GACE Special Education General Curriculum/Elementary Education Practice Test

The Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators (GACE) Special Education General Curriculum/Elementary Education exam is designed to assess the knowledge and skills of individuals seeking admission to an educator preparation program, certification in Georgia, or wanting to become a qualified special education teacher in Georgia schools.

Click “Start Test” above to take a free GACE Special Education General Curriculum/Elementary Education practice test, and check out our premium-quality GACE test prep resources by clicking the links below!

Exam Outline

The GACE Special Education General Curriculum/Elementary Education exam is made of two subtests, which you can take individually in two different sessions or all at once in one session (the testing code for the combined session is 503). The the total combined time limit is 4 hours and 20 minutes, and the total number of questions is 200.

Each subtest is split into multiple subareas.

Subtest I (003)

This subtest contains 100 selected-response questions, and you will be given a time limit of 2.5 hours. The questions are grouped into the following four subareas:

I. English Language Arts (34%)

• Reading for literature
• Reading for information
• Literacy development, comprehension, and fluency
• The writing process
• Speaking, listening, and presenting
• English-language grammar and vocabulary development

II. Mathematics (27%)

• Numbers
• Operations
• Relations
• Representations
• Problem-solving
• Measurement
• Geometry
• Data representation

III. Science (22%)

• Basic science concepts
• Characteristics of science
• The nature of the scientific process
• Health and physical education
• Dance, music, visual arts, and theater arts

IV. Social Studies (17%)

• Information processing
• History
• Geography
• Government
• Civics
• Economics

Subtest II (004)

This subtest contains 100 selected-response questions, and you will be given a time limit of 2.5 hours. The questions are grouped into the following five subareas:

I. Development and Characteristics of Learners (20%)

• Human development and behavior
• The impact of disabilities on children and families

II. Planning the Learning Environment and Social Interactions (24%)

• Curriculum development
• Creating and managing a sage and supportive learning environment

III. Instruction (24%)

• Effective and appropriate instructional strategies and techniques

IV. Evaluation and Assessment (16%)

• Assessment terminology
• Types and uses of various assessments

V. Foundations and Professional Responsibilities (16%)

• Educational rights for students with disabilities
• Professional roles and responsibilities of teachers and service providers

Exam Registration

To register for the exam, you need to use your MyPSC account. If you do not have an account, create your account to receive your Georgia certification number. After you register for the Special Education General Curriculum/Elementary Education exam on MyPSC, create an ETS GACE testing account. Your ETS account lists the test(s) you are approved to take. You will register for the exam through your ETS GACE testing account.

Fees

You can register to take the tests individually ($123) or combined ($193). Your test fee includes a $25 registration fee and a $28 test center fee. Individuals taking the GACE exam at an international testing site are subject to an additional $50 test site fee.

Test Day

You should report to the testing center on exam day about 15-30 minutes before your scheduled exam. If you arrive later than the listed reporting time on your admission ticket, you will not be able to take the exam and your testing fees will be forfeited.

During the check-in process, you will be asked to provide at least one form of valid identification, which must contain your photo and signature. Once the check-in process is complete, you will be asked to place all personal items in a secure locker outside the testing room.

Once you are ready, the proctor will lead you to the testing area and provide some short instructions before starting the exam.

How the Exam is Scored

When you have completed your exam, you are given the option to report or cancel your scores. They cannot be reinstated if you choose to cancel your scores.

You should also receive an unofficial score report right after the exam. Your official report will be made available about three weeks after the testing window closes.

Passing Score

The Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC), along with local education committees, established the minimum passing scores for the GACE content assessments:

• 220-249: Induction level
• 250: Professional level

If you take the combined test and one of your scores is at the induction level and the other is at the professional level, you will be considered as having only passed at the induction level.

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