Description of the Tests

Refer to the table below for information about types and numbers of test items on each type of test.

This table lists all MTEL tests, with the correlating number of multiple-choice or open-response items.
Test Type	Test Description
Communication and Literacy Skills	Reading subtest This subtest includes 42 multiple-choice items. The multiple-choice section counts for 100 percent of the candidate's total subtest score. Writing subtest This subtest includes 35 multiple-choice items, seven (7) short-answer sentence correction items, and two open-response items—a summary exercise and a composition exercise. The summary exercise requires candidates to spend about 20–30 minutes to prepare an adequate response; the composition exercise requires candidates to spend about 45–60 minutes to prepare an adequate response. The multiple-choice and short-answer item section counts for 50 percent of the candidate's score, the summary exercise counts for 15 percent of the candidate's total test score, and the composition exercise counts for 35 percent of the candidate's total subtest score.
CASA (alternative to the Communication and Literacy Skills test)	Reading subtest This subtest includes 40 multiple-choice items. The multiple-choice section counts for 100 percent of the candidate's total subtest score. Writing subtest This subtest includes 42 multiple-choice items and 1 constructed-response assignment. The multiple-choice section counts for 60 percent of the candidate's total subtest score, and the constructed-response assignment section counts for 40 percent of the candidate's total subtest score.
Essential Academic Skills (alternative to the Communication and Literacy Skills test)	Subtest I This subtest includes 45 multiple-choice items. The multiple-choice section counts for 100 percent of the candidate's total subtest score. Subtest II This subtest includes 36 multiple-choice items and 1 written assignment. The multiple-choice section counts for 75 percent of the candidate's total subtest score, and the written assignment section counts for 25 percent of the candidate's total subtest score.
MoGEA (alternative to the Communication and Literacy Skills test)	Reading Comprehension and Interpretation subtest This subtest includes 39 multiple-choice items. The multiple-choice section counts for 100 percent of the candidate's total subtest score. Writing subtest This subtest includes 1 written assignment. The written assignment section counts for 100 percent of the candidate's total subtest score.
WEST–B (alternative to the Communication and Literacy Skills test)	Reading subtest This subtest includes 60 multiple-choice items Writing subtest This subtest includes 50 multiple-choice questions and 2 constructed-response questions.
MTEL-Flex Assessments	MTEL-Flex provides an assessment option for MTEL candidates whose score on select MTEL test fields is within one standard error of measurement to the passing score (for more information about eligibility for MTEL-Flex, candidates should review the relevant MTEL-Flex assessment page). Candidates must have achieved this score on the currently operating version of the test after the approval of the regulatory pilot to explore alternatives to the MTEL, which was approved by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education on October 20, 2020 . Candidates who meet this eligibility requirement have the opportunity to submit an MTEL-Flex assessment as an alternative to retaking the full MTEL test.
Subject Matter Tests Academically Advanced Biology Business Chemistry Dance Digital Literacy and Computer Science Early Childhood Earth and Space Science English English as a Second Language Foundations of Reading General Science Health/Family and Consumer Sciences History/Social Science Latin and Classical Humanities Mathematics (Elementary) Mathematics/Science Middle School Humanities Music Physical Education Physics Reading Specialist Speech Technology/Engineering Theater Visual Art	These subject matter tests include 100 multiple-choice items and two open-response items requiring candidates to spend about 20–30 minutes each to prepare an adequate response. The multiple-choice section counts for 80 percent and the open-response section counts for 20 percent of the candidate's total test score.
Subject Matter Tests Mathematics (Middle School) Mathematics (Secondary)	These subject matter tests include 85 multiple-choice items and two open-response items requiring candidates to spend about 20–30 minutes each to prepare an adequate response. The multiple-choice section counts for 80 percent and the open-response section counts for 20 percent of the candidate's total test score.
Subject Matter Test General Curriculum	Multi-subject subtest This subtest includes 55 multiple-choice items and one open-response item requiring candidates to spend about 20–30 minutes to prepare an adequate response. The multiple-choice section counts for 90 percent and the open-response section counts for 10 percent of the candidate's subtest score. Mathematics subtest This subtest includes 45 multiple-choice items and one open-response item requiring candidates to spend about 20–30 minutes to prepare an adequate response. The multiple-choice section counts for 90 percent and the open-response section counts for 10 percent of the candidate's subtest score.
Subject Matter Test Sheltered English Immersion	This subject matter test includes 60 multiple-choice items and one open-response item consisting of five parts. The open-response item requires candidates to spend about 20–30 minutes to prepare an adequate response to each of the five parts of the assignment, for a total of about 2 ½ hours for the section. The multiple-choice section counts for 60 percent and the open-response section counts for 40 percent of the candidate's total test score.
Subject Matter Test Bilingual Education	This subject matter test includes 100 multiple-choice items. The multiple-choice section counts for 100 percent of the candidate's total test score.
Language Subject Matter Tests Chinese (Mandarin) French German Italian Portuguese Russian Spanish	French and Spanish The language tests in French and Spanish include approximately 100 multiple-choice items and two open-response items, one of which requires a written response and the other an oral response. The multiple-choice items count for approximately 70 percent and the open-response items count for approximately 30 percent of the candidate's total test score. Chinese (Mandarin), German, Italian, Portuguese, and Russian The language tests in Chinese (Mandarin), German, Italian, Portuguese, and Russian include approximately 55 multiple-choice items and short-answer items and four open-response items, one of which requires an oral response. The multiple-choice items and short-answer items count for approximately 32 percent and the open-response items count for approximately 68 percent of the candidate's total test score.
Adult Basic Education	This subject matter test includes 100 multiple-choice items and two open-response items requiring candidates to spend about 20–30 minutes each to prepare an adequate response. The multiple-choice section accounts for 85 percent and the open-response section counts for 15 percent of the candidate's total test score.
Vocational Technical Literacy Skills Test	Reading subtest This subtest includes 60 multiple-choice items. The multiple-choice section counts for 100 percent of the candidate's total subtest score. Writing subtest This subtest includes 40 multiple-choice items and two open-response items—a summary exercise and a composition exercise. The summary exercise requires candidates to spend about 20–30 minutes to prepare an adequate response; the composition exercise requires candidates to spend about 45–60 minutes to prepare an adequate response. The multiple-choice item section counts for 55 percent of the candidate's score; the summary and composition exercises count for 45 percent of the candidate's total subtest score.

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