- Passing scaled score is 240 on a 125-question, selected-response computer exam.
- Mechanics is the heaviest domain at roughly 28% of the test.
- You get 3 hours 45 minutes of testing time inside a 4-hour appointment.
- Base exam fee is $106, paid through Pearson VUE.
Quick Facts Snapshot
If you only have five minutes before a study session, this is the section to reread. TX PACT: Physics: Grades 7-12 (739) is administered by Pearson through Pearson VUE test centers on behalf of the Texas Education Agency (TEA). It is a computer-administered exam built from 125 selected-response questions, though some unscored field-test items may be mixed in without identification. You will not know which questions are field-tested, so treat every item as if it counts.
| Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Certifying/oversight body | Texas Education Agency (TEA) |
| Test delivery | Pearson VUE test centers |
| Base fee | $106 |
| Question count | 125 selected-response (plus possible unscored field-test items) |
| Testing time | 3 hours 45 minutes |
| Total appointment | 4 hours (includes 15-minute tutorial/agreement) |
| Passing scaled score | 240 |
| Domains/competencies | 5 domains, 14 competencies |
For a deeper dive into any single line item, the TX PACT 739 Certification Cost breakdown and the TX PACT 739 Passing Score guide unpack the numbers above in full detail.
Domain Breakdown at a Glance
The official framework organizes content into five domains and 14 competencies, with approximate weightings. Mechanics carries the most weight, so it deserves the largest share of your review hours. Use the boxes below as a fast reference, then go deeper with the TX PACT 739 Exam Domains guide when you need competency-level detail.
Domain 1: Nature of Science (14%)
Covers scientific reasoning, experimental design, measurement, and how physics knowledge is built and verified.
- Understand data analysis and error/uncertainty concepts
- Know safe lab practices and the logic behind controlled experiments
Domain 2: Mechanics (28%)
The largest domain. Covers kinematics, forces, energy, momentum, rotational motion, and gravitation.
- Master free-body diagrams and Newton's laws applications
- Practice energy and momentum conservation problems until they're automatic
Domain 3: Electricity and Magnetism (22%)
Covers circuits, electric and magnetic fields, and electromagnetic induction.
- Remember questions use conventional current, not electron flow
- Apply the right-hand rule consistently for field and force directions
Domain 4: Waves (14%)
Covers wave properties, sound, light, optics, and wave interactions such as interference and diffraction.
- Know the differences between transverse and longitudinal wave behavior
- Practice lens and mirror ray-diagram problems
Domain 5: Modern Physics (22%)
Covers atomic and nuclear physics, quantum concepts, relativity basics, plus thermal energy and thermodynamics.
- Note that thermodynamics is grouped here, not with Mechanics
- Review heat transfer, entropy, and thermal equilibrium alongside quantum topics
Exam Format Mechanics
TX PACT 739 is entirely selected-response, meaning every question offers a fixed set of answer choices rather than constructed or written responses. With 125 questions across 3 hours 45 minutes of testing time, you have roughly 1.8 minutes per question on average - though some conceptual items will take seconds and some multi-step Mechanics or Electricity and Magnetism calculations will eat several minutes. Budgeting pace by domain, not by raw question count, tends to work better in practice.
Your full appointment runs 4 hours because Pearson VUE builds in 15 minutes upfront for the tutorial and compliance agreement. Arrive rested; that buffer is not extra thinking time, it's administrative.
Key Takeaway
Treat the exam as a pacing exercise as much as a content exercise - 125 items in 225 minutes leaves little room for getting stuck on any single problem.
On-Screen Reference Tools
Two tools are provided on-screen during the test: a scientific calculator and a Constants and Formulas reference sheet. Both are genuinely useful, but neither is a substitute for content knowledge.
- The Constants and Formulas reference does not contain every formula you might need - some derivations and secondary equations must simply be memorized or rebuilt from first principles.
- The on-screen calculator handles arithmetic, but it won't tell you which formula to apply or whether your setup for a circuit or projectile-motion problem is correct.
- Electricity and Magnetism questions specifically assume conventional current direction and the right-hand rule - misreading this convention is a common, avoidable error.
Practicing with these exact constraints matters. The TX PACT 739 Study Guide walks through how to simulate the provided reference sheet during practice so test day isn't the first time you've relied on it.
Registration, Retakes & Deadlines
TX PACT 739 is offered year-round by appointment, both in Texas and nationwide, which gives candidates flexibility that fixed testing windows don't. But flexibility comes with its own rules to track.
- Once registered, you must schedule and take the exam within 170 days.
- Retakes require at least 30 days between attempts, and your prior results must be posted to ECOS before rescheduling.
- Candidates affiliated with an Educator Preparation Program (EPP) need EPP retest approval before booking another attempt.
- PACT taken for EPP admission or charter-school assignment purposes is exempt from the five-attempt limit; intensive pre-service candidates remain subject to that cap.
For the full registration calendar logic and appointment-booking nuances, see the TX PACT 739 Exam Dates guide, and for eligibility specifics review TX PACT 739 Requirements.
Who Actually Needs This Exam
PACT is required for admission into an EPP when a candidate has a GPA below 2.5 or fewer than 15 relevant subject-area semester credits. EPPs may layer on additional requirements beyond this baseline, so always confirm specifics with your program.
Candidates seeking EPP admission or transfer need either a bachelor's degree or final-semester standing, plus a TEA ID, before they can register. If your path runs through the combined PACT Physics/Mathematics route, note that it requires passing both Physics 739 and Mathematics 735 - not just one or the other.
| Scenario | What's Required |
|---|---|
| GPA below 2.5 or under 15 relevant credits | PACT required for EPP admission |
| EPP admission or transfer candidate | Bachelor's degree or final-semester status, plus TEA ID |
| Physics/Mathematics combined route | Must pass both 739 and 735 |
| PACT for EPP admission/charter assignment | Exempt from five-attempt limit |
If you're still deciding whether this test applies to your situation at all, start with What Is TX PACT 739? or TX PACT 739 Requirements before diving into content review.
Last-Week Review Plan
A cheat sheet works best paired with a short, deliberate review window rather than a full study plan rebuild. In the final week before your appointment, allocate time by domain weight rather than evenly across topics.
Mechanics (28%)
- Redo missed practice problems on forces, energy, and momentum
- Drill free-body diagrams until setup is instinctive
Electricity/Magnetism (22%) & Modern Physics (22%)
- Recheck right-hand rule and conventional current on every circuit item
- Review thermodynamics alongside atomic/nuclear topics - both live in Domain 5
Waves (14%) & Nature of Science (14%)
- Practice ray diagrams and wave interference problems
- Review experimental design and data-analysis question patterns
Full Simulation
- Take a timed, 125-question practice run using the actual pacing target
- Practice using a Constants and Formulas sheet exactly as provided on test day
For a longer-range plan that starts weeks earlier, see the TX PACT 739 Study Guide. And if you're still calibrating how much time this exam realistically demands, How Hard Is the TX PACT 739 Exam? breaks down the difficulty factors in more depth.
You can also run full-length timed simulations on our practice test platform to get comfortable with the 125-question, selected-response format before appointment day.
FAQ
A scaled score of 240 is required to pass. See TX PACT 739 Passing Score for how scaling works.
There are 125 selected-response questions, with 3 hours 45 minutes of testing time inside a 4-hour total appointment that includes a 15-minute tutorial.
Mechanics, at approximately 28% of the exam, is the largest single domain and warrants the most review time.
Yes, an on-screen scientific calculator and a Constants and Formulas reference are provided, but the reference does not include every formula you may need.
You must wait at least 30 days, and your prior results must post to ECOS; EPP-affiliated candidates also need retest approval. Details are in TX PACT 739 Pass Rate.
Keep this page bookmarked as your one-stop reference, and revisit the exam domains guide whenever you need to go deeper on a specific competency before your test date.