Texas High School Credit by Exam: Subjects You Can Test Out Of (Grades 9–12)

May 21, 2026 33 views

In Texas, high-school students don't always have to sit through a year-long class to earn the credit. For many courses they can earn credit — or skip ahead a level — by Credit by Exam (CBE). This guide maps the subject landscape for grades 9–12: what's commonly available, how it works, and where to confirm any specific course.

How high-school CBE works (quick recap)

Two scoring rules: 70% to earn credit with prior instruction (credit recovery); 80% without prior instruction (acceleration / testing out). Set by Texas rules (TEC §28.023, TAC §74.24).
Semester A & B: most academic year-long courses are split into two exams — Semester A and Semester B.
Where: through your district's own exams, or university providers like UT High School (UTHS) and Texas Tech University ISD (TTU K-12). Only your school district grants and records the credit.
Availability varies. Not every course has a CBE everywhere — the exact list depends on the provider and your district. Always confirm the specific course before you plan.

The five subjects that are also Texas STAAR end-of-course (EOC) tests are Algebra I, Biology, English I, English II, and U.S. History — among the most commonly tested by exam.

1. Mathematics

The most popular acceleration area — students often test out early to move up the math ladder.

Algebra I✓ practice on Texas CBE™
Geometry✓ practice on Texas CBE™
Algebra II✓ practice on Texas CBE™
Precalculus✓ practice on Texas CBE™
Algebraic Reasoning, Mathematical Models with Applications (availability varies)

2. Science

Lab-safety rules and core TEKS theory are tested carefully here.

Biology✓ practice on Texas CBE™ — a very common 9th-grade "test-out after summer self-study" subject
Chemistry✓ practice on Texas CBE™
Physics, Integrated Physics & Chemistry (IPC) (availability varies)
Other science electives (e.g., Environmental Systems, Astronomy) — availability varies by provider/district

3. Social Studies & Economics

U.S. History✓ practice on Texas CBE™
World History Studies
World Geography Studies
U.S. Government (0.5 credit)
Economics (0.5 credit)

4. English Language Arts

English I, English II (both STAAR EOC subjects)
English III, English IV
Communication Applications (speech) and writing electives (availability varies)

5. Languages Other Than English (LOTE)

A popular path for heritage speakers to earn 1–2 years of language credit at once. Important: LOTE credit by exam is proficiency-based (assessments like ACTFL's AAPPL or Avant STAMP, which include listening) — it works differently from a single multiple-choice content test. Languages commonly assessed include:

Korean, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, American Sign Language (ASL)
Other languages (e.g., Vietnamese, Hindi, and more) may be available through proficiency assessment

We cover this in detail in Korean & Heritage Languages: Earning Texas LOTE Credit by Exam.

6. Fine Arts & Electives

Availability is most limited and most district-dependent here — confirm before relying on any of these:

Fine Arts: Art I, Music appreciation, Theatre Arts
Health & PE: Health, physical-education / wellness courses
Other electives Texas defines: Computer Science, Business Information Management (BIM), Web Design, Psychology, Sociology, and more

What Texas CBE™ offers practice for

We are an independent practice platform with TEKS-mapped, CBE-style practice and full-length mock exams (modeled after the official CBE format) for:

Math: Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, Pre-Calculus
Science: Biology, Chemistry
Social Studies: U.S. History
SAT Math practice (Digital SAT format) — college-admissions prep, not a course credit

We do not currently offer practice for the other subjects listed above (English, LOTE, and most electives). This post is informational — to map the full landscape, not to suggest we cover all of it.

How to confirm what's available for your student

Ask your school counselor for the district's CBE / Exam-for-Acceleration coordinator.
Check the provider catalogs (UT High School, Texas Tech University ISD) for the specific course.
Ask whether the course is split into Semester A and B, the testing windows, fees, and the passing score (70% vs 80%).
Confirm how the credit is recorded on the transcript.

Browse our CBE subjects →

This guide is based on publicly available information about Texas Credit by Exam and is for general information only — not legal or educational advice. Course availability, providers, semester structure, fees, testing windows, and passing requirements vary by district and provider and change over time. Always verify the specifics for any course with your school counselor, your district's CBE coordinator, UT High School (UTHS), or Texas Tech University ISD before planning. Texas CBE™ is an independent practice platform; it is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the Texas Education Agency (TEA), UTHS, Texas Tech University ISD, ACTFL, Avant Assessment, the College Board, or any school district, and it does not administer the CBE or any exam, or grant academic credit.