Not sure where to start? Let us help! 💪
I'm a teacher candidate at a university/college I'd like to transition to teaching I'm a current / former teacher I'm in leadership for K-12 or Higher Ed (EPP)Everything You Need to Know About MTEL Scores
Are you wondering about the MTEL and how it is scored? If you’re about to take the test or have already taken it, you’ve come to the right place. We’re here to answer all your questions, such as
- how long it takes to receive your scores
- what score you’ll need to pass
- how to interpret your score report
We’ll also let you know how hard an MTEL exam is and how long you’ll have to wait before you can retake an exam.
So let’s dive in!
How Are the MTEL Exams Scored?
Before you take the MTEL it’s good to familiarize yourself with the test structure and how the exam is scored.
Most MTEL exams have selected-response and constructed-response questions. Each exam has a passing score that is converted into a scaled score to provide consistency among all of the exams. You must receive a minimum scaled score of 240 to receive a passing score.
You are awarded points based on the number of questions you answer correctly. You are not penalized for incorrect answers, so be sure to answer every question, even if you need to guess.
More information on scoring can be found on the MTEL website.
How Long Does It Take to Get MTEL Scores?
No doubt, after you have taken your MTEL exam you will be anxious to get your results.
If you selected the option to receive your score report by email, you will be able to view your score report at 10 p.m. Eastern Time on the day of your score report date. Here is where you can go to view the MTEL score report dates. While score reports are subject to delays, generally you can expect to get the results from your MTEL exam about a month after you took the exam and sometimes sooner.
If for some reason you have not received your score report two weeks after your score report date, you can contact Evaluation Systems.
Start studying for your MTEL exam by taking a free practice test!
What Score Do You Need to Pass the MTEL Test?
Each MTEL exam will be converted to a scaled score to ensure consistency among different exams.
You will need to receive a minimum scaled score of 240 to pass an exam. You can find more information about scoring on the MTEL website.
If you do not receive a passing score of 240 and need help passing your MTEL, 240 Tutoring has a comprehensive study guide to make sure you pass your MTEL exam!
How Long Do You Have to Wait Before You Can Retake an MTEL Exam?
No one expects to fail, but if you do fail your exam, there’s good news.
The good news is that you can retake your MTEL exam as many times as you need to receive a passing score.
You must wait 45 days before you retake the same MTEL test or subtest. For tests that have more than one subtest, you can retake both of those subtests during the same testing session. Once you have passed a subtest, there is no need to retake that subtest again.
If you do fail your exam, you should make use of a prepared study guide while you’re waiting to retake your exam. Each 240 Tutoring Study Guide comes with a pass guarantee, so you know you’re getting the best resources to help you pass your exam!
How Do You Interpret an MTEL Score Report?
Each MTEL exam will provide you a score report on your score report date. To make sure you’re prepared when it arrives, we’ll help give you some information on how to interpret a score report.
Each score report will have seven sections.
The first section is the Test Status. You will receive “Met the Qualifying Score” or “Did Not Meet the Qualifying Score.” It will be located in the top right corner or bottom of the score report.
The second section is the Test Score. Your test score will be a scaled score between 100 and 300. The minimum scaled passing score is 240.
The third section is the Range of Number of Items in Subareas. This area will tell you approximately how many selected-response and constructed-response questions were asked in each subarea.
The fourth, fifth, and sixth sections include the Description of Your Subarea Performance and Question Information. These areas tell you how you performed in each subarea. On selected-response questions, this area will tell you if you got most, many, some, or a few of the items correct. On constructed-response questions, this area will tell you whether your answer was thorough, adequate, limited, or weak.
The last section of the score report is the Reporting section. The report will verify that these results will be reported to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and will be added to your licensure file. This area will also list any other institutions that you requested your scores be sent to.
How Hard Is It to Pass an MTEL Exam?
The MTEL exams are intended to measure your ability to be an educator in the state of Massachusetts. So they would have to be hard to pass, right?
The answer is yes, the MTEL is difficult, but it is not impossible to pass. We’re here to point you toward some resources to help you pass your MTEL exam!
You will want to use a study guide that gives you multiple pages of study materials and a step-by-step study plan. 240Tutoring has an MTEL Study Guide with all of that and practice questions. I
You can also find study materials on the MTEL website. Test Information Guides will give you general and field-specific information for each exam, the Test Objectives will tell you what content is on your MTEL exam, and you can also take free MTEL practice tests.
Now that we’ve given you some great resources to help you better understand the scoring process, you’re all set to pass your MTEL exam.
