MDE Study Guide 2026
Everything you need to pass the MDE exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.
📋 MDE Exam Format at a Glance
📚 MDE Topics to Study (63)
✍️ Sample MDE Questions & Answers
1. A Minnesota school district wishes to hire a candidate who has a bachelor's degree but no teacher preparation program completion. Under which Tier would this candidate receive a license?
Tier 1 is the lowest-level Minnesota teaching license, available to individuals who have a degree but have not completed a state-approved teacher preparation program.
2. For the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment, which grade band first introduces algebraic thinking as a major domain in mathematics?
Algebraic reasoning becomes a dominant domain in the MCA Mathematics framework beginning in grades 6–8, building toward high school algebra standards.
3. Which MDE assessment is specifically designed to assess career-technical readiness in addition to college readiness?
ACT WorkKeys focuses on applied workplace skills, making it the primary career-technical readiness assessment in Minnesota's system.
4. How does Minnesota's accountability system address schools serving English Learners (ELs) who are progressing through language acquisition?
Minnesota includes English Learner proficiency progress as a distinct indicator within its accountability framework to recognize language development growth.
5. What is the primary purpose of disaggregating student achievement data by subgroup in Minnesota?
Disaggregating data by subgroup (e.g., race, income, disability status) reveals performance disparities so educators can target supports to close achievement gaps.
6. Minnesota's alternate assessment (MTAS) is designed for students who:
MTAS (Minnesota Test of Academic Skills) is designed for students with significant cognitive disabilities who require an alternate assessment aligned to modified standards.