Unofficial practice for both General Curriculum subtests (178/278): language arts, history and social science, mathematics, science and engineering.
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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.
A chapter book is told by its main character, who says "I" from the first page to the last. Which point of view is this?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2017 English Language Arts and Literacy Curriculum Framework, Glossary. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0001
A fable ends with the line "Do not count your chickens before they are hatched." What does the framework's glossary call such a lesson?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2017 English Language Arts and Literacy Curriculum Framework, Glossary. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0001
A fourth grader moves two paragraphs and rewrites her opening so that the report fits its purpose and audience. Which component of writing is this, in the glossary's terms?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2017 English Language Arts and Literacy Curriculum Framework, Glossary. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0003
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Subtest 1: Language arts, continued
A story handed down for generations tells why the sun crosses the sky each day. By the glossary of the Massachusetts framework, which kind of traditional literature is it?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2017 English Language Arts and Literacy Curriculum Framework, Glossary. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0001
A student speaks casually with friends at recess and more formally when she presents to the school committee. Which term names this degree of formality in language?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2017 English Language Arts and Literacy Curriculum Framework, Glossary. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0004
A student writes a short account of an article's main points, leaves out the minor details and keeps the article's order. What has the student written?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2017 English Language Arts and Literacy Curriculum Framework, Glossary. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0002
"By noon the gym was a furnace." Which figure of speech does the sentence use?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2017 English Language Arts and Literacy Curriculum Framework, Glossary. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0001
Which of these texts is literary nonfiction, as the framework's glossary uses the term?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2017 English Language Arts and Literacy Curriculum Framework, Glossary. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0002
Which sentence could serve as the thesis of an opinion essay, as the framework's glossary defines a thesis?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2017 English Language Arts and Literacy Curriculum Framework, Glossary. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0003
Which sentence follows the standard English convention for subject-verb agreement?Purdue Online Writing Lab, Making Subjects and Verbs Agree. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0003
Subtest 1: History/social science 20
A fifth-grade class reads a diary that a soldier kept in 1776 and a history of the war published in 2019. How should the two be classified?Wikipedia, "Primary source" and "Secondary source", leads. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0009
A student is surprised to learn that Greenland is much smaller than it looks on the classroom's Mercator wall map. What explains the difference?Wikipedia, "Mercator projection", lead. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0005
A third-grade class reads the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution aloud. Which phrase will the students find in it?National Archives, The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription, Preamble. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0008
A town has the money to build a playground or a new library wing, but not both. Which idea from the framework's economics standards does the choice show?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2018 History and Social Science Curriculum Framework, Economics: Scarcity and Economic Reasoning. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0005
According to the framework's guiding principles, how does an effective history and social science education improve reading comprehension?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2018 History and Social Science Curriculum Framework, Guiding Principles. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0009
By the guiding principles of the Massachusetts framework, how often does every student deserve to study history and social science?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2018 History and Social Science Curriculum Framework, Guiding Principles. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0009
Crispus Attucks, a sailor of African and Indigenous ancestry born in Framingham, died in Boston on March 5, 1770. How does the National Park Service describe his significance?National Park Service, People: Crispus Attucks. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0007
Mesopotamia, a region of West Asia in the Fertile Crescent, lay within the system of which two rivers?Wikipedia, "Mesopotamia", lead. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0006
Minute Man National Historical Park preserves the field of the first armed conflict of the American Revolution, fought on April 19, 1775. In which Massachusetts towns does the park lie?National Park Service, Minute Man National Historical Park: April 19, 1775. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0007
Months after the Civil War ended, the Thirteenth Amendment was ratified. Which change did it write into the Constitution?National Archives, The Constitution: Amendments 11–27. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0007
Residents gather on the town common to protest a zoning plan. Which clause of the First Amendment protects the gathering itself?National Archives, The Bill of Rights: A Transcription. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0008
Students sort the sentences of a newspaper editorial into statements that can be checked and statements of judgment. Which of the framework's practice standards are they using?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2018 History and Social Science Curriculum Framework, Standards for History and Social Science Practice. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0009
Two towns are four inches apart on a road map. Which component of the map lets a reader work out the real distance between them?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2018 History and Social Science Curriculum Framework, grade 2, Topic 1: Reading and making maps. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0005
What was the Mayflower Compact of 1620?Wikipedia, "Mayflower Compact", lead. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0007
Which change to voting did the Nineteenth Amendment make when it was ratified on August 18, 1920?National Archives, The Constitution: Amendments 11–27. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0008
Which civilization's script is called the most highly developed and sophisticated writing system of the pre-Columbian Americas?Wikipedia, "Maya civilization", lead. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0006
Which mountain, in the northwest of the state, is the highest point in Massachusetts?Wikipedia, "Mount Greylock", lead. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0005
Which writing system descends from the Phoenician alphabet of twenty-two letters?Wikipedia, "Phoenician alphabet", summary table. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0006
Who was the primary author of the Massachusetts Constitution, which took effect in 1780 and was a model for the U.S. Constitution?Wikipedia, "Constitution of Massachusetts", lead. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0008
Whose reforms of 508 and 507 BC put Athenian citizens into ten new tribes and undermined the domination of the aristocratic families?Wikipedia, "Athenian democracy", lead and Cleisthenes. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0006
Subtest 2: Mathematics 16
A baker adds 2/3 cup of flour to a bowl that already holds 3/4 cup. How many cups of flour are in the bowl?MTEL General Curriculum (178/278) test objectives, subtest 2, subarea Mathematics; the answer is worked from the numbers in the question. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0012
A fifth grader writes 4,507.38 in expanded form. Which term stands for the digit 5?MTEL General Curriculum (178/278) test objectives, subtest 2, subarea Mathematics; the answer is worked from the numbers in the question. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0011
A gift box measures 5 centimeters by 4 centimeters by 3 centimeters. How much paper covers all six of its faces with no overlap?MTEL General Curriculum (178/278) test objectives, subtest 2, subarea Mathematics; the answer is worked from the numbers in the question. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0014
A pattern begins 5, 9, 13, 17 and keeps adding 4. What is its 20th term?MTEL General Curriculum (178/278) test objectives, subtest 2, subarea Mathematics; the answer is worked from the numbers in the question. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0013
A reading corner is shaped like the letter L: a rectangle 6 meters by 4 meters with a second rectangle, 3 meters by 2 meters, attached to one side. How much carpet covers its floor?MTEL General Curriculum (178/278) test objectives, subtest 2, subarea Mathematics; the answer is worked from the numbers in the question. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0014
A recipe is served in portions of 3/4 cup. How many portions are in 6 cups?MTEL General Curriculum (178/278) test objectives, subtest 2, subarea Mathematics; the answer is worked from the numbers in the question. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0012
A ribbon is 2 yards 1 foot long. A student cuts all of it into pieces 7 inches long. How many pieces does she have?MTEL General Curriculum (178/278) test objectives, subtest 2, subarea Mathematics; the answer is worked from the numbers in the question. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0015
A sail is cut in the shape of a triangle. Two of its angles measure 44° and 83°. What is the measure of the third angle of the sail?MTEL General Curriculum (178/278) test objectives, subtest 2, subarea Mathematics; the answer is worked from the numbers in the question. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0014
A student draws a factor tree for 84 and circles the primes at the ends of its branches. Which product should the circled numbers show?MTEL General Curriculum (178/278) test objectives, subtest 2, subarea Mathematics; the answer is worked from the numbers in the question. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0011
A student solves 3(x − 4) = 2x + 5 and then checks the answer in both sides. Which solution passes the check?MTEL General Curriculum (178/278) test objectives, subtest 2, subarea Mathematics; the answer is worked from the numbers in the question. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0013
A teacher asks the class to place 0.35, 3/8, 2/5 and 0.45 on a number line. In which order do the numbers fall, from left to right?MTEL General Curriculum (178/278) test objectives, subtest 2, subarea Mathematics; the answer is worked from the numbers in the question. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0011
A teacher's jar holds 3 red counters, 5 blue counters and 4 green counters. She takes one out without looking. What is the probability that the counter is red or green?MTEL General Curriculum (178/278) test objectives, subtest 2, subarea Mathematics; the answer is worked from the numbers in the question. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0015
Five students read 4, 7, 7, 9 and 13 books. Which statement about the data is true?MTEL General Curriculum (178/278) test objectives, subtest 2, subarea Mathematics; the answer is worked from the numbers in the question. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0015
On a coordinate grid, a ramp is drawn as a straight segment from the point (2, 3) up to the point (6, 11). What is the slope of the ramp?MTEL General Curriculum (178/278) test objectives, subtest 2, subarea Mathematics; the answer is worked from the numbers in the question. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0013
The scale of a trail map is 2 centimeters to 15 kilometers. A rail trail is 7 centimeters long on the map. How long is the trail itself?MTEL General Curriculum (178/278) test objectives, subtest 2, subarea Mathematics; the answer is worked from the numbers in the question. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0012
To estimate 487 × 312, a student rounds each factor to the nearest hundred and multiplies. What is the estimate?MTEL General Curriculum (178/278) test objectives, subtest 2, subarea Mathematics; the answer is worked from the numbers in the question. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0011
Subtest 2: Science and technology/engineering 14
A class designing a bird feeder writes, "It must hold two cups of seed and keep the seed dry." In an engineering design problem, what are these statements?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2016 Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework, standard 3.3-5-ETS1-1. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0019
A drum is struck across a field. By the Energy Information Administration's description of sound, how does the sound reach a listener?U.S. Energy Information Administration, Energy Explained: Forms of energy. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0018
A sealed jar of ice cubes is weighed, left until the ice has melted, and weighed again. What should fifth graders find, by the standard on the conservation of matter?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2016 Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework, standard 5-PS1-2. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0018
A student says that summer comes because Earth moves closer to the Sun. According to NASA, what does cause the seasons?NASA Space Place, What Causes the Seasons?. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0016
According to Understanding Evolution, which three things together produce evolution by natural selection?UC Museum of Paleontology, Understanding Evolution: Natural selection. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0017
By the grade 5 life science standard, what do plants use to produce sugars and the plant materials they need for growth?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2016 Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework, standard 5-LS1-1. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0017
By the grade 5 technology/engineering standard, what is technology?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2016 Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework, standard 5.3-5-ETS3-1(MA). Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0019
In the grade 5 model of matter moving through an ecosystem, what do fungi and bacteria do?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2016 Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework, standard 5-LS2-1. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0017
Students load a model bridge with weights until it fails at one joint. By the grade 4 engineering standard, what should they do with the result?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2016 Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework, standard 4.3-5-ETS1-3. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0019
Water freezes in a crack and splits a boulder. Later a stream carries the pieces downhill. Which terms name the two processes, in order?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2016 Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework, standard 4-ESS2-1. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0016
Which characteristic results from an interaction with the environment and is not inherited?Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 2016 Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework, standards 3-LS3-1 and 3-LS3-2. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0017
Which entry in a class weather journal is really a statement about climate?NOAA National Ocean Service, Ocean Facts: What is the difference between weather and climate?. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0016
Which statement about gravity matches NASA's explanation?NASA Space Place, What Is Gravity?. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0018
Why can we not see the Moon lit during a new moon?NASA Space Place, What Are the Moon's Phases?. Written to MTEL General Curriculum (178/278), objective 0016
How this list was compiled: Our own questions, written to the test objectives of MTEL General Curriculum, field 178/278, 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_78.htm and https://www.mtel.nesinc.com/TestView.aspx?f=HTML_FRAG/MA178_TestPage.html, read 2026-10-09): two subtests of 60 multiple-choice questions and 1 open-response item each, 4 hours for one or both. Subtest 1, Language Arts and History/Social Science (178): Language Arts 30% of the subtest score (objectives 0001 to 0004), History/Social Science 60% (0005 to 0009), open response 10%. Subtest 2, Mathematics, Science, and Technology/Engineering (278): Mathematics 48% (0011 to 0015), Science and Technology/Engineering 42% (0016 to 0019), open response 10%. This bank holds 10, 20, 16 and 14, the same proportions. Every fact was read on 2026-10-09 in the public page named under its question: the Massachusetts curriculum frameworks for English language arts and literacy (2017), history and social science (2018) and science and technology/engineering (2016), the National Archives, the National Park Service, NASA, NOAA, the Energy Information Administration, UC Berkeley's Understanding Evolution, the Purdue Online Writing Lab and ten Wikipedia articles. Every mathematics answer was worked out a second time before the bank was written. Licence: Questions, choices and explanations are original work of this site.
How it works
This MTEL General Curriculum practice test asks 60 questions of our own across both subtests, 178 and 278. It is unofficial and not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education or Pearson.
Read the full guide
Two subtests, four subjects
Subtest 1 is language arts (30% of its score) and history/social science (60%). Subtest 2 is mathematics (48%) and science and technology/engineering (42%). Each ends with one open-response item worth 10%. The 60 questions here keep those proportions: 10, 20, 16 and 14.
Mathematics worked by hand
The sixteen mathematics answers follow from the numbers in the question, and each was worked out a second time before the bank was written.
Where the facts come from
History and science facts were read in the Massachusetts curriculum frameworks and on pages of the National Archives, the National Park Service, NASA and NOAA, named under each question.
The two open-response items, one for each subtest, are written and are not practiced here.
Questions and answers
How many questions are on the MTEL General Curriculum test?
Each subtest has 60 multiple-choice questions and 1 open-response item: Language Arts and History/Social Science (178), and Mathematics, Science, and Technology/Engineering (278). Testing time is 4 hours, whether one subtest is taken or both.
What is a passing score on the MTEL General Curriculum test?
The MTEL site gives a qualifying score of 240 on each subtest. That score also counts the open-response item, so a number right here carries no verdict.
Can I use a calculator on the MTEL General Curriculum math subtest?
Yes, on subtest 2. The MTEL site says standard four-function calculators are provided on screen for Mathematics, Science, and Technology/Engineering (278).
Can I take the two General Curriculum subtests separately?
Yes. The MTEL site says candidates must take and pass both subtests and may take one or both at one test appointment.