What is the MCAS? The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) is a set of statewide standardized tests. Students in grades 3-8 and 10 take MCAS tests in English language arts and mathematics; students in grades 5, 8, and one high school grade (usually grade 9 or 10) take a science MCAS test. Students in grade 8 take a civics MCAS test. State law requires that high school students meet the Competency Determination (CD) standard in order to graduate, which is usually done by earning a passing score on MCAS tests.
Why does Massachusetts give MCAS tests? Statewide testing gives families an objective measure of their child's and school's progress and is one way for taxpayers to see the results of their investment in schools. State test scores are just one piece of a student's academic picture, but they provide important information. In addition, federal and state laws require statewide testing.
Does MCAS determine whether students progress to the next grade level? No.
Who creates the MCAS questions? Test contractors, DESE staff, and more than 250 educators annually all help create and review test questions.
DESE has Assessment Development Committees (ADCs) and a Bias and Sensitivity Committee (BSC) composed of classroom teachers and administrators, academic support specialists, and university faculty who edit and revise the questions. Committee members represent schools and districts from across the state, including rural, suburban, and urban communities. In addition, members are selected to represent different types of school districts, including charter schools and vocational schools.
Can I see test questions? Yes, DESE makes many previous test questions available online.
How are the MCAS tests scored? MCAS assessments are based on the state's learning standards. Students score in one of four categories: Exceeding Expectations, Meeting Expectations, Partially Meeting Expectations, and Not Meeting Expectations. Educators from each grade level helped determine the scoring range for each category. A student's score indicates the extent to which they are meeting expectations for their grade level. MCAS tests are not graded on a curve.
What happens when a 10th grader's MCAS score is not high enough to earn a Competency Determination, the state graduation requirement? While most 10th graders earn their Competency Determination on their first try, there are different pathways for students who do not, including taking the MCAS retests as many times as needed, the appeals process, and meeting the Competency Determination through an Educational Proficiency Plan (EPP).
Is MCAS a multiple-choice test? MCAS tests are given on a computer and have a variety of question formats, including multiple choice, short answers, and essays.
Are MCAS tests timed? No. Students have as much time as they need within a regular school day.
Are there accommodations for students with disabilities? Yes, a variety of accessibility features and accommodations are available as needed for all students and for students with disabilities. These can include a text-to-speech reader, paper-based tests, a different testing environment, or other options.
What about multilingual learners who are still learning English? Accommodations such as bilingual word-to-word dictionaries and glossaries are available for multilingual learners as needed.
At the high school level, math and science MCAS tests are available in Spanish. Beginning in 2025, students in grades 3–8 will also be able to take math, science, and civics tests in Spanish.
English learners must participate in all MCAS testing scheduled for their grade, with the exception of English learners who are in their first year of enrollment in U.S. schools. For those students, ELA testing is optional. (Note: MCAS results for first-year English learners are not included in the accountability calculations for their school or district.)
MCAS results for all schools and districts in the state are publicly available using the following resources:
School and District Profiles — Search school and district results by year, including achievement levels, average scaled scores, and average Student Growth Percentiles (SGPs).
MCAS Data Trends — Use interactive charts to view trends in achievement over time and compare results among student groups, grades, subjects, and schools.
MCAS Achievement Results dataset — (Most appropriate for data analysts and researchers) Access results of tests administered since 2017 in a single multi-year dataset ready for export and analysis.
Students' individual MCAS results are not published publicly. They are reported to students' schools, and Parent/Guardian Reports are sent by districts to families and caregivers.
Last Updated: October 18, 2024
Student Assessment Updates
Office of Student Assessment Services
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 135 Santilli Highway, Everett, MA 02149
Voice: (781) 338-3000 TTY: (800) 439-2370
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