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CSET Mathematics Subtest I Online Center

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CSET Mathematics Subtest I Practice Center

Each form gives you the 35 multiple-choice questions of Subtest I in the same ten and twenty-five split California uses: ten from Number and Quantity, twenty-five from Algebra. Work them with no calculator, then read the explanation under every miss and label it. A miss is either a fact you did not have, a step you could not justify, or arithmetic that slipped. The three call for different work in the following week.

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CSET Mathematics Subtest I at a glance

Subtest I is the number and algebra half of the CSET: Mathematics series. Two thirds of it is algebra in the broad sense California means: field properties, polynomial equations with complex roots, functions of every family, vectors and matrices. The other third is the real and complex number systems and classical number theory, which is where candidates get surprised. Induction, the Euclidean Algorithm, and a proof that the square root of 2 is irrational are all on the list, and none of them respond to a calculator you are not allowed to bring.

Test code 211 (CSET: Mathematics Subtest I), test version 211-1
Status Current as of September 2026 on the CTC and Evaluation Systems site.
Number of questions 35 multiple-choice questions and 3 constructed-response questions
Time limit 2 hours 30 minutes
Calculator None. Calculators sit on the CSET prohibited materials list, and the one exception the vendor makes is for Subtest II (212).
Format Computer-based only, by appointment at a test center, Monday through Saturday. CSET: Mathematics is not on the vendor’s online-proctoring list.
Scoring weight Each subtest score is 70 percent multiple-choice and 30 percent constructed-response. The multiple-choice items are machine scored; the written responses are scored by California educators.
Score scale 100 to 300
Passing score 220 scaled. Each subtest is passed independently, so a pass on one stands on its own.
Where it fits Subtests I, II, and III are required for the Single Subject Teaching Credential in Mathematics. Subtests I and II alone are required for Foundational-Level Mathematics.

California publishes item counts at the content-domain level, which is why the split above is stated: Number and Quantity has 10 multiple-choice questions and 1 constructed response, Algebra has 25 multiple-choice questions and 2 constructed responses. The vendor publishes no percentage and no item count for any individual competency, so any competency-level breakdown you find in a commercial guide is that publisher’s estimate. Plan on all six competencies appearing.

The six competencies, in plain language

California organizes Subtest I into two content domains and six competencies. Here is what each one asks you to do.

1.1 The real and complex number systems (Number and Quantity)

The number system you teach from, plus the complex plane.

  • Properties of the real number system and of its subsets
  • Operations on real numbers and equivalent forms across representations
  • Real-world and mathematical problems set up with numerical and algebraic expressions and equations
  • Proportional relationships used to model and solve problems
  • Units and dimensional analysis as a guide through a multi-step quantity problem
  • Operations on complex numbers, and complex numbers and their operations drawn on the complex plane

1.2 Number theory (Number and Quantity)

The classical results about the integers, with proof.

  • Prove and use basic properties of the natural numbers, such as properties of divisibility
  • Use mathematical induction to prove results in number theory
  • Apply the Euclidean Algorithm
  • Apply the Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic, including greatest common factor and least common multiple, and prove a number such as the square root of 2 irrational

2.1 Algebraic structures (Algebra)

Why the algebra works, stated in the language of fields and order.

  • Know that the real numbers and the complex numbers each form a field
  • Use basic properties of real and complex numbers to build a mathematical argument
  • Know how the rational and real systems are ordered, and why the complex numbers cannot be
  • Recognize and translate between equivalent forms of algebraic expressions and equations
  • Justify each step in manipulating an expression or solving an equation or inequality
  • Represent a situation and solve it with algebraic equations and inequalities

2.2 Polynomial equations and inequalities (Algebra)

Roots, real and complex, and the theorems that locate them.

  • Analyze and solve polynomial equations using the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra, the Rational Root Theorem, the Conjugate Root Theorem, and the Binomial Theorem
  • Prove and use the Factor Theorem and the quadratic formula, over the reals and over the complex numbers
  • Solve polynomial inequalities

2.3 Functions (Algebra)

Every function family a high school course touches, read from more than one representation.

  • General properties of functions: domain, range, inverses, and composition
  • Properties of linear functions across representations
  • Why the graph of a linear inequality is a half plane
  • Properties of polynomial, rational, radical, and absolute value functions
  • Properties of exponential and logarithmic functions
  • Model and solve problems with nonlinear functions

2.4 Linear algebra (Algebra)

Vectors, matrices, and the linear systems they describe.

  • The geometric meaning and the basic operations of vectors in two and three dimensions, including scalar multiples, dot products, and cross products
  • Prove basic properties of vectors, such as a dot product of zero for perpendicular vectors
  • Properties and operations of matrices and determinants, including solving a linear system with matrices
  • Proportional relationships, lines, linear equations, their graphs, and the connections among them
  • Model and solve problems with linear equations and with pairs of simultaneous linear equations

A study routine for a no-calculator algebra subtest

Thirty-five multiple-choice questions and three written responses in two and a half hours leaves you roughly three minutes per multiple-choice question and about fifteen minutes for each written response. Since the written work carries 30 percent of the score, budget it before you start, not after.

DiagnoseTake Practice Test 1 cold, all 35 questions, no calculator. Split the misses into Number and Quantity against Algebra, then note which ones you could set up but not finish.
Rebuild the number theoryWrite out an induction proof, a run of the Euclidean Algorithm, and the irrationality of the square root of 2 from memory. These three come back on the constructed responses more often than their share of the item count suggests.
Drill algebra by handFactor, apply the Rational Root Theorem, and finish a quadratic with complex roots on paper. Keep exact values throughout; a decimal approximation loses the credit on a written response.
Cover the function familiesRational, radical, absolute value, exponential, and logarithmic functions each get their own descriptive statement. Sketch one of each and say where the domain breaks.
Practice writing a responseTake one released-style prompt and write for fifteen minutes. Name the theorem you are using, then show the steps. Readers reward a justified argument over a correct final number with nothing behind it.
Prove itTake Practice Test 2 under the same conditions and check that your pacing held.

Complete lesson map

Fifty-six lessons across the number and algebra content of Subtest I, each opening in a new tab so you can keep this page open while you work.

The real number system and number theory

Rational numbers, proportion, and quantity

Exponents, radicals, and notation

Expressions, equations, and inequalities

Polynomials and factoring

Functions and their operations

Lines, systems, and the coordinate plane

Before test day

Two habits decide this subtest. The first is writing every step you can justify, because the constructed responses are worth 30 percent and a reader can only credit what is on the page. The second is working without a calculator until it feels normal, which means keeping radicals as radicals, reducing fractions as you go, and estimating well enough to catch a sign error. Candidates who pass Subtest I comfortably almost always report that the number theory took the most study time and gave back the most points.

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CSET Mathematics Subtest I: study questions

What can I study in this CSET Mathematics Subtest I Online Center?

This CSET Mathematics Subtest I Online Center includes practice, lessons, worksheets, flashcards and review tools. Topics on the page include 1 The real and complex number systems (Number and Quantity), 2 Number theory (Number and Quantity), 1 Algebraic structures (Algebra).

How should I use the CSET Mathematics Subtest I resources?

Choose a topic or practice activity from this Online Center. Review the linked explanation, try the practice, and use the result to decide what to study next. Check each resource’s directions for its format and access requirements.

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