MCAS study guide
MCAS · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
MCAS - the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System - is the statewide assessment program used in Massachusetts public schools. It is not a single examination but a family of subject-specific and grade-specific tests, each administered, scored, and reported separately, with results placed into four performance levels: Exceeding Expectations, Meeting Expectations, Partially Meeting Expectations, and Not Meeting Expectations. Students sit for MCAS through their school or district; there is no independent registration and no fee. The program covers English Language Arts and Mathematics in the elementary and middle grades and at high school, Science and Technology/Engineering in the middle grades and in high school Biology, Chemistry, Introductory Physics, or Technology/Engineering, and History and Social Science. The MCAS study guide has 4 sections and about 1,083 words.
01English Language Arts (Grades 3–8 and Grade 10)
MCAS English Language Arts (grades 3–8 and 10) measures reading of literary and informational texts, vocabulary and language use, and writing. Items ask you to build meaning from the passage and to support interpretations with evidence, not to rely on prior opinion.
287 words, about 1 min02Mathematics (Grades 3–8 and Grade 10)
MCAS Mathematics (grades 3–8 and 10) tests procedural skill, conceptual understanding, and modeling with real contexts. Grade 10 includes algebra, functions, geometry, and statistics.
263 words, about 1 min03Science and Technology/Engineering (Grades 5 and 8; High School Biology, Chemistry, Introductory Physics, or Technology/Engineering)
MCAS Science and Technology/Engineering covers grades 5 and 8 and high school Biology, Chemistry, Introductory Physics, or Technology/Engineering. Items combine core content with science practices: asking questions, designing investigations, analyzing data, and constructing explanations.
266 words, about 1 min04History and Social Science (Grades 5 and 8; High School Civics and History Courses)
MCAS History and Social Science is given at grades 5 and 8 and in high school civics and history courses. It asks you to use sources, establish context, explain causation, and apply civic principles rather than memorize isolated dates.
267 words, about 1 min