If you were new to our education system and were looking for the test you would need to pass to teach, let's say middle school math, you might deduce that the 4-8 Math TExES exam would work... and in the past, this has been true.  This year, however, the educational talking heads have issued a decree that any teacher who wishes to teach any core subject from kindergarten through 6th grade must take a Generalist exam (an exam that covers English, Social Studies, Math and Science).  Since many middle schools contain 6th grade, the real effect of this ruling is this - If you plan to teach any core subject in middle school and you have only taken the single subject 4-8 test, you are not as attractive a candidate as you were last year.  You should take the 4-8 Generalist exam to be seriously considered for a job.

 

Yes, you could legally teach 7th or 8th grade with the single subject test, but how hireable are you with that test given that everyone else is taking the 4-8 Generalist and can teach 6th grade?  The 4-8 Generalist is a very passable test (yes, I've taken it) and it really opens more doors than the single subject tests anyway, so it's not a total loss.  I just feel sorry for those that have already tested in a single subject for grades 4-8. If you fall into that group, you might consider, for sake of your hireability, retesting as a 4-8 Generalist.