MTEL English (61)
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Cheat sheet
Keep the key ideas within reach.
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Get comfortable with the vocabulary.
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Give each week a clear focus.
ExploreCommon mistakes
Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
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Put your knowledge to work in context.
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Prepare for the day ahead.
ExploreAbout this exam
MTEL English (61) is one of the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure, the assessment suite candidates must satisfy to obtain a Massachusetts educator license. It is aimed at prospective English language arts teachers - candidates completing a traditional educator-preparation program as well as those pursuing licensure through an alternative route - and it assesses both subject-matter knowledge and the ability to write analytically about texts.
The test is offered at test centers and, since the week of June 21, 2021, through online proctoring. Either way, it consists of 100 multiple-choice questions and 2 open-response assignments. A computer-based appointment runs 4 hours and 15 minutes in total: 15 minutes for the tutorial and nondisclosure agreement plus 4 hours of testing time. An online-proctored appointment runs 4 hours and 30 minutes, with 2 hours 30 minutes for the multiple-choice questions, an optional 15-minute break, and 1 hour 30 minutes for the open-response assignments. The qualifying score is 240 and the fee is $139.
Content spans literature and literary analysis, language and linguistics, rhetoric and composition, and reading and literacy. Strong preparation combines wide close reading across genres and periods, review of grammatical and linguistic terminology, practice in timed analytical essay writing, and at least one full-length timed rehearsal so the open-response pacing feels routine rather than rushed. Plan for the possibility of unscored field-test questions appearing in your test.
What you'll study
About MTEL English (61) preparation
What is the format of MTEL English (61)?
It is a computer-based test available at test centers and through online proctoring. Both versions contain 100 multiple-choice questions and 2 open-response assignments. The multiple-choice section is scored by machine; the open-response assignments are written responses scored against rubrics. Check the preparation materials page for the current assignment types before you sit.
How long is the test, and how should I pace myself?
A computer-based appointment is 4 hours and 15 minutes total: 15 minutes of tutorial and nondisclosure agreement, then 4 hours of testing time. Online proctoring runs 4 hours and 30 minutes, splitting 2 hours 30 minutes for multiple choice, an optional 15-minute break, and 1 hour 30 minutes for the open-response assignments. Budget time for both essays.
What score do I need to pass?
The qualifying score listed for this test is 240. Score reports are released on published dates rather than at the end of your appointment, so check the score report release schedule for your testing mode. Candidates at a test center receive a receipt of completion when the appointment ends; online-proctored candidates do not.
How much does it cost?
The fee stated on the test information page is $139. Fee and payment details, including accepted payment methods and any related charges, are described on the separate test fees and payment information page. Review that page before registering so you know what to expect at checkout.
How does the online-proctored option work?
Online proctoring has been available since the week of June 21, 2021, and lets you test remotely, including from home, during one-week testing windows offered each month. You must meet system and testing environment requirements in advance. There is a 15-minute break after the multiple-choice section, and once it ends you cannot return to the multiple-choice questions.
When can I take the test?
Computer-based testing is available by appointment year-round, Monday through Saturday, excluding some holidays, at centers in Massachusetts and nationwide. Online-proctored appointments are scheduled within one-week testing windows each month. Appointment availability varies, so book early if you have a licensure deadline.
Are there questions on the test that don't count?
Yes. The test may include questions that will not count toward your score, placed there to gather information about how they perform under actual testing conditions. Treat every question as scored: you cannot identify which items are field-test questions, and guessing is unnecessary because there is no separate penalty described.
In what order should I study the four content areas?
Start with the area where your coursework is thinnest - often language and linguistics, since grammar, usage, and the history of English are easy to neglect. Then cycle through literary analysis, rhetoric and composition, and reading and literacy, applying each to real texts. Finish with timed full-length practice and at least two hand-written open-response essays.
What are the most common ways candidates lose points?
Running out of time on the open-response assignments is a frequent problem, usually because too long was spent on multiple choice. Others are thin, unsupported literary claims, misused grammatical terminology, and essay answers that summarize a text instead of analyzing how it works. Practice under the real time split before test day.
Is the test hard?
Difficulty is individual, and no pass rate is published on the test information page. The test rewards breadth: canonical and non-canonical literature, linguistic terminology, rhetorical analysis, and literacy concepts, all applied to unfamiliar passages. Candidates who read widely and write timed analytical essays regularly generally find the open-response section most manageable.