MTEL Communication and Literacy

There are two subtests: Reading (101) with 42 multiple-choice questions, and Writing (201) with 35 multiple-choice questions, 7 short-answer sentence correction items, and 2 open-response assignments. You may take one or both subtests at one appointment, and you must take and pass both.

You need a qualifying score of 240 on each subtest. Because each subtest is scored separately, strong performance on one will not compensate for a weak result on the other, so plan preparation time for both.

Computer-based testing gives 4 hours and 15 minutes of total appointment time, including 15 minutes for the tutorial and nondisclosure agreement, leaving 4 hours of testing time. Under online proctoring, a single subtest allows 3 hours; taking both gives 2 hours 30 minutes for Writing, a 15-minute break, then 1 hour 30 minutes for Reading.

At a test center you may take restroom breaks, but the time counts against your available testing time. Under online proctoring, no breaks are allowed when you take a single subtest; when you take both subtests, you get a 15-minute break after the Writing subtest and before Reading begins.

The fee is $69.50 for the Reading subtest alone, $69.50 for the Writing subtest alone, and $112 for both subtests. Computer-based appointments are available year-round, Monday through Saturday, excluding some holidays. Online proctored appointments are offered during one-week testing windows each month.

Start with the subtest that better matches your weaker skill set. If you are unsure, take a timed practice set of each: the Writing subtest carries more item types and two essays, so it usually demands more preparation hours, while Reading rewards sustained practice with dense passages.

On Writing, candidates often run out of time on the two open-response assignments because they spent too long on multiple-choice and sentence correction items. On Reading, rushing through long passages and answering from memory rather than returning to the text are frequent errors. Practice with a clock.

Not necessarily. Tests may include questions that will not count toward candidates' scores; these are placed on the test to collect information about how well they perform under actual testing conditions. Answer every question as though it counts, since you cannot identify which ones are unscored.

Score report release dates are published separately for computer-based and online proctored testing, so check them before registering. Candidates at a test center receive a receipt of completion at the end of the appointment; candidates testing with an online proctor do not receive a receipt when the test ends.