The Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL) General Curriculum Exam is required as part of the licensing process for a number of different careers in education in the state. This includes teaching first through sixth grade and teaching students with moderate to severe disabilities at all grades.
How Long Does the MTEL General Curriculum Exam Last?
The exam is actually broken into two subtests which you can choose to take in a single session or in two separate sessions. If you take them in the same session, you will have less time for each test but you will also pay less. If you schedule them in separate sessions, you’ll have twice as much time for each test but you’ll pay a little more.
Basically, a testing session lasts four hours whether you schedule one or both tests. So, if you feel like you need more time in order to do your best, scheduling them separately will give you four hours for each subtest. If you don’t feel like time constraints will affect your performance, you can take care of both in one session and have about two hours for each subtest.
Beyond the provided test taking time and tutorial time, you should also plan to spend about 30 minutes checking in and familiarizing yourself with the testing center. This check in time must occur before your appointment actually starts. You need to be completely checked in and ready to go as soon as your actual appointment begins. No late admissions will be accepted.
Which Subjects Are Included on This Exam?
The two subtests that make up this exam are the multi-subject test and the math test. Here is a quick outline of what you will be tested on in each one:
- Multi-Subject Test – 45 multiple choice questions and 1 constructed response question
- Language Arts – 18-20 questions
- History and Social Science – 17-19 questions
- Engineering, Science, and Technology – 17-19 questions
- Integration of Knowledge and Understanding – 1 constructed response question
- Math Test – 55 multiple choice questions and 1 constructed response question
- Numbers and Operations – 19-21 questions
- Functions and Algebra – 10-12 questions
- Geometry and Measurement – 8-10 questions
- Statistics and Probability – 4-6 questions
- Integration of Knowledge and Understanding – 1 constructed response question
In the multi-subject test, the constructed response will be a prompt based on one or more of the subject areas included in this subtest. For the math test, the constructed response question will ask you to use mathematic knowledge and reasoning to communicate solutions to a problem that involves two or more of the subject areas covered in the multiple choice section. Your response will be judged according to the following criteria:
- How well you achieved the purpose of the prompt.
- How accurate or appropriate your response was to the subject matter of the prompt.
- The quality and relevance of your supporting details or calculations.
- The quality of reasoning and the degree of understanding demonstrated in your argument.
In addition to the scored questions, you might also see additional unscored questions in any or all of the five scientific domains described above. While these extra questions don’t count toward your final score, they aren’t identified so it’s best to treat every single one as a scored question.
What Score Do I Need to Pass?
Each test is given a scaled score ranging from 100 to 300. You need to get at least 240 in order to pass. You also need to pass both individual subtests with this 240 or higher requirement in order to successfully complete this licensure exam. However, if you do fail one subtest, you will only need to retake that one.
How Should I Prepare for the MTEL General Curriculum Exam?
This exam will test your command of a wide range of very different subjects. Moreover, it will also be a test of your endurance. So as you prepare for this exam, make sure you devote time not only to reviewing the material but also to getting comfortable with the test taking conditions.
To do that, you should start with the Mometrix Study Guide and Mometrix Flashcards. These will give you a great overview of all the subjects you will be tested on. Plus, the flashcards are portable so you can toss them in your bag and squeeze in a few minutes of extra study time here and there to make sure you really know your stuff come test day.
These study aids will also help you strengthen your test taking skills and practice answering sample questions so that you’re fully prepared to do your absolute best on this exam. Review and practice for about three to four weeks and you should be ready to pass this exam and be one step closer to your dream job!