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100+ Free GACE Special Education General Curriculum/Elementary Education (703) Practice Questions

Pass your GACE Special Education General Curriculum—Elementary Education (P-5) (703) exam on the first try — instant access, no signup required.

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An IEP team must decide the setting in which a student receives services. Which IDEA principle requires that the student be educated with nondisabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate?

A
B
C
D
to track
2026 Statistics

Key Facts: GACE Special Education General Curriculum/Elementary Education (703) Exam

220

Passing Scaled Score

GACE program scoring (100-300 scale)

$169

Combined Test Fee (2026)

GACE 703 registration (Pearson)

130 SR

Selected-Response Questions

GACE 703 test structure

5 testlets

Test Structure

GACE 703 test structure

3.5 hours

Total Testing Time

GACE 703 test structure

30 items

Largest Testlet (Assessment)

GACE 703 testlet breakdown

5 content areas

Content Domains

GACE 703 study companion

GACE 703 is Georgia's combined special education and elementary content certification test, delivered by Pearson as a computer-based assessment with 130 selected-response questions across five testlets and a passing scaled score of 220. The five content areas are Assessment and the Learning Environment (the largest, with 30 questions), Specialized Instruction for the General Curriculum, Language Arts and Social Studies, Mathematics and Science, and Foundations and Professional Knowledge in Special Education (20 questions each among the scored items). The current combined fee is $169 and the total testing time is about 3.5 hours; the testlets may be taken in one session or scheduled separately. This free 100-question bank mirrors the testlet weighting so candidates practice across every content area.

Sample GACE Special Education General Curriculum/Elementary Education (703) Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your GACE Special Education General Curriculum/Elementary Education (703) exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1A special education teacher wants to determine where a student with a learning disability currently performs in reading so that appropriate IEP goals can be written. Which type of assessment is most directly suited to establishing this present level of performance?
A.A criterion-referenced curriculum-based measurement
B.A national norm-referenced aptitude test administered once a year
C.A schoolwide climate survey completed by all staff
D.A summative state accountability test reported only at the school level
Explanation: Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) is a criterion-referenced tool that samples the actual skills in the curriculum, so it pinpoints exactly where a student is performing and provides a baseline for writing measurable IEP goals. Because it is sensitive and repeatable, it directly informs present levels of academic achievement and functional performance.
2A teacher graphs a student's weekly oral reading fluency scores against a goal line over eight weeks. The data points fall consistently below the aim line. According to data-based decision making, what is the most appropriate next step?
A.Continue the current intervention without changes because eight weeks is too short
B.Modify the intervention because the student is not on track to meet the goal
C.Raise the goal so the data points will fall closer to the new line
D.Discontinue progress monitoring since the trend is already clear
Explanation: In data-based decision making, when data points fall consistently below the aim line, the trend indicates the student will not reach the goal, signaling that the instruction or intervention should be changed. The decision rule is to adjust the intervention, not the goal or the monitoring schedule.
3Which assessment practice best reflects a formative assessment used to guide daily instruction?
A.An end-of-year state accountability test
B.A daily exit ticket checking the lesson objective
C.A norm-referenced IQ test for eligibility
D.A standardized achievement battery given in the spring
Explanation: Formative assessment is ongoing and used to adjust instruction in real time. A daily exit ticket gives immediate feedback on whether students met the lesson objective so the teacher can reteach or move on, which is the defining purpose of formative assessment.
4Under IDEA, what must occur before a student is given a nondiscriminatory assessment for special education eligibility?
A.The student must already be placed in a special education classroom
B.Informed written parental consent must be obtained for the evaluation
C.The student must fail the state accountability test twice
D.The teacher must change the student's grade placement
Explanation: IDEA requires that schools obtain informed written parental consent before conducting an initial evaluation for special education eligibility. This procedural safeguard ensures parents understand and agree to the assessment process before any evaluation begins.
5A teacher allows a student with a writing disability to dictate answers to a scribe during a science test while all test content remains the same. This is best described as which type of testing change?
A.A modification that changes what is measured
B.An accommodation that changes how the student accesses the test
C.An alternate assessment based on different standards
D.An exemption from the assessment requirement
Explanation: An accommodation changes how a student accesses or responds to a task without altering the construct or content being measured. Dictating answers to a scribe lets the student demonstrate science knowledge despite a writing disability, leaving what is being measured unchanged.
6A multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) is being used to provide increasingly intensive instruction. At which tier would a student typically receive the most individualized, intensive intervention?
A.Tier 1
B.Tier 2
C.Tier 3
D.Tier 0
Explanation: In a three-tier MTSS framework, Tier 3 provides the most intensive, individualized intervention for students who have not responded adequately to Tier 1 core instruction and Tier 2 targeted small-group support. Intensity, frequency, and individualization increase as students move up the tiers.
7A team conducts a functional behavior assessment (FBA) for a student who frequently leaves his seat during independent work. The data show the behavior occurs mainly when tasks are difficult and stops when the student is sent to the hallway. What is the most likely function of the behavior?
A.Access to attention from peers
B.Access to a preferred tangible item
C.Escape or avoidance of a difficult task
D.Sensory stimulation unrelated to the task
Explanation: An FBA identifies the function of behavior by analyzing antecedents and consequences. Because the behavior occurs when tasks are difficult and is reinforced by removal from the task (being sent to the hallway), the function is escape or avoidance of a difficult task.
8Which arrangement of the physical classroom environment best supports a young student who is easily distracted during independent seatwork?
A.Seating the student near a high-traffic doorway
B.Providing a quiet, low-distraction work area away from windows and traffic
C.Removing all visual supports and schedules from the walls
D.Requiring the student to complete work in a group at all times
Explanation: Structuring the physical environment to reduce distractions supports attention and on-task behavior. A quiet, low-distraction work area away from doors, windows, and high-traffic zones helps an easily distracted student focus during independent work.
9A teacher wants to increase a student's appropriate hand-raising. Each time the student raises a hand, the teacher immediately calls on the student and praises the effort. Over time, hand-raising increases. This is an example of which behavioral principle?
A.Positive reinforcement
B.Negative reinforcement
C.Response cost
D.Extinction
Explanation: Positive reinforcement is the addition of a desirable stimulus following a behavior that increases the future frequency of that behavior. Adding praise and attention after hand-raising, which then increases, is positive reinforcement.
10A behavior intervention plan (BIP) is most appropriately developed based on the results of which process?
A.A norm-referenced achievement test
B.A functional behavior assessment
C.A schoolwide attendance audit
D.A reading fluency screening
Explanation: A behavior intervention plan is built directly on the findings of a functional behavior assessment, which identifies the function of the problem behavior. The BIP then teaches replacement behaviors that serve the same function and alters antecedents and consequences accordingly.

About the GACE Special Education General Curriculum/Elementary Education (703) Exam

The GACE Special Education General Curriculum—Elementary Education (P-5) test, code 703, is the certification assessment for Georgia general-curriculum special education teachers of elementary students. Administered by Pearson for the Georgia Professional Standards Commission, it is delivered as five computer-based testlets covering assessment and the learning environment, specialized instruction, elementary language arts and social studies, elementary mathematics and science, and special education foundations and professional knowledge.

Questions

130 scored questions

Time Limit

3.5 hours of testing (combined appointment)

Passing Score

220 scaled score

Exam Fee

$169 (Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) / Pearson)

GACE Special Education General Curriculum/Elementary Education (703) Exam Content Outline

~27% of this test

Assessment and the Learning Environment

The role of assessment in identification, evaluation, program planning, and progress monitoring; strategies and methods of individualized programming and planning; data-based decision making; and managing a positive, productive learning environment, including functional behavior assessment, behavior intervention plans, reinforcement, and proactive classroom management. This is the largest testlet, with 30 scored questions.

~18% of this test

Foundations and Professional Knowledge in Special Education

Philosophical and legal foundations such as IDEA, Section 504, and FERPA; the FAPE, LRE, zero-reject, and procedural-due-process principles; human development and characteristics of disabilities; the referral, evaluation, eligibility, IEP, and placement process; transition services; and collaborative partnerships with families and stakeholders.

~18% of this test

Specialized Instruction for the General Curriculum

Evidence-based instructional practices that advance learning for all students with exceptionalities, including explicit and systematic instruction, gradual release, Universal Design for Learning, differentiation, scaffolding, task analysis, assistive technology, co-teaching, and strategies for developing students' social-emotional learning needs.

~18% of this test

Language Arts and Social Studies

Structures and conventions of standard English, phonological and phonemic awareness, phonics and decoding, the writing process and construction of texts, reading comprehension, and historical, geographic, government, civic, and economic understandings appropriate for grades P-5.

~18% of this test

Mathematics and Science

Numerical reasoning and place value, patterning and algebraic reasoning, geometric reasoning, measurement and data analysis, fractions and operations, and earth and space, physical, and life science topics, including scientific inquiry and controlled investigation at the elementary level.

How to Pass the GACE Special Education General Curriculum/Elementary Education (703) Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 220 scaled score
  • Exam length: 130 questions
  • Time limit: 3.5 hours of testing (combined appointment)
  • Exam fee: $169

Keys to Passing

  • Complete 500+ practice questions
  • Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
  • Focus on highest-weighted sections
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

GACE Special Education General Curriculum/Elementary Education (703) Study Tips from Top Performers

1Allocate the most study time to Assessment and the Learning Environment, the largest testlet with 30 of the scored questions
2Master core IDEA concepts (FAPE, LRE, IEP process, procedural safeguards, manifestation determination) and the difference between IDEA, Section 504, and FERPA
3Review evidence-based instruction such as explicit instruction, gradual release, UDL, differentiation, scaffolding, and the concrete-representational-abstract sequence for math
4Brush up on P-5 academic content: phonemic awareness, phonics, the writing process, place value, fractions, perimeter and area, and basic life, physical, and earth science
5Practice functional behavior assessment and behavior management concepts, including reinforcement, extinction, and proactive antecedent strategies
6Use timed mixed practice that mirrors the five-testlet structure to build pacing across special education and content questions

Frequently Asked Questions

What is on the GACE 703 test?

GACE 703 covers five content areas delivered as testlets: Assessment and the Learning Environment (30 questions), Specialized Instruction for the General Curriculum (20), Language Arts and Social Studies (20), Mathematics and Science (20), and Foundations and Professional Knowledge in Special Education (20). It blends special education knowledge with elementary academic content.

How many questions are on the GACE 703 test and what is the format?

The computer-based test has 130 selected-response questions organized into five testlets. The testlets can be taken in a single session or scheduled separately, and the total testing time is about 3.5 hours.

What is the passing score for GACE 703?

You need a scaled score of at least 220 to pass GACE 703, the standard GACE passing score on a scale that ranges from 100 to 300. Confirm current scoring details with the Georgia Professional Standards Commission.

How much does the GACE 703 test cost in 2026?

The current fee to take all five GACE 703 testlets together is about $169. Always confirm the exact amount in your Pearson registration portal before checkout, since testlets taken separately and other services may carry different fees.

Who needs to take the GACE 703 test?

GACE 703 is taken by candidates seeking the Georgia general-curriculum special education (P-5) certification field. It is administered by Pearson on behalf of the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC).

Can I take the GACE 703 testlets separately?

Yes. The five testlets can be taken individually in different sessions or all together in one session. Taking them together in one appointment is typically the most economical option, but scheduling separately lets you spread out your preparation.