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Exam Overview
The Pennsylvania Grades 4–8 Subject Concentration: English Language Arts (5156) is developed and administered by ETS for the Pennsylvania Department of Education. It is aligned to the Pennsylvania Academic Standards for Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening for grades 4–8 and to the state's framework for grades 4–8 teacher preparation.
Test at a Glance
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Number of questions | 90 |
| Testing time | 1 hour 30 minutes |
| Question type | Selected-response (choose one answer) |
| Delivery | Computer-delivered at a test center or at home with online proctoring |
| Test fee | $75 |
| Score scale | 100–200 |
Content Categories
| Category | Approx. questions | Approx. share |
|---|---|---|
| I. Reading | 36 | 40% |
| II. Writing | 36 | 40% |
| III. Media Literacy and Literacy Development | 18 | 20% |
| Official area | Guide section |
|---|---|
| Reading I.A.1 | Section 1: Interpreting Informational Text |
| Reading I.A.2 | Section 2: Critical Reasoning and Argument |
| Reading I.B.1 | Section 3: Interpreting Literature |
| Reading I.B.2–3 | Section 4: Genres, Figurative Language, and Literary Devices |
| Writing II.A | Section 5: Types of Writing, Purpose, and Audience |
| Writing II.B.1–2 | Section 6: Organization, Content, and Focus |
| Writing II.B.3 | Section 7: Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics |
| Media Literacy III.A | Section 8: Research and Media Literacy |
| Literacy Development III.B.1 | Section 9: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use |
| Literacy Development III.B.2–3 | Section 10: Literacy Foundations and the Writing Process |
What the Questions Look Like
Some questions on the test may not count toward your score; ETS uses them to try out new questions. They are not marked, so give every question your best effort.
Timing and Pacing
You have 90 minutes for 90 questions, an average of one minute per question. Passage sets take longer because you must read first, so move briskly through stand-alone grammar and vocabulary questions to bank time for the passages.
Scoring
- Scores are reported on a 100–200 scale.
- Your score is based on the number of questions answered correctly. There is no penalty for a wrong answer, so answer every question.
- Pennsylvania sets the qualifying score. Check the current Pennsylvania requirement on the ETS score-requirements page before you test.
Registration and Retakes
- Register through your ETS account and choose a test center appointment or an at-home appointment.
- If you do not pass, you can retest after 28 days.
- Bring (or have ready for at-home testing) acceptable identification that exactly matches the name on your registration.
About the Practice Tests in This Guide
Each practice test has 100 questions in the real test's proportions: 40 Reading, 40 Writing, and 20 Media Literacy and Literacy Development. That is 10 more than the real test, so allow about 100 minutes per test to keep the real pace of about one minute per question.
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