- Special Education (070) has 110 multiple-choice questions across 2 hours 15 minutes of testing time.
- Passing score is 240 on a 100-300 scale, and every domain carries equal 25% weight.
- Standard fee is $96; PESB-approved educator prep programs can issue fee vouchers.
- Washington's WAC 181-78A-232 requires at least one content test attempt before full-time student teaching.
Quick Facts Snapshot
If you only have five minutes before your appointment, this is the section to read. Every number below comes directly from the Washington Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) program specifications for the Washington Educator Skills Tests-Endorsements: Special Education (070), administered under contract by Pearson Evaluation Systems.
| Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Owning body | Washington Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) |
| Test administrator | Pearson Evaluation Systems, delivered at Pearson VUE centers or via online proctoring |
| Question count | Approximately 110 multiple-choice questions |
| Testing time | 2 hours 15 minutes |
| Total appointment | 2 hours 30 minutes (includes 15 minutes for tutorial and nondisclosure agreement) |
| Standard fee | $96 (compare to $59 for Designated World Languages and $48 per Middle Level Humanities subtest) |
| Passing score | 240 on a 100-300 scale |
| Domains | Four, each weighted 25%, covering objectives 0001-0012 |
The Four Domains at a Glance
The Special Education (070) blueprint splits evenly across four domains, each worth 25% of the total score. Because no domain outweighs another, you cannot triage your prep by skipping a "smaller" section - there isn't one. For a deeper breakdown of objectives inside each domain, see the WEST-E Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 4 Content Areas.
Domain 1: Understanding Students with Disabilities (25%)
Covers characteristics of disability categories, developmental variation, and how disabilities affect learning across academic and functional domains.
- Know how different disability categories present differently across age groups
Domain 2: Assessment and Program Development (25%)
Covers formal and informal assessment procedures, eligibility determination, and translating assessment data into individualized program goals.
- Be able to connect assessment results directly to IEP goal-writing decisions
Domain 3: Promoting Development and Learning (25%)
Covers instructional strategies, behavior supports, and accommodations/modifications that promote access to curriculum for students with disabilities.
- Distinguish accommodations from modifications in applied scenarios
Domain 4: Foundations and Professional Practice (25%)
Covers legal foundations, collaboration with families and related service providers, and professional/ethical responsibilities of special education teachers.
- Understand procedural safeguards and collaborative roles in the IEP process
Key Takeaway
Because objectives 0001 through 0012 are distributed across four equally weighted domains, build your study schedule domain-by-domain rather than skimming broadly across all objectives at once.
Question Format, Timing & Appointment Structure
Special Education (070) is delivered as a computer-based, multiple-choice exam with approximately 110 scored and field-test items. There are no reference materials provided during the test - everything you need must already be in memory, which is a key reason candidates who treat this like an open-note review underperform on test day.
Your appointment window is longer than your actual testing time. The full appointment runs 2 hours 30 minutes, but only 2 hours 15 minutes of that is testing time; the remaining 15 minutes covers the on-screen tutorial and the nondisclosure agreement you must accept before questions begin. Plan your arrival and mental pacing around the 2-hour-15-minute testing clock, not the longer appointment length.
Test delivery happens two ways:
- Computer-based testing at Pearson VUE centers, available by appointment year-round
- Online proctoring from home or another approved location, offered only during one-week windows each month
If your schedule is tight or you're racing a student-teaching deadline, the year-round availability of computer-based testing is usually the safer choice over waiting for a monthly online-proctoring window. For a full scheduling breakdown, see WEST-E Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling.
Registration, Fees & Vouchers
The standard fee for Special Education (070) is $96. For context on how that compares to other WEST-E-branded tests, Designated World Languages costs $59 and each Middle Level Humanities subtest costs $48 - but as the highest-volume endorsement test, Special Education (070) is the one most candidates should plan their full certification budget around. A complete cost walkthrough, including retake fees and voucher mechanics, is available in WEST-E Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
Two registration details save candidates real money and stress:
- Vouchers: PESB makes test fee vouchers available through educator preparation programs. If you're enrolled in a Washington teacher prep program, ask your advisor before paying out of pocket.
- Free rescheduling: You can reschedule your appointment at no cost as long as you do so at least 24 hours before your scheduled time.
Passing Score Rules
The passing score is 240 on a scale that runs from 100 to 300. That single number is deceptively simple - the rule that trips candidates up isn't the score itself but how it applies across multi-subtest exams: 240 must be earned on every subtest independently. A high score on one subtest cannot offset a lower score on another.
For Special Education (070), that means your preparation needs to produce a consistent 240-level performance across all four domains simultaneously, not an average that happens to land above 240. A deep dive into scoring mechanics, score reports, and what a 240 actually represents in terms of correct answers is covered in WEST-E Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
Key Takeaway
Track your practice performance by domain, not just by overall score - a strong Domain 3 performance won't rescue a weak Domain 1 if this were a multi-subtest exam, and it's good discipline regardless.
Test-Day Rules You Can't Afford to Miss
A few procedural details catch candidates off guard because they assume the rules mirror other standardized tests:
- No reference materials: Unlike some certification exams, no formula sheets, glossaries, or reference guides are provided. Everything must be memorized.
- Restroom breaks count against your time (computer-based testing): If you leave the testing room during a computer-based appointment, the clock keeps running against your 2 hours 15 minutes.
- No breaks at all (online proctoring): Choosing online proctoring means committing to zero breaks for the entire testing period - plan hydration and bathroom timing accordingly before you start.
- Preliminary results: Computer-based test-takers see a preliminary pass/fail result immediately after finishing; online-proctored candidates receive no preliminary result and must wait for official scoring.
- Official score reports: Regardless of delivery method, official score reports are released within four weeks of your test date.
These logistics matter as much as content knowledge - arriving unprepared for a no-break online-proctoring session can undermine weeks of study. For candidates weighing whether the exam's difficulty comes more from content or from these procedural constraints, How Hard Is the WEST-E Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 breaks down both angles.
Retake & Rescheduling Policy
If you don't pass, Washington requires a 30-day waiting period before you can retake the same WEST test - and you must complete registration again in full, including paying the fee again unless you have a new voucher. There's no shortcut around the waiting period, so use it deliberately: identify which of the four domains produced your weakest performance and rebuild your study plan around that gap rather than repeating a generic review of everything.
Rescheduling before you ever sit for the test is far more flexible: changes made at least 24 hours before your appointment are free. Waiting until the last minute, or missing your appointment entirely, forfeits that flexibility.
Who Actually Checks This Score
Special Education (070) exists because Washington State requires evidence of subject-matter competency before an educator can hold a special education endorsement on their teaching certificate. School districts hiring for special education roles - resource room teachers, self-contained classroom teachers, and related positions - rely on this endorsement as part of the certification file, alongside your program completion and other state requirements. If you're evaluating whether pursuing this endorsement pays off given the effort and fees involved, Is the WEST-E Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and WEST-E Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis walk through the career-side considerations in more depth. For the eligibility requirements that get you to the testing room in the first place, see WEST-E Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
Final-Week Domain Allocation
In the last stretch before your appointment, resist the urge to re-read everything at once. Because all four domains carry identical 25% weight, the highest-leverage move is a short, domain-anchored rotation rather than a single generic cram session.
Domain 1 & Domain 2 Review
- Drill disability characteristics and eligibility/assessment scenarios with timed practice questions
Domain 3 & Domain 4 Review
- Rehearse instructional strategy and legal/procedural safeguard questions under realistic time pressure
Full-Length Practice Run
- Simulate the 2-hour-15-minute testing window without reference materials or extended breaks
Weak-Domain Cleanup
- Return only to the domain(s) where practice scores lagged below your 240-equivalent target
A full-length practice run under real timing conditions on the practice test platform is the single best way to confirm you can sustain accuracy across all 110 questions within the actual time limit, not just in short bursts. For a structured multi-week plan that starts earlier than the final week, see WEST-E Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt.
Frequently Asked Questions
Approximately 110 multiple-choice questions, to be completed within 2 hours 15 minutes of testing time inside a 2-hour 30-minute total appointment.
A scaled score of 240 out of a possible 100-300 range. If your exam has multiple subtests, 240 must be earned on each one individually.
No. No reference materials are provided or permitted, so all content knowledge must be committed to memory before your appointment.
You must wait 30 days before retaking the same test and complete registration again, including the applicable fee unless a new voucher applies.
For computer-based testing, restroom break time counts against your total testing time. Online-proctored appointments allow no breaks at all.