World Geography Credit by Examination in Texas — Complete Study Guide (TEKS §113.43)
What is the World Geography Credit by Examination?
Texas high-school students seeking to earn credit in World Geography Studies outside of the traditional classroom have two established pathways under Texas Education Code §28.023 and 19 TAC §74.24:
- Acceleration exam (no prior instruction, TEC §28.023): passing score of 80%, offered free through the district (once per subject per year).
- Credit-recovery exam (prior instruction, 19 TAC §74.24): passing score of 70%, offered through approved providers UT High School (UTHS) and Texas Tech University K-12 (TTU K-12), for a per-exam fee.
World Geography counts as one full credit (1.0) within the four-credit social-studies requirement of the Texas Foundation High School Program. Students commonly take World Geography in 9th grade, but the CBE route lets accelerated or transferring students earn the credit outside the classroom schedule.
TEKS §113.43 — What the Exam Covers
The World Geography Studies course is defined by 19 TAC §113.43. The Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for this subject are organized around eight major reporting strands:
- History: historical events and forces that shape spatial patterns and cultural regions across the world.
- Geography (physical and human): physical geographic processes (climate, landforms, biomes) and human geographic patterns (population, settlement, land use).
- Economics: economic systems, trade, and the geographic distribution of resources, industry, and commerce.
- Government: political systems, boundaries, and the spatial organization of states and international institutions.
- Citizenship: civic responsibilities and participation in civic life.
- Culture: languages, religions, ethnic patterns, urban culture, and cultural diffusion.
- Science, Technology, and Society: the geographic impact of technological innovation and diffusion.
- Social Studies Skills: map reading, data interpretation, source analysis, and geographic inquiry methods.
Exam Format
The full-course World Geography CBE is administered as two semester exams (Semester A and Semester B). Each semester exam typically follows the standard Texas CBE structure:
- Multiple-choice questions covering the semester's TEKS strands
- Three-hour time limit per semester
- Combined passing threshold per the pathway you take (80% for §28.023, 70% for §74.24)
To earn the full one-credit for World Geography Studies, the student must pass both Semester A and Semester B.
Note — What our practice covers (and what it does not)
The official World Geography Credit by Examination administered by UT High School (UTHS) and Texas Tech University K-12 typically consists of 60 multiple-choice questions and 2 essay prompts per semester (Semester A and Semester B), with a 3-hour time limit and a combined passing threshold. Our practice materials cover the multiple-choice portion only. The essay prompts on the official CBE test writing skills, argument structure, and source analysis — abilities students should prepare for separately (through classroom writing instruction, official CBE study guides, or supplemental writing practice). Passing our mock exams strongly correlates with the multiple-choice score on the real CBE, but is not a substitute for essay preparation.
Providers
Two established providers deliver the official World Geography CBE for Texas students:
- UT High School (UTHS) — administered under the University of Texas at Austin, with published exam windows and study guides.
- Texas Tech University K-12 (TTU K-12) — offers equivalent Credit-by-Examination for the same TEKS course.
Consult each provider's website for current fees, registration windows, and proctoring requirements. Providers may change their offerings from year to year; verify before scheduling.
How to Prepare
Effective World Geography CBE preparation covers all eight TEKS strands proportionally, with particular emphasis on:
- Physical geography: climate zones (Köppen), landforms, plate tectonics, ocean currents, biomes, and the hydrologic cycle.
- Population and economic geography: demographic transition, urbanization, global trade patterns, and economic sectors.
- Political geography: nation-states, boundaries, supranational organizations, and international institutions.
- Cultural geography: language families, world religions, cultural regions and cultural diffusion.
- Analytical skills: map projections, choropleth and thematic maps, time-series analysis, and interpreting cross-tabulated data.
Practice with Texas CBE™
Our World Geography practice is independently authored and modeled after the official CBE format — TEKS-aligned multiple-choice questions covering all eight §113.43 strands, with schematic diagrams (population pyramids, climographs, plate maps, ocean currents, biomes) that mirror the analytical skills the official exam expects.
Texas CBE™ is not affiliated with UT High School, Texas Tech, TEA, or any test administrator. We provide focused, TEKS-aligned practice materials to help students prepare rigorously for the credit-by-examination pathway.