TExES Social Studies 7-12 Online Center
This TExES Social Studies 7-12 Online Center brings together practice, lessons, worksheets, flashcards and review tools. Choose the resource that matches the skill you want to work on next.
TExES Social Studies 7-12 Practice Center
Sit a full 140-question form, then read the explanation under every miss. Sort the misses by domain first. Most candidates find that the history domains hold up and the losses cluster in one or two of the smaller domains, usually economics or the behavioral sciences, and those are the cheapest points to buy back.
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TExES Social Studies 7-12 at a glance
This is the comprehensive content exam for the Social Studies: Grades 7-12 certificate in Texas, and comprehensive is the right word. World history, United States history, Texas history, geography, culture, sociology, anthropology, psychology, government, economics, the history of science and technology, and the teaching of all of it sit inside one 140-question form. At 140 questions it is one of the longest TExES content exams, tied with Science 7-12 and forty questions longer than Mathematics 7-12, on the same testing clock.
| Test code | 232 (Social Studies: Grades 7-12) |
|---|---|
| Status | Current. Exam 232 is listed as an active exam on tx.nesinc.com and is available year round by appointment. Its pages carry no retirement notice and no successor code has been announced, unlike English Language Arts and Reading 7-12 (231). |
| Number of questions | 140 selected-response questions |
| Constructed response | None. Both the test detail page and the exam framework describe the exam as selected response only. |
| Time | 5 hours of total appointment time: 15 minutes for the tutorial and compliance agreement, then 4 hours and 45 minutes of testing time |
| Format | Computer-administered test delivered at Pearson Professional Centers, offered year round by appointment |
| Calculator | No calculator is mentioned for this exam. Do not expect to bring one or to be given one. Mathematics 7-12 requires a candidate-supplied graphing calculator and Science 7-12 provides an on-screen scientific calculator; 232 lists neither. |
| Reference materials | None listed. No formula sheet, map set, or timeline is announced. |
| Passing score | A scaled score of 240. Total exam performance is reported on a 100 to 300 scale. |
| Pace | About two minutes per question if you spread the testing time evenly |
| Certificate | This is the content exam for the Social Studies: Grades 7-12 certificate, distinct from the single-field secondary exams in History and in Geography. |
Texas publishes an approximate percentage for each of the seven domains: World History 15 percent, U.S. History 20 percent, Texas History 13 percent, Geography, Culture and the Behavioral and Social Sciences 13 percent, Government and Citizenship 13 percent, Economics and Science, Technology and Society 13 percent, and Social Studies Foundations, Skills, Research and Instruction 13 percent. Applied to 140 questions that is roughly 21 questions of world history, 28 of U.S. history, and about 18 or 19 in each of the other five domains. Texas does not publish a percentage for any individual competency, so none is claimed here.
The seven domains, in plain language
Texas frames the exam as 26 competencies grouped into seven domains. Here is what each domain covers and which competencies sit under it.
I. World History (15 percent, about 21 questions)
Four eras of world history, from the first river valley cities to the world after the Cold War.
- Competency 001: Ancient World Civilizations
- Competency 002: World History from 600 A.D. to 1450 A.D.
- Competency 003: World History from 1450 A.D. to 1750 A.D.
- Competency 004: World History from 1750 A.D. to the Present
II. U.S. History (20 percent, about 28 questions)
Five competencies covering the United States from first contact to current policy debates.
- Competency 005: Exploration and Colonization
- Competency 006: The Revolutionary Era and the Early Republic
- Competency 007: Westward Expansion, the Civil War and Reconstruction
- Competency 008: The United States as a World Power
- Competency 009: Political, Economic and Social Developments from 1877 to the Present
III. Texas History (13 percent, about 18 questions)
Texas from its American Indian nations through Spanish rule, revolution, statehood, and the modern Sun Belt economy.
- Competency 010: Texas Exploration and Colonization through 1821
- Competency 011: Texas from 1821 to 1900
- Competency 012: Texas in the Twentieth and Twenty-first Centuries
IV. Geography, Culture and the Behavioral and Social Sciences (13 percent, about 18 questions)
Physical geography plus the culture, society, and behavior questions drawn from sociology, anthropology, and psychology.
- Competency 013: Physical Geography
- Competency 014: Global and Regional Patterns of Culture
- Competency 015: Interactions Among Peoples, Places and Environments
- Competency 016: Sociological, Anthropological and Psychological Concepts
V. Government and Citizenship (13 percent, about 18 questions)
How the American system is built, how citizens act inside it, and how other systems compare.
- Competency 017: Democratic Principles and U.S. Government
- Competency 018: Citizenship and Political Processes
- Competency 019: Types of Political Systems
VI. Economics and Science, Technology and Society (13 percent, about 18 questions)
Economic reasoning, the free enterprise system, and the history of science and technology as social history.
- Competency 020: Economic Concepts and Systems
- Competency 021: The U.S. Free Enterprise System
- Competency 022: Science, Technology and Society
VII. Social Studies Foundations, Skills, Research and Instruction (13 percent, about 19 questions)
The discipline itself: inquiry, sources, research method, and how you teach and assess all of it.
- Competency 023: Social Studies Foundations and Skills
- Competency 024: Sources and Communication of Social Studies Information
- Competency 025: Social Studies Research
- Competency 026: Social Studies Instruction and Assessment
A study routine for a 140-question content exam
The failure mode on this exam is not the history. It is the five smaller domains that carry 13 percent each and get almost none of a candidate’s study time. Together those five are 65 percent of the test, more than both history domains combined.
Complete competency map
All 26 competencies Texas publishes for this exam, each broken into the points to be able to speak to. There are no linked lessons here yet; use this as a checklist and mark what you cannot yet explain out loud.
Competency 001: Ancient World Civilizations (World History domain)
- 01Geography and agriculture as drivers of early civilization
- 02River valley civilizations and their political organization
- 03Greece and Rome: government, philosophy, and legacy
- 04Maya and Inca traditions in the Americas
- 05China, India, and Japan in the classical era
- 06Diffusion as the mechanism spreading ideas between civilizations
Competency 002: World History from 600 A.D. to 1450 A.D. (World History domain)
- 07The founding and spread of Islam
- 08Feudalism and manorialism after Rome’s collapse
- 09The Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches in medieval life
- 10The Crusades and their political and economic aftermath
- 11Mongol conquests and the Silk Road as connectors
- 12Aztec and Inca traditions; Tang, Song and Yuan China
Competency 003: World History from 1450 A.D. to 1750 A.D. (World History domain)
- 13Renaissance humanism and the Reformation
- 14The fall of Constantinople and the rise of the Ottomans
- 15Motives for European exploration and expansion
- 16The Columbian Exchange in both directions
- 17The Atlantic slave trade and its consequences
- 18Conquest of the Aztec and Inca empires
Competency 004: World History from 1750 A.D. to the Present (World History domain)
- 19Atlantic revolutions and Latin American independence
- 20Industrial Revolution: causes, technologies, and social costs
- 21New imperialism and its effects on colonized societies
- 22World War I, World War II, and the Holocaust
- 23Totalitarianism in Italy, Germany, and the Soviet Union
- 24Cold War, decolonization, globalization, and terrorism
Competency 005: Exploration and Colonization (U.S. History domain)
- 25Motives for European colonization: God, gold, and glory
- 26Encounters and conflicts with American Indian nations
- 27The distinct character of the New England, Middle, and Southern colonies
- 28Mayflower Compact, House of Burgesses, Fundamental Orders
- 29The Iroquois Confederacy as an influence on representative government
- 30Slavery’s establishment in the colonial economy
Competency 006: The Revolutionary Era and the Early Republic (U.S. History domain)
- 31Mercantilism and post-1763 British policy as causes of revolution
- 32Key battles and the Treaty of Paris of 1783
- 33Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation
- 34The Great Compromise, the Three-Fifths Compromise, ratification debates
- 35Federalists versus Democratic-Republicans; the first party system
- 36Jacksonian democracy, the tariff crisis, and Indian removal
Competency 007: Westward Expansion, the Civil War and Reconstruction (U.S. History domain)
- 37Manifest Destiny and its political and economic roots
- 38The sequence of territorial acquisitions and how each was obtained
- 39The United States-Mexican War and the Mexican Cession
- 40Sectionalism, the compromises, and the road to secession
- 41Turning points of the Civil War; the Emancipation Proclamation
- 42Reconstruction amendments, their promise, and their rollback
Competency 008: The United States as a World Power (U.S. History domain)
- 43Spanish-American War and the debate over empire
- 44The Fourteen Points, the League fight, and interwar isolationism
- 45Pearl Harbor and U.S. entry into World War II
- 46Containment: Marshall Plan, NATO, Berlin airlift, Korea, Vietnam
- 47Cuban Missile Crisis and Cold War brinkmanship
- 48Post-Cold War foreign policy challenges
Competency 009: Political, Economic and Social Developments from 1877 to the Present (U.S. History domain)
- 49Industrialization, urbanization, and the rise of organized labor
- 50Populism and the Progressive Era reform agenda
- 51The Great Depression and the New Deal
- 52The African American civil rights movement and its landmark legislation
- 53Hispanic, American Indian, and women’s rights movements
- 54Immigration policy, globalization, and contemporary issues
Competency 010: Texas Exploration and Colonization through 1821 (Texas History domain)
- 55Gulf, Plains, Puebloan, and Southeastern American Indian groups of Texas
- 56Spanish exploration: Cabeza de Vaca, Pineda, and the entradas
- 57The mission and presidio system in Spanish Texas
- 58Escandon’s colonization of the lower Rio Grande
- 59Moses Austin and the eve of the Mexican National Era
- 60Texas geography shaping settlement and land use
Competency 011: Texas from 1821 to 1900 (Texas History domain)
- 61The Law of April 6, 1830 and rising Anglo-Mexican tension
- 62Gonzales, the Alamo, Goliad, and San Jacinto in sequence
- 63The Republic of Texas under Houston and Lamar
- 64Annexation, the United States-Mexican War, and early statehood
- 65Texas in the Civil War and under Reconstruction
- 66Frontier conflict, the cattle kingdom, and the railroads
Competency 012: Texas in the Twentieth and Twenty-first Centuries (Texas History domain)
- 67Spindletop and the transformation of the Texas economy
- 68Texas through World War I, the Depression, World War II, and the Cold War
- 69Progressive and civil rights leaders in Texas
- 70Lyndon B. Johnson and Barbara Jordan in national politics
- 71Rust Belt to Sun Belt migration and suburbanization
- 72Aerospace, computing, and medical research in modern Texas
Competency 013: Physical Geography (Geography, Culture and the Behavioral and Social Sciences domain)
- 73Physical regions defined by soil, climate, vegetation, and drainage
- 74The four spheres and the processes linking them
- 75Earth-Sun relationships, seasons, and insolation
- 76Climate controls: latitude, elevation, currents, orographic barriers
- 77Major biomes and the distribution of plants and animals
- 78Tectonic processes and the landforms they build
Competency 014: Global and Regional Patterns of Culture (Geography, Culture and the Behavioral and Social Sciences domain)
- 79Cultural regions and the traits that define them
- 80Innovation, diffusion, and cultural change
- 81Population growth, distribution, and migration patterns
- 82Major world religions and philosophical traditions
- 83Globalization’s effect on local culture
- 84Art and music as evidence about the society that produced them
Competency 015: Interactions Among Peoples, Places and Environments (Geography, Culture and the Behavioral and Social Sciences domain)
- 85Adaptation to and modification of the physical environment
- 86Settlement patterns and the geographic factors behind them
- 87The Neolithic revolution as a turning point
- 88Push and pull factors in migration
- 89Location theory: why economic activity clusters where it does
- 90Geography as a shaper of borders and policy
Competency 016: Sociological, Anthropological and Psychological Concepts (Geography, Culture and the Behavioral and Social Sciences domain)
- 91Culture as the foundation of behavior; enculturation and socialization
- 92Social institutions and the needs they meet
- 93Race, ethnicity, and demographic change in the United States
- 94Gender and family roles as culturally variable
- 95Major sociological theoretical perspectives
- 96Behavioral, cognitive, social, and personality psychology
Competency 017: Democratic Principles and U.S. Government (Government and Citizenship domain)
- 97Popular sovereignty, separation of powers, checks and balances
- 98How a bill becomes law, and the amendment process
- 99Federalism and the shifting state-national balance
- 100Landmark Supreme Court decisions and their consequences
- 101The Bill of Rights and later amendments
- 102Texas state and local government structure
Competency 018: Citizenship and Political Processes (Government and Citizenship domain)
- 103Parties, interest groups, PACs, and the media in politics
- 104Elections, the electoral college, and appointment processes
- 105How public policy is actually made
- 106Constitutional rights and their limits
- 107Expansion of suffrage across U.S. history
- 108Civic duties versus civic responsibilities
Competency 019: Types of Political Systems (Government and Citizenship domain)
- 109Enlightenment political thought and its documents
- 110Magna Carta, English Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence
- 111Monarchy, oligarchy, theocracy, democracy, republic, totalitarianism
- 112Unitary, confederal, and federal systems
- 113Presidential versus parliamentary systems
- 114How the democratic-republican model evolved
Competency 020: Economic Concepts and Systems (Economics and Science, Technology and Society domain)
- 115Scarcity, choice, and opportunity cost
- 116The circular-flow model of households and firms
- 117Supply, demand, equilibrium price, and shifts in each
- 118Traditional, command, market, and mixed economies
- 119Perfect competition, monopoly, oligopoly, monopolistic competition
- 120Comparative advantage, tariffs, and trade agreements
Competency 021: The U.S. Free Enterprise System (Economics and Science, Technology and Society domain)
- 121Principles of the U.S. free enterprise system
- 122Sole proprietorship, partnership, and corporation compared
- 123Banks, the Federal Reserve, and the role of credit
- 124Fiscal and monetary policy goals
- 125Consumer, labor, and business rights and responsibilities
- 126Personal financial literacy: budgeting, credit, saving, investing
Competency 022: Science, Technology and Society (Economics and Science, Technology and Society domain)
- 127Origin and diffusion of major scientific and mathematical ideas
- 128Key scientists and inventors and what each changed
- 129Technology as a driver of U.S. economic development
- 130Scientific change and its ethical dilemmas
- 131Effects of discovery on standards of living and life expectancy
- 132Science and technology as social history, not just content
Competency 023: Social Studies Foundations and Skills (Social Studies Foundations, Skills, Research and Instruction domain)
- 133Philosophical foundations of social science inquiry
- 134Correct and precise social studies terminology
- 135Interdisciplinary connections among the social sciences
- 136A structured problem-solving process
- 137A structured decision-making process
- 138Conflict resolution as a taught skill
Competency 024: Sources and Communication of Social Studies Information (Social Studies Foundations, Skills, Research and Instruction domain)
- 139Primary versus secondary sources and the uses of each
- 140Evaluating source validity, bias, and frame of reference
- 141Reading and constructing maps, charts, graphs, and timelines
- 142Map projections and thematic mapping
- 143Economic indicators and what each measures
- 144Communicating findings in written, oral, and visual form
Competency 025: Social Studies Research (Social Studies Foundations, Skills, Research and Instruction domain)
- 145Formulating a researchable question
- 146Historical method and social science methodology compared
- 147Sequencing, categorizing, comparing, and finding cause and effect
- 148Distinguishing correlation from causation in social data
- 149Basic statistics applied to social studies data
- 150Reaching and defending a supportable conclusion
Competency 026: Social Studies Instruction and Assessment (Social Studies Foundations, Skills, Research and Instruction domain)
- 151Vertical alignment of the social studies TEKS
- 152Disciplinary literacy: reading a social studies text
- 153Vocabulary instruction in a content area
- 154Interdisciplinary connections built deliberately
- 155Teaching multiple perspectives without false balance
- 156Formative and summative assessment driving instruction
Before test day
Two habits pay on this exam. The first is answering ordering questions by anchoring on an event you are sure of and reasoning outward, rather than trying to date each choice cold. The second is reading the last few words of the stem before the choices, because many items ask for a cause, an effect, or a best explanation, and a candidate who knows the content can still hand back the question by answering the wrong one of those. Four hours and forty-five minutes is generous time for 140 questions. Use it to read carefully, not to second-guess.
A USEFUL NEXT STEP
TExES Social Studies 7-12: study questions
What can I study in this TExES Social Studies 7-12 Online Center?
This TExES Social Studies 7-12 Online Center includes practice, lessons, worksheets, flashcards and review tools. Topics on the page include Competency 001: Ancient World Civilizations (World History domain), Competency 002: World History from 600 A.D. to 1450 A.D. (World History domain), Competency 003: World History from 1450 A.D. to 1750 A.D. (World History domain).
How should I use the TExES Social Studies 7-12 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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