MTEL Russian study plan

Conjugate 40 high-frequency Russian verbs in present, past, and future tenses, writing each form from memory

Decline 30 first- and second-declension nouns across all six cases in singular and plural

Memorize the full case-government list for the 20 most common prepositions (в, на, с, по, к, о, у, без, для, из, от, до, при, над, под, за, через, между, кроме, вместо)

Drill noun-adjective agreement in all six cases using 50 short noun phrases, self-checking against a key

Master verbs of motion (идти/ходить, ехать/ездить, нести/носить, вести/водить, везти/возить) in unidirectional, multidirectional, and prefixed forms

Apply aspect pairing rules to 60 imperfective-perfective verb pairs, producing the correct aspect in 40 fill-in sentences

Write 20 original sentences using prefixed motion verbs with correct prefix meaning (при-, у-, вы-, за-, пере-, до-)

Identify and correct aspect errors in 15 deliberately flawed sentences

Produce the full singular and plural forms of 25 high-frequency adjectives including soft-stem, possessive, and short forms

Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs (более, самый, -ее, -ейший) in 25 original sentences

Decline and apply the numerals один through тысяча with correct noun case government in 30 phrases

Use ordinal numerals and date constructions (первое января, в две тысячи двадцать пятом году) correctly in 15 written sentences

Conjugate and apply verbs of the second conjugation with stem-stress shifts and irregular forms (хотеть, бежать, дать, есть, жить, писать, мочь)

Use the conditional (бы), imperative (all persons), and subjunctive constructions in 30 original sentences

Apply reflexive verbs with -ся/-сь and the passive voice in 20 sentences

Produce participles (active/passive, present/past) and adverbial participles (деепричастия) from 25 base verbs

Read 10 short authentic Russian texts (news briefs, literary excerpts, encyclopedia entries) and summarize each in 3-4 sentences

Infer meaning of 50 unfamiliar words from context using roots, prefixes, and suffixes, verifying against a dictionary

Identify the main idea, supporting details, and author tone in 8 reading passages under timed conditions

Build a personal glossary of 100 new words organized by root family

Write 4 timed essays (200-250 words each) in Russian on cultural, historical, and social topics, using varied sentence structures and correct case government

Self-edit each essay against a checklist covering agreement, aspect, motion verbs, and punctuation

Practice 10 listening passages (podcasts, news clips, dialogues) and answer comprehension questions on main idea and detail

Transcribe 5 short audio segments (1-2 minutes) and compare against the source text to identify perception gaps

Map Russian cultural and historical content: key periods (Kievan Rus, Mongol period, Muscovy, imperial era, Soviet period, post-Soviet), major figures, and landmark works of literature, music, and art

Match 30 major authors, composers, and artists to their works and eras from memory

Explain core features of Russian geography, regions, and cities and their cultural significance in 10 short written answers

Describe major Russian holidays, traditions, and social customs in Russian in 8 paragraphs

Take two full-length timed practice tests under exam conditions and record section-by-section scores

Review every missed item from both practice tests and write a corrected explanation for each

Re-drill the 30 weakest grammar and vocabulary items identified across weeks 1-7

Complete a final 60-minute mixed-skills review covering grammar, reading, writing, listening, and culture