English language arts is divided into two sub-sections on the MCAS: composition and reading comprehension. Composition tests a student's ability to form and compose a well-framed response to a writing prompt and then to revise and edit his response. Reading comprehension tests a student's ability to understand and analyze a reading passage. Both writing prompts will require the student to include his own ideas while using evidence from the passage to support his thoughts. English open response questions are graded on a scale of zero to 4--zero being an incomplete or off-topic response, and 4 being a clear and complete response including evidence taken from the text and the student's own ideas about the question.
Mathematics is divided into several sub-sections: number and sense operations; patterns, relations and algebra; geometry; measurement; and data analysis, statistics and probability. Not all of these sub-sections are used to test every grade level. Mathematical open response questions may involve solving an equation step by step while explaining the methodologies used. They also may involve solving a word problem, analyzing and interpreting statistics, measuring objects for mass, size or volume or finding the unknown value in an algebraic equation. All questions require a student to explain the solution to the problem in a step by step process. Mathematical open response questions are graded on a scale of zero to 4--zero being an incomplete response or a response that fails to demonstrate the student's understanding of the methodology in question. A score of 4 requires the student to show her work and clearly demonstrate a solid understanding of the methodology.
The science and technology section of the MCAS has several sub-sections: Earth and space science, biology, physical science and technology/engineering. As with math, not every sub-section is tested at every grade level. Open response questions in this section of the test involve drawing and labeling diagrams of cells or elements, showing the steps of a system, such as the food chain of an ecosystem, or describing a rule of physics and demonstrating how it works using a diagram given in the test booklet or drawing one in the answer booklet. Science questions are graded on a scale of zero to 4--zero being an incomplete or off-topic response and 4 being a response that shows thorough understanding of the subject matter through explanation or demonstration.