Requirements/Massachusetts

Special Education Teacher in Massachusetts.

There is no Moderate Disabilities test. You take the general curriculum route.

Exams
3
Passing
240
Certificate
Teacher of Students with Moderate Disabilities (PreK-8)

The exams you have to pass

In the order most candidates take them.

01

MTEL Communication and Literacy Skills (Reading and Writing)101/201

Two subtests, each passed separately. Required for every Massachusetts license.

Pass240
See what is scored →
02

MTEL General Curriculum (Multi-Subject and Mathematics)178/278

Two subtests, each passed separately.

Pass240
See what is scored →
03

MTEL Foundations of Reading190

Required for Early Childhood, Elementary and Moderate Disabilities licenses.

Pass240
See what is scored →

What people get wrong

Each of these costs a candidate either money or a test date.

  • There is no dedicated Moderate Disabilities MTEL. Massachusetts meets the subject matter requirement through the general curriculum route instead, which is why searching for a Moderate Disabilities test finds nothing.
  • The subject matter test changes with the grade band. PreK-2 takes Early Childhood (72), PreK-8 takes General Curriculum (178/278), and 5-12 takes either the General Curriculum route or a subject test at 5-8 or 8-12. Confirm your band before you register.
  • Foundations of Reading is required at every band. At PreK-2 the Reading test (62) also satisfies it.
  • The Competency Review is a separate requirement from the tests and is easy to miss.

Required, but not an exam

  • A bachelor’s degree
  • An approved educator preparation program or an alternative route
  • Application through the Massachusetts DESE Office of Educator Licensure
  • A Competency Review, required at every level of this license

Now go pass them.

Knowing the list is the easy part. Built To Pass teaches the strategy layer that works on any of these, aimed at the domains where you are actually losing points.

Start with your exam

Verified 2026-08-04 against Massachusetts DESE, MTEL subject matter test requirements. Certification rules change by state board vote. Confirm with the state before you register for a test.