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TExES English Language Arts and Reading 7-12 (331) Online Center
This TExES English Language Arts and Reading 7-12 (331) Online Center brings together practice, lessons, worksheets, flashcards and review tools. Choose the resource that matches the skill you want to work on next.
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TExES ELAR 7-12 (331) Practice Center
Each form has 90 selected-response questions, the same count the real exam gives you, with five reading passages and worked explanations under every item. Sit one form on the clock, then read the explanation for each miss and write down which competency it belongs to. The pattern in that list is your study plan. Neither form includes the constructed-response assignment, so plan separate time for a written practice response.
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TExES ELAR 7-12 (331) at a glance
This is the content exam for the English Language Arts and Reading: Grades 7-12 certificate in Texas, and it is a redeveloped test. The older 231 exam is retired; Pearson’s 231 page states that the last day to register was August 30, 2024 and the last exam date was September 1, 2024, and TEA’s Required Test Chart gives 231 a last operational date of 8/31/2024 with 331 starting no earlier than 9/1/2024. Anyone now pursuing secondary ELAR certification takes 331. Two things about the design matter for how you study. First, 331 asks 90 selected-response questions and one constructed-response assignment, where 231 asked 100 and two. Second, the framework treats that single written assignment as a domain of its own, worth 20 percent, so a fifth of your score comes from one piece of writing about instruction.
| Test code | 331 (English Language Arts and Reading 7-12) |
|---|---|
| Status | Current. Exam 331 is the redeveloped exam that replaced the retired 231. Pearson’s 331 pages carry no retirement notice. |
| Predecessor | 231, retired. Last registration August 30, 2024 and last exam date September 1, 2024 on the vendor page; last operational date 8/31/2024 in TEA’s Required Test Chart. It had 100 selected-response questions and 2 constructed-response questions. |
| Old passing scores | TEA’s Required Test Chart footnote reads that candidates may use passing scores on an examination required for certification if the candidate is recommended for certification up to one year after that examination’s last operational date. For 231 that one-year window has passed, so confirm your standing with TEA before assuming a 231 score still counts. |
| Number of questions | 90 selected-response questions plus 1 constructed-response question |
| Time | 5 hours of appointment time: 15 minutes for the tutorial and compliance agreement, then 4 hours and 45 minutes of testing |
| Format | Computer-administered test at a Pearson Professional Center, by appointment only, first come first served |
| Calculator and references | None published for this exam. The constructed-response assignment brings its own material: a given ELA academic standard and an excerpt from a grade-level literary or informational text. |
| Score scale | 100 to 300 |
| Passing score | A scaled score of 240, the same score that applied to 231 |
| Constructed response | One assignment, treated by the framework as Domain V and weighted at 20 percent of the exam |
Texas publishes approximate percentages per domain and no percentage per individual competency, so none is claimed here. The published domain weights are Reading Instruction and Assessment 25 percent, Text Comprehension and Analysis 17 percent, Oral and Written Communication 25 percent, Educating All Learners and Professional Practice 13 percent, and Constructed Response 20 percent. Because Domain V holds one competency and no selected-response items, the 80 percent that remains is spread over the 90 questions. The per-competency question counts shown below are how the two practice forms are built, not vendor figures.
Five domains, twelve competencies
The vendor exam framework organizes 331 into five domains and twelve competencies. Each competency statement below is the framework’s own language, followed by a plain summary of what it asks you to know.
Domain I. Reading Instruction and Assessment (about 28 of the 90 selected-response questions, 25 percent of the exam)
How reading, vocabulary, and comprehension are taught and assessed in grades 7 through 12.
- Competency 001, Foundations of Reading Instruction and Assessment: Understand concepts, principles, and best practices related to reading instruction and assessment.
- Listening, speaking, reading, writing and thinking taught as one integrated system
- Research- and evidence-based reading instruction anchored in the ELAR TEKS
- What raises or depresses reading proficiency in grades 7-12, especially background knowledge
- Dyslexia and dysgraphia: characteristics, evidence-based strategies, accommodations
- Second-language acquisition as the TEKS for ELAR describe it
- Supporting English learners’ language and content development in every discipline
- Competency 002, Vocabulary Development: Understand concepts, principles, and best practices related to vocabulary development, and demonstrate knowledge of appropriate, research- and evidence-based assessment and instructional practices to promote all students’ development of grade-level vocabulary knowledge and skills.
- The ELAR TEKS vocabulary continuum for grades 7-12
- Familial, educational, socioeconomic and linguistic influences on vocabulary growth
- Tier One, Tier Two and Tier Three words, and which tier to teach explicitly
- Affixes, roots and word formation as a decoding-for-meaning tool
- Dictionaries, glossaries and digital references for meaning, syllabication, pronunciation and etymology
- Denotation, connotation and figurative meaning distinguished by context
- Formal and informal vocabulary assessment, and using the data to plan
- Competency 003, Reading Comprehension: Understand concepts, principles, and best practices related to the development of reading comprehension, and demonstrate knowledge of research- and evidence-based assessment and instructional practices to promote all students’ development of reading comprehension strategies to gain, clarify, and deepen understanding of increasingly complex texts.
- Comprehension as active construction of meaning, not passive receipt
- Explicit teaching of Tier Two and Tier Three academic vocabulary
- Schema and background knowledge as the engine of inference
- Text complexity: quantitative measures plus qualitative features
- Metacognitive strategies: monitoring, questioning, clarifying, summarizing
- Close reading and purposeful rereading with teacher support
- Independent self-sustained reading and varying approach to purpose
- Assessing comprehension formally and informally, then adjusting instruction
Domain II. Text Comprehension and Analysis (about 19 of the 90 selected-response questions, 17 percent of the exam)
Close analysis of literary, informational, and argumentative text, and how you teach students to do it.
- Competency 004, Reading Literary Texts: Understand the genre-specific characteristics, structures, and purposes of varied literary texts, including works of fiction, poetry, and drama representing varied time periods and perspectives in American, British, and world literature, and demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students’ ability to engage in text-based analyses of a range of complex literary texts.
- Fiction, poetry and drama across American, British and world literature
- Poetic sound and form: meter, rhyme scheme, end, internal and slant rhyme
- Figurative language, imagery, irony, paradox, satire, allegory and their purposes
- Theme built through characterization and plot; archetypes and complex characters
- Linear and nonlinear plot: foreshadowing, flashback, subplot
- Setting in historical, social, economic and sociological context
- Diction and syntax as the source of mood, voice and tone
- Dramatic conventions: dialogue, staging, aside, soliloquy, dramatic irony
- Print, graphic, multimodal and digital features in literary texts
- Text-based evidence, critical thinking and differentiated literature instruction
- Competency 005, Reading Informational and Argumentative Texts: Understand the elements and characteristics of informational and argumentative texts, analyze how authors use these elements and characteristics to achieve specific purposes, and demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students’ ability to engage in text-based analyses of complex informational and argumentative texts.
- Thesis, supporting evidence and examples in informational text
- Author’s purpose, audience and message, and how design serves them
- Argumentative structure: arguable claim, appeals, types of evidence, counterargument
- Rhetorical devices: appeals, antithesis, parallelism, shifts
- Logical fallacies and their effect on an argument
- Print, graphic, multimodal and digital features in nonliterary text
- Comprehension at all levels, from literal to critical evaluation
- Differentiation and both informal and formal assessment of nonliterary reading
Domain III. Oral and Written Communication (about 28 of the 90 selected-response questions, 25 percent of the exam)
Writing, research, listening, and speaking, from planning a piece to presenting it.
- Competency 006, Composition: Understand the characteristics of various genres of written text and apply knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students’ ability to develop well-organized, engaging, written texts that achieve specific purposes for specific audiences.
- Matching genre to topic, purpose and audience
- Idea generation: brainstorming, journaling, discussion, background reading
- Purposeful structure: introduction, transitions, paragraph coherence, conclusion
- Controlling idea or thesis, developed with specific, relevant detail
- Revision for organization, coherence, clarity, style, word choice, sentence variety
- Editing for standard English conventions, including agreement, tense and voice
- Professional and friendly correspondence
- Technology across every stage of the writing process
- Modeling self-assessment; differentiating with choice, organizers and mini-lessons
- The ELAR TEKS writing continuum and assessment-driven next steps
- Competency 007, Inquiry and Research: Demonstrate knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students’ ability to conduct focused inquiry and research and to present the results in an appropriate, responsible, and ethical manner across the curriculum.
- Framing, critiquing and revising a research question and plan
- Locating and gathering relevant information from varied sources
- Primary versus secondary sources
- Evaluating a source for reliability, credibility and accuracy
- Naming logical fallacies: ad hominem, hasty generalization, circular reasoning, false dilemma
- Synthesizing across sources rather than reporting them one by one
- Paraphrasing, quoting and citing ethically to avoid plagiarism
- Choosing a written, oral or multimodal mode of delivery
- The ELAR TEKS inquiry and research continuum
- Competency 008, Listening and Speaking: Apply knowledge of research-based strategies and best practices for promoting students’ skills in critical listening and collaborative speaking.
- Active listening, appropriate response, and adjusting to audience and purpose
- Following and giving complex oral instructions; asking clarifying questions
- Evaluating a speaker’s clarity, coherence, diction and syntax respectfully
- Delivery: eye contact, rate, volume, enunciation, pauses, purposeful gesture
- Formal presentation with a thesis and valid evidence from reliable sources
- Structured collaborative discussion: building on others, consensus, agreed criteria
- Constructing a sound spoken argument with rhetorical devices
- The ELAR TEKS listening and speaking continuum and how to assess it
Domain IV. Educating All Learners and Professional Practice (about 15 of the 90 selected-response questions, 13 percent of the exam)
Differentiation, learning environment, and assessment practice, including Texas legal and ethical duties.
- Competency 009, Differentiation Strategies in Planning and Practice: Understand how to identify and implement evidence- and research-based differentiation strategies and data-driven practices to effectively teach and engage all learners.
- Universal design for learning as the planning frame, not an add-on
- Active participation and inclusion in one-to-one, small-group and whole-class settings
- Building on interests, primary language, experience and prior knowledge
- Scaffolding and adjusting in response to student feedback
- Accommodations and modifications under 504 plans and IEPs
- IDEA disability categories and Child Find obligations
- The Code of Ethics and Standard Practices for Texas Educators
- Clear, regular communication with colleagues, families and stakeholders
- Competency 010, Strategies to Support Effective Learning Environments: Understand how to identify and implement evidence- and research-based strategies to effectively teach and engage all learners through effective learning environments.
- Safe, positive, supportive classrooms as a precondition for learning
- Activities and resources that build a positive disposition toward learning
- Primary language and multilingualism treated as assets
- Language accommodation so content stays accessible across disciplines
- Collaboration with families, service providers and colleagues, including for ELs and IEPs
- Respectful interactions and workable behavior management systems
- High expectations, self-motivation and student ownership
- Maximizing instructional time and managing transitions
- Competency 011, Data-Driven Practice and Formal/Informal Assessment: Understand the types, selection, and uses of data-driven, appropriate assessments and assessment practices to effectively support program improvement and all students’ learning.
- Assessment terminology and the purpose each assessment type serves
- Formal, informal and alternative assessments, with their limitations
- Aligning assessments to instructional objectives and the TEKS
- Administering assessments and documenting outcomes properly
- Assessment accommodations so the measure stays valid
- Legal and ethical assessment practice and confidentiality
- Multi-Tiered Systems of Support and tiered instruction from multiple data points
- Anecdotal notes, checklists and systematic observation as data
- Turning assessment results into goals, differentiation and adjusted instruction
Domain V. Constructed Response (no selected-response questions; 20 percent of the exam)
One written assignment built from a given standard and a given text excerpt. It carries 20 percent of the score by itself.
- Competency 012, Constructed Response: In a written response, describe principles and strategies for developing standards-based, data-driven instruction that will help all students achieve a specific learning goal.
- One written assignment, worth 20% of the exam, treated as its own domain
- You are given an ELA academic standard and an excerpt from a grade-level literary or informational text
- Write a specific, standards-aligned learning goal from that standard and text
- Say how you would assess mastery and name the likely learning challenges
- Name instructional strategies that address those specific challenges
- Show how students use texts to build knowledge and connect to prior understanding and real life
- Differentiate for the full range of learners
- Close the loop: assess growth against the goal and plan what comes next
A study routine for a 90-question exam with a written assignment
Ninety questions in four hours and forty-five minutes leaves room to think, and you will want some of that time for the written response. Pace yourself so you finish the selected-response section with at least forty minutes left.
DiagnoseTake Practice Test 1 cold, all 90 questions on the clock. Tally every miss by competency number rather than by topic name.
Fix the two heaviest domainsReading Instruction and Assessment and Oral and Written Communication are 25 percent each, half the exam between them. Work through the vocabulary, comprehension, composition, and research competencies before anything else.
Learn the terms coldRun the deck until Tier Two vocabulary, text complexity, MTSS, universal design for learning, and the common logical fallacies come out without hesitation. Many questions turn on knowing exactly what one term means.
Practice the written responseTake one academic standard and one short text excerpt. Write a specific learning goal, say how you would assess it, name the likely learning challenges, and match a strategy to each challenge. Then say how you would differentiate and what you would do next. Do this three or four times before test day so the structure is habit.
Read scenarios like a teacher, not a test takerMost selected-response items describe a classroom. Decide what you would actually do next with those students, then find the choice that matches. Answers that sound generous but collect no evidence are usually wrong.
Prove itSit Practice Test 2 under the same conditions, then draft one more written response in a single sitting.
Complete competency map
Every competency in the vendor framework, grouped by domain, with the study points that sit under each one. Work down a domain and mark the points you could not explain to a colleague.
Domain I: Reading Instruction and Assessment (25%)
- 01Competency 001: Foundations of Reading Instruction and Assessment
- 02 Listening, speaking, reading, writing and thinking taught as one integrated system
- 03 Research- and evidence-based reading instruction anchored in the ELAR TEKS
- 04 What raises or depresses reading proficiency in grades 7-12, especially background knowledge
- 05 Dyslexia and dysgraphia: characteristics, evidence-based strategies, accommodations
- 06Competency 002: Vocabulary Development
- 07 The ELAR TEKS vocabulary continuum for grades 7-12
- 08 Familial, educational, socioeconomic and linguistic influences on vocabulary growth
- 09 Tier One, Tier Two and Tier Three words, and which tier to teach explicitly
- 10 Affixes, roots and word formation as a decoding-for-meaning tool
- 11Competency 003: Reading Comprehension
- 12 Comprehension as active construction of meaning, not passive receipt
- 13 Explicit teaching of Tier Two and Tier Three academic vocabulary
- 14 Schema and background knowledge as the engine of inference
- 15 Text complexity: quantitative measures plus qualitative features
Domain II: Text Comprehension and Analysis (17%)
- 16Competency 004: Reading Literary Texts
- 17 Fiction, poetry and drama across American, British and world literature
- 18 Poetic sound and form: meter, rhyme scheme, end, internal and slant rhyme
- 19 Figurative language, imagery, irony, paradox, satire, allegory and their purposes
- 20 Theme built through characterization and plot; archetypes and complex characters
- 21Competency 005: Reading Informational and Argumentative Texts
- 22 Thesis, supporting evidence and examples in informational text
- 23 Author’s purpose, audience and message, and how design serves them
- 24 Argumentative structure: arguable claim, appeals, types of evidence, counterargument
- 25 Rhetorical devices: appeals, antithesis, parallelism, shifts
Domain III: Oral and Written Communication (25%)
- 26Competency 006: Composition
- 27 Matching genre to topic, purpose and audience
- 28 Idea generation: brainstorming, journaling, discussion, background reading
- 29 Purposeful structure: introduction, transitions, paragraph coherence, conclusion
- 30 Controlling idea or thesis, developed with specific, relevant detail
- 31Competency 007: Inquiry and Research
- 32 Framing, critiquing and revising a research question and plan
- 33 Locating and gathering relevant information from varied sources
- 34 Primary versus secondary sources
- 35 Evaluating a source for reliability, credibility and accuracy
- 36Competency 008: Listening and Speaking
- 37 Active listening, appropriate response, and adjusting to audience and purpose
- 38 Following and giving complex oral instructions; asking clarifying questions
- 39 Evaluating a speaker’s clarity, coherence, diction and syntax respectfully
- 40 Delivery: eye contact, rate, volume, enunciation, pauses, purposeful gesture
Domain IV: Educating All Learners and Professional Practice (13%)
- 41Competency 009: Differentiation Strategies in Planning and Practice
- 42 Universal design for learning as the planning frame, not an add-on
- 43 Active participation and inclusion in one-to-one, small-group and whole-class settings
- 44 Building on interests, primary language, experience and prior knowledge
- 45 Scaffolding and adjusting in response to student feedback
- 46Competency 010: Strategies to Support Effective Learning Environments
- 47 Safe, positive, supportive classrooms as a precondition for learning
- 48 Activities and resources that build a positive disposition toward learning
- 49 Primary language and multilingualism treated as assets
- 50 Language accommodation so content stays accessible across disciplines
- 51Competency 011: Data-Driven Practice and Formal/Informal Assessment
- 52 Assessment terminology and the purpose each assessment type serves
- 53 Formal, informal and alternative assessments, with their limitations
- 54 Aligning assessments to instructional objectives and the TEKS
- 55 Administering assessments and documenting outcomes properly
Domain V: Constructed Response (20%)
- 56Competency 012: Constructed Response
- 57 One written assignment, worth 20% of the exam, treated as its own domain
- 58 You are given an ELA academic standard and an excerpt from a grade-level literary or informational text
- 59 Write a specific, standards-aligned learning goal from that standard and text
- 60 Say how you would assess mastery and name the likely learning challenges
Before test day
Candidates who miss this exam usually miss it in one of two places. The first is the written assignment, because a fifth of the score rides on it and a vague learning goal drags down everything after it. Name the standard, name the goal in one sentence a student could understand, and keep the rest of the response tied to that goal. The second is Domain IV, which is small at 13 percent but full of specifics that reward exact knowledge: what a 504 plan does that an IEP does not, what Child Find obligates a district to do, what the Code of Ethics and Standard Practices for Texas Educators says. Those are facts, not judgment calls, and they are quick points once you have learned them.
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TExES English Language Arts and Reading 7-12 (331): study questions
What can I study in this TExES English Language Arts and Reading 7-12 (331) Online Center?
This TExES English Language Arts and Reading 7-12 (331) Online Center includes practice, lessons, worksheets, flashcards and review tools. Topics on the page include Domain I: Reading Instruction and Assessment (25%), Domain II: Text Comprehension and Analysis (17%), Domain III: Oral and Written Communication (25%).
How should I use the TExES English Language Arts and Reading 7-12 (331) resources?
Choose a topic or practice activity from this Online Center. Review the linked explanation, try the practice, and use the result to decide what to study next. Check each resource’s directions for its format and access requirements.
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