The purpose of this investigation was to examine the types of preparation that students used to prepare for the Texas Examination for Educators Standards (TExES) Examination. Specifically, this study was concerned with the different types of preparation methods that impact test scores based on gender, ethnicity, age and specialization. The pressure placed on educational institutions has compelled teacher preparation programs to search for the most efficient and effective ways to prepare teacher candidates for certification examinations. A causal comparative research design was used to gather and treat the data. The sample population of this study consisted of 45 education students enrolled in the certification program at an urban university in the Southern region of Texas. The study participants were asked to complete a 12 item questionnaire that would assist in the collection of information regarding their type of preparation. Descriptive and inferential statistical data analysis was applied in the evaluation of data acquired for this study. The information collected from the questionnaires was subjected to the Chi Square test and all hypotheses were tested at the 0.05 Alpha level. There were ten null hypotheses tested in this investigation and five of the hypotheses were found to be significant. Hypothesis one revealed that students were statistically significantly more likely to review books and study guides or have no preparation at all in preparing for the TExES examination. Regarding hypothesis seven, African American students performed better on the TExES examination than other students. Moreover, those students who were 20-23 years of age were more likely to pass the TExES examination than those who were 26-30 years of age. Students whose specializations were EC-4 or EC-6 and All-Levels were statistically more likely to fail the TExES examination than those in 4-8 discipline areas. Finally, students who reviewed books and study guides were statistically more likely to pass the TExES than those who had no preparation at all. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]