- WEST-E Special Education (070) has about 110 multiple-choice questions across four equally weighted domains.
- Passing requires a score of 240 on a 100-300 scale, with no reference materials allowed during testing.
- The standard test fee is $96, and rescheduling is free up to 24 hours before your appointment.
- Washington law requires at least one endorsement content test attempt before full-time student teaching.
What Is WEST-E Certification?
WEST-E stands for Washington Educator Skills Tests-Endorsements, and the Special Education (070) test is the specific credentialing exam this article covers. It is the endorsement test that verifies whether a candidate has the content knowledge required to teach special education in Washington State public schools. Passing this test is not the same thing as earning a teaching license on its own - it is one required piece of the endorsement process that, combined with an approved educator preparation program and other state requirements, allows a candidate to add a special education endorsement to a Washington teaching certificate.
Because Special Education (070) is the highest-volume WEST-E endorsement test in the state, it functions as a useful reference point for understanding how the broader WEST-E system works: how tests are built, how they are scored, and how candidates schedule and pay for them. If you're still getting oriented to the terminology, our companion pieces What Is WEST-E? and WEST-E Meaning walk through the acronym and program structure in more depth.
Who Administers the Test and Why It Matters
The Washington Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) owns the WEST-E program. PESB contracts with Pearson Evaluation Systems to handle test development, administration, and scoring. In practice, this means the content on Special Education (070) is written to match Washington's specific educator standards, not a generic national special education framework, and the test is delivered through Pearson's infrastructure rather than through a university or a separate testing vendor.
Tests are offered at Pearson VUE testing centers located throughout Washington State and at additional centers nationwide, which is useful for candidates who relocate mid-program or who are completing licensure requirements from out of state. There is also an online proctoring option for candidates who prefer to test remotely, though it comes with different rules around breaks that are worth understanding before you schedule (more on that below).
Because PESB sets policy and Pearson executes delivery, questions about eligibility, endorsement rules, and required prerequisites are governed by state regulation rather than by the testing vendor. If you're trying to confirm whether you're eligible to sit for this exam yet, our WEST-E Requirements 2026 guide breaks down the prerequisite steps in detail.
Test Format, Fees, and Scoring
Special Education (070) consists of approximately 110 multiple-choice questions. Candidates are given 2 hours and 15 minutes of actual testing time, but the total appointment window is 2 hours and 30 minutes - the extra 15 minutes covers the tutorial and the nondisclosure agreement you must complete before the clock starts on questions.
No reference materials, calculators, or notes are permitted during the test. This matters for a content-heavy exam like this one: everything from disability categories to legal frameworks to instructional strategy names has to be internalized ahead of time, not looked up during the appointment.
- Test fee: $96, which is the standard WEST-E fee for most endorsement tests (Designated World Languages is $59, and each Middle Level Humanities subtest is $48).
- Passing score: 240 on a scale that runs from 100 to 300.
- Multi-subtest exams: a 240 must be earned on every subtest, not just an overall average.
- Preliminary results: shown immediately after computer-based testing; official reports follow within four weeks.
Key Takeaway
Because no reference materials are allowed, memorization and applied understanding of terminology across all four domains matters more on this test than familiarity with any single resource you could bring into the room.
An important scheduling detail: for computer-based testing, restroom break time counts against your total testing time. If you choose the online proctoring option instead, no breaks are permitted at all during the appointment. Computer-based appointments are available year-round by appointment, while online proctoring is only available during one-week windows each month - and online-proctored candidates do not receive a preliminary result the way computer-based test-takers do. For a full breakdown of exactly what the $96 fee does and does not cover, see WEST-E Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
The Four Content Domains
Special Education (070) is built around four content domains, each carrying equal 25% weight across objectives numbered 0001 through 0012. Equal weighting is a critical planning detail: no domain is small enough to skip or treat as a low-priority afterthought, because each one contributes the same share to your final score.
Domain 1: Understanding Students with Disabilities (25%)
Covers the characteristics, categories, and developmental implications of various disabilities, along with how disability affects learning, communication, and behavior across settings.
- Disability categories and their educational implications
Domain 2: Assessment and Program Development (25%)
Focuses on evaluation procedures, eligibility determination, and how assessment data is translated into individualized program planning.
- Formal and informal assessment interpretation and IEP development
Domain 3: Promoting Development and Learning (25%)
Centers on instructional strategies, behavior support, and how to design learning experiences that promote growth for students with disabilities.
- Evidence-based instructional and behavioral intervention strategies
Domain 4: Foundations and Professional Practice (25%)
Addresses legal foundations, collaboration with families and professionals, and ethical responsibilities of special education practitioners.
- Legal mandates, procedural safeguards, and collaborative practice
Each of these domains deserves dedicated study time rather than a single pass-through review. For an objective-by-objective breakdown of what falls under each domain, our WEST-E Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 4 Content Areas goes deeper than we can cover here.
Who Needs Special Education (070) and When
Under Washington law (WAC 181-78A-232), candidates are required to attempt their endorsement content test at least once before beginning full-time student teaching. In practice, this means most candidates pursuing a special education endorsement will sit for Special Education (070) during their preparation program rather than waiting until after coursework is fully complete.
This test is used by educator preparation programs across Washington as a checkpoint that a candidate has the subject-matter knowledge to move into a classroom placement. Because PESB makes test fee vouchers available through educator preparation programs, many candidates never pay the $96 fee directly out of pocket - it's worth asking your program coordinator whether a voucher applies to you before you register on your own.
Registering, Scheduling, and Retaking
Registration happens through the WEST-E testing system, where candidates select a test date, location (or online proctoring window), and pay the applicable fee. A few mechanics are worth knowing before you commit to a date:
- Computer-based appointments are available by appointment throughout the year, giving flexibility for candidates juggling coursework and fieldwork schedules.
- Online proctoring is only offered during one-week windows each month, so it requires more advance planning if that's your preferred format.
- Rescheduling is free as long as it's done at least 24 hours before your scheduled appointment.
- If you don't pass, you must wait 30 days before retaking the same test, and you'll need to complete registration again from scratch - including paying the fee again unless a voucher applies.
For a month-by-month look at how testing windows and deadlines line up with typical program timelines, check WEST-E Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling. And if you want to understand exactly how the 240 passing score threshold is calculated and reported, WEST-E Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass covers it in detail.
How to Approach Preparation
Given that all four domains are weighted equally, an effective study plan allocates roughly proportional time to each one rather than over-investing in whichever topic feels most familiar from coursework. A simple way to structure preparation is to dedicate focused blocks to one domain at a time, then cycle back through weaker areas using shorter review sessions before test day - a rhythm similar to spaced repetition, but built specifically around the 0001-0012 objective structure rather than generic flashcard decks.
Domain 1 Deep Dive
- Review disability categories and developmental implications in depth
Domain 2 Deep Dive
- Practice interpreting assessment data and drafting IEP components
Domains 3 & 4
- Study instructional strategies alongside legal and ethical foundations
Full Review and Timed Practice
- Take full-length practice sessions under the 2 hour 15 minute time limit
Since no reference materials are allowed during the actual test, practicing under realistic timed conditions matters more here than it does for open-book credentials. Our WEST-E Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt lays out a more detailed week-by-week plan, and you can build timing familiarity using full-length practice questions on our practice test platform before your real appointment.
If you're unsure how much difficulty to expect relative to other licensure exams, How Hard Is the WEST-E Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 addresses that question directly, and WEST-E Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows covers what's publicly known about outcomes.
| Detail | Special Education (070) |
|---|---|
| Question count | ~110 multiple-choice |
| Testing time | 2 hours 15 minutes (2.5 hour total appointment) |
| Test fee | $96 |
| Passing score | 240 (scale of 100-300) |
| Content domains | 4 domains, each weighted 25% |
| Retake wait period | 30 days plus re-registration |
Once you've passed, the endorsement itself becomes a factor in career options within Washington's special education workforce - a topic covered further in WEST-E Jobs and Is the WEST-E Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026. For candidates weighing formal coursework support against self-study, WEST-E Training outlines what structured preparation options typically include, and general salary considerations tied to endorsement are discussed in WEST-E Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. It is an endorsement content test required as part of the licensure process in Washington State, not a standalone credential. It works alongside your educator preparation program and other state requirements.
There are approximately 110 multiple-choice questions, with 2 hours and 15 minutes of testing time inside a 2 hour 30 minute total appointment that also includes the tutorial and nondisclosure agreement.
You need a score of 240 on a scale of 100 to 300. If the exam has multiple subtests, a 240 is required on each individual subtest, not just an overall average.
No. No reference materials are provided or permitted, so all content across the four domains needs to be studied and internalized ahead of your appointment.
You must wait 30 days before retaking the same WEST test, and you'll need to complete registration again, including scheduling a new appointment and paying the applicable fee unless a voucher covers it.