I have looked and looked and looked but have not found what the passing score for MTEL 11 Physics subject test might be. All I know is that you need to get a score of 240, but that isnt helpful. Is it scaled from a raw score or what? is 70% acceptable? 80%? Anyone know?
Yes, that 240 is scaled from a raw score. The score report explanation (http://www.mtel.nesinc.com/PDFs/MTEL_Score_Report_Explanation_Web.pdf) indicates that the scale ranges from 100 to 300 - standard for a test by NES - so there are 200 points available and you need 140 of 'em. That would be 70%, if there were a one-to-one relationship between points and passing, but there isn't, at least if the CSET is remotely representative; the good news is that the slippage usually runs in the test taker's favor. The test information booklet for MTEL 11, page 31, shows 2 free response questions and probably 80 multiple choice questions.
All of the MTELs, as far as I know, are 100 multiple choice and 2 open response questions. I've taken 5 of the tests (literacy and communication, gen. curriculum, foundations of reading, elementary math, and English) and that's been the format for all of them. They used to score the tests with percentages and you needed a 70% to pass. The passing score was just changed to a scaled score of 240 within the past 2 years or so. I would assume that, as teachergroupie said, the score of 240 would be close to 70%.
While most MTELs are 100 multiple choice and 2 open response questions, the current Physics test has 80 multiple choice and 2 open response items. The multiple choice portion contributes 75 per cent, the open response section counts for 25 per cent of the total raw score. The passing score is 240 (on a 100 to 300 interval) so I would also assume (as the previous posters said) that one needs to score 70 per cent in order to pass. The number of questions, their types and weightings, and the passing score are available on the MTEL web site, but it is silent about how raw scores are converted to scaled scores in the physics test. There are, however, sample raw score to scaled score conversion charts included for some of those tests that have the 100-2 structure, 09 Math is one of them I believe, the charts included in the PDF sample test can give some guidance. Good luck to everyone taking the MTEL!
I am preparing to take the Physics MTEL for the third time in a couple of months. I may enroll in an extension school E&M course but aside from that does anyone know of any study groups or other prep resources aside from the MTEL test book, which is not too bad. Thanks
Is your issue a shaky grasp of the subject matter, or is it more an issue with test taking itself? For subject matter, you might find Khan Academy, www.khanacademy.org, useful: it's good for much more than just math, these days. YouTube videos on specific topics might also be helpful, and you could also look for Massachusetts high-school physics teachers' websites or for what amounts to homework help in physics. A good AP Physics prep guide can help with both subject matter and test taking skills.
I’m happy to report that the MTEL physics test DOES, in fact, include calculus (please see the formula sheet from the first provided link), and I say this because the AP Physics curriculum (the C part, or Electricity and Magnetism) certainly requires it, at least in part. On the other hand, AP Physics B (though the B exam is still offered) has been broken up into AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2, which are both algebra-based like their progenitor and supposedly don’t require knowledge beyond Algebra 2. However, I think they’re (AP Physics 1&2) more along the lines of precalculus knowledge and my students (domestic, international, and private tutees) would agree. The typical Algebra 2 student tends to struggle quite a bit with the AP Physics 1&2 curricula, but I digress. Here are some useful links for practice: Formula Sheet: https://www.mtel.nesinc.com/Content/Docs/MTEL_11_FormulasConstants.pdf Practice Multiple Choice: https://www.mtel.nesinc.com/Content/StudyGuide/MA_SG_SRI_11.htm Practice Free Response: https://www.mtel.nesinc.com/Content/StudyGuide/MA_SG_CRI_11.asp Full-Length Practice: https://www.mtel.nesinc.com/content/Docs/MA_FLD011_PRACTICE_TEST.pdf Multiple-Choice Question Analyses: https://www.mtel.nesinc.com/content/Docs/MA_FLD011_PT_APPENDIX.pdf Happy Physics-ing! And remember, Calculus was invented to explain Physics. They are inseparable.
