Unofficial practice for MTEL Early Childhood (72): development, language and writing, math, social science and science, each answer sourced.
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Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education or Pearson. Bank checked October 9, 2026.
Subarea I: Child development, language and writing 16
A baby babbles and points at a dog. Her caregiver looks where she points, smiles and says, 'Yes, a dog!' What is this back-and-forth exchange called?Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, Key Concept: Serve and Return. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0001
A four-year-old who is new to English has begun to answer in class with single words and short phrases, with many errors, and still mostly listens. Which stage of second-language acquisition is this?Colorín Colorado: Language Acquisition: An Overview. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0002
A kindergartner points under each word of a big book, moving from left to right and from top to bottom. Which foundational skill does this show?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2017 English Language Arts and Literacy Curriculum Framework, Reading Standards for Foundational Skills, Print Concepts. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0002
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Subarea I: Child development, language and writing, continued
A teacher models brainstorming ideas for a story, then brainstorms with the class, then has children brainstorm on their own. What is this sequence called?Institute of Education Sciences, What Works Clearinghouse practice guide: Teaching Elementary School Students to Be Effective Writers, Recommendation 2a. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0003
By the Massachusetts kindergarten writing standards, how does a child compose an opinion piece?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2017 English Language Arts and Literacy Curriculum Framework, Kindergarten Writing Standards. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0003
Executive function and self-regulation rely on which three types of brain function?Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, InBrief: Executive Function. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0001
For the youngest students, which activities does the writing practice guide count as 'writing'?Institute of Education Sciences, What Works Clearinghouse practice guide: Teaching Elementary School Students to Be Effective Writers, Introduction. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0003
How much time each day does the What Works Clearinghouse writing panel say kindergartners should spend on writing and developing writing skills?Institute of Education Sciences, What Works Clearinghouse practice guide: Teaching Elementary School Students to Be Effective Writers, Recommendation 1. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0003
In a freeze game, preschoolers dance while music plays and stop when it stops. Which skills does this kind of game mainly build?Institute of Education Sciences, What Works Clearinghouse practice guide: Preparing Young Children for School (2022), Recommendation 2. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0001
In what order is the architecture of a young child's brain built?Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, Key Concept: Brain Architecture. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0001
What does the What Works Clearinghouse panel call the key to vocabulary development in preschool?Institute of Education Sciences, What Works Clearinghouse practice guide: Preparing Young Children for School (2022), Recommendation 5. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0002
Which classroom practice is culturally responsive?Institute of Education Sciences, What Works Clearinghouse practice guide: Preparing Young Children for School (2022), Glossary. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0001
Which description fits free play?Institute of Education Sciences, What Works Clearinghouse practice guide: Preparing Young Children for School (2022), Glossary. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0001
Which period of life is the most intensive for acquiring speech and language skills?National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders: Speech and Language Developmental Milestones. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0002
Which three kinds of writing do the first three kindergarten writing standards name?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2017 English Language Arts and Literacy Curriculum Framework, Kindergarten Writing Standards. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0003
With no letters shown, a teacher asks children to say the three sounds in the spoken word 'map.' Which skill is being practiced?Institute of Education Sciences, What Works Clearinghouse practice guide: Foundational Skills to Support Reading for Understanding in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade, Glossary. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0002
Subarea II: Mathematics 12
A child can look at one, two or three stickers and say the number at once. In the practice guide's progression for number knowledge, which step comes next?Institute of Education Sciences, What Works Clearinghouse practice guide: Teaching Math to Young Children, Table 3. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0005
A child counting a row of bears points to one bear and says 'five, six.' Which counting error is this, and what does the practice guide suggest?Institute of Education Sciences, What Works Clearinghouse practice guide: Teaching Math to Young Children, Table 4, Common counting errors. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0005
A child counts five blocks, 'one, two, three, four, five.' Asked 'How many?', she answers 'five' without counting again. Which understanding does this show?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2017 Mathematics Curriculum Framework, Kindergarten, Counting and Cardinality. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0004
A child rolls a die and names the number of dots at once, without counting them. What is this ability called?Institute of Education Sciences, What Works Clearinghouse practice guide: Preparing Young Children for School (2022), Recommendation 3. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0004
A preschool class does all of its math during morning calendar time. What does the What Works Clearinghouse panel advise?Institute of Education Sciences, What Works Clearinghouse practice guide: Preparing Young Children for School (2022), Recommendation 3. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0005
Children measure a table with blocks and with their own hands before they use a ruler. What does the practice guide call such units?Institute of Education Sciences, What Works Clearinghouse practice guide: Teaching Math to Young Children, Glossary. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0005
How does the kindergarten standard for numbers 11 to 19 have children understand the number 18?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2017 Mathematics Curriculum Framework, Kindergarten, Number and Operations in Base Ten. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0004
In the Massachusetts mathematics framework, how precisely do grade 1 students tell and write time?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2017 Mathematics Curriculum Framework, Grade 1, Measurement and Data. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0004
Six counters in a row are pushed into a circle. What does a kindergartner who meets the counting standard understand about the number of counters?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2017 Mathematics Curriculum Framework, Kindergarten, Counting and Cardinality. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0004
Which record shows a kindergartner decomposing 5 into pairs in more than one way?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2017 Mathematics Curriculum Framework, Kindergarten, Operations and Algebraic Thinking. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0004
Which teacher move does the math practice guide recommend to prompt children to apply what they know?Institute of Education Sciences, What Works Clearinghouse practice guide: Teaching Math to Young Children, Recommendation 4. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0005
Why does the practice guide recommend progress monitoring in early math?Institute of Education Sciences, What Works Clearinghouse practice guide: Teaching Math to Young Children, Recommendation 3. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0005
Subarea III: History and social science 10
A barber gives a haircut. In the framework's terms, what has the customer paid for?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2018 History and Social Science Curriculum Framework, Kindergarten, Topic 4. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0006
A second grader asks whether a website about a civic holiday can be trusted. Which Standard for History and Social Science Practice is she applying?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2018 History and Social Science Curriculum Framework, Standards for History and Social Science Practice. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0007
By the framework's clarification of the economics standards, what is a need?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2018 History and Social Science Curriculum Framework, Kindergarten, Topic 4. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0006
Grade 2 students interview relatives about why their families moved. What does the framework call the things that attract people to a new place?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2018 History and Social Science Curriculum Framework, Grade 2, Topic 3. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0007
In the grade 1 geography standards, what makes a city a capital?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2018 History and Social Science Curriculum Framework, Grade 1, Topic 2. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0006
On a grade 2 map, which component shows the cardinal directions?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2018 History and Social Science Curriculum Framework, Grade 2, Topic 1. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0007
Second graders learn that Africa is a continent and that Egypt and Nigeria are independent countries within it. Which distinction does this teach?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2018 History and Social Science Curriculum Framework, Grade 2, Topic 4. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0006
Which pre-K activity fits the geography standard on constructing maps of familiar places?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2018 History and Social Science Curriculum Framework, Pre-Kindergarten, Topic 2. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0007
Which statement about citizenship matches the grade 1 civics standards?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2018 History and Social Science Curriculum Framework, Grade 1, Topic 1. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0006
Which words does the pre-K history standard have children use when they recall the events of a story or of the classroom day?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2018 History and Social Science Curriculum Framework, Pre-Kindergarten, Topic 3. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0007
Subarea IV: Science and technology/engineering 10
A first grader holds a sheet of paper near a speaker that is playing music and feels the paper tremble. Which idea from the grade 1 standards does this show?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2016 Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework, 1-PS4-1. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0008
A pre-K class moves a flashlight closer to a toy and watches the shadow on the wall change. Which relationship is the class investigating?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2016 Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework, PreK-PS4-2. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0008
By the kindergarten life science standard, how do plants and animals differ in the way they get food?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2016 Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework, K-LS1-1. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0008
How does the kindergarten weather standard limit the quantitative observations children record?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2016 Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework, K-ESS2-1. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0009
Kindergartners tally a month's sunny, windy and rainy days and describe the pattern they see. Which science and engineering practice are they using most directly?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2016 Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework, Science and Engineering Practices; K-ESS2-1. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0009
Second graders test two lunch bags to see which keeps water colder and then compare the results. Which engineering expectation does this match?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2016 Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework, 2.K-2-ETS1-3. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0009
Which change to a material cannot be reversed?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2016 Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework, 2-PS1-4. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0008
Which description goes beyond what the grade 1 standard on plant parts expects of children?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2016 Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework, 1-LS1-1. Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0009
Which expectation fits the pre-K standard about the Moon?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2016 Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework, PreK-ESS1-1(MA). Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0009
Which two things does the grade 2 standard name as moving Earth materials and changing the shape of a landform?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2016 Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework, 2-ESS2-4(MA). Written to MTEL Early Childhood (72), objective 0008
How this list was compiled: Our own questions, written to the test objectives of MTEL Early Childhood, field 72, as the test information guide prints them on the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure website (https://www.mtel.nesinc.com/Content/StudyGuide/MA_SG_OBJ_72.htm and https://www.mtel.nesinc.com/TestView.aspx?f=HTML_FRAG/MA072_TestPage.html, read 2026-10-09): 100 multiple-choice questions and 2 open-response items in 4 hours; multiple-choice subareas I Child Development, Language Foundations, and the Writing Process (26% of the score, objectives 0001 to 0003), II Core Knowledge in Mathematics (20%, objectives 0004 and 0005), III Core Knowledge in History and Social Science (17%, objectives 0006 and 0007) and IV Core Knowledge in Science and Technology/Engineering (17%, objectives 0008 and 0009), and the open-response subarea, 20%. This bank holds 16, 12, 10 and 10. Every fact was read on 2026-10-09 in the public document named under its question: the four Massachusetts curriculum frameworks (English language arts and literacy 2017, mathematics 2017, history and social science 2018, science and technology/engineering 2016), four What Works Clearinghouse practice guides of the Institute of Education Sciences, the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, and Colorín Colorado. Licence: Questions, choices and explanations are original work of this site.
How it works
This unofficial MTEL Early Childhood practice test asks 48 questions of our own on field 72, spread over its four multiple-choice subareas. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education or Pearson.
Read the full guide
The four subareas
By the test objectives: child development, language foundations and the writing process, 26% of the score; mathematics, 20%; history and social science, 17%; science and technology/engineering, 17%. This bank holds 16, 12, 10 and 10.
Where the facts come from
The test objectives say the MTEL are aligned with the Massachusetts curriculum frameworks, so most questions cite a pre-K to grade 2 standard by its code. The rest cite What Works Clearinghouse practice guides and the other public pages named under each question.
The clock in exam mode
Exam mode gives 72 minutes for 48 questions, the pace the online-proctored test sets for its multiple-choice section.
The two open-response assignments, analyses of a child's work sample, are not practiced here.
Online-proctored candidates cannot go back to the multiple-choice questions after the break, the MTEL site says.
Questions and answers
How many questions are on the Early Childhood MTEL?
The MTEL site lists 2 open-response assignments along with 100 multiple-choice questions. It adds that tests may include questions that do not count toward the score.
What is a passing score on the Early Childhood MTEL?
The MTEL site gives a qualifying score of 240. The multiple-choice subareas are 80% of the score and the open-response assignments 20%, so a number right here carries no verdict.
How long is the Early Childhood MTEL?
Four hours of testing time at a test center. Online, the appointment is 4 hours 30 minutes: a 15-minute tutorial, 2 hours 30 minutes of multiple choice, an optional 15-minute break and 1 hour 30 minutes of open response.
Can you take the Early Childhood MTEL at home?
Yes. The MTEL site says online proctoring is available for Early Childhood (72), by appointment in a testing window of one week every month. At test centers it is given year-round.
Is there an MTEL Early Childhood practice test online?
The official preparation materials, with the test information guide for field 72, are on the MTEL site. This page is separate practice online: our own questions, grouped by the same four subareas.