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100+ Free NYSTCE ASL CST (130) Practice Questions

Pass your NYSTCE American Sign Language Content Specialty Test (130) exam on the first try — instant access, no signup required.

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Within Deaf culture, writing 'Deaf' with a capital D (as opposed to lowercase 'deaf') is most commonly used to signal:

A
B
C
D
to track
2026 Statistics

Key Facts: NYSTCE ASL CST (130) Exam

50 + 3

Selected-Response + Constructed-Response Items

NYSTCE Field 130 test design

520

Scaled Passing Score

NYSTCE Field 130 test page

$122

Current Exam Fee

NYSTCE Field 130 test page

205 min

Total Testing Time

NYSTCE Field 130 test design

40% / 60%

Selected-Response vs Constructed-Response Weight

NYSTCE Field 130 test design

5

Test Competencies (0001-0005)

NYSTCE Field 130 framework

25%

Receptive Comprehension Share of Test

NYSTCE Field 130 test design

1960

Stokoe Established ASL as a Language

Stokoe, Sign Language Structure

The official NYSTCE Field 130 test design lists 50 selected-response items and 3 constructed-response items (two Presentational Signing assignments and one Pedagogical Content Knowledge assignment), with 205 minutes of testing time, a 520 passing score, and a $122 fee. Selected-response items count for 40% of the total score and constructed-response items for 60%. The selected-response questions are distributed across Receptive Comprehension (about 25%), American Sign Language Structures and Comparisons (about 7%), and Deaf Culture (about 8%). This free practice bank focuses on the knowledge-based, multiple-choice content of those three competencies.

Sample NYSTCE ASL CST (130) Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your NYSTCE ASL CST (130) exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1ASL signs are traditionally analyzed as combinations of a small set of contrasting parameters. Which of the following is NOT one of the core phonological parameters of an ASL sign?
A.Handshape
B.Location
C.Movement
D.Word order
Explanation: The phonological parameters of an ASL sign are handshape, location (place of articulation), movement, palm orientation, and nonmanual signals. Word order is a syntactic feature, not a phonological parameter of an individual sign.
2A pair of ASL signs that differ in only one phonological parameter, such as handshape, while all other parameters stay the same, is called a:
A.Minimal pair
B.Compound
C.Classifier predicate
D.Initialized sign
Explanation: A minimal pair is two signs that contrast in exactly one parameter (handshape, location, movement, orientation, or nonmanual signal), demonstrating that the parameter is phonologically distinctive in ASL.
3In ASL, nonmanual signals such as raised eyebrows held over a clause most commonly mark which grammatical structure?
A.A yes/no question
B.A wh-question
C.A negation
D.A past-tense marker
Explanation: Raised eyebrows accompanied by a slight forward head tilt are the grammatical nonmanual marker for yes/no questions in ASL. The nonmanual signal, not a manual sign, carries the questioning function over the whole clause.
4Topicalization in ASL involves signing a noun phrase at the beginning of a sentence with raised eyebrows to establish it as the topic. This is best described as part of which area of linguistics?
A.Phonology
B.Syntax
C.Phonetics
D.Etymology
Explanation: Topicalization is a syntactic operation that moves a constituent to the front of the sentence and marks it nonmanually. It reorganizes sentence structure, which is the domain of syntax.
5The linguist whose 1960 publication 'Sign Language Structure' first established that ASL is a full natural language with its own grammar was:
A.William Stokoe
B.Noam Chomsky
C.Thomas Gallaudet
D.Laurent Clerc
Explanation: William C. Stokoe, a professor at Gallaudet, analyzed ASL signs into contrasting parameters and argued in 1960 that ASL is a genuine language, founding the modern linguistic study of sign languages.
6Modern ASL is historically most closely related to which of the following sign languages?
A.French Sign Language (LSF)
B.British Sign Language (BSL)
C.Japanese Sign Language (JSL)
D.Chinese Sign Language (CSL)
Explanation: ASL descends largely from French Sign Language (Langue des Signes Francaise), brought to the United States by Laurent Clerc in 1817, blended with existing local and home sign systems such as Martha's Vineyard Sign Language.
7In ASL, a handshape that represents a whole class of objects (such as a vehicle, a person, or a flat surface) and shows its location or movement in space is called a:
A.Classifier
B.Fingerspelled loan sign
C.Initialized sign
D.Lexicalized fingerspelling
Explanation: Classifiers (also called depicting signs) use a specific handshape to represent a category of referents and then show how that referent moves, is located, or is arranged in signing space.
8When a signer fingerspells a word like #BACK or #JOB and it takes on a smoothed, sign-like movement and rhythm, the result is best described as:
A.Lexicalized fingerspelling
B.A classifier predicate
C.A noun-verb pair
D.Reduplication
Explanation: Lexicalized (or loan) fingerspelling occurs when a fingerspelled English word becomes a fluid, conventionalized sign, often losing or altering some letters and gaining sign-like movement, as in the loan sign for #JOB.
9The event in which Gallaudet University students protested in 1988 to demand a Deaf president was known as:
A.Deaf President Now
B.The Milan Resolution
C.The Congress of Milan
D.The Deaf Way
Explanation: Deaf President Now (DPN) was a successful 1988 protest at Gallaudet University. Students shut down the campus and won the appointment of I. King Jordan as the university's first Deaf president, a landmark moment in Deaf civil rights.
10The 1880 Congress of Milan is significant in Deaf history primarily because it:
A.Resolved that oral methods should be used in deaf education instead of sign language
B.Established the first national association of the Deaf
C.Recognized ASL as an official language
D.Created the first residential school for the deaf in the United States
Explanation: At the 1880 Congress of Milan, hearing educators passed resolutions favoring oralism and discouraging the use of sign language in deaf schools, leading to decades of suppression of signing in education worldwide.

About the NYSTCE ASL CST (130) Exam

The NYSTCE American Sign Language Content Specialty Test (Field 130) is the New York subject exam required to teach American Sign Language as a Language Other Than English. It measures ASL content knowledge through 50 selected-response items and signing and pedagogy through 3 constructed-response items, covering receptive comprehension, ASL linguistics and structures, Deaf culture, expressive production, and pedagogical content knowledge.

Questions

53 scored questions

Time Limit

3h 45m appointment (3h 30m testing)

Passing Score

520 (scaled)

Exam Fee

$122 (New York State Education Department / Pearson Evaluation Systems)

NYSTCE ASL CST (130) Exam Content Outline

25% of total score

Receptive Comprehension

Literal, inferential, and critical comprehension of signed messages, including registers and Academic ASL, discourse strategies, figurative and idiomatic language, complex structures, tone, and the cultural perspectives behind a message.

7% of total score

American Sign Language Structures and Comparisons

ASL phonology (handshape, location, movement, orientation, nonmanual signals), morphology (classifiers, fingerspelling, reduplication, incorporation), syntax and semantics, pragmatics and sociolinguistics, and comparisons of ASL with English and other signed systems.

8% of total score

Deaf Culture

History, sociology, and anthropology of the Deaf community; medical versus cultural-linguistic models; ASL literature and art; impact of technology; diversity within the community; and federal and state laws such as IDEA and the ADA.

40% of total score

Expressive Production (Constructed Response)

Two video-recorded presentational signing assignments in which candidates respond in ASL to a literary or informational prompt with appropriate grammar, vocabulary, register, and discourse structure.

20% of total score

Pedagogical Content Knowledge (Constructed Response)

One written assignment in which candidates design an instructional strategy for a standards-based ASL learning goal, justify it, and describe an assessment to measure student learning and inform instruction.

How to Pass the NYSTCE ASL CST (130) Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 520 (scaled)
  • Exam length: 53 questions
  • Time limit: 3h 45m appointment (3h 30m testing)
  • Exam fee: $122

Keys to Passing

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

NYSTCE ASL CST (130) Study Tips from Top Performers

1Memorize the five sign parameters (handshape, location, movement, palm orientation, nonmanual signals) and be able to identify minimal pairs and phonological processes such as assimilation
2Learn which nonmanual signal marks each structure: raised brows for yes/no and conditionals and topics, furrowed brows for wh-questions, and headshake for negation
3Study Deaf history milestones such as the 1817 American School for the Deaf, the 1880 Congress of Milan, and Deaf President Now in 1988, plus laws like IDEA and the ADA
4Practice receptive comprehension with authentic Deaf-produced video, focusing on inferring tone, register, idioms, and the signer's point of view rather than isolated signs
5Distinguish ASL from manually coded systems such as Signing Exact English, contact signing, and SimCom, and know how ASL differs structurally from English
6Rehearse timed constructed responses: deliver an organized signed response on camera and outline a standards-based instructional strategy with rationale and assessment for the pedagogy task

Frequently Asked Questions

How many questions are on the NYSTCE ASL CST (130)?

The current Field 130 test design lists 50 selected-response items plus 3 constructed-response items: two video-recorded Presentational Signing assignments and one written Pedagogical Content Knowledge assignment. Total testing time is 3 hours 30 minutes within a 3 hour 45 minute appointment.

What passing score do I need for the NYSTCE ASL CST (130)?

You need a scaled score of 520 to pass the NYSTCE American Sign Language CST. Selected-response items count for 40% of the total score and the three constructed-response items count for 60%, so balanced performance across signing and content knowledge matters.

How much does the NYSTCE ASL CST (130) cost?

The current NYSTCE fee for the American Sign Language CST (Field 130) is $122. Always verify the fee in your NYSTCE account at registration in case the program updates its pricing.

Which competencies appear on the multiple-choice portion?

The 50 selected-response items come from three competencies: Receptive Comprehension (about 25% of the test), American Sign Language Structures and Comparisons (about 7%), and Deaf Culture (about 8%). Expressive Production and Pedagogical Content Knowledge are constructed-response assignments.

Does the NYSTCE ASL CST include signing on video?

Yes. Two of the three constructed-response assignments are Presentational Signing tasks that are video-recorded, so candidates must demonstrate expressive ASL skills in addition to answering selected-response content questions.

How should I study for the NYSTCE ASL CST (130)?

Combine focused review of ASL linguistics and Deaf culture with heavy receptive practice watching authentic signed passages. Rehearse timed expressive (signed) responses and one written pedagogical response, and use this free 100-question bank to drill the knowledge-based content.