CSET Social Science (114/115/116) Practice Test

Becoming a teacher in California requires you to pass the California Subject Examinations for Teachers (CSET). To obtain a social science teaching credential, you must take three CSET Social Science subtests (114, 115, and 116).

Click “Start Test” above to take a free CSET Social Science practice test, and check out our premium-quality CSET test prep resources by clicking the links below!

CSET Social Science Exam Outline

Each of the three CSET Social Science subtests contains a mix of multiple-choice questions and constructed-response questions, and the time limit varies for each subtest.

Subtest I (114)

The first subtest contains 39 multiple-choice questions and 3 constructed-response questions, and you will be given a time limit of 2 hours and 15 minutes.

The questions are grouped into two domains:

1. World History

• Ancient civilizations
• Medieval and early modern times
• Modern world history

2. Principles of World Geography

• Tools and perspectives of geographic study
• Geographic diversity of natural landscapes and human societies
• Culture and the physical environment

Subtest II (115)

The second subtest contains 39 multiple-choice questions and 3 constructed-response questions, and you will be given a time limit of 2 hours and 15 minutes.

The questions are grouped into two domains:

1. US History

• Pre-revolutionary era and the War for Independence
• The development of the Constitution and the early republic
• The emergence of a new nation
• Civil War and Reconstruction
• The Gilded Age
• The US as a world power
• The 1920s
• The Great Depression and the New Deal
• World War II
• Post-WWII America
• Post-WWII US foreign policy
• Civil rights movement

2. Principles of US Geography

• Tools and perspectives of geographic study
• Geographic diversity of natural landscapes and human societies
• Culture and the physical environment

Subtest III (116)

The third subtest contains 40 multiple-choice questions and 3 constructed-response questions, and you will be given a time limit of 1 hour and 45 minutes.

The questions are grouped into three domains:

1. Principles of American Democracy

• Principles of American democracy
• Fundamental values and principles of civil society
• The three branches of government
• Landmark US Supreme Court cases
• Issues regarding campaigns for national, state, and local effective offices
• Powers and procedures of the national, state, local, and tribal governments
• The media in American political life
• Political systems
• Tensions within the constitutional democracy of the US

2. Principles of Economics

• Economic terms and concepts and economic reasoning
• Elements of the US market economy in a global setting
• The relationship between politics and economics
• Elements of the US labor market in a global setting
• Aggregate economic behavior of the US economy
• International trade and the US economy

3. California History

• Pre-Columbian period through the end of Mexican rule
• From the Gold Rush to the present

CSET Social Science Exam Registration

To register for the exam, you must create an online NES account via their website. Once your account has been created, you can use it to register for the exam and schedule an exam date. When you register, you will need to pay the $99 examination fee per subtest ($297 for all three subtests taken together).

CSET Social Science Online Prep Course

If you want to be fully prepared, Mometrix offers an online CSET Social Science prep course designed to give you everything you need to succeed!

Here’s what you’ll find in the CSET Social Science course:

Everyone learns differently, so we’ve tailored the CSET Social Science online prep course to ensure every learner has what they need to prepare for the CSET Social Science exam.

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Test Day

On testing day, you should arrive at the testing center 30 minutes early to allow time for the check-in process. Upon arrival, you will be asked to sign in and provide at least one form of valid photo ID.

After the check-in process is complete, you will be asked to leave all personal items (cell phone, watch, wallet, keys, etc.) in a locker outside the testing area.

Once you enter the testing room, you will be given a brief tutorial on the testing system before the exam begins.

How the CSET Social Science Exam is Scored

Your CSET Social Science test results are reported as scaled scores based on your total raw score points from both the multiple-choice section and the constructed-response section. Your raw scores are converted to a scale of 100 to 300, with the scaled score of 220 being the minimum passing score on each subtest. All three subtests must be passed in order to pass the full exam.

Generally, it takes around two to three weeks after the last day of the examination period before you receive your test results.

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