- 117 Professional Knowledge and Skills had the highest 2024-25 pass rate: 95.8% initial, 97.1% cumulative.
- 118 Literacy was the lowest-passing subtest at 78.3% initial, 87.6% cumulative - prioritize it in your prep.
- 119 Mathematics (81.9%/89.6%) and 120 Science and Social Studies (92.2%/95.6%) round out the four subtests.
- Retakes require waiting for your official score report plus 30 days between attempts of the same subtest.
2024-25 Pass Rate Snapshot for 117-120
If you're preparing for the Lower Elementary (PK-3) Education subtests (117-120), the most useful planning tool isn't a rumor about difficulty - it's the actual 2024-25 pass rate data released for each subtest. These numbers tell you exactly where candidates struggle and where they generally sail through, which should directly shape how you allocate study time across the four separately registered, separately scored exams.
| Subtest | Content Focus | Initial Pass Rate | Cumulative Pass Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 117 Professional Knowledge and Skills | Learner-centered supports, professional practice | 95.8% | 97.1% |
| 118 Literacy | Literacy context, skills, and processes | 78.3% | 87.6% |
| 119 Mathematics | Math teaching practices and content knowledge | 81.9% | 89.6% |
| 120 Science and Social Studies | 3-D science learning, social studies instruction | 92.2% | 95.6% |
At a glance, 117 and 120 pass at very high rates on the first try, while 118 and 119 are noticeably harder. That gap isn't random - it reflects the density and specificity of the content each subtest covers. For a full breakdown of every tested topic, see the MTTC Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 11 Content Areas.
Why Literacy (118) Is the Bottleneck
Literacy is the lowest-passing subtest in the 117-120 set, and it's also the one most worth targeting for extra practice questions. The 118 exam is built from three domains: Literacy in Context (30%), Literacy Skills-Instruction and Practices (30%), and Literacy Processes-Instruction and Practices (40%). Because Literacy Processes carries the heaviest weight, it's the single highest-leverage domain in the entire 117-120 set for candidates trying to close the gap between initial and cumulative pass rates.
Unlike 117's more conceptual professional-practice questions, Literacy items tend to require you to apply specific instructional sequences - phonemic awareness progressions, decoding strategies, comprehension scaffolds - to classroom scenarios. That specificity is exactly why generic "read the textbook" prep underperforms here. If you haven't yet mapped out exactly what each domain tests, the MTTC Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt walks through domain-by-domain preparation strategies built around this same pass rate data.
Subtest 2 Literacy: Literacy Processes-Instruction and Practices (40%)
This is the largest single domain on the lowest-passing subtest, making it the top priority for anyone trying to beat the 78.3% initial pass rate.
- Instructional practices for teaching reading processes across the PK-3 range
- Application of literacy strategies to varied learner scenarios, not just definitions
- Integration with Literacy Skills content, since the two domains overlap in classroom practice
Initial vs. Cumulative: What the Two Numbers Mean
Every subtest in this dataset has two figures: an initial pass rate (candidates who passed on their first attempt) and a cumulative pass rate (candidates who eventually passed, including retakes). The gap between the two tells you how forgiving - or unforgiving - a first attempt really is.
- 117: 95.8% → 97.1% - a small 1.3-point gap; most candidates pass the first time.
- 118: 78.3% → 87.6% - a 9.3-point gap, the largest in the set, meaning many candidates need at least one retake.
- 119: 81.9% → 89.6% - a 7.7-point gap, second-largest.
- 120: 92.2% → 95.6% - a 3.4-point gap.
The size of that gap matters practically. If you fail 118 or 119, you're not disqualified - unlimited retakes are allowed for a subtest not yet passed - but you do have to wait for your official score report and then a full 30 days before attempting that same subtest again. That waiting period turns a failed Literacy attempt into weeks of delay, which is a strong argument for front-loading Literacy prep rather than treating it as a "we'll see how it goes" subtest.
Key Takeaway
Because 118 and 119 have the widest initial-to-cumulative gaps, treat them as your two "must over-prepare" subtests, and schedule them with more lead time than 117 or 120.
Where Points Are Lost, Subtest by Subtest
Pass rates are subtest-level averages, but the exams themselves are built from weighted domains. Understanding the weighting helps explain why certain subtests underperform.
117 Professional Knowledge and Skills (95.8% / 97.1%)
Split between Learner-Centered Supports (60%) and Professional Knowledge and Strategic Partnerships (40%), this subtest's high pass rate suggests most candidates enter with solid grounding in general pedagogy and professional practice from their preparation programs. It's still worth reviewing - see the MTTC Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 11 Content Areas for the full domain breakdown - but it typically requires less remediation time than 118 or 119.
119 Mathematics (81.9% / 89.6%)
Mathematics splits into Mathematics-Specific Teaching Practices (20%) and two content-heavy domains: Attribution and Counting and Whole Number Representation (40%) and Early Fraction Representation and Whole Number Operation (40%). Together those two content domains make up 80% of the subtest, and calculators are prohibited - so fluency with whole number and early fraction concepts has to be automatic, not worked out slowly on scratch paper.
120 Science and Social Studies (92.2% / 95.6%)
With 60 questions across 1 hour 30 minutes, this is the longest subtest by item count, split among Science-3-Dimensional Learning (25%), Science-Children's Sense-making and Pedagogy (25%), and Social Studies-Instruction and Practices (50%). The strong pass rate here suggests the breadth is manageable once candidates understand that Social Studies alone carries half the weight.
How Fees, Retakes, and Scheduling Shape the Data
The structure of the 117-120 set itself influences pass rate patterns. Each subtest is registered and scored independently: 117, 118, and 119 each cost $59, and 120 costs $69, for $246 if you take all four. Because each subtest is a separate transaction and a separate appointment - plus a 15-minute tutorial and nondisclosure segment each time - candidates often space subtests out rather than attempting all 210 questions across 5 hours 30 minutes of testing in one push.
That spacing matters for pass rates. A candidate who takes 117 and 120 first (their strongest areas, based on aggregate pass rate trends) builds momentum and score-report experience before tackling 118 and 119. If a subtest isn't passed, the mandatory 30-day wait after receiving the official score report - scores are released within six weeks - forces a real study gap, which is exactly why cramming for Literacy or Mathematics right before your first attempt is riskier than it looks on paper.
It's also worth remembering that a passing result on any of 117-120 stays valid for five years if your certificate or endorsement hasn't yet been issued, so there's no rush to retake a subtest you've already cleared. For the full cost picture across all four subtests, see MTTC Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown, and for exactly what score you need on each, check MTTC Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
Key Takeaway
Each subtest uses a 100-300 scale with 220 required to pass, and numeric scores only appear on nonpassing reports - so a "pass" result won't tell you how close you were, which is another reason to over-prepare for 118 and 119 rather than aim for a bare minimum.
Turning the Data Into a Study Plan
Pass rate data is only useful if it changes how you study. Given that 118 Literacy and 119 Mathematics show the widest initial-to-retake gaps, a data-informed schedule front-loads those two subtests rather than saving them for last out of avoidance.
Literacy Processes and Literacy Skills
- Work through Literacy Processes-Instruction and Practices (40% of 118) first, since it's the single heaviest domain on the lowest-passing subtest
- Layer in Literacy Skills-Instruction and Practices (30%) alongside it, since the two domains overlap heavily in practice questions
Mathematics content domains
- Drill Attribution and Counting/Whole Number Representation and Early Fraction Representation/Whole Number Operation without a calculator, since none is allowed on 119
- Save Mathematics-Specific Teaching Practices (20%) for a lighter final review pass
Science and Social Studies
- Weight your review toward Social Studies-Instruction and Practices, since it's 50% of 120 on its own
- Review both science domains together, since they split the remaining 50% evenly
Professional Knowledge and final review
- Finish with 117's two domains, given its consistently strong pass rate
- Take full-length timed practice sets on the MTTC practice test platform to simulate the 50-60 question, 75-90 minute format of each subtest
This sequencing isn't a generic study template - it's built directly from the pass rate gaps in the 2024-25 data. If you want a broader honesty check on how the exam compares in difficulty across all four subtests before you commit to a timeline, read How Hard Is the MTTC Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026. And if you're still confirming which subtests you actually need - remember the ZO endorsement requires 118, 119, and 120 plus either 117 or 121 - double-check your path against MTTC Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify before you register.
Frequently Asked Questions
118 Literacy had the lowest 2024-25 pass rates at 78.3% initial and 87.6% cumulative, making it the most important subtest to prioritize during preparation.
No. Each subtest (117, 118, 119, 120) is registered and scored separately, so you can schedule them individually or together across separate Pearson VUE appointments.
You must wait to receive your official score report, which is released within six weeks, and then wait a minimum of 30 days before attempting that same subtest again. Retakes are otherwise unlimited.
Each subtest uses a 100-300 scaled score, and 220 is the passing score on every one of 117, 118, 119, and 120.
A passing result on any of the 117-120 subtests remains valid for five years, provided the related certificate or endorsement hasn't yet been issued.
The pass rate data makes one thing clear: 117 and 120 are consistently strong performers, while 118 and 119 demand more deliberate, domain-weighted preparation. Use that pattern to guide your study order, lean on full-length MTTC practice tests to rehearse the exact question counts and time limits of each subtest, and revisit the MTTC Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts in your final week before test day.