Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System

The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment system, commonly shortened to MCAS /ˈɛmkæs/, ", is the Commonwealth's statewide standards-based assessment program developed in 1993, in response to the Massachusetts Education Reform Act of the same year. State and federal law mandates that all students who are enrolled in the tested grades and who are educated with Massachusetts public funds participate in MCAS testing.

If necessary, students are given multiple opportunities to take the test to maximize the chance that said student will pass the exam

The tests use four varieties of questions. The multiple-choice questions require students to choose one answer from four given answers. These types of questions are machine-scored.

The short-answer questions on the MCAS require the student to give a short answer or a brief statement.

Open-response questions require students to generate their own responses. Students create a one-two paragraph response in writing or in the form of a narrative, chart, table, diagram, illustration, or graph, as appropriate. Students can receive up to four points for each open-response question.

Writing prompts are included on ELA Composition tests in grade 10 and require students to respond by creating a written composition. Compositions are scored based on two things, topic development and standard English conventions.

Students are prepared for the exams throughout their academic careers Through primary and secondary education. However, if an individual student needs help improving in a particular test, the first step in giving that student the extra help he or she needs is to identify specific weaknesses. Sometimes the student, teachers, or parents are aware of the weaknesses, sometimes they are not. To ascertain what the student knows as well as what he or she needs to learn, a diagnostic test may be administered.

Students take different tests according to their grade level. In addition to these tests, students may be required to take tryouts and pilot tests. The following list is current as of spring 2012. It is required for a student to pass both the English Language Arts and Mathematics portions of the Grade 10 test in order to meet the Competency Determination requirement. Beginning with the graduating class of 2010 students are also required to pass a Science and Technology/Engineering Test.

...
Wikipedia