LOTE: Languages Other Than English - Spanish (613)

What is the LOTE?

This exam is designed to measure your ability to teach Spanish as a second language to learners of all ability levels.

You must demonstrate a strong mastery of language acquisition pedagogy, best teaching practices, Spanish language and culture, and the ability to read, listen to, and understand complex texts in Spanish.

You will also be asked to show your writing skills by reading texts and responding to writing prompts.

The test takes up to 5 hours and contains 120 multiple-choice questions and 8 constructed-response tasks.

The LOTE exam is divided into 7 sections.

How is the test scored?

You need to know how the scorers will decide how many points your oral and written responses receive. They will evaluate your answers to these tasks based on the rubrics below and give it a score of 0, 1, 2, or 3. In order to pass, you should learn the criteria to receive a 2 or 3, so you will see only those categories below.

Register for the LOTE 613 here

LOTE Exam information and $10 Practice Test

LOTE Preparation Manual

Print these rubrics, highlight keywords, and evaluate your practice answers against these bullet points. Work to improve the areas where you notice you consistently have trouble.

If you need more help interpreting the rubric or want feedback on your responses, check out the LOTE Ultimate Study Plan!

Ultimate Study Plan Cohort members are invited to weekly classes to practice live and get feedback on responses to simulated test questions.

Email and Essay in Spanish Rubric

Integrated Writing in Spanish Rubric (Write about a text)

Integrated Speaking in Spanish Rubric (Speak about a text)

Oral Presentation in Spanish Rubric

Simulated Conversation in Spanish Rubric

Lesson Plan in English Rubric

Pedagogy Essay in English Rubric

Recommended Resources


When will I get my score report?

Exam DatesScore Report Date
8/22/2022 - 9/4/20229/16/2022
9/19/2022 - 10/2/202210/14/2022
10/17/2022 - 10/30/202211/11/2022
11/14/2022 - 11/27/202212/9/2022
12/12/2022 - 12/25/20221/6/2023
1/9/2023 - 1/22/20232/3/2023
2/6/2023 - 2/19/20233/3/2023
3/6/2023 - 3/19/20233/31/2023
4/3/2023 - 4/16/20234/28/2023
5/1/2023 - 5/14/20235/26/2023
5/29/2023 - 6/11/20236/23/2023
6/26/2023 - 7/9/20237/21/2023
7/24/2023 - 8/6/20238/18/2023

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More Ways to Practice

Dorian on Demand!

Looking for a tutor? You can meet with me in a virtual private coaching session over Zoom.

Here are some of the ways I can help:

  • Score report review and recommendations
  • Study plan creation
  • Individualized practice
  • Lesson Plan, Email, and Essay Feedback

Our JamBoard

The Teacher Study Hall Jamboard is a free, collaborative, virtual whiteboard with a lesson plan, email, and essay questions to practice, just like the LOTE Written Expression and Constructed Response tasks.

Here are some ways to use this tool:

  • See examples written by others
  • Read feedback to improve
  • Use the rubrics to score examples
  • Time yourself as you write a response
  • Practice, and get feedback

Join our Community

Join our Virtual Professional Learning Community (VPLC) on Zoom to find practice partners and share study tips.

Here are the VPLC details:

  • Active daily, 6 pm to 8 pm CST
  • Discuss educational topics in Spanish
  • View Zoom description for suggestions
  • Meet teachers just like you

Join us on FlipGrid

Flipgrid is a free, online, audio and video discussion tool that lets you record your responses to posted questions, comment on the responses of others, and receive feedback on your response.
Our Flipgrid contains practice oral expression tasks and academic discussions for practice speaking Spanish in a professional register and educational context.
Join with a gmail, yahoo or hotmail email address or join as a guest using this code: Iwillpass

Scan this QR code to access the FlipGrid on your phone.
Scan this QR code to access the FlipGrid on your phone.

Reading Room

Practice your Reading Comprehension here

Listening Library

Improve your Listening Comprehension here

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Frequently Asked Questions

01. What is the difference in the LOTE 613 and the PACT 713?

The biggest difference is that the LOTE (Languages Other Than English) 613 is a test for graduates of a teaching program, required for certification by the Texas State Department of Education.

The PACT (Pre-Admission Content Test) 713 is required to enter alternative certification programs. Both tests cover Instruction and Assessment, Cultural Understanding, Interpretive Listening and Reading, and Written and Oral Expression.

Here is a comparison that may help:

LOTE 613

Required for teacher certification in order to teach Spanish in Texas public schools 5 hours long 120 multiple-choice questions, 1 lesson plan, 3 speaking tasks, 3 writing tasks, 1 essay Tests content, and pedagogy knowledge.

PACT 713

Required for entry into an alternative certification program 3.5 hours long 100 multiple-choice questions, 1 speaking task, 1 writing task Tests content knowledge only.

02. What is pedagogy?

Pedagogy is the art and science of teaching. This term is used to refer broadly to all of the skills, knowledge, theories, beliefs, approaches, strategies, and methods used in instruction.

03. I speak fluent Spanish. Will I be able to pass the LOTE 613?

The LOTE 613 exam is a comprehensive test that will challenge your application of language acquisition, proficiency levels, and research-based best practices with scenario-based questions and a variety of reading, writing, and speaking tasks.

You’ll need to be solid on your pedagogy, Spanish TEKS, and understanding of what strategies will help different levels of learners.

You’ll also be tested on Spanish-language cultural content, like art, literature, famous people, landmarks, holidays, and traditions.

This isn’t the kind of test where you can study a set of flashcards and expect to be prepared. You need a thorough study approach that gives you time to absorb all of the material.

04. How long do I need to study for the LOTE 613?

The LOTE is an intense and thorough test. There are many different components and a variety of question types that you’ll need to master.

I recommend that you give yourself 4 to 6 months of dedicated study, 3 to 4 hours per week before you challenge this test.

This will give you plenty of time to read and absorb all the information you need, practice the tasks, work on areas of weakness, and polish your speaking and writing.

It could be passed in a shorter time, depending on your study schedule and effort.

For a more detailed response, specific to your situation, book a private coaching session and we can work together to create a study plan just for you.

05. Why did I receive a zero on the lesson plan?

In my experience, most candidates who receive a score of zero on the lesson plan failed to teach the exact objective provided in the prompt.

You may have written a plan that teaches something related to the objective or something similar to the objective instead of the exact objective. You may have only addressed one part of the objective.

Here are some examples to show you what this common mistake might look like:

Scenario 1

Objective: The students will use the target language to discuss traditional holiday celebrations in the target language culture.

Lesson Plan: Students discuss their favorite holiday.

Problem: The students learned about one person, not about what elements are included in biographies in general, for example, table of contents, captions, index, etc.

Scenario 2

Objective: The students will describe weather patterns.

Lesson Plan: Students keep a weather journal for several days and write about what they like to do in their favorite kind of weather. The evaluation is a labeling activity for different kinds of weather: cloudy, rainy, sunny, etc.

Problem: The lesson taught students how to identify some weather patterns but didn’t teach them to describe the weather patterns or evaluate whether they could describe them.

Get more tips in my guide – How to Write a Lesson Plan to Score 12/12.

06. How long does it take to get my results after I take the test?

It takes about 3 weeks to receive your results after the test.

They are published at 10 pm on a schedule according to your testing window.

You can find the score report dates here

You may be able to view whether you pass or fail (but not the score) on the morning of your score report date in your educator TEAL account.

07. How long do I have to wait to take my test again?

You can register as soon as your score has been posted, but you’ll have to wait until 30 days have passed since your last test date to take the test again.

Only exam dates after that 30 day period will be shown when you try to register.

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