Unofficial practice for the test New York now uses for Teaching Assistant certification, which replaced the ATAS in 2026.
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Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with the New York State Education Department or Pearson. Bank checked October 10, 2026.
The real test: what its own page says
Fee
$49
Format
Computer-based test or online-proctored test: 80 selected-response items.
Time
2 hours 15 minutes in all: 15 minutes for the tutorial and nondisclosure agreement, then 2 hours of testing.
Test dates
At a test center: all year by appointment, Mondays to Saturdays, some holidays excepted. With an online proctor: by appointment, in one-week testing windows eve
Test sites
Test centers in New York State and nationwide, or remotely with an online proctor, including from home.
Breaks
At a test center, restroom breaks count as testing time. With an online proctor, no breaks are allowed.
A bus schedule reads: School 3:10. Oak Street 3:25. Pine Avenue 3:40. Depot 4:05. Question: How long is the ride from the school to Pine Avenue?Our own text. The skill is listed in the Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0003
A student knows the word "heat". Which meaning of the prefix "pre-" helps the student work out "preheat"?Wiktionary, "pre-". Outline: Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0001
A table shows the books borrowed in October. Grade 3: 120. Grade 4: 95. Grade 5: 140. Grade 6: 85. Question: Which statement does the table support?Our own text. The skill is listed in the Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0003
In "misspell" and "misplace", what does the prefix "mis-" add to the meaning of the word?Wiktionary, "mis-". Outline: Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0001
Show all 80 questions (76 more)
Literacy, continued
Making paper by hand takes four steps. First, old paper is torn into scraps and soaked overnight. Next, the wet scraps are blended into a pulp. Then a screen is dipped into the pulp and lifted out, so that a thin layer settles on it. Finally, the sheet is pressed and left to dry. Question: How is this passage organized?Our own text. The skill is listed in the Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0003
Making paper by hand takes four steps. First, old paper is torn into scraps and soaked overnight. Next, the wet scraps are blended into a pulp. Then a screen is dipped into the pulp and lifted out, so that a thin layer settles on it. Finally, the sheet is pressed and left to dry. Question: In this passage, what is "pulp"?Our own text. The skill is listed in the Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0001
Making paper by hand takes four steps. First, old paper is torn into scraps and soaked overnight. Next, the wet scraps are blended into a pulp. Then a screen is dipped into the pulp and lifted out, so that a thin layer settles on it. Finally, the sheet is pressed and left to dry. Question: What happens right after the wet scraps are blended?Our own text. The skill is listed in the Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0002
The new crossing guard was reluctant to blow her whistle at first. She waved, she pointed, she even stepped into the road, but she kept the whistle in her pocket. After a truck rolled past her raised hand, she changed her mind. Now the whole block can hear her. Question: Which word is closest in meaning to "reluctant" in the first sentence?Wiktionary, "reluctant". Outline: Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0001
The new crossing guard was reluctant to blow her whistle at first. She waved, she pointed, she even stepped into the road, but she kept the whistle in her pocket. After a truck rolled past her raised hand, she changed her mind. Now the whole block can hear her. Question: Why did the guard change her mind about the whistle?Our own text. The skill is listed in the Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0003
Our town library should stay open on Sundays. Last year the library counted 41,000 visits, and its doors were closed one day in seven. Many parents work six days a week, so Sunday is the only day they can bring their children. A quiet reading room is the best gift a town can give its families. The council votes on the library budget on March 9. Question: What is the writer's purpose?Our own text. The skill is listed in the Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0002
Our town library should stay open on Sundays. Last year the library counted 41,000 visits, and its doors were closed one day in seven. Many parents work six days a week, so Sunday is the only day they can bring their children. A quiet reading room is the best gift a town can give its families. The council votes on the library budget on March 9. Question: Which detail gives the most direct support to the writer's claim?Our own text. The skill is listed in the Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0002
Our town library should stay open on Sundays. Last year the library counted 41,000 visits, and its doors were closed one day in seven. Many parents work six days a week, so Sunday is the only day they can bring their children. A quiet reading room is the best gift a town can give its families. The council votes on the library budget on March 9. Question: Which sentence states an opinion?Our own text. The skill is listed in the Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0003
Rosa gripped the rail of the diving board and looked down. The water seemed a mile away. Behind her, the line of swimmers shifted and sighed. She thought of her brother, who had bet she would climb back down. Rosa took one breath, bent her knees and jumped. Question: What can a reader infer about Rosa's brother?Our own text. The skill is listed in the Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0003
Rosa gripped the rail of the diving board and looked down. The water seemed a mile away. Behind her, the line of swimmers shifted and sighed. She thought of her brother, who had bet she would climb back down. Rosa took one breath, bent her knees and jumped. Question: What does the sentence "The water seemed a mile away" show?Our own text. The skill is listed in the Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0001
Rosa gripped the rail of the diving board and looked down. The water seemed a mile away. Behind her, the line of swimmers shifted and sighed. She thought of her brother, who had bet she would climb back down. Rosa took one breath, bent her knees and jumped. Question: What is the conflict in this story?Our own text. The skill is listed in the Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0003
What does the suffix "-less" mean in the words "fearless" and "cloudless"?Wiktionary, "-less". Outline: Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0001
When the students at Maple Hill planted a garden behind the gym, few expected much. The soil was thin and the hose barely reached. Still, the fourth graders kept at it. They hauled compost, pulled weeds and tracked the rainfall on a chart. By June the beds were crowded with lettuce and beans. The cafeteria served the harvest at lunch, and children who had turned up their noses at salad asked for seconds. Question: What does "turned up their noses at salad" mean in the last sentence?Wiktionary, "turn up one's nose". Outline: Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0001
When the students at Maple Hill planted a garden behind the gym, few expected much. The soil was thin and the hose barely reached. Still, the fourth graders kept at it. They hauled compost, pulled weeds and tracked the rainfall on a chart. By June the beds were crowded with lettuce and beans. The cafeteria served the harvest at lunch, and children who had turned up their noses at salad asked for seconds. Question: What is the main idea of the passage?Our own text. The skill is listed in the Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0002
When the students at Maple Hill planted a garden behind the gym, few expected much. The soil was thin and the hose barely reached. Still, the fourth graders kept at it. They hauled compost, pulled weeds and tracked the rainfall on a chart. By June the beds were crowded with lettuce and beans. The cafeteria served the harvest at lunch, and children who had turned up their noses at salad asked for seconds. Question: Which conclusion does the passage support?Our own text. The skill is listed in the Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0003
Which sentence about the gym floor contains a simile?Wikipedia, "Simile". Outline: Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0001
Language arts 20
A note home has four hard words in it. Which one is spelled correctly?Wiktionary, "separate", "neccessary", "definately" and "recieve". Outline: Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0004
A note to families reads: "To log in to the homework site, open the school web page. Click Students. Type the user name on your child's card, then the password." Question: What is the writer's main purpose?Our own text. The skill is listed in the Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0006
A paragraph has three details: the hamster runs on its wheel at night, it stores food in its cheeks, and it sleeps through the school day. Which sentence is the best topic sentence for it?The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, "Paragraphs". Outline: Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0006
A paragraph in the school newsletter says that the playground floods after every heavy rain, so recess moves indoors. It then proposes a drain along the fence and names its cost. Question: How is the paragraph organized?Our own text. The skill is listed in the Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0006
A student is drafting the last paragraph of a report on recycling at school. Which move should the conclusion avoid?The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, "Conclusions". Outline: Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0006
A student writes without stopping for ten minutes and does not judge or correct anything on the page. Which prewriting technique is the student using?The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, "Brainstorming". Outline: Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0006
Three teachers share a row of mailboxes. Which sentence shows that the mailboxes belong to all three?Purdue Online Writing Lab, "Apostrophe Introduction". Outline: Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0004
Which sentence about the bell is punctuated correctly?Purdue Online Writing Lab, "Extended Rules for Using Commas". Outline: Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0004
Which sentence about the principal uses pronouns correctly?Purdue Online Writing Lab, "Pronoun Case". Outline: Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0005
Which sentence about the reading corner uses pronouns correctly?Purdue Online Writing Lab, "Pronoun Case". Outline: Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0005
Which sentence capitalizes a title correctly?Purdue Online Writing Lab, "A Little Help with Capitals". Outline: Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0004
Which sentence capitalizes the day, the month and the season correctly?Purdue Online Writing Lab, "A Little Help with Capitals". Outline: Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0004
Which sentence keeps its verbs in a consistent tense?Purdue Online Writing Lab, "Verb Tense Consistency". Outline: Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0005
Which sentence punctuates and capitalizes the quotation correctly?Purdue Online Writing Lab, "Using Quotation Marks". Outline: Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0004
Which verb completes the sentence? "Each of the teachers ______ a key to the supply room."Purdue Online Writing Lab, "Making Subjects and Verbs Agree". Outline: Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0005
Which verb completes the sentence? "Neither the teacher nor the students ______ ready for the fire drill."Purdue Online Writing Lab, "Making Subjects and Verbs Agree". Outline: Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0005
Which verb completes the sentence? "One of the students ______ absent today."Purdue Online Writing Lab, "Making Subjects and Verbs Agree". Outline: Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0005
Which word completes the sentence in standard English? "Yesterday the class ______ twenty laps of the pool."Wiktionary, "swim". Outline: Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0004
Which word completes the sentence? "The class walked ______ down the hall."Purdue Online Writing Lab, "Adjective or Adverb". Outline: Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0005
Which word completes the sentence? "The custodian has ______ the bell twice this morning."Purdue Online Writing Lab, "Introduction to Verb Tenses". Outline: Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0005
Numeracy 20
A class votes for a pet: fish 9, hamster 12, lizard 6, rabbit 13. What percent of the votes went to the hamster?Worked arithmetic, each worked out a second time. The skill is listed in the Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0008
A field trip needs 3 adults for every 20 students. How many adults are needed for 140 students?Worked arithmetic, each worked out a second time. The skill is listed in the Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0007
A pattern begins 3, 7, 15, 31. Each number is double the one before it, plus 1. What is the next number?Worked arithmetic, each worked out a second time. The skill is listed in the Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0008
A pitcher holds 6 cups of juice. How many 3/4-cup servings can be poured from it?Worked arithmetic, each worked out a second time. The skill is listed in the Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0007
A recipe needs 3 quarts of water. How many cups is that? (1 quart = 4 cups)Worked arithmetic, each worked out a second time. The skill is listed in the Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0009
A rectangular play area is 14 feet long and 9 feet wide. How much fencing is needed to go all the way around it?Worked arithmetic, each worked out a second time. The skill is listed in the Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0009
A school has 240 students, and 15% of them were absent on Monday. How many students were absent?Worked arithmetic, each worked out a second time. The skill is listed in the Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0007
A school orders 489 pencils, 312 pens and 198 erasers. Rounding each number to the nearest hundred, about how many items is that?Worked arithmetic, each worked out a second time. The skill is listed in the Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0007
A student reads for 18, 25, 20 and 37 minutes on four days. What is the mean number of minutes a day?Worked arithmetic, each worked out a second time. The skill is listed in the Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0008
A supply crate is 6 feet long, 3 feet wide and 2 feet high. What is its volume?Worked arithmetic, each worked out a second time. The skill is listed in the Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0009
A walking path is 3.2 kilometers long. How many meters is that? (1 kilometer = 1,000 meters)Worked arithmetic, each worked out a second time. The skill is listed in the Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0009
In the number 36.728, which digit is in the hundredths place?Worked arithmetic, each worked out a second time. The skill is listed in the Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0007
Notebooks cost $2.50 each. Dana buys 4 notebooks and one pen that costs $3. How much does Dana spend?Worked arithmetic, each worked out a second time. The skill is listed in the Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0008
On a coordinate plane, a point is 3 units to the right of the origin and 2 units below it. What are its coordinates?Worked arithmetic, each worked out a second time. The skill is listed in the Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0009
What is 1.6 × 0.45?Worked arithmetic, each worked out a second time. The skill is listed in the Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0007
What is 2/3 + 5/6?Worked arithmetic, each worked out a second time. The skill is listed in the Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0007
What is the value of n in n ÷ 5 = 12?Worked arithmetic, each worked out a second time. The skill is listed in the Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0008
What is the value of x in 3x + 7 = 31?Worked arithmetic, each worked out a second time. The skill is listed in the Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0008
Which list orders −2, 0.4, 3/4 and −0.5 from least to greatest?Worked arithmetic, each worked out a second time. The skill is listed in the Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0007
Which shows 4,607 broken down by place value?Worked arithmetic, each worked out a second time. The skill is listed in the Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0007
Instructional support 20
A student is asked which is greater, −3 or −5. On a number line, which fact settles it?Wikipedia, "Number line". Outline: Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0011
A student lines up 3.5 + 0.25 by the last digits and writes 0.60. Which describes the error and gives the right sum?Worked arithmetic, each worked out a second time. The skill is listed in the Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0011
A student reads the same short passage aloud to a teaching assistant several times in a week, and each reading is faster and has fewer errors. Which skill is improving?Wikipedia, "Fluency". Outline: Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0010
A student says 0.45 is greater than 0.6 "because 45 is greater than 6". Which response shows the correct comparison?Worked arithmetic, each worked out a second time. The skill is listed in the Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0011
A student writes 1/2 + 1/3 = 2/5. Which describes the error and gives the right sum?Worked arithmetic, each worked out a second time. The skill is listed in the Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0011
A student writes 52 − 27 = 35. Which describes the error and gives the right difference?Worked arithmetic, each worked out a second time. The skill is listed in the Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0011
A teacher asks a group for "the quotient of 24 and 6". Which answer and operation match the term?Wiktionary, "quotient". Outline: Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0011
A teacher asks the assistant to help two students compare the main characters of a story. Which tool is a compare and contrast graphic organizer?Wikipedia, "Graphic organizer". Outline: Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0010
A teaching assistant helps a first grader connect the letter m with the sound at the start of "map". Which foundational skill is being taught?Wikipedia, "Phonics". Outline: Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0010
A teaching assistant wants to talk over a student's reading scores with the classroom teacher she works under. Does the federal privacy rule need a parent's consent for that?34 CFR 99.31(a)(1)(i)(A), Legal Information Institute copy. Outline: Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0012
At the grocery store, a neighbor asks a teaching assistant how a certain student is doing in reading. What does the federal privacy rule require before a school discloses identifiable information from a student's education records?34 CFR 99.30(a), Legal Information Institute copy. Outline: Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0012
Before a group opens a new story, the teaching assistant shows the cover and asks, "What do you think will happen?" Which strategy from the test framework is this?Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0010
In her reading group, a teaching assistant sees that one student often confuses the letters b and d. Which duty in New York's regulation covers what she should do with that observation?8 NYCRR 80-5.6(c)(1)(ii)(a), Legal Information Institute copy. Outline: Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0010
New York's regulation separates teacher aides from teaching assistants. Which duty does it list for a teacher aide?8 NYCRR 80-5.6(b), Legal Information Institute copy. Outline: Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0012
The test framework gives reasons for a paraprofessional to develop active-listening skills. Which reason is on its list?Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0012
Under New York's regulation, how may a teaching assistant with a pre-professional certificate take part in delivering a lesson?8 NYCRR 80-5.6(c)(1)(ii)(b), Legal Information Institute copy. Outline: Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0012
Under New York's regulation, under whose supervision does a teaching assistant give direct instructional service to students?8 NYCRR 80-5.6(c)(1)(i), Legal Information Institute copy. Outline: Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0012
Which list gives the four stages of the writing process in their usual order?Wikipedia, "Writing process". Outline: Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0010
Which task is on the list of teaching assistant duties in New York's regulation?8 NYCRR 80-5.6(c)(1)(ii)(a), Legal Information Institute copy. Outline: Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0012
With no print in front of them, a small group claps the syllables in each child's name and picks out the words that rhyme. Which skill does this build?Wikipedia, "Phonological awareness". Outline: Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519), February 2025, competency 0010
How this list was compiled: Our own questions, written to the four content domains of the published framework of the test New York uses for Teaching Assistant certification, Foundations of Classroom Support and Instruction (519): "Test Framework, Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519)", February 2025 (https://www.nystce.nesinc.com/content/docs/NES_Framework_519.pdf, read 2026-10-10). Literacy, Language Arts, Numeracy and Instructional Support each carry about 25% of the score, and the bank holds 20 questions for each. Reading passages are our own and each answer is in the wording of its passage. Word meanings were read at Wiktionary and usage rules in the handouts of the Purdue Online Writing Lab and the Writing Center of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Arithmetic was worked out again. Teaching terms were read in the Wikipedia articles named, the duties of teaching assistants in 8 NYCRR 80-5.6 and the privacy rule in 34 CFR Part 99, all on 2026-10-10. Licence: Questions, texts, choices and explanations are original work of this site.
How it works
This NY State teacher assistant practice test follows the framework of Foundations of Classroom Support and Instruction (519). It is unofficial and not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by the New York State Education Department or Pearson.
Read the full guide
The ATAS has been replaced
The Assessment of Teaching Assistant Skills (ATAS, 095) was given through August 9, 2026 and has retired, the NYSTCE site says. The content test for Teaching Assistant certification is now Foundations of Classroom Support and Instruction (519), first given on January 27, 2026.
What the test asks
Its framework, dated February 2025, gives literacy, language arts, numeracy and instructional support about 25% of the score each. This bank holds 20 questions for each.
Timing here
Exam mode asks 80 questions in 120 minutes, the length of the real test.
The framework is titled Paraprofessional with Instructional Support (519). New York lists the same test as Foundations of Classroom Support and Instruction.
Questions and answers
Is the Assessment of Teaching Assistant Skills (ATAS) still given?
No. The NYSTCE site lists the ATAS (095) for testing through August 9, 2026 and says it has retired. Candidates now register for test 519, so an Assessment of Teaching Assistant Skills practice test is practice for a test that is no longer given.
What score do you need to pass the New York teaching assistant test?
The test's own page gives a passing score of 205 for tests taken on September 28, 2026 and after, and 220 for tests taken through September 27, 2026. It is a scaled score, so this page gives no pass verdict.
What is on a teaching assistant practice test?
Here: short reading passages, word parts and context clues; spelling, capitals, punctuation and grammar; fractions, decimals, percents, simple equations, measurement and data; and classroom support, from phonics and common arithmetic errors to student privacy.
Is this a teacher assistant certification practice test for every state?
It follows the test on the NYS list. Five questions rest on New York's own regulation of teaching assistants, 8 NYCRR 80-5.6, and the rest are reading, writing, mathematics and classroom support.