NYSTCE EAS Cheat Sheet.
The night-before summary, built like the exam.

Read this the night before your appointment. It condenses every grounded number and the most common traps into one final pass, so you walk in with the format and scoring system fully mapped out.

The numbers to remember

• 40 selected-response items
• 3 constructed-response items
• 135 minutes testing time / 150 minutes total appointment time
• $80 test fee
• 30 days retake wait if you don't pass
• Format: computer-based test (CBT)

Subtests and scores

• The EAS is one unified test — it is not split into separate subtests you schedule individually
• Scaled score range: 400 to 600
• Passing score: 520
• Safety-net score: 500 (an alternate qualifying threshold in specific circumstances)

High-yield review areas

• Selected-response accuracy across the full 40-item set — there's no partial credit for a near-miss on a multiple-choice item, so review your reasoning process, not just facts
• Constructed-response writing — since there are only 3 of these, each one is high-stakes; practice writing complete, organized answers under a timer rather than only outlining
• Reading prompts fully before answering — constructed-response prompts often bundle more than one directive into a single question, and a partial answer caps your score even when the writing itself is strong
• Pacing across the full 135-minute session, since the test is delivered as one continuous block rather than timed subsections that reset the clock for you

Top traps

• Treating the safety-net score as the real target. 500 is a specific alternate threshold, not the standard goal — plan and study toward the 520 passing score.
• Underestimating appointment time. Your total appointment is 150 minutes, 15 minutes more than the 135 minutes of actual testing — don't assume you can arrive right at your test-start time with no buffer for check-in.
• Rushing constructed-response items. With only 3 of them, a skipped or partial answer has an outsized effect versus missing one selected-response item out of 40.
• Forgetting the retake rule. If you don't clear the passing score, you're locked out from retesting for 30 days — treat your first attempt as the one that counts, not a free trial run.
• Answering only part of a multi-part prompt. Constructed-response questions frequently ask for more than one thing in a single prompt; missing a piece limits your score no matter how well-written the rest of your response is.