NYSTCE exam prep
NYSTCE Educating All Students Study Hub
Everything for NYSTCE Educating All Students (201): 40 selected-response questions and 3 constructed-response assignments in 2 hours 15 minutes. Two full practice forms with worked explanations, a 102-card deck, and the five competencies laid out with New York’s own published weightings.
2 free pop-up tests · 102 flashcards · 5 weighted competencies
2 pop-up practice tests35 connected lessons1 complete flashcard deck
Start here
NYSTCE Educating All Students Practice Center
Take a full form, then read the explanation under every question you missed. Most misses on this test are not knowledge gaps. They are a candidate picking the caring answer over the professional one, and the explanations are written to make that difference visible.
Opens on this page
NYSTCE Educating All Students at a glance
Every candidate for a New York classroom teaching certificate takes this test. It is not a content test. It asks whether you can teach the students who are actually in a New York classroom: multilingual learners, students with disabilities, students from families very different from your own. Three competencies carry almost all of the weight, and all three are about a student the system has historically underserved.
| Test code | 201 (Educating All Students, EAS) |
|---|---|
| Number of questions | 40 selected-response questions and 3 constructed-response assignments |
| Note on the count | New York’s test page states 40 selected-response items while its framework table totals 42. Either way, plan for about 40 scored items and a few unscored ones. |
| Answer options | Four per selected-response question |
| Time limit | 2 hours 15 minutes of testing time, in an appointment of 2 hours 30 minutes |
| Format | Computer-based, offered year-round |
| Scoring | Selected response is 70 percent of the score and the three constructed responses are 30 percent. |
| Passing score | 520 on a scale of 400 to 600. A safety-net requirement of 500 applies to some candidates. |
| Results | Reported as Pass or Did Not Pass with a scaled score, plus a four-level performance indicator for each competency. |
New York publishes the weighting for every competency, which is unusual and worth using. Diverse Student Populations, English Language Learners, and Students with Disabilities each carry 18 percent of the selected-response score and one constructed-response assignment worth 10 percent. Teacher Responsibilities and School-Home Relationships carry 8 percent each and no constructed response. That means roughly five questions out of forty come from the last two competencies combined.
The five competencies, in plain language
New York states each competency and then lists what it expects you to be able to do. Here is what each one asks of you.
Competency 0001: Diverse student populations
Teaching students whose backgrounds, cultures, and life circumstances differ from each other and from yours.
- Recognize how culture shapes what happens in a classroom
- Use what students bring rather than treating it as a deficit
- Notice bias, stereotype threat, and low expectations in your own practice
- Adjust instruction for students in poverty, in transition, or in temporary housing
- Build a classroom community where every student is a full member
Competency 0002: English language learners and multilingual learners
Teaching students who are learning English while learning everything else in it.
- Understand the stages of second language acquisition
- Distinguish conversational fluency from academic language
- Use the student’s first language as an asset, not an obstacle
- Make grade-level content comprehensible without lowering it
- Know New York’s identification and annual assessment process
Competency 0003: Students with disabilities and other special learning needs
Teaching students with IEPs and 504 plans, and students who need something before either exists.
- Understand the IEP and 504 processes and your role in them
- Apply least restrictive environment in real scheduling decisions
- Tell an accommodation from a modification and use each correctly
- Use MTSS or RTI without letting it delay an evaluation a parent requested
- Serve students who are gifted, and students who are twice exceptional
Competency 0004: Teacher responsibilities
The professional and legal obligations that come with the job.
- Meet your obligations as a mandated reporter
- Protect student records and student privacy
- Maintain professional boundaries with students and families
- Respond to harassment and bullying under the Dignity for All Students Act
- Work productively with colleagues, specialists, and paraprofessionals
Competency 0005: School-home relationships
Building a working partnership with the adults who raise your students.
- Communicate in a way families can actually use
- Use interpreters and translated materials properly
- Treat families as partners rather than as an audience
- Involve families in decisions about their own child
- Connect families to school and community resources
A study routine that fits a 135-minute test
This test rewards two weeks of the right practice far more than two months of reading. The content is not hard. The judgment is.
DiagnoseTake Practice Test 1 cold. Note not just what you missed but which wrong answer attracted you, because that pattern repeats.
Learn the vocabularyRun the deck. The terms are how the test signals which answer is professional, and a stem you cannot decode is a question you cannot answer.
Practice the three constructed responsesEach of the first three competencies gets one. Write a short response for each: name what the student needs, name the action you would take, and give one reason grounded in the student’s situation.
Prove itTake Practice Test 2 under time. On every miss, write one sentence naming the step the correct answer took first.
Complete competency map
Every performance expectation New York publishes for this test, grouped by competency and weighted the way the state weights it. There are no linked lessons here yet; these are the points to be able to speak to.
Competency 0001: Diverse student populations (18% selected response, 10% constructed response)
- 01Demonstrates an understanding of appropriate strategies to develop knowledge of students (e.g., learning about students’ family situations, cultural backgrounds, individual needs, gifts and talents, and personal interests) and to promote a sense of community among diverse individuals and groups in the classroom
- 02Demonstrates knowledge of strategies for engaging in self-reflection to deepen one’s interactions with all students and strengthen classroom practices
- 03Applies knowledge of research- or evidence-based strategies, including utilizing universal design principles, for teaching and working effectively and inclusively with all students
- 04Applies knowledge of research- or evidence-based strategies for teaching and working effectively and inclusively with students from various social and economic circumstances
- 05Applies knowledge of the significance of giftedness for teaching and learning and research- or evidence-based strategies for selecting, modifying, and implementing curriculum
- 06Demonstrates knowledge of strategies for using and adapting fair, equitable, and appropriate classroom assessment practices to inform instruction
- 07Applies knowledge of strategies for promoting students’ understanding and appreciation of diversity (e.g., infusing diverse perspectives throughout the curriculum)
- 08Demonstrates an understanding of how culturally responsive classroom environments in which diversity is valued and respected promote student achievement
- 09Demonstrates an understanding of strategies for working collaboratively within the school environment and for identifying and incorporating additional school-based and community-based resources
- 10Applies knowledge of varied strategies and modifications for creating a safe, supportive, and positive classroom environment for all students, including students with special learning needs
Competency 0002: English language learners and multilingual learners (18% + 10%)
- 11Identifies stages and patterns of first- and second-language acquisition and analyzes factors that affect students’ English language acquisition and development
- 12Demonstrates an understanding of the types and benefits of bilingualism and bilingual programs and the importance of viewing use of the primary language as a right and as an asset
- 13Applies knowledge of the legal rights of English Language Learners and ethical considerations related to the education of English Language Learners
- 14Demonstrates knowledge of effective approaches for promoting English Language Learners’ development of oral and written language proficiency in English
- 15Demonstrates an understanding of similarities and differences between English literacy development for native English speakers and for English Language Learners
- 16Applies knowledge of research-based instructional strategies (e.g., providing scaffolding, using authentic tasks) for promoting literacy for English Language Learners
- 17Applies knowledge of strategies for supporting English Language Learners’ development of content-area literacy skills and for teaching English Language Learners how to use literacy skills as tools
- 18Applies knowledge of criteria and procedures for evaluating, selecting, creating, and adjusting instructional materials and strategies and assessment systems and practices
- 19Identifies effective strategies for consulting and collaborating with students’ families and support networks and with educators in the English as a Second Language (ESL) and/or bilingual education programs
Competency 0003: Students with disabilities and other special learning needs (18% + 10%)
- 20Demonstrates an understanding of types of disabilities and other special learning needs and the implications for teaching and learning associated with these differences
- 21Applies knowledge of how to select, modify, and implement curricula, assessments, materials, technology, and equipment to meet the individualized needs of students with disabilities and other special learning needs
- 22Demonstrates an understanding of the importance of and strategies for consulting and collaborating with specialists who can assist in the identification of appropriate resources, technology (including assistive technology), and instruction to meet the individualized needs of students with disabilities and other special learning needs
- 23Applies knowledge of federal and state laws, policies, and regulations (e.g., Individuals with Disabilities Education Act [IDEA], Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973) and ethical considerations (e.g., confidentiality rights and responsibilities of stakeholders) related to the education of students with disabilities
- 24Identifies teacher responsibilities and requirements in working with students with disabilities and other special learning needs, including providing increasingly intensive supports and interventions through response to intervention (RtI) and positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS), ensuring appropriate referrals for special education, requesting referrals of students suspected of having disabilities, participating on the Committee on Special Education, and developing and implementing Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)
- 25Applies knowledge of strategies for effectively integrating recommendations from IEPs into instructional activities and daily routines
- 26Demonstrates knowledge of basic service delivery models for students with disabilities and other special learning needs and of strategies and resources (e.g., special education staff, specialized support staff) for supporting instruction in integrated settings
Competency 0004: Teacher responsibilities (8%)
- 27Applies knowledge of laws, policies, and regulations related to students’ rights in various situations (e.g., in relation to testing accommodations and right to services, due process, discrimination, bullying, harassment, confidentiality, discipline, privacy)
- 28Applies knowledge of a teacher’s responsibilities in various situations (e.g., advocating to meet student needs, reporting potential abuse, addressing safety issues)
- 29Applies knowledge of the rights and responsibilities of parents/guardians in various education-related situations (e.g., in relation to student records, school attendance, input into educational decisions)
- 30Analyzes the appropriateness of a teacher’s response to a parent/guardian, a community member, another educator, or a student in various situations
Competency 0005: School-home relationships (8%)
- 31Identifies strategies for initiating and maintaining effective communication between the teacher and parents/guardians to promote student development and achievement
- 32Identifies factors that may facilitate or impede communication or collaboration with parents/guardians (e.g., accessibility, responsiveness, cross-cultural understanding) in given situations (including parent-teacher conferences)
- 33Identifies strategies for accommodating the communication needs of parents/guardians (e.g., the use of interpreters and translated documents) and for inviting parents/guardians to share information to build student learning
- 34Identifies strategies for so that parents/guardians of all students are encouraged to participate as active members in school-based decision making
- 35Identifies strategies for encouraging parents/guardians to participate in and contribute to their children’s education and for collaborating with parents/guardians to reinforce in-school learning outside the school environment
Before test day
Two habits carry this test. First, the answer that gathers information usually beats the answer that acts, because the test is written by people who have watched teachers act on an assumption. Second, the answer that keeps the student with their class usually beats the answer that pulls them out. When two choices both look reasonable, pick the one that treats the student and the family as capable.