MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary Practice Test

Unofficial practice for both subtests of Minnesota's MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) test, codes 209 and 210.

Subtest

Subtest 1: development, learning, diversity and the learning environment. Subtest 2: assessment, instruction, literacy and the profession.

Two students in one seventh-grade class were born a week apart. One has grown four inches this year; the other has not begun a growth spurt. What should their teacher understand about the difference?

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Exam mode: 24 questions, 29 minutes.

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Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board or Pearson. Bank checked October 12, 2026.

Next step More on development and learningMore on assessment and instruction

Subtest 1: all 24 questions

Student development, learning and diversity 12

  • A biology teacher wants students to still know September's key concepts in May. Which practice does the IES guide on organizing instruction recommend? Organizing Instruction and Study to Improve Student Learning (Institute of Education Sciences, 2007), Recommendation 1. Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 1, objective 0002
  • A high school pairs each ninth grader with one staff member as an advisor for the year. Which feature of adolescent social development does the plan build on? Adolescent Development Explained: Social Development (HHS Office of Population Affairs). Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 1, objective 0001
  • A teacher gives tenth graders a sentence-by-sentence outline for their first lab report, a short checklist for the second and no aid for the fourth. What does the sequence show? Wikipedia, Instructional scaffolding, lead. Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 1, objective 0002
Show all 24 questions (21 more)

Student development, learning and diversity, continued

  • A teacher presents the causes of a drought through a short text, a captioned video and a labeled map, so that students can take in the information in more than one way. Which principle of Universal Design for Learning is this? Wikipedia, Universal Design for Learning, lead. Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 1, objective 0003
  • A tenth grader has a physical impairment that substantially limits a major life activity. She needs no specialized instruction, only aids and services in her regular classes. Which federal framework most directly covers her? 34 CFR 104.3(j) and 104.33(b), the Section 504 regulation. Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 1, objective 0003
  • After failing two chemistry tests, a student says, “I'm just not a science person.” By Bandura's account, which experience is most likely to raise her self-efficacy? Wikipedia, Self-efficacy, Sources of self-efficacy. Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 1, objective 0002
  • Algebra students study a fully worked solution, solve a similar problem themselves, then study the next worked solution. Which recommendation of the IES guide on organizing instruction does this follow? Organizing Instruction and Study to Improve Student Learning (Institute of Education Sciences, 2007), Recommendation 2. Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 1, objective 0002
  • Asked why copying homework is wrong, a ninth grader says, “It breaks the rules, and a school can't run if people ignore the rules.” Which of Kohlberg's stages does this reasoning fit? Wikipedia, Lawrence Kohlberg's stages of moral development, Stages. Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 1, objective 0001
  • In Minnesota statute, what marks an English learner as having limited or interrupted formal education? Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.59, subdivision 2a. Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 1, objective 0003
  • Two students in one seventh-grade class were born a week apart. One has grown four inches this year; the other has not begun a growth spurt. What should their teacher understand about the difference? Adolescent Development Explained: Physical Development (HHS Office of Population Affairs). Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 1, objective 0001
  • Under Minnesota law, when must a student's individualized education program begin to address the move from secondary services to postsecondary education, employment and community life? Minnesota Statutes, section 125A.08, paragraph (b)(1); 34 CFR 300.320(b). Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 1, objective 0003
  • Which classroom task draws most directly on the formal operational thinking that Piaget placed in early to middle adolescence? Wikipedia, Piaget's theory of cognitive development, Formal operational stage. Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 1, objective 0001

Responsive learning environments 12

  • A student says, “Nobody in my group listens to me.” Which reply is an example of paraphrasing in active listening? Wikipedia, Active listening. Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 1, objective 0006
  • A teacher introduces a hard quiz by saying it “shows who has a science brain.” Students from a group that is stereotyped as weak at science then score below their usual level. Which idea best explains the drop? Wikipedia, Stereotype threat, lead. Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 1, objective 0005
  • A teacher lets eleventh graders choose which of three novels to read and how to pace the reading before a deadline. In self-determination theory, which basic need does this most directly support? Wikipedia, Self-determination theory, Basic psychological needs. Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 1, objective 0004
  • A teacher poses a question, allows one silent minute, has students talk with a neighbor, then calls on pairs. In think-pair-share, what is the silent minute for? Wikipedia, Think-pair-share, lead. Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 1, objective 0006
  • After a hallway conflict, a teacher brings together the students involved in a circle. Each says how the conflict affected them, and the group agrees on how to make things right. Which approach is this? Wikipedia, Restorative practices, Overview. Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 1, objective 0004
  • After a hard geometry test, which teacher comment best fits what Carol Dweck recommends for building a growth mindset? Wikipedia, Mindset, Fixed and growth mindsets. Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 1, objective 0004
  • Before a measurement unit, a teacher asks families about the skills used in their homes and jobs, such as carpentry, sewing and cooking for large gatherings, and plans tasks around them. Which model is she applying? Wikipedia, Funds of knowledge, lead. Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 1, objective 0005
  • For what purpose did the social psychologist Elliot Aronson design the jigsaw classroom? Wikipedia, Jigsaw (teaching technique), lead. Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 1, objective 0005
  • In a group lab, one student does all the work while three watch, and the group still earns one shared grade. Which of Johnson and Johnson's elements of cooperative learning is missing? Wikipedia, Cooperative learning, History. Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 1, objective 0005
  • In a seminar on a court opinion, a teacher meets each student claim with a further question, such as “What are you assuming?”, and gives no answers herself. Which technique is this? Wikipedia, Socratic questioning, lead. Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 1, objective 0006
  • Under Minnesota's school bullying statute, objectively offensive conduct is bullying when there is a real or perceived imbalance of power and what else is true? Minnesota Statutes, section 121A.031, subdivision 2, paragraph (e). Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 1, objective 0004
  • Which statement to a class is an I-message of the kind Thomas Gordon described? Wikipedia, I-message, lead. Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 1, objective 0006

How this list was compiled: Our own questions, written to Subtest 1 (test code 209) of the Minnesota Teacher Licensure Examinations field Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) in the test framework on the MTLE website (https://www.mtle.nesinc.com/Content/Worksheets/MN209_210_FrameworkWorksheet.html; test page https://www.mtle.nesinc.com/TestView.aspx?f=HTML_FRAG/MN209_TestPage.html, read 2026-10-12): 50 multiple-choice questions in 1 hour, passing score 227; Student Development, Learning, and Diversity (objectives 0001 to 0003, 25 questions, 50%) and Responsive Learning Environments (0004 to 0006, 25 questions, 50%). This set holds 24, four for each objective. Every fact was read on the public page named under its question: Adolescent Development Explained of the HHS Office of Population Affairs, a practice guide of the Institute of Education Sciences, the Code of Federal Regulations, Minnesota Statutes on the Revisor's site and the named Wikipedia articles. Licence: Questions, choices and explanations are original work of this site.

Subtest 2: all 24 questions

Assessment, instruction and disciplinary literacy 12

  • A chemistry teacher shows students how chemists read a lab procedure and write a claim from data, as part of learning chemistry itself. What is this teaching called? Wikipedia, Disciplinary literacy, lead. Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 2, objective 0009
  • A class opens a unit with an open-ended case: a town's well water has failed a test, and students must work out what the town should do, learning the science as they go. Which method is this? Wikipedia, Problem-based learning, lead. Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 2, objective 0008
  • A parent asks what a percentile rank of 70 on a norm-referenced reading test means. Which explanation is accurate? Wikipedia, Percentile rank, lead; Norm-referenced test, lead. Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 2, objective 0007
Show all 24 questions (21 more)

Assessment, instruction and disciplinary literacy, continued

  • A science teacher explains how to summarize a dense paragraph, models it aloud, guides students as they try it and then has them use it alone. Which recommendation of the IES guide on adolescent literacy is this? Improving Adolescent Literacy: Effective Classroom and Intervention Practices (Institute of Education Sciences, 2008), Recommendation 2. Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 2, objective 0009
  • A science test gives nearly the same scores when students retake it, yet its long word problems mostly measure reading skill. How should the test be described? Wikipedia, Test validity, lead; Reliability (statistics), lead. Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 2, objective 0007
  • A social studies teacher wants small groups to dig into the meaning of a primary source. Which step does the IES guide on adolescent literacy recommend for such discussions? Improving Adolescent Literacy: Effective Classroom and Intervention Practices (Institute of Education Sciences, 2008), Recommendation 3. Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 2, objective 0009
  • A Spanish teacher listens to pairs practicing a dialogue, notes a common error in verb endings and reteaches the point before moving on. What kind of assessment has she carried out? Wikipedia, Formative assessment, lead. Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 2, objective 0007
  • A world history teacher picks eight terms central to a unit, teaches them directly and returns to them in discussion and writing for three weeks. Which recommendation of the IES guide on adolescent literacy is this? Improving Adolescent Literacy: Effective Classroom and Intervention Practices (Institute of Education Sciences, 2008), Recommendation 1. Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 2, objective 0009
  • In a mixed-readiness class, every student works toward the same standard on argument writing, but some study a short model text with guiding notes and others a longer, harder one. What is the teacher differentiating? Wikipedia, Differentiated instruction. Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 2, objective 0008
  • Instead of a multiple-choice final, a civics teacher has students research a local issue and present a proposal to a panel of community members. Which term describes this assessment? Wikipedia, Authentic assessment, lead. Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 2, objective 0007
  • Planning a unit on the Civil War, a teacher first writes what students should understand, next designs the final assessment, and only then plans the lessons. Which planning model is this? Wikipedia, Backward design, lead. Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 2, objective 0008
  • When Minnesota's commissioner of education reviews and revises the required academic standards, what does statute say the commissioner must include? Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.021. Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 2, objective 0008

The professional environment 12

  • A middle school that receives Title I funds writes, together with parents, a document saying how families, staff and students will share responsibility for achievement. What does federal law call it? 20 U.S.C. 6318(d), parent and family engagement. Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 2, objective 0010
  • A Minnesota teacher has reason to believe that a student is being maltreated at home. What does state law require the teacher to do? Minnesota Statutes, sections 260E.06, subdivision 1, and 260E.09. Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 2, objective 0012
  • A Minnesota teacher tutors for pay and uses her class list to press her own students' families to hire her. Which standard of the Code of Ethics for Minnesota Teachers does this break? Minnesota Rules, part 8710.2100, Code of Ethics for Minnesota Teachers, subpart 2. Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 2, objective 0012
  • A volunteer from a community tutoring group asks a Minnesota teacher for a student's grades to plan her sessions. How does Minnesota's data practices statute classify that information? Minnesota Statutes, section 13.32, subdivision 3. Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 2, objective 0010
  • By Minnesota rule, how many approved clock hours of professional development must a teacher complete to renew a Tier 4 license? Minnesota Rules, part 8710.7200. Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 2, objective 0011
  • Each Minnesota school board must set up a district advisory committee on instruction and curriculum. Whom does statute say the committee must include, to the extent possible? Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.11, subdivision 3. Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 2, objective 0010
  • Four ninth-grade English teachers meet weekly to compare student work on a common assessment and plan changes to their teaching. Which structure is this? Wikipedia, Professional learning community, lead. Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 2, objective 0011
  • Midway through a lesson a teacher sees blank faces, drops her planned example and tries another on the spot. What did Donald Schön call this kind of thinking? Wikipedia, Reflective practice, History and background. Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 2, objective 0011
  • Under Minnesota's Pupil Fair Dismissal Act, what is the longest that one suspension may keep a pupil out of school? Minnesota Statutes, section 121A.41, subdivision 10 (Pupil Fair Dismissal Act). Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 2, objective 0012
  • Under Minnesota's teacher evaluation statute for school districts, what must each teacher's three-year professional review cycle include besides an individual growth and development plan? Minnesota Statutes, section 122A.40, subdivision 8. Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 2, objective 0011
  • Under the Title I section on parent and family engagement, how should regular two-way communication reach family members who do not read English? 20 U.S.C. 6318(d)(2)(D). Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 2, objective 0010
  • Which philosopher, a major voice of progressive education, founded the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools to try out his ideas on teaching method? Wikipedia, John Dewey, lead. Written to the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) framework, Subtest 2, objective 0012

How this list was compiled: Our own questions, written to Subtest 2 (test code 210) of the Minnesota Teacher Licensure Examinations field Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12) in the test framework on the MTLE website (https://www.mtle.nesinc.com/Content/Worksheets/MN209_210_FrameworkWorksheet.html; test page https://www.mtle.nesinc.com/TestView.aspx?f=HTML_FRAG/MN209_TestPage.html, read 2026-10-12): 50 multiple-choice questions in 1 hour, passing score 226; Assessment, Instruction, and Disciplinary Literacy (objectives 0007 to 0009, 25 questions, 50%) and The Professional Environment (0010 to 0012, 25 questions, 50%). This set holds 24, four for each objective. Every fact was read on the public page named under its question: Minnesota Statutes and Minnesota Rules on the Revisor's site, the Code of Federal Regulations, the United States Code, a practice guide of the Institute of Education Sciences and the named Wikipedia articles. Licence: Questions, choices and explanations are original work of this site.

How it works

This free MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary practice test has a question set for each of the two subtests of the Grades 5–12 test. It is unofficial and not affiliated with the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board or Pearson.

Read the full guide

MTLE practice test for Pedagogy 5-12: the two subtests

By the framework on the MTLE site, read October 12, 2026, each subtest has two subareas of 25 questions and six objectives. Each set here asks four questions on every objective, and its timed exam keeps the real pace of 50 questions an hour.

Minnesota law in Subtest 2

Objective 0012 names legal and ethical guidelines for educators in Minnesota. So Subtest 2 cites the Code of Ethics for Minnesota Teachers, the maltreatment reporting statute, the Pupil Fair Dismissal Act and the Tier 4 renewal rule, each read on the Revisor's site.

  • Two of the six Subtest 1 objectives, 0004 and 0005, are about culturally responsive learning environments and practices.
  • Translated versions print each question in English and in Hmong, Somali or Spanish, and one retake policy covers every version.

Questions and answers

How many questions are on the MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary test?

100 multiple-choice questions, 50 in each of two subtests. Each subtest allows 1 hour of testing after a 15-minute tutorial, and you may sit one or both at one appointment. The test page lists no reference materials.

What is the passing score for MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary?

227 on Subtest 1 and 226 on Subtest 2, by the test page read October 12, 2026, and both subtests must be passed. Here you get your number right and no pass verdict.

What is on the MTLE Pedagogy 5-12 test?

Subtest 1: adolescent development, how students learn, student diversity, the learning environment, culturally responsive practice and classroom communication. Subtest 2: assessment, planning and delivering instruction, disciplinary literacy, families and colleagues, reflective practice, and the history, law and ethics of teaching.

Is there an MTLE Pedagogy: Secondary study guide?

The MTLE site's preparation page for this test links the framework worksheet and MTLE Elements: Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5–12). The questions here follow the framework's 12 objectives. No question here is taken or reworded from the site's practice tests.

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