your ability to create conversation in Spanish that effectively narrates, explains, or describes a situation using proper grammatical and vocabulary use is examined. Your conversational skills are tested as well as your ability to use an appropriate response, inflection, and cultural sensitivity in Spanish.
  • Written Expression Domain/Spanish Standard IV – The three writing questions are valued at 24% of the exam. Your ability to write effectively in Spanish using proper grammar and vocabulary is examined. Additionally, your ability to adapt your writing to a variety of school and professional environments is assessed.

Test Day

Test candidates are asked to arrive at the testing center 30
minutes before the scheduled appointment. At your station, a note board
booklet, erasable pen, and headset and microphone are provided. You are not
allowed to use any supplies that are not provided.

While you are taking the exam, you have the opportunity to
mark selected-response questions for review. The selected response questions
are scored based on the number of correct responses. Guessing is better than
leaving a question unanswered. Work steadily through the exam and keep track of
time.

During the written constructed-response questions, an
on-screen character selector is available so you can write and spell correctly.
During the speaking constructed-response questions, you use the headset and
microphone provided.

Score

The passing score for the BTLPT – Spanish test is 240.
Selected-response questions receive one raw point for each correct answer while
the written and spoken sections receive up to 6 raw points for each question.
The selected-response questions are weighted and combined with the
constructed-response points to obtain your scaled score.

Test results are posted to your online account by 10:00 pm central time on the score report date. You can have your results emailed to you as well. All testing candidate score reports are sent automatically to TEA and the appropriate Educator Preparation Program (if any).

How Can I Prepare for the BTLPT – Spanish Test?

That’s a great question.  We’ve broken down the answer into three parts.

  1. Do yourself a favor and study.  Do not walk in unprepared. We have recommended prep materials below, but that only helps if you actually try.  Plus, studying is actually proven to be the best antidote to test anxiety.
  2. Take care of yourself.  Make sure you’re eating well, exercising, and sleeping.  All of these things are scientifically linked to brain performance.  If you take care of your body, you’ll be helping your grades.
  3. Get a study guide or set of flashcards.  Some people study better a certain way. Find your study strengths and make the most of them.  We’ve tried to make it easy for you by tracking down the best study guide and flashcard set for your exam.  Below you’ll see links to both!

Study Guide

Flashcards

 

Last Updated: November 9, 2023