CST Library Practice Test

Unofficial practice for New York's Library Media Specialist CST (074): 90 questions, spread as the framework spreads them.

Which statewide program gives every New Yorker free online access, through a public, school or academic library, to the full text of hundreds of magazines, newspapers and reference books?

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: 90 questions, 135 minutes.

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Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with the New York State Education Department or Pearson. Bank checked October 12, 2026.

The real test: what its own page says

Fee
$122
Format
Computer-based test: 90 selected-response items plus 1 constructed-response item.
Time
3 hours 30 minutes in all: 15 minutes for the tutorial and nondisclosure agreement, then 3 hours 15 minutes of testing.
Test dates
Year-round by appointment, Mondays to Saturdays, apart from some holidays.
Test sites
In New York State and nationwide.

Checked October 12, 2026 against the Library Media Specialist CST (074) page of the NYSTCE site. Rules change, so confirm with the agency itself before your test.

The test's own page

Next step GACE Media Specialist practice testAlso required in New York: the EAS

All 90 questions

The school library media program 8

  • A librarian aligns lessons on digital citizenship and on not spreading misinformation with the Empire State Information Fluency Continuum. Which of its four anchor standards holds these skills? School Library Systems Association of New York State, Empire State Information Fluency Continuum, Section 1: Framework. Framework section: Competency 0001, The School Library Media Program, performance indicator b
  • A New York secondary school has an average daily attendance of 650 pupils. Under 8 NYCRR 91.1, how many titles must its library hold at the least? Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, 8 NYCRR 91.1, School libraries, read in the Legal Information Institute's copy. Framework section: Competency 0001, The School Library Media Program, performance indicator a
  • The Every Student Succeeds Act names "effective school library programs" without defining them. In the definition AASL wrote to guide schools, who is at the helm of an effective school library? American Association of School Librarians, Position Statement: Definition of an Effective School Library. Framework section: Competency 0001, The School Library Media Program, performance indicator c
Show all 90 questions (87 more)

The school library media program, continued

  • In Board of Education, Island Trees Union Free School District v. Pico (1982), what did the Supreme Court plurality say a local school board may not do? Board of Education, Island Trees Union Free School District No. 26 v. Pico, 457 U.S. 853 (1982), read at the Legal Information Institute. Framework section: Competency 0001, The School Library Media Program, performance indicator e
  • Many students at a school are learning English. According to the ALA interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights for school libraries, what should the librarian consider when choosing materials? American Library Association, Access to Resources and Services in the School Library: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights. Framework section: Competency 0001, The School Library Media Program, performance indicator f
  • New York has 40 school library systems. Five are city school districts: New York City, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Yonkers. Which bodies do the others work with? New York State Library, Division of Library Development, School Library Systems. Framework section: Competency 0001, The School Library Media Program, performance indicator g
  • Under section 91.1 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, which New York schools must establish and maintain a school library? Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, 8 NYCRR 91.1, School libraries, read in the Legal Information Institute's copy. Framework section: Competency 0001, The School Library Media Program, performance indicator a
  • Which statewide program gives every New Yorker free online access, through a public, school or academic library, to the full text of hundreds of magazines, newspapers and reference books? New York State Library, Division of Library Development, NOVELny Program. Framework section: Competency 0001, The School Library Media Program, performance indicator h

Roles and responsibilities 11

  • A librarian joins her building's shared decision-making team. What does 8 NYCRR 100.11 give as the purpose of school-based planning and shared decision making? Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, 8 NYCRR 100.11, school-based planning and shared decisionmaking, read in the Legal Information Institute's copy. Framework section: Competency 0002, Roles and Responsibilities of the Library Media Specialist, performance indicator a
  • A librarian plans an after-school workshop for teachers and applies what Malcolm Knowles identified about adult learners. Which plan fits? Wikipedia, "Andragogy". Framework section: Competency 0002, Roles and Responsibilities of the Library Media Specialist, performance indicator h
  • A librarian shows colleagues how she finds, tries out, evaluates and adopts new digital tools. Which ISTE Standard for Educators includes modeling this for colleagues? ISTE Standards: For Educators. Framework section: Competency 0002, Roles and Responsibilities of the Library Media Specialist, performance indicator c
  • A new librarian asks who plans professional staff learning and other continuing education activities for the members of her school library system. Whom does 8 NYCRR 90.18 make responsible? Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, 8 NYCRR 90.18, School library systems, read in the Legal Information Institute's copy. Framework section: Competency 0002, Roles and Responsibilities of the Library Media Specialist, performance indicator g
  • A school librarian holds a Professional certificate and works in a New York public school. How much continuing teacher and leader education (CTLE) must she complete in each five-year registration period? New York State Education Department, Office of Teaching Initiatives, Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE) Requirement. Framework section: Competency 0002, Roles and Responsibilities of the Library Media Specialist, performance indicator g
  • AASL names five interconnected roles of the school librarian: leader, instructional partner, information specialist, teacher and one more. Which is the fifth? American Association of School Librarians, Position Statement: Appropriate Staffing for School Libraries. Framework section: Competency 0002, Roles and Responsibilities of the Library Media Specialist, performance indicator a
  • According to the ALA interpretation on school libraries, how do school libraries make sure students of every ability can take full part in their education? American Library Association, Access to Resources and Services in the School Library: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights. Framework section: Competency 0002, Roles and Responsibilities of the Library Media Specialist, performance indicator d
  • According to the introduction to the Empire State Information Fluency Continuum, which approach teaches information fluency and inquiry skills far more effectively than any other? School Library Systems Association of New York State, Empire State Information Fluency Continuum, Introduction. Framework section: Competency 0002, Roles and Responsibilities of the Library Media Specialist, performance indicator b
  • Before ordering, a librarian surveys students and teachers about what they need, then selects materials and services to meet those needs. Which term in AASL's advocacy definitions describes this planned and sustained process? American Association of School Librarians, What Is Advocacy?. Framework section: Competency 0002, Roles and Responsibilities of the Library Media Specialist, performance indicator f
  • Each month the librarian sends families a newsletter that says who the library staff are, what the library does, and when and where. In AASL's definitions, what is this one-way communication called? American Association of School Librarians, What Is Advocacy?. Framework section: Competency 0002, Roles and Responsibilities of the Library Media Specialist, performance indicator e
  • In AASL's scheduling statement, the classroom educator brings knowledge of subject content and pedagogy to joint planning. Besides pedagogy, what does the school librarian contribute? American Association of School Librarians, Position Statement on School Library Scheduling. Framework section: Competency 0002, Roles and Responsibilities of the Library Media Specialist, performance indicator b

Information, technology and literary resources 13

  • A first grade teacher wants excellent books that children who are just starting to read can manage alone. Which ALA award is for the most distinguished American book written for beginning readers? American Library Association, Association for Library Service to Children, Theodor Seuss Geisel Award. Framework section: Competency 0003, Information, Technology, and Literary Resources, performance indicator d
  • A high school librarian looks for adult titles that teenagers will want to read. Which awards go each year to ten adult books with special appeal for young adults, ages 12 through 18? American Library Association, Young Adult Library Services Association, Alex Awards. Framework section: Competency 0003, Information, Technology, and Literary Resources, performance indicator d
  • A librarian drafts the part of a selection policy that covers audiobooks, video and games. Which example does the ALA toolkit give of a technical criterion? American Library Association, Selection and Reconsideration Policy Toolkit for Public, School, and Academic Libraries, Selection Criteria. Framework section: Competency 0003, Information, Technology, and Literary Resources, performance indicator f
  • A librarian helps a teacher build a unit from open educational resources. Under UNESCO's definition, what makes a learning material an open educational resource? UNESCO, Open Educational Resources. Framework section: Competency 0003, Information, Technology, and Literary Resources, performance indicator h
  • A reluctant seventh grade reader wants a novel-length story told through poetry, not prose. Which form should the librarian suggest? Wikipedia, "Verse novel". Framework section: Competency 0003, Information, Technology, and Literary Resources, performance indicator c
  • A student needs to find where a small river is and a few facts about it. Which reference work is a dictionary or directory of places, used together with a map or atlas? Wikipedia, "Gazetteer". Framework section: Competency 0003, Information, Technology, and Literary Resources, performance indicator a
  • A student says a web search "finds everything". Why do many paywalled magazine and newspaper articles never appear in a standard search engine? Wikipedia, "Deep web". Framework section: Competency 0003, Information, Technology, and Literary Resources, performance indicator b
  • Administrators ask the librarian to label and shelve the whole collection by reading level so students choose only "their" level. What does AASL's position statement on labeling advise? American Association of School Librarians, Position Statement on Labeling Practices. Framework section: Competency 0003, Information, Technology, and Literary Resources, performance indicator e
  • To start a seventh grade unit on the water cycle, the librarian writes a guide to the best books, databases and websites the library offers on that topic. What is this kind of guide called? Wikipedia, "Pathfinder (library science)". Framework section: Competency 0003, Information, Technology, and Literary Resources, performance indicator i
  • Which ALA award honors a book's author or illustrator for an artistic expression of disability aimed at children and adolescents? American Library Association, Schneider Family Book Award. Framework section: Competency 0003, Information, Technology, and Literary Resources, performance indicator d
  • Which ALA award honors not one book but an author or illustrator whose books have, over the years, added substantially and lastingly to children's literature? American Library Association, Association for Library Service to Children, Children's Literature Legacy Award. Framework section: Competency 0003, Information, Technology, and Literary Resources, performance indicator d
  • Which New York library systems serve academic, hospital, law and other special libraries as well as the public and school library systems, and negotiate licenses to databases and eBooks? New York State Library, Division of Library Development, Reference and Research Library Resources Systems (3Rs). Framework section: Competency 0003, Information, Technology, and Literary Resources, performance indicator g
  • Which traditional genre is a short fictional story, in verse or prose, in which animals or objects act like people and the story leads to a moral lesson? Wikipedia, "Fable". Framework section: Competency 0003, Information, Technology, and Literary Resources, performance indicator c

Collection development and resource management 11

  • A librarian is asked to put "mature themes" warning stickers on certain novels. In the terms of AASL's position statement on labeling, what kind of label would that be? American Association of School Librarians, Position Statement on Labeling Practices. Framework section: Competency 0004, Collection Development and Resource Management, performance indicator g
  • A librarian weighs rearranging the fiction shelves by genre. What does AASL's position statement on labeling say about classification by genre? American Association of School Librarians, Position Statement on Labeling Practices. Framework section: Competency 0004, Collection Development and Resource Management, performance indicator d
  • A parent objects to a novel and is handed a request for reconsideration form. In the ALA toolkit's example of school library procedures, what happens if the completed form is not turned in within ten business days? American Library Association, Selection and Reconsideration Policy Toolkit for Public, School, and Academic Libraries, Formal Reconsideration. Framework section: Competency 0004, Collection Development and Resource Management, performance indicator g
  • A school's circulation system holds each student's borrowing record. Under New York Civil Practice Law and Rules section 4509, which of these is a ground for disclosing a record that names a library user? New York Civil Practice Law and Rules, section 4509, Library records, read at the New York State Senate's Open Legislation site. Framework section: Competency 0004, Collection Development and Resource Management, performance indicator f
  • A small school library wants a simpler, broader subject vocabulary than Library of Congress Subject Headings. Which list was made for small and medium-sized collections? Wikipedia, "Sears List of Subject Headings". Framework section: Competency 0004, Collection Development and Resource Management, performance indicator d
  • A student owes fines on overdue library books. According to the New York State Education Department, may a public school hold back the student's grade report until the fines are paid? New York State Education Department, School Library Services FAQ. Framework section: Competency 0004, Collection Development and Resource Management, performance indicator f
  • According to the ALA interpretation on school libraries, what do school librarians consider as they select, acquire, evaluate and deselect materials? American Library Association, Access to Resources and Services in the School Library: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights. Framework section: Competency 0004, Collection Development and Resource Management, performance indicator a
  • In a MARC 21 bibliographic record, which field is the Target Audience Note, where a reading grade level or an interest age level can be recorded? Library of Congress, MARC 21 Format for Bibliographic Data, 521 Target Audience Note. Framework section: Competency 0004, Collection Development and Resource Management, performance indicator d
  • One weeding methodology named in the ALA selection policy toolkit goes by the acronym CREW. What does CREW stand for? American Library Association, Selection and Reconsideration Policy Toolkit for Public, School, and Academic Libraries, Collection Maintenance and Weeding. Framework section: Competency 0004, Collection Development and Resource Management, performance indicator c
  • Under 8 NYCRR 90.18, a school library system's plan of service must set out the means for all participants to locate and access library media materials. Through what? Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, 8 NYCRR 90.18, School library systems, read in the Legal Information Institute's copy. Framework section: Competency 0004, Collection Development and Resource Management, performance indicator e
  • Which purchase can a New York school district count toward Library Materials Aid under section 711 of the Education Law? New York State Education Department, Library Materials Aid: Frequently Asked Questions. Framework section: Competency 0004, Collection Development and Resource Management, performance indicator b

Skills for multiple literacies 12

  • A librarian first models a catalog search, then searches together with the class, then has pairs search, and at last each student searches alone. Which model of teaching is she using? Wikipedia, "Gradual release of responsibility". Framework section: Competency 0005, Skills for Multiple Literacies, performance indicator b
  • A librarian planning lessons for kindergartners reads about Piaget's four stages of cognitive development. Which stage comes between the sensorimotor stage and the concrete operational stage? Wikipedia, "Jean Piaget", Stages. Framework section: Competency 0005, Skills for Multiple Literacies, performance indicator b
  • A librarian teaches fourth graders to "read" a chart of an army's march: what each line, width and label means. Which literacy is the ability to interpret and make meaning from information presented as an image? Wikipedia, "Visual literacy". Framework section: Competency 0005, Skills for Multiple Literacies, performance indicator d
  • A school librarian and the public library plan a joint push for Summer Reading at New York Libraries. According to the State Library, through what kind of reading do these programs increase successful reading experiences? New York State Library, Division of Library Development, Summer Reading at New York Libraries. Framework section: Competency 0005, Skills for Multiple Literacies, performance indicator h
  • A school sets aside a period every day in which all students read silently from books of their own choosing. What is this kind of recreational reading at school called? Wikipedia, "Sustained silent reading". Framework section: Competency 0005, Skills for Multiple Literacies, performance indicator h
  • According to AASL's position statement on the school librarian's role in reading, what should librarians provide and advocate for when learners decide what to read, view and hear? American Association of School Librarians, Position Statement: The School Librarian's Role in Reading. Framework section: Competency 0005, Skills for Multiple Literacies, performance indicator g
  • In which approach do students take an active part in a dialogue about a text using four strategies: predicting, clarifying, questioning and summarizing? U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, What Works Clearinghouse, Reciprocal Teaching (intervention report, September 2010). Framework section: Competency 0005, Skills for Multiple Literacies, performance indicator f
  • New York's K-12 Computer Science and Digital Fluency Learning Standards describe digital citizenship as acting in safe, ethical, legal and positive ways online. Of what do they say it is often viewed as one aspect? New York State Education Department, New York State K-12 Computer Science and Digital Fluency Learning Standards. Framework section: Competency 0005, Skills for Multiple Literacies, performance indicator a
  • Part 100.4(c) of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education requires instruction in "library and information skills", the equivalent of one period per week. For students in which grades? New York State Education Department, School Library Services FAQ. Framework section: Competency 0005, Skills for Multiple Literacies, performance indicator c
  • To build speaking and listening skills, a librarian has students present a folktale as a dramatic reading, scripts in hand, with no costumes, props or scenery. What is this activity called? Wikipedia, "Readers theater". Framework section: Competency 0005, Skills for Multiple Literacies, performance indicator d
  • To meet diverse needs in a co-taught research unit, the librarian and teacher let students show what they know as a podcast, an essay or a poster. Which principle of Universal Design for Learning are they applying? Wikipedia, "Universal Design for Learning". Framework section: Competency 0005, Skills for Multiple Literacies, performance indicator e
  • Which ISTE Standard for Students has students use digital tools to curate a variety of resources critically, construct knowledge and produce creative artifacts? ISTE Standards: For Students. Framework section: Competency 0005, Skills for Multiple Literacies, performance indicator a

Learning and inquiry 12

  • A lesson on judging online claims separates two terms. Which term names false information that is deliberately deceptive and intentionally spread? Wikipedia, "Misinformation". Framework section: Competency 0006, Individual and Collaborative Learning and Inquiry, performance indicator d
  • A librarian and a social studies teacher plan six weeks in which students investigate and respond to a complex real-world question about their town's water supply. Which teaching method is this? Wikipedia, "Project-based learning". Framework section: Competency 0006, Individual and Collaborative Learning and Inquiry, performance indicator j
  • A student researching a debate topic keeps the sources that agree with what she already believes and passes over the rest. Which tendency should the librarian teach her to notice? Wikipedia, "Confirmation bias". Framework section: Competency 0006, Individual and Collaborative Learning and Inquiry, performance indicator d
  • A student types red apple into a database and gets records with either word anywhere. She wants only records with the two words together in that order. What should she do? Wikipedia, "Phrase search". Framework section: Competency 0006, Individual and Collaborative Learning and Inquiry, performance indicator b
  • A student's first research question is "Is the Hudson River polluted?" The librarian helps her reframe it so that it cannot be answered with yes, no or one fixed fact. What kind of question is she building? Wikipedia, "Open-ended question". Framework section: Competency 0006, Individual and Collaborative Learning and Inquiry, performance indicator a
  • A tenth grader needs journal and newspaper articles on a topic, not whole books. Which tool is an organized online collection of references to published works such as articles, most of its records describing articles? Wikipedia, "Bibliographic database". Framework section: Competency 0006, Individual and Collaborative Learning and Inquiry, performance indicator c
  • At the end of a project, students write about which search strategies worked for them and how they knew when to change course. Which term means awareness of one's own thought processes? Wikipedia, "Metacognition". Framework section: Competency 0006, Individual and Collaborative Learning and Inquiry, performance indicator h
  • The Empire State Information Fluency Continuum includes the REACTS Taxonomy of research products at six levels of thought. At which level do students report the main facts they found with no attempt to analyze them? School Library Systems Association of New York State, Empire State Information Fluency Continuum, Section 7: REACTS. Framework section: Competency 0006, Individual and Collaborative Learning and Inquiry, performance indicator e
  • For a unit on New York's regions, each small group researches one region and then the groups put their pieces together into one class product. Which cooperative technique, designed by Elliot Aronson, is this? Wikipedia, "Jigsaw (teaching technique)". Framework section: Competency 0006, Individual and Collaborative Learning and Inquiry, performance indicator i
  • In the inquiry process of Standard 1.1 of the Empire State Information Fluency Continuum, what do learners do next after they connect to prior experience and background knowledge? School Library Systems Association of New York State, Empire State Information Fluency Continuum, Section 1: Framework. Framework section: Competency 0006, Individual and Collaborative Learning and Inquiry, performance indicator a
  • Two students run the same search on their own phones and see different results, each matching what its owner has clicked before. Which term names the intellectual isolation that such personalized results can produce? Wikipedia, "Filter bubble". Framework section: Competency 0006, Individual and Collaborative Learning and Inquiry, performance indicator g
  • Which note-taking system gives a page a note-taking column and a column of questions or keywords, called cues, that the student answers when reviewing the notes? Wikipedia, "Cornell Notes". Framework section: Competency 0006, Individual and Collaborative Learning and Inquiry, performance indicator e

Social responsibility, law and ethics 8

  • A committee drafting a policy on student expression recalls a Supreme Court opinion saying that neither students nor teachers shed their constitutional rights "at the schoolhouse gate". Which case is it? Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, 393 U.S. 503 (1969), read at the Legal Information Institute. Framework section: Competency 0007, Social Responsibility and Legal and Ethical Issues, performance indicator c
  • A quiz website directed to children asks each new user for a name and an email address. Before it collects these from a child, what does the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act require its operator to obtain? 15 U.S.C. 6502, Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, read at the Legal Information Institute. Framework section: Competency 0007, Social Responsibility and Legal and Ethical Issues, performance indicator g
  • A school certifies under the Children's Internet Protection Act that it enforces an internet safety policy for minors. Along with running a filter, which practice does the statute say that policy includes? 47 U.S.C. 254(h)(5), Children's Internet Protection Act requirements for schools, read at the Legal Information Institute. Framework section: Competency 0007, Social Responsibility and Legal and Ethical Issues, performance indicator g
  • A student remixes a diagram licensed CC BY-SA for a class website. Besides crediting the creator, what does the license require of her adaptation? Creative Commons, About CC Licenses. Framework section: Competency 0007, Social Responsibility and Legal and Ethical Issues, performance indicator d
  • An eighth grader asks whether she must register her original poem, saved on her laptop, before it is protected. According to the U.S. Copyright Office, when is a work under copyright protection? U.S. Copyright Office, Copyright in General (FAQ). Framework section: Competency 0007, Social Responsibility and Legal and Ethical Issues, performance indicator d
  • In a lesson on netiquette, a student asks why her classmates took offense at a discussion post she typed entirely in capital letters. How is typing in all caps commonly read online? Wikipedia, "Etiquette in technology". Framework section: Competency 0007, Social Responsibility and Legal and Ethical Issues, performance indicator f
  • New York Civil Practice Law and Rules section 4509 makes library records that identify users confidential, in school libraries too. Besides circulation records, which of these does the section name? New York Civil Practice Law and Rules, section 4509, Library records, read at the New York State Senate's Open Legislation site. Framework section: Competency 0007, Social Responsibility and Legal and Ethical Issues, performance indicator a
  • Which New York law, in effect since July 1, 2012, seeks to give public school students a safe, supportive environment without discrimination, intimidation, taunting, harassment or bullying? New York State Education Department, The Dignity for All Students Act (Dignity Act). Framework section: Competency 0007, Social Responsibility and Legal and Ethical Issues, performance indicator e

Administration of the program 15

  • A district plans to replace its library management software and issues a document that asks potential suppliers to submit business proposals. What is the document called? Wikipedia, "Request for proposal". Framework section: Competency 0008, Administration of the School Library Media Program, performance indicator l
  • A district's enrollment count for Library Materials Aid is 1,000, so its maximum apportionment is $6,250. In the base year it spent $5,000 on eligible library materials. How much aid does it receive? New York State Education Department, Library Materials Aid: Frequently Asked Questions. Framework section: Competency 0008, Administration of the School Library Media Program, performance indicator i
  • A librarian and her principal want to rate the program's essential elements, from instructional design to budget, facility and reporting, on four levels from Distinguished to Below Basic. Which New York tool does this? New York State Education Department, School Library Media Program Evaluation (SLMPE) rubric. Framework section: Competency 0008, Administration of the School Library Media Program, performance indicator c
  • A librarian planning new stacks reads the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design on self-service shelving, which includes library shelves. What do the Standards require of such shelves? U.S. Department of Justice, 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design. Framework section: Competency 0008, Administration of the School Library Media Program, performance indicator f
  • A New York high school grows from 900 to 2,100 pupils. What does 8 NYCRR 91.2 require for each additional 1,000 pupils enrolled in a secondary school? Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, 8 NYCRR 91.2, Employment of school library media specialist, read in the Legal Information Institute's copy. Framework section: Competency 0008, Administration of the School Library Media Program, performance indicator d
  • A New York secondary school enrolls 800 pupils. Under 8 NYCRR 91.2, how much of the school day must a certified school library media specialist devote to school library work? Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, 8 NYCRR 91.2, Employment of school library media specialist, read in the Legal Information Institute's copy. Framework section: Competency 0008, Administration of the School Library Media Program, performance indicator d
  • A student at a nonpublic school inside the district asks to borrow a book that the public school bought with Library Materials Aid. What does section 712 of the Education Law require, according to the Education Department? New York State Education Department, Library Materials Aid: Frequently Asked Questions. Framework section: Competency 0008, Administration of the School Library Media Program, performance indicator h
  • A superintendent asks whether a K-5 school must employ a certified school librarian. What does the New York State Education Department answer? New York State Education Department, School Library Services FAQ. Framework section: Competency 0008, Administration of the School Library Media Program, performance indicator d
  • AASL's staffing statement says each school should employ one or more full-time technical assistants, clerks or paraprofessionals in the library. For what reason? American Association of School Librarians, Position Statement: Appropriate Staffing for School Libraries. Framework section: Competency 0008, Administration of the School Library Media Program, performance indicator d
  • Federal Library Services and Technology Act funds reach every state through the Grants to States program and help pay for statewide library services in New York. Which agency administers the program? New York State Library, Division of Library Development, New York State Libraries and the Federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). Framework section: Competency 0008, Administration of the School Library Media Program, performance indicator j
  • In AASL's scheduling statement, the whole school community shares responsibility for an open, flexible library schedule. Who is named as keeping up shared planning time for school librarians and classroom educators? American Association of School Librarians, Position Statement on School Library Scheduling. Framework section: Competency 0008, Administration of the School Library Media Program, performance indicator k
  • In the State Education Department's program evaluation rubric, a Distinguished library media program rests on a comprehensive long-term strategic plan. With whom is that plan developed? New York State Education Department, School Library Media Program Evaluation (SLMPE) rubric. Framework section: Competency 0008, Administration of the School Library Media Program, performance indicator a
  • New study tables are on order. Under the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, how high above the floor must the top of an accessible work surface be? U.S. Department of Justice, 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design. Framework section: Competency 0008, Administration of the School Library Media Program, performance indicator f
  • The State Education Department's program evaluation rubric lists examples of evidence for reporting a library program's effectiveness. Which of these is on its list? New York State Education Department, School Library Media Program Evaluation (SLMPE) rubric. Framework section: Competency 0008, Administration of the School Library Media Program, performance indicator e
  • To learn what ninth graders want from the library, a librarian gathers eight of them for a guided group interview and studies their reactions to her questions. Which method is this? Wikipedia, "Focus group". Framework section: Competency 0008, Administration of the School Library Media Program, performance indicator b

How this list was compiled: Our own questions, written to the eight selected-response competencies of the NYSTCE Field 074: Library Media Specialist Test Design and Framework, May 2018, authorized for distribution by the New York State Education Department (https://www.nystce.nesinc.com/content/docs/NY_fld74_objs.pdf, read 2026-10-12), in its numbers of items: The School Library Media Program 8, Roles and Responsibilities of the Library Media Specialist 11, Information, Technology, and Literary Resources 13, Collection Development and Resource Management 11, Skills for Multiple Literacies 12, Individual and Collaborative Learning and Inquiry 12, Social Responsibility and Legal and Ethical Issues 8, Administration of the School Library Media Program 15: 90 in all. Every fact was read on 2026-10-12 in the public page the question names: New York's regulations (8 NYCRR 90.18, 91.1, 91.2 and 100.11, in the Legal Information Institute's copy), Civil Practice Law and Rules 4509, the New York State Education Department and the New York State Library, the Empire State Information Fluency Continuum, position statements of the American Association of School Librarians, American Library Association pages, federal statutes and Supreme Court opinions, the U.S. Copyright Office, the 2010 ADA Standards, the ISTE Standards, the Library of Congress, UNESCO, Creative Commons, the What Works Clearinghouse of the U.S. Department of Education, and Wikipedia articles that carried no warning banner that day. Licence: Questions, choices and explanations are original work of this site.

How it works

This CST library practice test follows New York's framework for the Library Media Specialist Content Specialty Test (074). It is unofficial and not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by the New York State Education Department or Pearson.

Read the full guide

What the real test asks

The framework of May 2018 spreads its selected-response questions over eight competencies: the library media program (8), the librarian's roles (11), resources and literature (13), collection development (11), multiple literacies (12), inquiry (12), law and ethics (8) and administration (15). This bank holds the same numbers. One written response carries 20% of the score and is not marked here.

Timing

The framework plans up to 135 minutes for the selected-response questions and 60 for the written response. A timed run here asks all 90 in 135 minutes.

New York's own rules

30 questions rest on a New York source: the Commissioner's regulations on school libraries and librarians, Library Materials Aid, the library records law, school library systems and the Empire State Information Fluency Continuum.

  • Section 91.2 sets librarian staffing for secondary schools only. The Education Department's FAQ says an elementary school is not required to employ a certified librarian.

Questions and answers

What is on the Library Media Specialist CST?

Library program standards and intellectual freedom; the librarian's roles; reference sources, genres and book awards; selection, cataloging, weeding and challenges; reading and literacy teaching; the inquiry process and source evaluation; copyright, privacy, CIPA and COPPA; staffing, budget, facilities and evaluation.

How many questions are on the CST library media test?

The test's own page lists 90 selected-response items plus 1 constructed-response item. The framework says every selected-response item counts equally toward the score.

What score passes the NYSTCE Library Media Specialist test?

New York's page for the test gives 520, on a scale and not as a number of questions. A score here is a count of right answers and carries no pass verdict.

Are these real NYSTCE library media questions?

No. Each one was written for this page from the framework's eight selected-response competencies and a public source named under it. Nothing comes from the real test or from the sample questions in New York's study guide.

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