- PACT is required for admission when GPA is below 2.5 or credit hours fall short of the 12/15-hour thresholds.
- Passing score is 240 per subtest; Subtest III has 45 selected-response questions in 1 hour 15 minutes.
- First-time testers must register for all three subtests; failed subtests can later be retaken alone.
- Retesting requires a 30-day wait and caps out at 5 lifetime attempts before a TEA waiver is needed.
Who Actually Needs TX PACT 703
TX PACT: Essential Academic Skills (Subtest III: Mathematics) (703) exists as an admission gate, not a teaching license by itself. It's one of three subtests in the broader PACT battery, and it's specifically the mathematics component that educator preparation programs (EPPs) in Texas use to confirm you have the academic footing to succeed in math-heavy coursework and, eventually, math-related certification exams. Because it's an admission credential rather than a renewable certificate, there's no recertification cycle to track - you clear it once as part of getting into your program, and that's the end of the story for this particular requirement.
Not everyone applying to a Texas EPP has to sit for this subtest. It becomes a requirement under specific academic circumstances outlined below, and understanding whether you actually need it is the first step before you spend time on building a study plan.
Eligibility Basics: Degree, GPA, and Credit Hours
Baseline eligibility for TX PACT 703 requires that you either hold a bachelor's degree already or be in your final semester of one. Beyond that baseline, whether PACT is mandatory for your EPP admission comes down to two academic thresholds:
- GPA below 2.5: If your cumulative GPA falls under 2.5, PACT becomes a required piece of your admission file regardless of your coursework in the subject area.
- Insufficient credit hours in the certificate subject area: Fewer than 12 semester credit hours triggers the PACT requirement for most subject areas. For math or science content above grade 7, the threshold is higher - 15 semester credit hours.
If you clear both the GPA and credit-hour thresholds, your EPP may not require PACT at all. If you're unsure where you land, check with your program directly - the thresholds are set by the Texas Education Agency's framework, but individual programs administer admission decisions.
Registration Mechanics and Fees
TX PACT is governed by the Texas Education Agency and administered as a computer-administered test by Evaluation Systems, a Pearson business. You'll test at a Pearson VUE site in Texas or elsewhere nationwide, and appointments are available year-round rather than during fixed windows - a detail worth understanding before you plan around a specific date. For a closer look at scheduling logistics, see testing windows, deadlines, and scheduling.
Fee structure matters here because of a rule that catches first-time testers off guard:
- $56 covers one subtest taken alone in a single session.
- $106 covers all three subtests (701, 702, and 703) taken together in a single session.
- Additional fees are possible depending on your registration circumstances.
Key Takeaway
First-time testers must register for the complete exam (all three subtests) - you cannot register for Subtest III alone on your first attempt. Only after failing a single subtest can you retake that subtest by itself.
For a full walkthrough of what these numbers mean for your total out-of-pocket cost across attempts, see the complete pricing breakdown.
Exam Format You're Qualifying For
Once you meet the eligibility criteria and register, here's what the actual testing experience looks like. Subtest III (Mathematics) consists of 45 selected-response questions with no constructed-response item, and it's timed at 1 hour 15 minutes. That's distinct from the full 700 exam appointment, which totals 4 hours 15 minutes including a 15-minute CAT tutorial and compliance agreement, and covers 126 selected-response questions plus 1 constructed-response item spread across all three subtests combined.
The passing score for Subtest III is 240 on a scaled score. Evaluation Systems may embed unscored field-test items into your exam without affecting your reported score - so an item that feels unusually oddly worded isn't necessarily a sign you're off track. If you want the exact scoring mechanics explained in more depth, read the passing score breakdown.
| Attribute | Subtest III (Mathematics) |
|---|---|
| Question format | Selected-response only |
| Number of questions | 45 |
| Time allotted | 1 hour 15 minutes |
| Passing score | 240 (scaled) |
| Fee (standalone retake) | $56 |
Domains You Must Be Ready to Handle
Meeting the eligibility requirements gets you a seat at the testing center; actually passing requires command over five domains. Understanding how these domains connect to each other is arguably more useful than memorizing them in isolation.
Domain 1: Number Properties and Number Operations
This is the broadest domain on the exam, and it's foundational to nearly everything else you'll be asked. It drives multidigit computation, integers, fractions, decimals, percents, ratios, and proportions.
- Weak fraction or percent skills here will quietly undermine algebra and statistics items later in the test
Domain 2: Fundamental Principles of Algebra
Builds directly on number properties - expect items that require translating a numeric relationship into an algebraic expression or equation before solving.
Domain 3: Measurement Principles and Geometry Concepts
Applies proportional reasoning and computation skills from Domain 1 to spatial and measurement contexts.
Domain 4: Probability and Statistics
Relies on ratio and proportion fluency from Domain 1 to interpret data, likelihood, and basic statistical measures correctly.
Domain 5: Problem Solving, Reasoning, and Mathematical Communication
Tests your ability to reason through multi-step problems and communicate mathematical thinking, drawing on skills from all four other domains simultaneously.
For a full breakdown of subtopics within each domain, see the complete guide to all five content areas. And if you're trying to gauge realistically how much preparation this requires given your own math background, the difficulty guide walks through that honestly.
Retesting Rules and Attempt Limits
Part of understanding "requirements" for TX PACT 703 means understanding what happens if your first attempt doesn't clear the 240 threshold. The rules here are specific and worth knowing before you walk in:
- 30-day wait: You must wait 30 days before retesting on a failed subtest.
- 5-attempt lifetime limit: You're capped at five total attempts before you'd need a TEA test-limit waiver to continue.
- Best attempt retained: Whichever score is highest on each subtest is the one that counts, so a weaker retake doesn't erase a stronger earlier score.
- Retake only what you failed: Once you've registered for and taken the full exam initially, a failed subtest can be retaken by itself going forward - you don't need to redo subtests you already passed.
Mapping Prerequisites to a Prep Timeline
Because Number Properties and Number Operations underlies the other four domains, it makes sense to front-load review there rather than splitting your limited prep time evenly across all five from day one.
Number Properties and Number Operations
- Rebuild fluency with fractions, decimals, percents, and ratio/proportion problems
- This domain feeds directly into algebra, measurement, and statistics items, so treat it as the priority
Fundamental Principles of Algebra + Measurement/Geometry
- Practice translating word problems into algebraic expressions
- Apply proportional reasoning to measurement and geometry scenarios
Probability, Statistics, and Problem Solving
- Work through data interpretation and likelihood items
- Practice multi-step reasoning problems that draw on all prior domains
Timed practice and review
- Simulate the 45-question, 1-hour-15-minute format under timed conditions
- Review missed items by domain to see whether a Domain 1 gap is causing errors elsewhere
For a more detailed, question-type-specific study plan, see the study guide built for a first-attempt pass. If you'd rather have a compact reference to review the night before your appointment, the one-page cheat sheet covers the must-know facts without the detail overload.
Once you're ready to test your readiness under realistic conditions, practice tests on the main site can help you gauge whether your Domain 1 fluency is solid enough to support the other four domains before you spend a registration fee.
FAQ
As a first-time tester, yes - you must register for the complete exam covering all three subtests. If you later fail only Subtest III, you can retake that subtest alone.
PACT is required for EPP admission when your GPA is below 2.5, or when you have fewer than 12 semester credit hours in the certificate subject area - or fewer than 15 hours for math or science content above grade 7.
Subtest III has 45 selected-response questions with no constructed-response item, timed at 1 hour 15 minutes.
You need a scaled score of 240 to pass. Field-test items may be embedded in your exam but don't affect your score.
You're allowed a 30-day wait between attempts and a lifetime limit of 5 attempts before you'd need a TEA test-limit waiver to test again.