- Special Education (070) has about 110 multiple-choice questions across a 2 hour 15 minute testing window.
- The test fee is $96, and a passing score of 240 (on a 100-300 scale) is required.
- All four domains carry equal 25% weight, so no domain can be safely skipped.
- Washington's PESB owns the program; Pearson develops, delivers, and scores the test.
What Is A WEST-E?
WEST-E stands for Washington Educator Skills Tests-Endorsements, a family of subject-specific certification exams that Washington State uses to confirm that prospective teachers know their content area before they can add an endorsement to a Washington teaching certificate. Among the endorsement tests in this system, Special Education (070) is the highest-volume exam, making it the most useful reference point for understanding how the WEST-E program actually works in practice.
If you're asking "what is a WEST-E" for the first time, the short answer is this: it is a computer-based, multiple-choice content knowledge test tied to a specific teaching endorsement, administered through Pearson VUE testing centers or online proctoring. For a broader definition of the acronym itself, see What Is WEST-E? and WEST-E Meaning. This article focuses specifically on the Special Education (070) endorsement test, its structure, and what candidates need to know before they register.
Who Owns and Administers the Exam
The Washington Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) owns the WEST-E program. PESB sets the policy, the passing standards, and the rules governing who must test and when. PESB contracts Pearson Evaluation Systems to handle the operational side: writing test questions, building the exam form, running the testing centers, and scoring results.
In practice, this means candidates interact with Pearson for almost everything logistical - creating a testing account, scheduling an appointment, paying fees, and receiving score reports - while PESB is the authority behind the standards those questions are built to measure. Tests are delivered at Pearson VUE centers throughout Washington State and nationwide, and also through online proctoring for candidates who qualify for that format.
For a deeper look at how this certification fits into the broader Washington licensure picture, see WEST-E Certification and What Is WEST-E Certification?.
Exam Format, Timing, and Fees
Special Education (070) consists of approximately 110 multiple-choice questions. Candidates get 2 hours and 15 minutes of actual testing time, but the total appointment runs 2 hours 30 minutes because the extra 15 minutes covers the tutorial and the nondisclosure agreement you must accept before the test begins.
No reference materials are allowed in the testing room. For computer-based testing, any restroom break you take counts against your testing time, so managing pacing matters more than it might seem. If you test under online proctoring instead, be aware that no breaks are permitted at all during the session - plan your appointment accordingly.
| Detail | Special Education (070) |
|---|---|
| Question count | ~110 multiple-choice questions |
| Testing time | 2 hours 15 minutes |
| Total appointment | 2 hours 30 minutes (includes tutorial/NDA) |
| Test fee | $96 |
| Passing score | 240 on a 100-300 scale |
The $96 fee is the standard WEST-E fee level; for comparison, Designated World Languages costs $59 and each Middle Level Humanities subtest is $48. For a full pricing breakdown across the endorsement family, see WEST-E Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
Computer-based appointments are available by appointment throughout the year, while online proctoring is only offered during one-week windows each month. If your schedule is tight, this distinction matters for planning - see WEST-E Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling for the scheduling mechanics in more detail.
Key Takeaway
Because restroom breaks eat into your testing clock on computer-based appointments, and online proctoring allows no breaks whatsoever, use the practice environment at WEST-E Exam Prep to rehearse pacing under realistic, break-free conditions before test day.
The Four Content Domains
Special Education (070) is organized into four content domains spanning objectives 0001 through 0012. Each domain carries equal 25% weight, which is a critical planning detail: unlike exams where a couple of domains dominate the score, here every domain contributes the same share to your result, so skipping or under-preparing any one of them creates real risk.
Domain 1: Understanding Students with Disabilities (25%)
Covers the characteristics, identification, and educational implications of various disability categories, along with the legal and developmental frameworks used to understand how disabilities affect learning.
- Disability categories and their classroom implications
Domain 2: Assessment and Program Development (25%)
Focuses on formal and informal assessment methods, eligibility determination, and how assessment data translates into individualized program planning.
- Using assessment results to build defensible, individualized plans
Domain 3: Promoting Development and Learning (25%)
Addresses instructional strategies, behavior support, and how to design learning environments and interventions that promote growth across academic and functional domains.
- Evidence-based instructional and behavioral strategies
Domain 4: Foundations and Professional Practice (25%)
Covers legal foundations, ethical practice, collaboration with families and colleagues, and the professional responsibilities that frame special education service delivery.
- Legal requirements and collaborative professional practice
Because the domains are equally weighted, treating them as a checklist to "get through" rather than a set of areas to master proportionally is a common mistake. For a complete breakdown of objectives within each domain, see WEST-E Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 4 Content Areas.
Passing Score and Retake Rules
Special Education (070) is scored on a 100 to 300 scale, and the passing score is 240. If a WEST test includes multiple subtests, 240 must be earned on each individual subtest - there is no averaging across subtests to reach an overall passing composite.
For computer-based testing, you receive preliminary results immediately after finishing, and your official score report follows within four weeks. If you test under online proctoring, you will not receive a preliminary result at all - you'll need to wait for the official report. This is an important planning detail if you're testing close to a certification deadline.
If you don't pass on your first attempt, Washington requires a 30-day waiting period before you can retake the same WEST test, and you must complete registration again from scratch - your original registration does not carry over. For a full explanation of how the scoring scale works and what a 240 actually represents, see WEST-E Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
Who Needs Special Education (070)
Special Education (070) is required for candidates seeking a special education endorsement on a Washington teaching certificate. Washington law - specifically WAC 181-78A-232 - requires candidates to complete at least one attempt at the relevant endorsement content test before they can begin full-time student teaching. This makes the WEST-E not just a certification hurdle at the end of a program, but a milestone that can gate progress through an educator preparation program itself.
School districts hiring special education teachers, along with educator preparation programs supervising student teaching placements, both rely on this test as verification of content knowledge. Because Special Education (070) is the highest-volume endorsement test in the WEST-E system, it's also the exam most commonly referenced when people search generally for "what is a WEST-E" without specifying an endorsement area.
If you're weighing whether pursuing this endorsement is worth the investment of time and testing fees, see Is the WEST-E Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and WEST-E Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis for a broader picture of how this credential fits into a special education career path.
Registering, Scheduling, and Vouchers
Registration happens through the Pearson-managed testing system, where you'll create an account, select Special Education (070), pay the $96 fee, and choose either a computer-based appointment or an online-proctored session. Computer-based appointments run year-round on an as-available basis at Pearson VUE centers, while online proctoring is limited to specific one-week windows each month - so if online proctoring is your preferred format, you'll need to plan around those windows rather than testing on demand.
Rescheduling is free as long as you do it at least 24 hours before your appointment, which gives some flexibility if your preparation timeline shifts. PESB also makes test fee vouchers available through educator preparation programs, which can offset the cost of the $96 fee for candidates enrolled in a qualifying program - check with your program's certification office to see if vouchers are available to you.
For the full eligibility picture, including prerequisites tied to educator preparation programs and WAC 181-78A-232, see WEST-E Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
Building a Domain-Based Study Plan
Because Special Education (070) splits evenly across four domains, an effective study plan allocates roughly equal attention to each one rather than over-investing in a single "favorite" area. A simple approach is to dedicate a study block to each domain, use short, spaced review sessions rather than one long cram session, and finish with a full-length timed practice run to simulate the 2 hour 15 minute clock and the no-reference-materials rule.
Understanding Students with Disabilities
- Review disability categories and identification criteria under Domain 1
Assessment and Program Development
- Practice interpreting assessment data and building individualized plans under Domain 2
Promoting Development and Learning
- Study instructional and behavioral intervention strategies under Domain 3
Foundations, Professional Practice, and Full Review
- Cover legal/ethical foundations under Domain 4, then run a timed full-length practice test
For a detailed walkthrough of pacing, objective-level content, and first-attempt strategy, see WEST-E Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt. And when you're ready to check your readiness against realistic conditions, WEST-E Exam Prep offers practice questions modeled on the actual domain structure so you can identify weak spots before test day. A quick-reference summary of the facts covered here is also available in the WEST-E Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts.
Frequently Asked Questions
WEST-E stands for Washington Educator Skills Tests-Endorsements. For more on the acronym itself, see What Does WEST-E Stand For? and What Does WEST-E Mean?
The exam has approximately 110 multiple-choice questions, delivered within 2 hours 15 minutes of testing time inside a 2 hour 30 minute total appointment.
You need a scaled score of 240 out of a 100-300 range. If the exam has multiple subtests, 240 is required on each subtest individually.
Washington requires a 30-day waiting period before retaking the same WEST test, and you must complete registration again for the new attempt.
Yes. WAC 181-78A-232 requires at least one attempt at the relevant endorsement content test before you can begin full-time student teaching in Washington.