Are you wanting more information on the MTEL exams? You’ll need to be aware of what exam to take for your state of Massachusetts licensure. Luckily we’re here to help! We’ll give you more information about what the MTEL is and who has to take it. We’ll also provide you with information on what test you need to take for your certification area.
In this article, we will break down the most popular MTEL exams by grade level and give you basic information about each exam. We’ll help you determine which exams you’ll need, and we will also point you toward some great resources so you can begin studying.
Let’s get started!
The purpose of the Massachusetts Test for Licensure, or MTEL, is to measure whether your knowledge and skills are sufficient to become an educator in the state of Massachusetts.
Each exam has specific content that is used to measure your knowledge of that field. You can find more information about each exam’s test objectives on the MTEL website.
If you are wanting to become an educator in the state of Massachusetts, there are certain requirements you need to obtain your license. There are three areas of licensure: Academic Pre-K-12 Education, Vocational Technical Education, and Adult Basic Education. Each field has multiple MTEL exams you’ll need to pass in order to receive your certification.
Once you have figured out which MTEL exam(s) to take, you can begin preparing. To get started, check out this article about preparing for your MTEL exam.
You can find more information on the required MTEL tests you’ll need to take to receive your license here.
Understanding which MTEL test you need to take can be confusing. You’ll want to make sure you’re taking the correct exams for your field of study.
The field of study you want to obtain your license in will determine which MTEL exams you’ll need to take. You can find more information on the licensure requirements for your certification here.
Prospective teachers earning their first Massachusetts teacher certification must pass the Communication and Literacy Skills test (01) and a relevant subject matter test.
The Communication and Literacy Skills test (01) is made up of two subtests: Reading and Writing. The Reading subtest is made up of 42 multiple-choice questions. The Writing subtest is 35 multiple-choice questions, 7 short-answer sentence correction items, and 2 open-response questions. You can choose to take them at the same time or separately. You have 4 hours and 15 minutes of testing time whether you take both subtests or just one. The fee for the Reading subtest is $76, the fee for the Writing subtest is $85, and the fee for both subtests together is $112. You can find more information about this test and a breakdown of its questions here.
Get started studying for the Communication and Literacy Skills test (01) with a Communication and Literacy Skills test (01) study guide from 240 Tutoring.
If you plan to teach English as a second language, the MTEL exam you’ll need to take is English as a Second Language (54). This test is 100 multiple-choice questions with 2 constructed-response assignments. You’ll have 4 hours and 15 minutes to complete the exam. The test fee is $139.
Get started studying for the MTEL English as a Second Language exam with a MTEL English as a Second Language study guide from 240 Tutoring.
Elementary
Elementary teachers in Massachusetts will need to take the MTEL Foundations of Reading 190 test. The test is 100 multiple-choice questions and 2 open-response questions. You will have 4 hours and 15 minutes to complete the test. The exam fee is $139.
Check out this MTEL Foundations of Reading study guide from 240 Tutoring that is aligned with the MTEL Foundations of Reading test.
The MTEL General Curriculum (03) test is for prospective elementary teachers and includes two subtests: Mathematics and Multi-subject. The Mathematics subtest is made up of 45 multiple-choice questions and 1 open-response question. The Multi-subject subtest is made up of 55 multiple-choice questions and 1 open-response question. You can choose to take them at the same time or separately. You will have 4 hours and 15 minutes for this exam. The fee to take either of the subtests separately is $94, but if you take them together, the fee is $139. For more information on MTEL test fees, check out this article.
240 Tutoring offers a MTEL (03) study guide that is specifically aligned with the MTEL General Curriculum (03) exam, as well as a free practice test.
The MTEL General Curriculum test covers math, but another option is the MTEL Mathematics (elementary) (53) exam. This test is 100 multiple-choice questions and 2 open-response questions. You will have 4 hours and 15 minutes to complete the test. The test fee is $139. This test was redesigned in the summer of 2021, so be sure to get a MTEL study guide for this one that is designed specifically for this exam!
Middle School
As a prospective middle school teacher, you will take a content-area MTEL test. Some of the most popular MTEL middle school exams are General Science (10), Mathematics (middle school) (47), Mathematics/ Science (middle school) (51), and Middle School Humanities (50).
All four of these tests have 100 multiple-choice questions and 2 open-response questions. You will have 4 hours and 15 minutes to finish and the test fee for each is $139. The Mathematics (middle school) (47) was redesigned in the summer of 2021, so be sure to get a new study guide for this one! The best study guides are designed specifically for the test you will be taking. You can learn more about how study guides from 240 Tutoring are designed by watching this video!
You can find more information about the types of questions on the MTEL here!
Below are study guides from 240 Tutoring that are aligned with each of these popular MTEL middle school exams:
Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of the exams and know which MTEL test you’ll need to take! The next step is to register for your MTEL exam.
Ashley is a first-grade teacher who is ending her 10-year teaching career to focus on small group tutoring and being a stay-at-home mom. She feels she has a wealth of knowledge of the education world to share with others. One thing you wouldn’t expect about Ashley is that she owns a working 1926 Model T.
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