MCAS Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield MCAS facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. What is the chemical symbol for water? → H₂O
2. Which sentence is written in active voice? → Carlos wrote the report.
3. Language Assessment Battery is referred to as LAB. → Yes
4. Which expression is equivalent to 4(x + 3)? → 4x + 12
5. In MCAS reading passages, what is a 'central idea'? → The most important point the author is making
6. What is a constitutional amendment? → A formal change or addition to the Constitution requiring supermajority approval
7. Which document contains the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution? → The Bill of Rights
8. In what year was the Massachusetts Constitution adopted? → 1780
9. What is the probability of rolling a 4 on a standard six-sided die? → 1/6
10. What five freedoms does the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protect? → Speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition
11. What is the supreme law of the United States? → The Constitution of the United States
12. When writing a research-based essay in MCAS, why is it important to use multiple sources? → To show that the argument is supported by a range of evidence and perspectives
13. What does the term 'manifest destiny' refer to in American history? → The idea that the U.S. was destined to expand across the entire North American continent
14. Which founding document states that governments derive 'their just powers from the consent of the governed'? → The Declaration of Independence
15. Who was the first European explorer to establish a settlement in Massachusetts? → Samuel de Champlain
16. To explain why and how → Explain
17. Which transition word signals a contrast between two ideas? → However
18. What is the difference between 'revising' and 'editing' in the writing process? → Revising improves content and organization; editing fixes grammar and mechanics
19. Which of Newton's laws states that an object at rest stays at rest unless acted upon by an external force? → Newton's First Law
20. What is the slope of a line that passes through (0, 3) and (2, 7)? → 2
21. What is the difference between a physical change and a chemical change? → Chemical changes alter the substance's identity; physical changes do not
22. What is a 'claim' in argumentative writing? → A statement that asserts a position or argument
23. What was the main purpose of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, founded in 1630? → To found a Puritan religious community
24. Which type of language should be avoided in formal academic writing? → Slang and informal expressions
25. What is the role of decomposers in an ecosystem? → They break down dead organic matter and recycle nutrients
26. What is the value of 3² + 4²? → 25
27. What is the main purpose of a thesis statement in an essay? → To state the central argument or claim
28. In your own words, describe what it means → Interpret
29. Which literary device involves giving human qualities to non-human objects or ideas? → Personification
30. Simplify the fraction 18/24. → 3/4