Certification in Texas gets easier.

College graduates in Texas who want to teach grades 8-12 now have the option of taking two tests, rather than completing education courses. The first test, a TExES content exam, proves the graduate is an expert in his or her field, and the second exam, a TExES PPR exam, proves the graduate knows how to teach.

And a program called TExES Master PPR 4-12. written by Texas education professors, has a 99 percent success rate in helping graduates pass the PPR exam, according to eMediaWire.com. Passing the two exams does not give graduates certification though. Once they pass, the State Board for Educator Certification suggests 80 hours of training before school opens and 300 hours of training over two years.