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The Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS) is an English language proficiency assessment aligned to the Texas English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS). This assessment is designed to assess the progress that emergent bilingual (EB) students make in learning the English language. TELPAS fulfills ESSA requirements for assessing EB students in kindergarten through grade 12 in four language domains: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
- TELPAS Educator Guide (09/25/2025)
Grades K–1 include:
- holistically rated observational assessments of listening, speaking, reading and writing
Grades 2–12 include online tests for:
- listening and speaking
- reading and writing
Who Is Tested?
All EB students in kindergarten through grade 12 enrolled in Texas public schools or open-enrollment charter schools are required to participate in TELPAS. EB students are required to be assessed annually with an English language proficiency assessment until they meet EB reclassification criteria.
What Is Tested?
- Grade 2 Constructed Response Scoring Guide
- Grade 3 Constructed Response Scoring Guide
- Grade 4–5 Constructed Response Scoring Guide
- Grade 6–7 Constructed Response Scoring Guide
- Grade 8–9 Constructed Response Scoring Guide
- Grade 10–12 Constructed Response Scoring Guide
- Elementary Sentence Rewrite Scoring Guide
- Middle School Sentence Rewrite Scoring Guide
- High School Sentence Rewrite Scoring Guide
What Do Test Questions Look Like?
Access the online released tests and practice sets on the .
Access answer keys and specific scoring guides at TELPAS Released Test Questions.
What Is Reported?
- Proficiency Standards
- Statewide Summary Reports
- Statewide Item Analysis Reports
- Raw Score Conversion Tables
- 2023 TELPAS Frequency Distribution
What Other Information Is Available?
Test Administration
- TELPAS Test Administrator Manual (Updated 10/13/2025)
- TELPAS Rater Manual (Updated 10/13/2025)
- TELPAS Paper and Holistic Test Administration Information (Updated 10/13/2025)
- TELPAS Proficiency Level Descriptors
- TELPAS Student Rating Roster
- TELPAS Writing Collection
- TELPAS Speaking and Writing Scoring Process
Training
- Making the ELPS-TELPAS Connection Grades K–12 Overview
- Introductory Training on the PLDs Grades K–1
- Introductory Training on the PLDs Grades 2–12
- Grades 2–12 Writing Collection Overview
- Holistic Rating Training (Updated 08/29/2025)
- Glossary of Terms Used in TELPAS Holistic Rating Training
- Annotated Examples of Student Writing
TELPAS Transition-Year Assessments (2026–2027 and 2027–2028)
In the Fall of 2024, the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) adopted new English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS). These new standards will become effective in classrooms in the 2026–2027 school year. As a result of the changes to the ELPS, the Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS) will transition to a new assessment.
Before the new assessment is implemented, transition-year assessments will be used during the 2026–2027 and 2027–2028 school years to measure the English language proficiency of emergent bilingual (EB) students.
During the transition period, the current proficiency level descriptors (PLDs) will continue to be used for the purpose of assessment. In addition, TELPAS will follow the assessment blueprints currently in place. The transition-year assessments will only include questions aligned to standards where there is an overlap between the current and the new ELPS.
The draft assessed curriculum for the transition-year assessments is linked below.
- Grades 2–3 Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing (Updated 11/14/2025)
- Grades 4–12 Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing (Updated 11/14/2025)
- Grades K–1 Holistic Assessment (Updated 02/25/2026)
- Grades 2–3 Special Administration Holistic Assessment Listening, Speaking, and Writing (Updated 02/25/2026)
- Grades 4–12 Special Administration Holistic Assessment Listening, Speaking, and Writing (Updated 02/25/2026)
Related Content
Contact Information: Student Assessment DivisionFor questions about
Contact Information
Student Assessment Division
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