• 61 questions

CSET Practice Test Subtest 1

Unofficial practice for CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I: reading, language and literature, and history and social science.

Which of these words is made of exactly three morphemes?

Pick an answer, then press Check answer. Then you see Correct or Not quite, with the reason. Keys: A to D pick, Enter checks.

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Exam mode: 52 questions, no time limit.

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Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing or Pearson. Bank checked October 9, 2026.

Constructed-response prompts to print 4 lines, made to print

Subtest I short constructed-response practice

Name ____ Date ____

Write a short answer to each prompt on the lines, as you would for a short constructed-response question. Unofficial practice prompts; none is from the real test.

Reading, language, and literature

  • A first grader reads the word "ship" as "sip." Name the letter-sound pattern the child has not yet learned, and describe one activity that teaches it.
  • Choose a fable or folktale you know well. Explain how one event in it shows what a character is like, and what lesson the story leaves with a young reader.

History and social science

  • Magna Carta and the Mayflower Compact each put a limit on who may govern and how. Explain one idea from each document, and one way the two are alike.
  • Describe how the mission system changed the lives of California Indians, and what happened to the missions' land after 1833.

Source: Own prompts. The real subtest has 4 short constructed-response questions, 2 in each domain (https://www.ctcexams.nesinc.com/Content/StudyGuide/CA_SG_obj_101.htm); the topics follow the content specifications of Subtest I (https://www.ctcexams.nesinc.com/content/docs/CSET_Prep/CS_101subtestdescription.pdf), both read 2026-10-09. Checked October 9, 2026.

How written answers are scored 6 lines, made to print

What scorers look for in a written answer

The program names these performance characteristics for constructed-response answers. The wording of each line is ours. Unofficial; not a scoring guide of the real test.

Performance characteristics

  • Purpose Does the answer do what the assignment asks, in the terms of the subject matter being tested?
  • Subject matter knowledge Is the knowledge of the subject accurate, and is it applied to the question and not only recited?
  • Support Is each point backed by fitting evidence of good quality: a quotation, an example, a fact, a step of reasoning?
  • Depth and breadth of understanding Named for some assignments only: how fully the answer shows an understanding of the subject.

How the scoring is done

  • Each written answer is scored by at least two California educators.
  • A subtest's passing score is a scaled score of 220 on a scale of 100 to 300.

Source: The performance characteristics are named in the program's Test Results Report Information (https://www.ctcexams.nesinc.com/content/docs/CS_ScoreReport_Insert.pdf), read 2026-10-09. On Subtest I the written answers count for 30% of the score (https://www.ctcexams.nesinc.com/Content/StudyGuide/CA_SG_obj_101.htm). Checked October 9, 2026.

Next step Next: CSET Multiple Subjects Subtest II

All 61 questions

Reading: language and linguistics 11

  • A four-year-old who used to say "ran" begins to say "runned." What does the new error show? Wikipedia, Language acquisition (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, Reading, Language, and Literature 0001 Language and Linguistics (1.2 Language Development and Acquisition).
  • A student reads every word correctly and at a good pace, but in a flat voice that runs through the punctuation. Which part of reading fluency needs work? Wikipedia, Fluency and Prosody (linguistics) (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, Reading, Language, and Literature 0001 Language and Linguistics (1.3 Literacy).
  • A student whose first language is Spanish writes "the car red" in English. Which process most likely explains the word order? Wikipedia, Language transfer (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, Reading, Language, and Literature 0001 Language and Linguistics (1.2 Language Development and Acquisition).
  • A teacher listens to a child read a passage aloud, marks each error and self-correction, and works out the percentage of words read correctly. Which assessment is this? Wikipedia, Running record (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, Reading, Language, and Literature 0001 Language and Linguistics (1.4 Assessment).
Show all 61 questions (57 more)

Reading: language and linguistics, continued

  • A teacher says the sounds /s/, /u/, /n/ one at a time, and the children answer "sun." Which phonemic awareness task is this? Wikipedia, Phonemic awareness (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, Reading, Language, and Literature 0001 Language and Linguistics (1.1 Language Structure and Linguistics).
  • A two-year-old points and says "Doggy run," then "Want cookie." Which stage of language development is this? Wikipedia, Telegraphic speech (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, Reading, Language, and Literature 0001 Language and Linguistics (1.2 Language Development and Acquisition).
  • Asked "Can you close the door?", a child answers "Yes" and stays in his seat. Which part of language has he not yet mastered? Wikipedia, Pragmatics (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, Reading, Language, and Literature 0001 Language and Linguistics (1.1 Language Structure and Linguistics).
  • In Krashen's input hypothesis, which input best helps a learner acquire a second language? Wikipedia, Input hypothesis (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, Reading, Language, and Literature 0001 Language and Linguistics (1.2 Language Development and Acquisition).
  • In the word "ship," what are the letters sh? Wikipedia, Digraph (orthography) (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, Reading, Language, and Literature 0001 Language and Linguistics (1.1 Language Structure and Linguistics).
  • Which activity is phonics and not phonemic awareness? Wikipedia, Phonics (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, Reading, Language, and Literature 0001 Language and Linguistics (1.1 Language Structure and Linguistics).
  • Which of these words is made of exactly three morphemes? Wikipedia, Morpheme (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, Reading, Language, and Literature 0001 Language and Linguistics (1.1 Language Structure and Linguistics).

Reading: written and non-written communication 9

  • A fourth grader writes to the principal asking for a longer recess, with three reasons and the results of a class survey. Which kind of writing is this? Purdue OWL, Argumentative Essays (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, Reading, Language, and Literature 0002 Non-Written and Written Communication (2.3 Writing Applications).
  • A girl chats with her grandmother in Spanish, then moves into English in the same conversation when a classmate joins them. What is this called? Wikipedia, Code-switching (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, Reading, Language, and Literature 0002 Non-Written and Written Communication (2.4 Non-Written Communication).
  • A student copies two sentences from a website into his report, changes a few words and names no source. What is this? Wikipedia, Plagiarism (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, Reading, Language, and Literature 0002 Non-Written and Written Communication (2.5 Research to Build and Present Knowledge).
  • A student has a finished draft. She now corrects spelling, subject-verb agreement and verb tense line by line. Which stage of the writing process is this? Wikipedia, Writing process (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, Reading, Language, and Literature 0002 Non-Written and Written Communication (2.2 Writing Strategies).
  • "Because it rained, the game was moved indoors." Which type of sentence is this? Wikipedia, Sentence clause structure (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, Reading, Language, and Literature 0002 Non-Written and Written Communication (2.1 Conventions of Language).
  • "I finished my essay I turned it in." What is the error? Purdue OWL, Run-ons, Comma Splices, Fused Sentences (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, Reading, Language, and Literature 0002 Non-Written and Written Communication (2.1 Conventions of Language).
  • What is an idiolect? Wikipedia, Idiolect (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, Reading, Language, and Literature 0002 Non-Written and Written Communication (2.4 Non-Written Communication).
  • "When a student studies hard, you usually do well." What should the writer fix? Purdue OWL, Using Pronouns Clearly (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, Reading, Language, and Literature 0002 Non-Written and Written Communication (2.1 Conventions of Language).
  • Which prewriting tool best fits planning an essay that compares two characters? Wikipedia, Graphic organizer (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, Reading, Language, and Literature 0002 Non-Written and Written Communication (2.2 Writing Strategies).

Reading: comprehension and analysis 10

  • A narrator tells what every character in the story is thinking and feeling. What is this point of view? Wikipedia, Narration (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, Reading, Language, and Literature 0003 Reading Comprehension and Analysis (3.1 Reading Literature).
  • A readability formula scores a book by its sentence length and word length. In the three-part model of text complexity, which kind of measure is this? Common Core State Standards Initiative, Measuring Text Complexity: Three Factors (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, Reading, Language, and Literature 0003 Reading Comprehension and Analysis (3.3 Text Complexity).
  • A short tale has a tortoise and a hare who talk and race, and it ends with a stated lesson. Which genre is it? Wikipedia, Fable (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, Reading, Language, and Literature 0003 Reading Comprehension and Analysis (3.1 Reading Literature).
  • A story claims, as plain fact, that a lumberjack dug a great canyon by dragging his axe behind him. Which genre is it? Wikipedia, Tall tale (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, Reading, Language, and Literature 0003 Reading Comprehension and Analysis (3.1 Reading Literature).
  • "The bacon sizzled while the old clock went tick-tock." Which device do "sizzled" and "tick-tock" show? Wikipedia, Onomatopoeia (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, Reading, Language, and Literature 0003 Reading Comprehension and Analysis (3.1 Reading Literature).
  • "The lake was like a sheet of glass." Which device is this? Wikipedia, Simile (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, Reading, Language, and Literature 0003 Reading Comprehension and Analysis (3.1 Reading Literature).
  • "Peter's puppy pounced on a pile of pillows." Which device is this? Wikipedia, Alliteration (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, Reading, Language, and Literature 0003 Reading Comprehension and Analysis (3.1 Reading Literature).
  • Readers know a wolf is hiding in the grandmother's bed, but the girl walking in does not. Which device creates the suspense? Wikipedia, Irony (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, Reading, Language, and Literature 0003 Reading Comprehension and Analysis (3.1 Reading Literature).
  • "Thrifty" and "stingy" both describe a person who is careful with money. In what do the two words differ? Wikipedia, Connotation (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, Reading, Language, and Literature 0003 Reading Comprehension and Analysis (3.1 Reading Literature).
  • "The wind whispered to the tired old trees." Which device is this? Wikipedia, Personification (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, Reading, Language, and Literature 0003 Reading Comprehension and Analysis (3.1 Reading Literature).

History: world history 10

  • How did the Nile shape the growth of ancient Egypt? Wikipedia, Ancient Egypt (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, History and Social Science 0004 World History (1.1 Ancient Civilizations).
  • In the valley of which river system did the cities of Mesopotamia grow? Wikipedia, Mesopotamia (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, History and Social Science 0004 World History (1.1 Ancient Civilizations).
  • Magna Carta, sealed by King John in 1215, promised that no free man would be imprisoned except in which way? National Archives, Featured Documents: Magna Carta (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, History and Social Science 0004 World History (1.2 Medieval and Early Modern Times).
  • Mansa Musa, ruler of Mali, is remembered for which journey of 1324? Wikipedia, Mansa Musa (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, History and Social Science 0004 World History (1.2 Medieval and Early Modern Times).
  • On a globe, what is the prime meridian? National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, What is longitude? (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, History and Social Science Part II: Subject Matter Skills and Abilities.
  • On what was the feudal system of medieval Europe based? Wikipedia, Feudalism (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, History and Social Science 0004 World History (1.2 Medieval and Early Modern Times).
  • What were the Twelve Tables of ancient Rome? Wikipedia, Twelve Tables (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, History and Social Science 0004 World History (1.1 Ancient Civilizations).
  • Where did the Aztecs build their capital, Tenochtitlan? Wikipedia, Tenochtitlan (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, History and Social Science 0004 World History (1.2 Medieval and Early Modern Times).
  • Where was the Renaissance first centered? Wikipedia, Renaissance (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, History and Social Science 0004 World History (1.2 Medieval and Early Modern Times).
  • Which is the earliest known writing system, pressed into clay in wedge-shaped marks? Wikipedia, Cuneiform (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, History and Social Science 0004 World History (1.1 Ancient Civilizations).

History: United States history 12

  • Besides citizenship for all persons born or naturalized in the United States, which two guarantees does the 14th Amendment (1868) make against the states? National Archives, Milestone Documents: 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Civil Rights (1868) (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, History and Social Science 0005 United States History (2.3 Civil War and Reconstruction).
  • The Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 reached only people held as slaves in the areas in rebellion. What abolished slavery in the whole United States? National Archives, Milestone Documents: Emancipation Proclamation (1863) and 13th Amendment (1865) (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, History and Social Science 0005 United States History (2.3 Civil War and Reconstruction).
  • How did the Connecticut Compromise of 1787 settle the dispute over representation in Congress? Wikipedia, Connecticut Compromise (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, History and Social Science 0005 United States History (2.2 The Development of the Constitution and the Early Republic).
  • How did the French and Indian War help set Britain and its colonies against each other? Wikipedia, French and Indian War (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, History and Social Science 0005 United States History (2.1 Early Exploration, Colonial Era, and the War for Independence).
  • In 1803 the Supreme Court declared an act of Congress unconstitutional for the first time. Which case was it, and which principle did it establish? National Archives, Milestone Documents: Marbury v. Madison (1803) (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, History and Social Science 0005 United States History (2.2 The Development of the Constitution and the Early Republic).
  • In 1882 a federal law for the first time barred the entry of an ethnic working group. Which law was it? National Archives, Milestone Documents: Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, History and Social Science 0005 United States History (2.4 The Rise of Industrial America).
  • In the Mayflower Compact of 1620, the settlers "covenant and combine" themselves into what? Yale Law School, Avalon Project, Mayflower Compact: 1620 (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, History and Social Science 0005 United States History (2.1 Early Exploration, Colonial Era, and the War for Independence).
  • In the triangular trade across the Atlantic, which leg was the Middle Passage? Wikipedia, Middle Passage (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, History and Social Science 0005 United States History (2.1 Early Exploration, Colonial Era, and the War for Independence).
  • The Indian Removal Act of 1830 let the President negotiate removal treaties with tribes living where? National Archives, Milestone Documents: Jackson's Message 'On Indian Removal' (1830) (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, History and Social Science 0005 United States History (2.2 The Development of the Constitution and the Early Republic).
  • Which was the first permanent English settlement in the Americas? Wikipedia, Jamestown, Virginia (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, History and Social Science 0005 United States History (2.1 Early Exploration, Colonial Era, and the War for Independence).
  • Why are the Battles of Saratoga (1777) counted as a turning point of the War for Independence? Wikipedia, Battles of Saratoga (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, History and Social Science 0005 United States History (2.1 Early Exploration, Colonial Era, and the War for Independence).
  • Why did the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 outrage opponents of slavery? National Archives, Milestone Documents: Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854) (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, History and Social Science 0005 United States History (2.3 Civil War and Reconstruction).

History: California history 9

  • By the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848), about how much of its territory did Mexico cede to the United States? National Archives, Milestone Documents: Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848) (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, History and Social Science 0006 California History (3.1 The Pre-Columbian Period through the Gold Rush).
  • The Chumash of the central and southern California coast were known for which craft, used for deepwater fishing and trade between villages? Wikipedia, Chumash people (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, History and Social Science 0006 California History (3.1 The Pre-Columbian Period through the Gold Rush).
  • How many missions did Franciscan priests found in Alta California between 1769 and 1833? Wikipedia, Spanish missions in California (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, History and Social Science 0006 California History (3.1 The Pre-Columbian Period through the Gold Rush).
  • What became of most mission land after Mexico's Secularization Act of 1833? Wikipedia, Mexican secularization act of 1833 (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, History and Social Science 0006 California History (3.1 The Pre-Columbian Period through the Gold Rush).
  • What was the Central Valley Project, devised in 1933, built to do? Wikipedia, Central Valley Project (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, History and Social Science 0006 California History (3.2 Economic, Political, and Cultural Development Since the 1850's).
  • Where was the gold found on January 24, 1848 that set off the California gold rush? Wikipedia, California gold rush (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, History and Social Science 0006 California History (3.1 The Pre-Columbian Period through the Gold Rush).
  • Which tools of direct democracy did Governor Hiram Johnson's reforms bring to California in the Progressive Era? Wikipedia, Hiram Johnson (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, History and Social Science 0006 California History (3.2 Economic, Political, and Cultural Development Since the 1850's).
  • Who led the first European expedition to explore what is now the coast of California, in 1542? National Park Service, Cabrillo National Monument: Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, History and Social Science 0006 California History (3.1 The Pre-Columbian Period through the Gold Rush).
  • Why were many families who migrated to California from the Dust Bowl in the 1930s called "Okies"? Wikipedia, Dust Bowl (read 2026-10-09). Outline: CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I content specifications, History and Social Science 0006 California History (3.2 Economic, Political, and Cultural Development Since the 1850's).

How this list was compiled: Our own questions, written to the published content specifications of CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I, test code 101, read 2026-10-09 on the program site of the California Educator Credentialing Assessments (test page https://www.ctcexams.nesinc.com/TestView.aspx?f=HTML_FRAG/CA_CSET101_TestPage.html; test structure https://www.ctcexams.nesinc.com/Content/StudyGuide/CA_SG_obj_101.htm; subtest description https://www.ctcexams.nesinc.com/content/docs/CSET_Prep/CS_101subtestdescription.pdf): 52 multiple-choice questions, 26 in Reading, Language, and Literature and 26 in History and Social Science, and 4 short constructed-response questions. The bank holds 30 questions on reading, language and literature (11 language and linguistics, 9 communication, 10 reading comprehension and analysis) and 31 on history and social science (10 world history, 12 United States history, 9 California history). History facts were read in the Milestone Documents and Featured Documents pages of the National Archives, the National Park Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Avalon Project of Yale Law School; language and reading facts, and the rest of the history, in the Wikipedia article each question names, the Purdue Online Writing Lab and the Common Core State Standards Initiative. Each question carries the day its source was read. Licence: Questions, choices and explanations are original work of this site.

How it works

Reading, language and literature, then history: this free CSET practice test for Subtest 1 asks 61 questions of our own on both halves of Multiple Subjects Subtest I. Unofficial, and not affiliated with the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing or Pearson.

Read the full guide

Two domains, 26 questions each

CSET: Multiple Subjects Subtest I, test code 101, splits evenly: 26 multiple-choice questions on Reading, Language, and Literature and 26 on History and Social Science (test structure read October 9, 2026). Exam mode here draws 52.

What the reading half asks

Phonemic awareness against phonics, morphemes, the stages of learning a first and a second language, fluency, the writing process, and the devices and genres of children's literature.

What the history half asks

World history from Mesopotamia to the Renaissance, United States history from Jamestown to the Chinese Exclusion Act, and California from Cabrillo's voyage to the Central Valley Project. Questions on a document cite the National Archives or the Avalon Project.

  • Four written prompts of our own, two per domain, print from under the questions. A second sheet lists what scorers look for.

Questions and answers

Is this CSET Subtest 1 practice test the real exam?

No. It is our own bank of 61 questions, built from the content specifications of Subtest I and from public sources. Nothing is taken from the real subtest, its sample questions or the official practice test, and no score is predicted.

How many questions are on CSET Subtest 1?

56 in all, by the test structure: 52 multiple-choice and 4 short constructed-response, with two of the written questions in each domain.

How long is CSET Multiple Subjects Subtest 1?

Three hours for the multiple-choice and written questions together, the test page says, with 15 more minutes for a nondisclosure agreement and a tutorial. All three subtests in one sitting are given 5 hours.

What is the passing score for CSET Subtest 1?

220, on a scale that runs from 100 to 300. The 52 multiple-choice questions carry 70% of the Subtest I score and the four written answers 30%, which is why this page shows a count of right answers and no pass or fail.

Can you take CSET Subtest 1 online?

Yes. Subtest I is one of the two Multiple Subjects subtests the test page offers with an online proctor, in a session of its own with no breaks. It can also be taken at a test center, alone or with the other two.

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