The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, commonly called the MCAS, is a series of standardized tests first administered by the Massachusetts Department of Education designed to meet the requirements of the Education Reform Law of 1993. This reform gave birth to the MCAS, which was designed to test all public school students across the Commonwealth, including students with disabilities and students with limited English proficiency. The test also meets the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act by testing students in grades 5, 8, and 10.
For the 2005-2006 school year, the test was administered in the content areas of English language arts, mathematics, science and technology/engineering, and history and social science (question tryouts only).