The four TELPAS domains
The TELPAS measures English language proficiency in four domains. Each domain gets its own rating, from Beginning to Advanced High, and the four domains count equally toward a composite rating.
How the domains combine
Each domain is rated on its own, and the four ratings count equally toward the composite rating that appears on the report.
Four ratings
Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced and Advanced High. From grade 2, each domain on the online tests also has a scale score from 1000 to 2000. Advanced High is always 1600 or above.
Equal weight
Listening, speaking, reading and writing are each 25% of the composite rating, and a composite of Advanced High also needs at least Advanced in every domain. A strong reading score cannot make up for speaking that has not been practiced.
Why it matters
A composite rating of Advanced High is one of the state criteria for reclassifying a student as English proficient, together with a reading test and a teacher's evaluation.
Reading
Part of the reading and writing test · 25% of the composite
Reading passages range from short texts of a sentence or two to longer literary and informational texts. Most questions are multiple choice; a few ask the student to click on words in the passage or to drag answers into place. Questions cover what words mean, what the text says, and what the reader can infer or conclude from it.
Practice on this site
- Original literary and informational reading passages
- Multiple-choice questions answered from the text
- Notes explaining why each wrong answer is wrong
- Questions on main ideas, details, inference, and word meaning
Listening
Part of the listening and speaking test · 25% of the composite
Listening questions are mixed in with the speaking questions on the online listening and speaking test. Students hear short spoken directions and watch short videos of stories and informational passages, about everyday life and school subjects. Some questions ask the student to click on a picture that matches what they heard; most are multiple choice. The student does not see a transcript on the real test.
Practice on this site
- Recorded audio for every listening passage
- Original conversations, announcements, stories, and short lessons
- Written transcript available under each passage
- An explanation after every answer, right or wrong
Writing
Part of the reading and writing test · 25% of the composite
Writing is part of the online reading and writing test. There are three written responses, in which the student narrates, describes or explains, and six editing questions, in which the student finds and fixes an error in a sentence. Some editing answers are typed, and one kind asks the student to rewrite a whole sentence correctly.
Practice on this site
- Writing workspace with a live word count
- Optional practice timer
- Drafts saved in this browser
- Personalized feedback on your answer when you ask for it — not an official score
- The scoring rubric and a sample response to compare with
Speaking
Part of the listening and speaking test · 25% of the composite
Speaking items are recorded on the computer. The student has 45 or 90 seconds to answer, depending on the item. They retell a story they watched, describe what is happening in a picture and predict what comes next, imagine a situation, give an opinion, or compare two pictures. The directions say to tell as much as you can.
Practice on this site
- Record your answer in the browser and play it back
- Optional automatic transcription where the browser supports it
- Personalized feedback on what you said, read from the transcript — not an official score
- Scoring rubric and a sample response for every prompt
This is an independent study resource. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the Texas Education Agency or the official TELPAS program. All questions here are original practice material written to match the published test design.