Adding a *non-professional level certification to your existing initial certification:

The State of Texas makes available to certified teachers the option of adding new content/teaching field areas to their existing teaching credential through a method called Certification By Exam Only. Although many currently certified teachers prefer to have formal preparation prior to attempting a new state-licensing exam (TExES) in a content area, the State will allow the individual to challenge the content area TExES exam, without any formal preparation (except Trade and Industrial Education and Health Science Technology Education). If a certified teacher wishes to pursue this initiative, the individual can register online with the testing agency and indicate “By Exam Only.” Adding a non-professional level certification in this way does not require approval from or notification of intent to test to a preparation program since the program did not prepare the individual for the content area being added to their existing certification.

Professional certificates cannot be added by simply taking an exam. Professional certificates require preparation through an approved program. Professional certificates include principal, superintendent, reading specialist, educational diagnostician and school counselor.