Exam Guides
Guides for Texas Credit by Exam, SAT and PSAT, AP and AMC — what is on each one, when it is sat, and how to prepare.
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Every Texas CBE Deadline We Can Verify, on One Page
A district portal for Credit by Examination: the next registration deadline in Texas, every testing window we have read from a district’s own calendar, and a plain note where a district publishes nothing.
5 Years of UTHS CBE Data: 8th-Grade Science Just Tripled — The Texas Acceleration Decade is Here
We pulled together every UTHS Credit by Exam Annual Report from 2021 through 2025 — five consecutive official datasets covering 2020–21 through 2024–25 testing years. The findings: middle-school CBE volume has nearly doubled in five years, 8th-grade science has nearly tripled (+180%), and pass rates are rising across the board. The Texas acceleration story isn't a 2-year spike. It's a sustained five-year transformation.
Katy ISD Credit by Exam — Parent Guide: 80% Accelerate, 4 Windows, First-Day Rule (2026-2027)
Katy ISD offers CBE at every grade level: 80% for acceleration (no prior instruction), 70% for credit recovery. Four windows/year with strict deadlines. Critical rule: results must arrive by the first day of school for that year to count.
Houston ISD CBE — Parent Guide: 80% Grade 1-5, Max 3 Credits/Admin, 2 Attempts/Subject (2026-2027)
Houston ISD (HISD) CBE lets K-12 students skip a class (acceleration) or earn course credit. Grades 1-5 require 80% on EACH of Language Arts / Math / Science / Social Studies. Max 3 course credits per administration and max 2 attempts per subject during HISD enrollment.
Pflugerville ISD CBE — Parent Guide: 80% Pass, UT-Austin, Campus Counselor (2026-2027)
How Credit by Exam works in Pflugerville ISD: 80% passing standard, max 2 attempts, UT-Austin (UTHS) as the primary exam vendor, and registration through your campus counselor. Practical guide for Central Texas families using CBE for acceleration.
SAT & PSAT Math 2026‑27: Test Dates, Format, Timing and Question Counts
Every date, question count and time limit for the PSAT 8/9, PSAT 10, PSAT/NMSQT and SAT in 2026-27 — 98 questions in 2 hours 14 minutes, the four math domains and their weights, and what actually separates the four levels. All figures from the College Board.
AMC 8: A Parent's Guide for 2026-27 — Format, Scoring, Dates & How to Prepare
A source-checked guide to the AMC 8 for parents: what the contest actually is (a 25-question, 40-minute MAA competition that never touches a transcript), the scoring rule that quietly costs families points — an unanswered question is worth zero, exactly like a wrong answer — the January 21–27, 2027 competition period, why you cannot register your own child, what it costs, and a realistic 8–12 week prep plan.
AP Computer Science A: The Complete Guide to the Four-Unit Course, the Exam & How to Prepare
AP Computer Science A was restructured into four units under the CED effective Fall 2025. The exam is 42 multiple-choice questions (55%) and 4 free-response questions (45%), three hours, fully digital, with no calculator permitted. This guide covers the multiple-choice unit weightings, the four FRQ tasks, verified 2025 score data, the specific errors Chief Readers flag, Texas exam fee assistance, and how CS A differs from CS Principles.
AP Statistics: The Complete 2026 Guide for Texas Students & Parents (New CED, Exam Format, Scores & Study Plan)
A fact-checked guide to AP Statistics, written July 2026: the redesigned five-unit course effective Fall 2026, the 42-question / four-FRQ exam first given May 2027, what College Board's preliminary 2026 score distribution really says about "easier than Calculus," the communication errors the Chief Reader flags every year, exam fees, and a realistic study plan. From Texas CBE™, an independent prep platform not affiliated with or endorsed by the College Board.