Beyond 8th-Grade Math: The Complete 5-Year UTHS CBE Subject Map (HS Math +200%+, Chemistry +316%, US Government +490%)
Earlier this week we published a 5-year trend analysis of middle-school CBE volume. We knew there was more in the UTHS data, so we went back and pulled every subject out of every Annual Certification report from 2021 to 2025 — 5 reports, 30+ certified subjects, every first-semester volume and pass rate. The middle-school chart was only the surface.
The bigger story: families are testing out of high-school math, chemistry, and graduation requirements at 100–500% higher rates than they were five years ago. Six trends, with the full subject map below.
Trend 1 — High-school math grew faster than middle-school math
| Subject (1st semester) | 2020–21 | 2024–25 | 5-yr Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Algebra 1 (HS) | 455 | 1,019 | +124% |
| Algebra 2 | 167 | 575 | +244% |
| Geometry | 302 | 947 | +213% |
| Pre-Calculus | 75 | 140 | +87% |
Compare those numbers to middle-school math: 6th-grade +72%, 7th +59%, 8th +50%. Algebra 2 grew nearly 5x faster than 8th-grade math. Geometry grew 3x faster.
What this means: the "test out of Algebra 1 in 8th grade so you can reach AP Calculus by senior year" pathway is just one chapter. Families are now testing out at every rung — Geometry, Algebra 2, Pre-Calculus — to make room for AP Calculus + AP Statistics in senior year, or to start college math via dual credit.
Trend 2 — Chemistry exploded; science is going mainstream
| Science subject (1st semester) | 2020–21 | 2024–25 | 5-yr Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chemistry | 49 | 204 | +316% |
| Biology | 89 | 181 | +103% |
| 8th Grade Science | 162 | 454 | +180% |
| Physics | 31 | 40 | +29% |
| Environmental Systems | 14 | 34 | +143% |
Chemistry went from 49 testers to 204 in five years — the largest percentage gain of any high-school core subject. Combined with 8th-grade science (+180%) and Biology (+103%), the science CBE pathway has gone from niche to mainstream. The likely story: STEM-track families using science CBE to open senior year for AP Bio + AP Chem + AP Physics together, instead of stretching one per year.
Trend 3 — Graduation-requirement test-outs surged
The biggest growth percentages in the entire dataset aren't in math or science. They're in courses Texas requires for graduation — courses families are clearing via CBE to free up senior-year schedules:
| Subject | 2020–21 | 2024–25 | 5-yr Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Government (0.5 cr req) | 30 | 177 | +490% |
| Health 1 (1 cr req) | 367 | 1,104 | +201% |
| Communication Applications | 187 | 402 | +115% |
US Government CBE testers went from 30 to 177 — a 490% increase. Health 1 jumped from 367 to 1,104 testers (it's the third-largest CBE in the state today by volume). The pattern: families realized they could clear "Foundation HSP required" but elective-feel courses (Health 0.5cr, Gov 0.5cr, Economics 0.5cr, Communication Applications 1cr) via CBE — then load up senior year with two or three APs instead.
This is the single most overlooked CBE strategy in Texas. Most counselors haven't caught up.
Trend 4 — Spanish stayed massive but saturated
| Spanish (combined 1S + 2S) | 2020–21 | 2024–25 | 5-yr Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spanish 1 (1S + 2S) | 1,371 | 1,630 | +19% |
| Spanish 2 (1S + 2S) | 1,721 | 1,774 | +3% |
| Spanish 3 (1S + 2S) | 198 | 241 | +22% |
| Spanish total | 3,290 | 3,645 | +11% |
The largest single LOTE category by an order of magnitude. 3,645 Spanish CBE testers in 2024–25 alone — bigger than the combined high-school math CBEs. This is almost entirely Spanish-heritage families using CBE to convert linguistic fluency into 2–3 years of schedule space.
The 5-year growth is modest (+11%) because the market is already saturated — nearly every Spanish-heritage family that knows about CBE has already used it. If anything, that's the lesson for OTHER heritage-language families: this opportunity exists and is widely under-utilized in non-Spanish communities.
Trend 5 — Other heritage languages are still small but growing
- Vietnamese: ~50 testers in 2020–21 → ~90 in 2024–25 (+80%). The Vietnamese community in Texas (Houston, Arlington, etc.) is starting to see the pattern.
- Chinese (Simplified, both levels): ~120 → ~85. Surprisingly down (could reflect demographic shifts or testing shift to Mandarin AP).
- Korean I&II: Single digits across the period. Massive underutilized opportunity for Korean-heritage families.
- Malayalam I&II: Newly certified subject (zero in 2020–21, ~120 testers in 2024–25). Reflects Texas's growing Indian-heritage population, particularly Plano/Frisco.
Trend 6 — A few subjects actually shrank
- World History 1st semester: 44 → 27 testers, −39%. Possibly because districts standardized on a single semester schedule, or families shifted to AP World History.
- English I 1st semester: 187 → 114, −39%. English CBE in general has stagnated — likely because passing the STAAR English I EOC fulfills the same role.
- K–2 math/language: declined 14–49%. Families are no longer using CBE for "test out of early grade material"; they're saving CBE energy for middle-school acceleration.
What this means for Texas families
- If you've been thinking "CBE = test out of Algebra 1": that's outdated. The bigger opportunity is testing out of multiple math levels and chemistry to open senior year for 3 APs.
- The grad-requirement CBE play is real and growing fast. US Gov + Econ + Health + Communication Applications adds up to 2.5 credits — that's an entire elective year. Most families don't know this is on the table.
- Chemistry CBE is now mainstream. If your child is strong in chemistry, this is a 2024-level opportunity that wasn't really there in 2020.
- Heritage-language CBE (non-Spanish) is wildly under-utilized. Korean, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Malayalam CBE volumes are tiny relative to community populations. If your family speaks one of these at home, the Level I/II CBE is probably one practice test away.
- Don't get distracted by K–2 CBE. Volumes are declining for good reason. Save the energy for 5th–8th.
How we can help
Texas CBE™ offers free practice and full-length mocks for the 7 highest-volume Texas CBE subjects (Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Pre-Calculus, Biology, Chemistry, US History). The subjects we cover are the ones with the steepest 5-year growth curves in this report — not coincidence; we built the product around where Texas families are actually heading.
20 free sample questions per subject, no signup; full-length timed mocks $19.99 per subject (6 months), currently 33% off the $29.99 list.
Sources
- UTHS Credit by Exam Certification reports 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25, 2025–26.
- Data points extracted from each report's Appendix A (all-students tester counts, first-semester or single-course where applicable).
- Primary URL: highschool.utexas.edu/credit_by_exam
This analysis is for general information only and is not legal or educational advice. UTHS CBE policies, certified subjects, and the TEA-set passing thresholds (TEC §28.023 acceleration / 19 TAC §74.24 prior-instruction) can change — always confirm current specifics with your counselor, UTHS, or TEA. Texas CBE™ is an independent practice platform; not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by The University of Texas at Austin, UT High School, the Texas Education Agency, Texas Tech University ISD, the College Board, or any school district, and does not administer any exam or grant academic credit.