Test Results and Score Reporting

Test Scores and Passing Standards

To pass the TOPT, you must receive a score of 6 or higher, based on the combination of scores received from a minimum of two independent scorings of your response.
See "Preparing for the TOPT" in the Registration Bulletin for information about scoring procedures.

Reporting Your Test Scores

Your test scores will be reported directly to you. They are also automatically added to your certification file and made available to the TEA and to your Educator Preparation Program (if applicable). Your score report is for your information only; do not submit it with your application for certification. Keep a copy for your permanent records.

Please note that application for certification does not proceed automatically based upon receipt of your scores by the TEA. To apply for certification, you must go to the SBEC website and follow the application for certification instructions.

Delay of Test Scores

Under some circumstances, scores may be delayed.

Scores for newly developed tests may be delayed in order to set passing scores.
Scores may be delayed due to problems with registration, failure to comply with the policies and procedures in the Registration Bulletin, and/or with instructions given by test center personnel.
Scores will be delayed if there are problems with your payment. See Fees for Tests and Related Services for more information.
Your scores may be permanently voided if you are completing certification requirements through an Educator Preparation Program and you have not provided proof that you have approval to test (i.e., a TEA ID number from your Educator Preparation Program). See Approval to Test for more information.

Online Score Reports

Your final scores are available to you through the online registration system as an Unofficial Score Report. Score reports for TOPT tests are posted by 5:00 p.m. Central time on the score reporting date. Score reports are viewable for 90 days.

Online scores are available regardless of your registration method. To access your online scores go to View Scores and follow the instructions provided. If you have not already established an account in the ETS online registration system, you will need to do so in order to access your scores.

Official Score Reports

Your official score report will be mailed to you by U.S. mail on the date indicated in Score Reporting Dates. Your score report will be mailed to the address that you provided during the registration process. If you wish to have your official score report sent to a different address, you will need to update the address in your SBEC Educator Profile. See Correcting or Updating Your Educator Profile. If the information in your SBEC Educator Profile is not current, ETS assumes no responsibility if you do not receive your official score report.

Your score report provides information about your passing status and other performance information. With each score report, you will receive an explanation of how to read your score report. See Test Scores and Passing Standards for information on the passing requirements for TExES and ExCET tests.

If you have not received your test results two weeks after the score report date, call Customer Service at 1-800-205-2626. Under no circumstances will ETS or the TEA release your official score information by telephone, fax, e-mail, or in person.

Score Reporting Dates

Test Date	Score Reporting Date
10/27/07	11/21/07 (change from date printed in Registration Bulletin)
2/2/08	2/29/08
5/3/08	5/30/08

Scoring Services

Score Report Reprints
You may request additional copies of your score report beginning two weeks after the score reporting date. Additional copies may be sent only to you. Additional score reports are available for up to five years after the test administration date. Please allow two to four weeks from the receipt of the request for delivery.

Score report reprints can be ordered through the online registration system or by completing the Score Report Reprint Request Form in the back of the Registration Bulletin. Mail the form and correct payment to the address on the form. The Score Report Reprint Request form is also available in the Download Library.

See Fees for Tests and Related Services for information about fees and payment policies.

Score Verification
All TOPT responses are scored according to standardized procedures. Scorers with relevant professional backgrounds are oriented to these procedures and are carefully monitored during scoring sessions. As part of the scoring process, responses are scored by multiple scorers. However, if you wish, you may request to have your responses reevaluated.

To request score verification, go to the online registration system or complete the Score Verification Request Form in the back of the Registration Bulletin and mail it to the address on the form with the correct payment. The Score Verification Request form is also available in the Download Library. Requests are limited to a one-time score verification for any one test. See Fees for Tests and Related Services for information about payment. Your request must be postmarked within six months of the score report date.

The results of the score verification process will be available within four to six weeks after receipt of the request. In the event that the score verification process results in a change in your score, you will be issued a corrected score report, the score verification fee will be refunded, and your records will be updated. If the original score is confirmed, you will be sent a letter indicating that the score has been confirmed. In this case, your fee will not be refunded.

Expanded Diagnostic Feedback Service

The Expanded Diagnostic Feedback Service offers a comprehensive review of examinees' responses by selected scoring leaders in order to provide detailed and customized feedback identifying the specific problem areas that most contributed to their nonpassing scores. This service is available to all examinees with nonpassing scores for TOPT French (080) and TOPT Spanish (081) exams taken during the 2007-08 testing year.

To request Expanded Diagnostic Feedback, examinees should complete the request form found in the back of the Registration Bulletin and submit it along with payment. See Fees for Tests and Related Services for information about fees and payment policies. Requests must be received within 90 days of the date of the test administration for which the service is being requested. Examinees will receive their Expanded Diagnostic Feedback by mail within one month of receipt of their request and payment.

More information about the Expanded Diagnostic Feedback Service will be available on this website in advance of the October 2007 administration.

Cancellation of Test Scores by You

If, after taking a test, you do not want your score reported, you may cancel your test score. The TOPT program will cancel your score upon receipt of a written request (include your name, signature, TEA ID number, customer number, date of birth, administration date, and the test for which you wish to have your score canceled). Mail your request to:

ETS-Texas Educator Certification Program
PO Box 6001
Princeton, NJ 08541-6001

Your cancellation request must be received within five business days of the date on which you took the test. If you choose to cancel your score, you will not receive a refund or credit of any kind.

If you request that your score be canceled, your score will not be reported to you, to the TEA, or to any Educator Preparation Program. Your score will not be entered into any TOPT records; therefore, after the cancellation of your score, you will not be able to have your score reported for any purpose.

Cancellation of Test Scores by ETS and the TEA

ETS takes reasonable security precautions in developing and administering TOPT tests and processing test scores with a view to ensuring that no test taker has an unfair advantage over other test takers. Accordingly, the TEA and ETS reserve the right to withold and ultimately cancel your scores due to misconduct and/or if the TEA deems there is reason to question your scores' validity or legitimacy (including, but not limited to, a violation of the rules set forth in the current Registration Bulletin, including the test center procedures and regulations, and the procedures communicated to you, orally or in writing, at the test administration). In such cases, ETS will notify relevant parties of the TEA's decision.

Further action may be taken, including denying, revoking, and/or suspending a teaching credential or certificate. Other actions, as described in Test Center Procedures and Regulations may be taken as deemed appropriate by the TEA and/or ETS.

Testing Irregularities
"Testing irregularities" refers to test administration problems that may affect an individual or groups of test takers, including without limitation, administrative errors (such as improper timing, improper seating, defective materials, and defective equipment); improper access to test content; and other disruptions of test administrations (such as natural disasters or other emergencies). When testing irregularities occur, ETS may decline to score the test, or cancel the test score at the TEA's discretion. When, in the TEA's sole judgment, it is appropriate to do so, test takers will be given the opportunity to take the test again as soon as reasonably possible without charge.

Identification Discrepancies
When, in ETS's judgment, or the judgment of test center personnel, there is a discrepancy in a test taker's identification, the test taker may be dismissed from the test center and/or ETS may decline to score that test, or cancel that test score.

Misconduct
When ETS or test center personnel find that there is misconduct in connection with a test, the test taker may be dismissed from the test center and/or ETS may decline to score the test, or withhold and ultimately cancel the test score. Misconduct includes, but is not limited to, noncompliance with the Test Center Procedures and Regulations.

Invalid Scores
ETS may also cancel scores if, in its judgment, there is substantial evidence that they are invalid for any other reason. Evidence of invalid scores may include, without limitation, discrepant handwriting, unusual answer patterns, and inconsistent performance on different parts of the test. Before canceling scores pursuant to this paragraph, ETS notifies the test taker in writing about its concerns, gives the test taker an opportunity to submit information that addresses ETS's concerns, considers any such information submitted, and offers the test taker a choice of options. The options include voluntary score cancellation, a free retest, or arbitration in accordance with ETS's standard Arbitration Agreement. In addition, the test taker is sent a copy of a booklet, Why and How Educational Testing Service Questions Test Scores, which explains this process in greater detail. (This booklet is available to any test taker at any time on request from the ETS Office of Testing Integrity. Call 1-800-353-8570 or e-mail TSReturns@ets.org.)

Confidentiality of Information

The TEA and ETS recognize your right to control the information about you that is stored by the TEA and ETS. Their policies are designed to safeguard that information from unauthorized disclosure.

Your score information is intended only for you and for your Educator Preparation Program (if applicable). However, background information as noted on the registration form is reported to the state of Texas and some institutions.

ETS will not release your score information at the request of institutions or agencies except:

for use in research studies, scoring, and statistical analyses approved by the TEA and that preserve your anonymity
when information is required under compulsion of legal processes (Your score record and the documents you completed that are retained at ETS may be released to 3rd parties, e.g., government agencies, parties to a lawsuit, etc., if requested pursuant to a subpoena.)
when the TEA requests copies of scores that have been reported to educator preparation programs
Under the Higher Education Act Title II section 207 of 1998, the U.S. Department of Education requires all states that require testing for licensure to provide that agency with annual performance data for students completing their state-approved teacher preparation programs. If you complete your preparation program in a given cohort year, your preparing institution will collect and forward your score information to the state for inclusion in the federally mandated educator preparation performance report. The report will contain aggregate data only, and will not include any information that identifies examinees.

Note that whenever ETS has confirmed that you have submitted a TOPT score directly to an educational institution, agency, or district in satisfaction of one of its requirements, ETS will respond to requests for score verification from that recipient.

TOPT recorded responses may be used for training scorers and in new test preparation materials. Test taker information, such as names and addresses, is not included when recorded responses are used for these purposes. Scorer training is essential to ensure that tests are scored in a fair and consistent manner. The use of your recorded responses will benefit future test takers by helping to improve the training of scorers, just as the scoring of your test will benefit from the use of prior test takers' recorded responses. Test preparation materials demonstrate how the test is administered and the skills that are necessary to succeed.

ExCET - Examination for the Certification of Educators in Texas