Content Exams

MTLE Content Exams

Exams required by major

Find out which exams align with your major.

All first­ time applicants for a Minnesota Teaching License and all individuals adding a licensure field to an existing Minnesota license must complete a content exam for their respective field. Beginning September 1, 2010, candidates must take the MTLE content exam.

MN Professional Educators and Licensing and Standards Board: Minnesota Teacher Licensure Testing Information

Keep scrolling to reach information about registering for your exams. 

When to take the exams

  • IESE and UECH students should take immediately following block 3
  • STEP students should take either during block 1 or immediately following block 2.  Students prefer to take these exams near when the majority of their content courses are finished.  If you have the majority of your content coursework is finished when starting block I, some students prefer to take the content exams early in their block 1 while the content knowledge is still fresh in their minds.

Exam Cost:  Varies by exam

Find your exam and cost online.

Where can I take the Exams

Duluth Area:

Pearson Professional Centers - Hermantown (Duluth) MN
4815 West Arrowhead Road
Suite 100
North Shore Bank Place
Hermantown, Minnesota 55811
United States
Test Center Information
 
Northwoods Technical College (Formerly Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College-WITC)
600 North 21st Street
Superior, Wisconsin 54880
United States
Test Center Information
 
Online Proctored environment from a computer anywhere with reliable internet access
The following MTLE Content Exams are currently available in an online proctored format:
  • Communication Arts/Literature (Grades 5–12)
  • Early Childhood Education (Birth to Grade 3)
  • Elementary Education (Grades K–6)
  • Essential Academic Skills (EAS) Subtest I: Reading
  • Essential Academic Skills (EAS) Subtest II: Writing
  • Essential Academic Skills (EAS) Subtest III: Mathematics
  • Mathematics (Grades 5–12)
  • Social Studies (Grades 5–12)

Find another testing center in Minnesota or Wisconsin:

Locate a Testing Center, select "Exam Name your are taking", Scroll down to "Testing Sites," Search for your exam and follow the prompts.

Extended Computer Based Testing Sessions

The MN Professional Educator Licensing & Standards Board and the Pearson Testing Center has extending testing sessions available for ANY student.  Standard MTLE test sessions are designed to allow sufficient time to complete the test. Examinees may find the allotted testing time to be more than enough to complete the test, even if they have needed extra time on other tests they have taken in the past.

Extended testing sessions are also available for all tests in the MTLE program. All MTLE Content exams taken in an extended computer based testing session receive double time.

Learn more about how to register for extended testing sessions.

Requesting Alternative Testing Arrangements

Alternative testing arrangements that are reasonable in the context of this licensing test and supported by documentation may be provided for

Learn more about the process for requesting accommodations based on individual circumstances.

How to Register for the Exams

Exam Registration Guide

Registration is done online through MTLE. Be sure to indicate UMD as a recipient of your scores.

You can register for your exams online at anytime and must take your exams within a year of registering.  For example, you could go online and register today and schedule your exams for 3 months from now.  If it gets closer to the test date and you are not as ready as you would like you can reschedule as long as it is rescheduled at least 48 hours prior to your test date.

Score Release Information

A scaled score is provided immediately after testing.   Your official score report will be emailed to you, if you requested this service when you registered, according to the score release schedule.  Score reports are also posted to your account for 2 years as PDF documents, which you may view, print, and save for your records.  Learn more on the MTLE Scores webpage.

Score Report

Passing score is a 240.  Learn more about how to understand your testing results.

It is very important that you keep a copy of your official score report for your records (save it to your Google Drive, in your email, or print a copy, etc.)

  • Be sure to also choose UMD as a recipient of your scores.

If you did not save a .pdf report of your scores and did not put UMD as a recipient of your scores you can request a score report.

Exam Retakes

Teacher candidates who do not pass an exam must wait a minimum of 30 days prior to retaking an exam.  Teacher candidates can schedule ahead 30 days out from the failed exam date.  If a teacher candidate fails an exam two or more times they may be eligible for a retake fee voucher.  Vouchers are emailed within two to four weeks of the score report date. 

Exam Retake Voucher

Beginning with tests taken on August 23, 2021, examinees who have failed a good-faith attempt on a subtest two or more times may be eligible for a fee voucher for subsequent attempts. You will receive your voucher via email within two to four weeks of the score report date.

Military Financial Assistance Voucher

PELSB has a limited amount of financial assistance vouchers available to examinees who are in the military.  Please email PELSB directly to request a military financial assistance voucher, [email protected]

MTLE Exam Structure and Exam Preparation

You'll need to take the content test that corresponds to your licensure area. All tests except elementary education include two subtests. Elementary education content tests include three subtests.

Accessing Mometrix eLibrary from home:

If you are having difficulty accessing Mometrix please email Kayleen Jones.

Learn about the Pearson Testing Center:

Test Preparation

MTLE Content and Pedagogy Exam Handout

Click on your major below to learn about your required MTLE Content Exams and Exam Preparation

Expand all

Art Education

Required Exams:

  • Visual Arts:  Sub-test 1
  • Visual Arts:  Sub-test 2

Exam Preparation Resources:

 

Integrated Elementary & Special Education

Required Exams:

  • Elementary Education:  Sub-test 1
  • Elementary Education:  Sub-test 2
  • Elementary Education:  Sub-test 3
  • SpEd Core Skills:  Sub-test 1
  • SpEd Core Skills:  Sub-test 2

Exam Preparation Resources:

Elementary Ed Exam Preparation Resources
SpEd Core Skills Exam Preparation Resources

Music Education (Instrumental)

Required Exams:

  • Instrumental & Vocal Classroom Music: Subtest 1
  • Instrumental Classroom Music: Subtest 2

Exam Preparation Resources:

 

 

Music Education (Vocal)

Required Exams:

  • Instrumental & Vocal Classroom Music: Subtest 1
  • Vocal Classroom Music: Subtest 2

Exam Preparation Resources:

Physical Education

Required Exams:

  • Physical Education: Subtest 1
  • Physical Education: Subtest 2

Exam Preparation Resources:

Public Health-School

Required Exams:

  • Health: Subtest 1
  • Health: Subtest 2

Exam Preparation Resources:

Teaching Communication Arts & Literature

Required Exams:

  • Comm. Arts. & Lit.: Subtest 1
  • Comm. Arts. & Lit.: Subtest 2

Exam Preparation Resources:

Teaching Earth & Space Science

Required Exams:

  • Earth & Space Science: Subtest 1
  • Earth & Space Science: Subtest 2
  • General Science 5-8: Subtest 1
  • General Science 5-8: Subtest 2

Exam Preparation Resources:

Earth & Space Science Exam Resources:
 5-8 Science Exam Resources:

 

Teaching French

Required Exams:

  • French: Subtest 1
  • French: Subtest 2

*Note:  French: Subtest 2 is a paper based exam and only offered 6 times per year.  Plan ahead to ensure you are able to complete this prior to completing the Teaching Spanish program.

Exam Preparation Resources:

Teaching German

Required Exams:

  • German: Subtest 1
  • German: Subtest 2

*Note:  German: Subtest 2 is a paper based exam and only offered 6 times per year.  Plan ahead to ensure you are able to complete this prior to completing the Teaching Spanish program.

Exam Preparation Resources:

Teaching Life Science

Required Exams:

  • Life Science: Subtest 1
  • Life Science: Subtest 2
  • General Science 5-8: Subtest 1
  • General Science 5-8: Subtest 2Exam Preparation Resources:

Exam Preparation Resources:

Life Science Exam Resources:
5-8 General Science Exam Resources:

 

Teaching Mathematics

Required Exams:

  • Mathematics: Subtest 1
  • Mathematics: Subtest 2

Exam Preparation Resources:

Teaching Physical Science-Chemistry

Required Courses:

  • Chemistry: Subtest 1
  • Chemistry: Subtest 2
  • General Science 5-8: Subtest 1
  • General Science 5-8: Subtest 2

Exam Preparation Resources

Chemistry Exam Resources
5-8 General Science Exam Resources

 

Teaching Physical Science-Physics

Required Exams:

  • Physics: Subtest 1
  • Physics: Subtest 2
  • General Science 5-8: Subtest 1
  • General Science 5-8: Subtest 2

Exam Preparation Resources:

Physics Exam Resources
5-8 General Science Exam Resources

Teaching Social Studies

Required Exams:

  • Social Studies: Subtest 1
  • Social Studies: Subtest 2

Exam Preparation Resources:

Teaching Spanish

Required Exams:

  • Spanish: Subtest 1
  • Spanish: Subtest 2

*Note:  Spanish: Subtest 2 is a paper based exam and only offered 6 times per year.  Plan ahead to ensure you are able to complete this prior to completing the Teaching Spanish program.

Exam Preparation Resources

Unified Early Childhood Studies

Required Exams:

  • Early Childhood: Subtest 1
  • Early Childhood: Subtest 2
  • Special Education: All Fields: Subtest 1
  • Special Education: All Fields: Subtest 2

Exam Preparation Resources:

Early Childhood Exam Resources
SPED Core Skills Exam Resources

Post Bac: K-12 Special Education: Academic Behavioral Strategist

Required Exams:

  • Special Education: All Fields: Subtest 1
  • Special Education: All Fields: Subtest 2

Exam Preparation Resources:

SPED Core Skills Exam Resources

Post Bac: 9-12 Chemistry

Required Exams:

  • Chemistry: Subtest 1
  • Chemistry: Subtest 2

Exam Preparation Resources:

Post Bac: 9-12 Earth & Space Science

Required Exams:

  • Earth & Space Science: Subtest 1
  • Earth & Space Science: Subtest 2

Exam Preparation Resources:

Post Bac: 9-12 Life Science

Required Exams:

  • Life Science: Subtest 1
  • Life Science: Subtest 2

Exam Preparation Resources:

Post Bac: 9-12 Physics

Required Exams:

  • Physics: Subtest 1
  • Physics: Subtest 2

Exam Preparation Resources: