Urban Teachers and the states in which we serve students requires new teachers to complete a pre-professional test prior to the start of a teacher preparation program. For Dallas/Fort Worth, you can submit prior ACT or SAT scores for the admissions team to review. If approved, you may not need to take any new tests and we can utilize the coursework on your undergraduate transcripts to see if it has enough credits to not take a new test. To begin the process, you must have signed an offer for Cohort 2023 and provide a visual copy of your transcript and SAT or ACT scores. You will receive an official notification once the approval process is complete.
If your ACT scores, SAT scores, and/or transcripts do not qualify, you will need to sign up for a PACT exam. We ask that you complete either the Essential Academic Skills exam, the Secondary ELAR grades 4-8 or 7-12 exam, or Secondary Math grades 4-8 or 7-12 exam.
You must take and pass these tests no later than May 10, 2022. State exams need to be passed prior to attending Summer Institute (mid-June 2023) to join our 2023 cohort. We suggest taking any exams before March 2023 to confirm you have met the requirement or allow retakes for the May deadline requirement for passing scores. Below is some additional information and resources regarding these exams:
Acceptable Tests and Passing Scores:
*If you are open to any program of study, we encourage you to join the Elementary Education or Secondary Math Program to meet the needs of our school partners and students.
When to Sign Up
You should take a diagnostic exam within 10 days of receiving a Letter of Intent from Urban Teachers for Elementary candidates.
Register for a test here. Find the section "Register", click "Register Now", and "Create a new account now". Enter your email, password, and security questions. When it asks "Do you have a TEA ID", answer "No". Click next and put in your Required Candidate Information. For "Testing Route", select "Pre-Admission Content Test". Use this Getting Started Guide to walk you through each step.
Where to Take the Exam
Check for test center availability in your area here. In your search for available appointments, you may need to broaden your search geographically or extend your search to future dates. Additional appointments may become available as more sites re-open over time. Please be sure to call the test center to confirm availability as all locations may vary.
Cost of Exams
The cost of a PACT exam is $106 (plus tax). The Essential Academic Skills exam (for the elementary program) is $56 if you choose to take the exam in individual sections or $106 to take the full exam in one session. The exam fee for English Language Arts and Reading, as well as for Mathematics, is also $106, while additional fees for all may vary.
For accepted Cohort 2023 members, Urban Teachers will reimburse candidates for state exams based on financial need. This includes PACT tests, retakes, and additional resources (if you have trouble passing the test). You must complete a financial need request form given to applicants after signing the Letter of Intent form. We require diagnostic results from testing supports prior to providing additional funding for an upcoming test registration. We also have free online, on-demand courses available. Please email admissions@urbanteachers.org if you have further questions.
Additional Resources
We recommend that you view our webinar to learn more about testing requirements.
Urban Teachers designed the Prep4PACT course to support future teachers with math preparation for the Pre-Admissions Content Test for elementary and secondary educators. The two-module course provides applicants with relevant resources and information to become knowledgeable about the format and content of the examinations.
Enroll Now
We also recommend that you review practice questions and study materials before taking the test. The resources below are all free.
Retaking an Exam
If you do not pass any of the sections of the PACT exam, you can sign up to retake it. You would only need to retake the portion that you did not pass, or consider taking a different test, but you must wait 30 days before you can retake the same content exam. ( http://www.tx.nesinc.com/PageView.aspx?f=GEN_RetakePolicy.html )
Filing a Complaint in Dallas
If any applicant or participant in Dallas/Fort Worth has a complaint, they may also follow the Texas Education Agency complaints process, when applicable. To see the complaint process for current participants, click here.
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