TELPAS Resources
The Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS) is designed to assess the English language proficiency of emergent bilingual (EB) students in kindergarten through grade 12 and their progress in learning English. TELPAS assesses students in the four language domains of listening, speaking, reading, and writing and is aligned to the Texas English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS).
TELPAS fulfills the requirements of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) for assessing the English language proficiency of emergent bilingual (EB) students in kindergarten through grade 12.
For additional information about the TELPAS assessment, please refer to the TELPAS Educator Guide.
- TELPAS Educator Guide (Coming soon)
TELPAS assessments vary by grade-level band. The information below provides a general overview.
Grades K–1 include:
- holistically rated observational assessments of listening, speaking, reading, and writing
Grades 2–12 include:
- online tests for listening and speaking
- online tests for reading and writing
Grades 2–12 Special Administration:
- available to eligible EB students who cannot access an online assessment or who require a testing accommodation that cannot be provided in an online setting
TELPAS Transition-Year Assessments (2026–2027 and 2027–2028)
In Fall 2024, the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) adopted new English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS), which became effective in classrooms in the 2026–2027 school year. To support the transition to these standards, TELPAS will undergo a two-year transition period during the 2026–2027 and 2027–2028 school years before implementation of a new assessment in 2028–2029. During this transition period, the current TELPAS blueprints and four proficiency levels will remain in place for assessment purposes.
Grades 2–12 Online Assessments and Special Reading Paper Assessment
During the transition years, the TELPAS assessments will assess only the 2024 ELPS that overlap with the 2007 ELPS. The assessed curriculum for these transition-year assessments can be found in the What is Tested section of this page.
Grades K–1 and Grades 2–12 Special Holistic Assessments
During the transition years, the TELPAS holistic assessments will use only the 2024 Proficiency Level Descriptors (PLDs) that overlap with the 2007 PLDs. Emergent bilingual (EB) students who are assessed holistically through the observational assessment of listening, speaking, reading, and writing will be rated using the transition-year Holistic Assessment documents found in the What is Tested section of this page.
The Holistic Assessment documents include the assessment-eligible 2024 descriptors, their alignment to the four 2007 proficiency levels, and guidance for determining which of the four 2007 proficiency levels should be entered as a student’s rating based on the level at which they perform most consistently. The use of these documents is crucial to help maintain alignment, consistency, and interpretability during the transition period.
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?
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- Grades K–1 Holistic Assessment (Updated 8/24/2026)
- Grades 2–3 Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing (Updated 8/24/2026)
- Grades 2–3 Special Administration Holistic Assessment Listening, Speaking, and Writing (Updated 8/24/2026)
- Grades 4–12 Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing (Updated 8/24/2026)
- Grades 4–12 Special Administration Holistic Assessment Listening, Speaking, and Writing (Updated 8/24/2026)
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- 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 Practice Test Site.
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
- District and Campus Coordinator Resources
- 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 Student Rating Roster
- TELPAS Writing Collection
- TELPAS Speaking and Writing Scoring Process
Training
- Fall 2026 Program Overviews: TELPAS and TELPAS Alternate (coming soon)
- Making the ELPS-TELPAS Connection Grades K–12 Overview (coming soon)
- Introductory Training on the PLDs Grades K–1 (coming soon)
- Introductory Training on the PLDs Grades 2–12 (coming soon)
- Grades 2–12 Writing Collection Overview (coming soon)
- Holistic Rating Training (coming soon)
- Glossary of Terms Used in TELPAS Holistic Rating Training (coming soon)