NYSTCE Multi-Subject Teachers of Childhood Study Guide

What is the NYSTCE Multi-Subject Teachers of Childhood Exam?

The NYSTCE CST Multi-Subject exam is required for applicants hoping to teach grades one through six in New York public schools. Its intent is to verify competency in the knowledge and professional skills required to plan and implement literacy and English language arts instruction using appropriate materials to meet the needs of the students' literacy learning needs. It also tests knowledge and skills needed to effectively teach mathematics at all the grade levels and to teach both social sciences and physical sciences across the elementary range of grades. The test will draw on research-based and evidence-based pedagogical standards for the concepts covered by the NYSTCE multi-subject exam.

Practice tests give you a better idea of the topics you have mastered and those you should keep studying.

NYSTCE CST Multi-Subject 1-6 Exam Format

The NYSTCE CST Multi-Subject exam is a computer-based test (CBT) available at testing centers year-round, Monday through Saturday. The test centers are located throughout New York State and nationwide. The NYSTCE website does not indicate an online option. The total testing time for the three parts of the NYSTCE Multi-Subject exam is five hours and 30 minutes when all parts are taken together with 15 minutes of that time is allocated for a break between the first two parts. There are also a total of 120 selected-response and two constructed-response questions that make up the entire exam.

Topics Covered in the NYSTCE Multi-Subject Grades 1-6 Exam

The three parts of the NYSTCE Multi-Subject Grades 1-6 Exam and allocations of questions are:

• Literacy and English Language Arts
  • 40 selected-response items,
  • One constructed-response question,
  • Two hours testing time.
• Mathematics
  • 40 selected-response items,
  • One constructed-response question,
  • Two hours and 15 minutes testing time.
• Arts and Sciences
  • 40 constructed-response items,
  • One hour testing time.

Part 1: Literacy and English Language Arts

Part One of the NYSTCE Multi-Subject Childhood Exam is divided into four competencies. The distribution of items and the percentage of the overall test score represented by each competency are shown in the table below.

Part 2: Mathematics

Part Two of the NYSTCE Multi-Subject Childhood Exam is divided into five competencies. The distribution of items and percentage of the overall test score represented by each competency are shown in the table below.

Part 3: Arts and Sciences

Part Three of the NYSTCE Multi-Subject Childhood Exam is divided into three competencies. The distribution of items and percentage of overall test score represented by each competency are shown in the table below.

There are four Multi-Subject NYSTCE exams depending on the grade levels the candidate wishes to test. Part Three of the exam is shared by all exams and only needs to be taken once if the candidate is seeking certification for more than one multi-subject category.

NYSTCE Multi-Subject 1-6 Results

Score reports can be viewed on the NYSTCE website or they can be sent via email. The scores will be reported to the candidate, the New York State Education Department and any institutions that the candidate selected at registration. The score reporting date will be two to six weeks following the testing date with specific reporting dates provided at registration. The score report will indicate PASS or DID NOT PASS along with more detailed information for those candidates who need to retake the exam.

NYSTCE Multi-Subject Teachers of Childhood Passing Scores

The results of the NYSTCE CST Multi-Subject test are tied to established standards with the passing score set by the New York State Commissioner of Education. The three parts of the exam will be assigned a scaled score between 400 and 600 with 520 being the minimum passing score. The score report will include a performance index for each competency indicating if the candidate performed well above, just above, below or well below the passing level. Constructed-response items are rated by two qualified New York State educators. Those questions will receive a score on a four-point scale.

How to Prepare for the NYSTCE Multi-Subject Teachers of Childhood Exam

Since the NYSTCE Multi-Subject Childhood Exam is essential to securing a teaching certificate for educating students at the Grade 1 to 6 levels, careful preparation for the test is advised. The first step in preparation is becoming familiar with the test and the test environment. Tutorials are available on the NYSTCE website that will help the candidate to learn how to use and navigate a computer-based test (CBT). There are also videos to help applicants know what to expect at the test centers. Some additional suggestions are:

• Plan ahead by developing a study plan.
• Allocate adequate amounts of time for the areas of greatest weakness.
• Collect study materials.
• Use a study guide designed to support the NYSTCE multi-subject exam to structure study efforts and time.
• Use practice exams and questions to assess progress.
• Plan to be rested on test day.
• Know in advance how to find the test center.
• Be familiar with test center policies and have required documents available.

NYSTCE Multi-Subject 1-6 Practice Test

Making use of practice exams is an important step in the preparatory process for the NYSTCE Multi-Subject test. A practice test allows the candidate to become familiar with the type of questions that will appear on the exam and to duplicate the experience of addressing questions under the appropriate time-limit.

Many candidates choose to use a practice test at the beginning of the study process to identify the areas that should receive the greatest amount of study time. That information combined with a well-chosen NYSTCE Multi-Subject study guide helps the candidate plan for the best use of time up to test day.

NYSTCE Multi-Subject 1-6 Study Guide

A quality study guide for the NYSTCE Multi-Subject exam should identify the competencies and performance expectations that will be covered on the test. Candidates can use such a guide to compile a review of the necessary information. Practice questions presented throughout the study guide act as a quality check on the candidate's progress. Using practice questions not only helps to guide the study process but adds to the confidence the candidate will bring to the exam as the material is mastered.

Study guides and practice tests are valuable but need to be selected carefully. Their value will be based on how closely they relate to the actual exam.

Testing Policies

Test center policies prohibit personal items in the testing room. Any tools required for the NYSTCE CST Multi-Subject exam, such as calculators, will be provided online at the test center. All candidates must present Government-issued identification bearing a photograph, signature and the exact name used at registration for admission to the test. Anyone arriving more than 15 minutes late for the test appointment time may not be admitted. That would be considered an absence and no refund is available.

All test centers are wheel-chair accessible. Any additional accommodations needed may be requested in advance of the test date.

How to Register for the NYSTCE CST Multi-Subject 1-6 Exam

Candidates for the NYSTCE CST Multi-Subject 1-6 exam must first register on the NYSTCE website. Payment will be made at the time of registration. The costs are:

Payment can be made using a VISA or MasterCard credit, debit or check card. Accommodations can also be arranged for payment by check. The registration is valid for one year after issue. Examinees will also be able to select a test site and date during registration.

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1. Ms. Jones is a third-grade teacher. She has a multicultural classroom. She wants to make sure that each student's culture is respected and given importance. How can she help celebrate the diversity of the students?

   • making them read stories about traditional American families

   • introducing them to local foods

   • making them be aware of the different holidays celebrated by different cultures

     Correct Answer
   • showing them different artworks by American artists

2. What did the ancient Mayan use of painting and writing to record information and the traditional Japanese depiction of Noh theatre have in common?

   • They are both examples of art being used for religion.

   • They are both examples of art being used for storytelling.

     Correct Answer
   • They are both examples of art forms that were exceptionally short-lived.

   • They are both examples of art that would only be consumed by the upper class.

3. To show rhythm and fluidity of an adventure story she has written, a teacher is using anaphora. Which of the following exemplifies this?

   • The teacher rhythmically accentuates any compound words or phrases.

   • The teacher groups words similar in structure in a repetitive fashion.

     Correct Answer
   • The teacher emphasizes words with double vowels.

   • The teacher over-accentuates words beginning with strong sounding consonants.

4. What are the five C's of creditworthiness?

   • Capacity, capital, collateral, conditions, credit

   • Capacity, capital, collateral, conditions, character

     Correct Answer
   • Capacity, capital, cash, conditions, character

   • Consumerism, capital, collateral, conditions, character

5. Which of the following sampling methods would produce a data set that would allow for the most accurate inferences about the waist sizes of American adult men?

   • Offer surveys to men encountered in a local shopping mall.

     Correct Answer
   • Offer surveys to all the men in your family.

   • Offer surveys to all the men in your college gaming and e-sports club.

   • Offer surveys to passing joggers.

6. Which of the following would NOT be considered research materials?

   • newspapers

   • desks

     Correct Answer
   • books

   • magazines

7. During which period was the stage introduced as a space for performance art, including a raised platform, backstage, and side wing areas?

   • The Middle Ages

   • 18th-19th Centuries

   • 20th Century

   • The Renaissance

     Correct Answer

8. The mnemonic 'Gracias Llamas Love Autumn Apples, Mostly After A Vivacious Picking Party' could be used to help remember the order of what musical markings?

   • Time

   • Tempi

     Correct Answer
   • Dynamics

   • Expression

9. Students are given the information that it takes 3 hours to travel 180 miles. They must determine how far they will travel in five hours. Which of the following identifies how the teacher will best guide the students?

   • Having them construct proportions.

     Correct Answer
   • Providing them with a chart showing miles per hour.

   • Allowing students to use an abacus.

   • Tasking students with determining the speed of the initial trip.

10. During the Industrial Revolution, _____ were often exploited and life-expectancy was _____.

    • companies; high

    • workers; high

    • companies; low

    • workers; low

      Correct Answer

11. Which of the following scenarios identifies a student who is experiencing an emergent literacy phase?

    • Quinn and his father read a children's book together each night. Quinn struggles a bit when reading the book on his own.

    • Kevin has been writing different letters each day and can now spell out his name on paper.

    • Shawna has been reading short chapter books, although she does not always understand the abstract concepts therein.

    • Ingrid cannot read nor write, but she likes to flip through the pages of books, often pointing at the pictures.

      Correct Answer

12. The physicist who explained that the planets orbit the Sun in ellipses, was _____.

    • Kepler

      Correct Answer
    • Galileo

    • Copernicus

    • Napier

13. You were recently hired by a local newspaper to write a column covering important social events happening in the area. What mode of writing will prove most useful?

    • Persuasion

    • Expository

      Correct Answer
    • Narration

    • Description

14. Joy asks her students to write an essay. She tells her students to put a title for their essay. One of her students, Jessica, puts ''How my Friends and i Spent Summer''. How can she correct the capitalization of Jessica's essay title?

    • She should tell Jessica to capitalize i because all starting letters of words in a title are capitalized.

    • She should tell Jessica to capitalize i because this pronoun is always capitalized.

      Correct Answer
    • She should tell Jessica to capitalize my because all starting letters of words in a title are capitalized.

    • She should tell Jessica that the capitalization of her essay title is correct.

15. A second-grade teacher who wants to increase students' abilities to use syntactic cues to understand the meanings of words in context should emphasize which of the following?

    • Encouraging students to decode words they do not understand by sight.

    • Helping students gain awareness of the roles of words within sentences.

      Correct Answer
    • Requiring students to identify the subject of every sentence they read.

    • Guiding students to recognize specific letters and sounds of a word.