GACE® Behavioral Science (6–12) (736)
Practice Test
You'll prepare for three testlets — 248 Psychology: Foundations, Development, and Cognition (30 questions, 45 min, $56.50), 249 Psychology: Variability of Behavior (30 questions, 45 min, $56.50), and 250 Sociology (40 questions, 60 min, $56.50). Combined: 100 questions, 2 hours 30 minutes, $169.00. You need a cumulative score of 220 or higher, and you must also meet the floor score for each individual testlet. No calculator or reference sheet is provided. Administered by Evaluation Systems of Pearson for GaPSC.
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Get Free Access →See Premium PlansGACE Behavioral Science (6–12) (736): Test at a Glance
Here’s a quick overview of the exam. Testlet 250 (Sociology) is the largest at 40 questions. Testlets 248 and 249 each have 30 questions.
About the GACE Behavioral Science (6–12) (736)
Here’s what you need to know before you register.
The GACE Behavioral Science (6–12) exam is for individuals seeking admission to an educator preparation program, initial certification in Georgia, or qualification to teach behavioral science in Georgia secondary schools. It is administered through Evaluation Systems of Pearson on behalf of the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC).
The exam is made up of three testlets, which you can take together in one session or separately. Testlets 248 (Psychology: Foundations, Development, and Cognition) and 249 (Psychology: Variability of Behavior) are equal in size, each with 30 questions and a 45-minute time limit. Testlet 250 (Sociology) is the largest, with 40 questions and a 60-minute time limit. Combined, all three testlets total 100 questions in 2 hours and 30 minutes. All three testlets cost the same — $56.50 individually or $169.00 combined.
Plan for extra time beyond the testing minutes themselves: add 15 minutes per testing session for a tutorial and to complete a nondisclosure agreement.
The exam is delivered entirely by computer in a selected-response (multiple-choice) format. No reference materials are provided — you won’t have access to a calculator, formula sheet, or any other aid during any of the three testlets.
To pass, you need a cumulative score of 220 or higher, and you must also meet the floor — the minimum required score — for each individual testlet. Scoring well above 220 on two testlets doesn’t make up for falling below the floor on the third. To register, create a GaPSC MyPSC account at mypsc.gapsc.org, then create an Evaluation Systems GACE testing account at gace.es.pearson.com.
Three Testlets at a Glance
Testlet 250 (Sociology) is the largest at 40 questions. Testlets 248 and 249 each have 30 questions. All three cost $56.50 individually.
GACE Behavioral Science (6–12) (736) Exam Outline
Below you’ll find the content areas covered in each testlet, along with the confirmed question count and time limit for each.
- Key figures and major theories in the history of behavioral science
- The principal domains of psychology and how they relate to one another
- Research methods used by psychologists, including experimental design
- Data analysis and statistics in psychological research
- Ethical issues and considerations in psychological research
- Biological bases and biological influences on human behavior
- States of consciousness, sensation, and perception
- Human growth and development across infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood
- Theories of language and language acquisition
- Theories of personality and individual differences
- Motivation and emotion
- Principles of learning, including classical and operant conditioning
- Abnormal psychology and the classification of psychological disorders
- Approaches to treatment and therapy
- Social psychology, including group behavior, conformity, and social influence
- Major sociological theories, including functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism
- Culture, socialization, and the formation of social identity
- Social institutions, including family, education, religion, and the economy
- Social stratification, including class, race, ethnicity, and gender
- Deviance and mechanisms of social control
- Collective behavior and social change
- Research methods used in sociology
High-Priority Topics by Testlet
Use this section to focus your study time. These topics are drawn from the official GACE 736 content objectives.
Registration, Test Day & Scoring
Here’s what to expect when you register, show up on test day, and receive your scores.
Registration & Fees
Scoring
Test Day
Reference Materials
Who Needs the GACE Behavioral Science (6–12) (736)?
Find out if this is the right exam for your teaching goals.
How to register: Start by creating a GaPSC MyPSC account at mypsc.gapsc.org to get your Georgia certification number. After your eligibility is confirmed, create an Evaluation Systems GACE testing account at gace.es.pearson.com/test/736 and register for your testlets. You can take all three testlets together in one appointment or separately in any combination. Always verify current certification requirements at gapsc.com.
How to Prepare for the GACE Behavioral Science (6–12) (736)
Here are some tips to help you get ready for each testlet.
- Testlet 250 (Sociology) is your largest testlet at 40 questions — prioritize your study time accordingly. At 40% of the total questions on the exam, a strong showing on sociological theory, social institutions, and stratification carries more weight toward your cumulative score than either psychology testlet alone.
- Because you must meet the floor on every testlet, don’t assume psychology knowledge transfers to sociology or vice versa. These are distinct academic disciplines with their own theorists, vocabulary, and frameworks — study each on its own terms rather than treating the exam as one undifferentiated subject.
- For Testlet 248, build a mental timeline of the major schools of psychological thought. Knowing the order in which psychoanalytic, behaviorist, humanistic, and cognitive approaches emerged — and what each was reacting against — makes it much easier to keep the theorists and their contributions straight.
- For Testlet 249, practice distinguishing classical conditioning from operant conditioning with concrete examples. This is one of the most commonly tested distinctions in introductory psychology, and confusion between the two is a common source of missed points.
- For Testlet 250, practice applying all three major sociological theories to the same scenario. Exam questions often describe a social phenomenon and ask which theoretical lens best explains it — functionalism, conflict theory, or symbolic interactionism — so practice thinking through the same example from each perspective.
- Use the Georgia Standards of Excellence for Social Studies as your primary content reference. The Georgia GSE for Psychology and Sociology tells you what depth of content is expected at the secondary level, and it’s the standard the GACE Behavioral Science exam is built around.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have questions about the GACE Behavioral Science exam? Here are answers to the most common ones.
Ready to Start Practicing?
Practice questions covering all three testlets — Psychology: Foundations, Development, and Cognition (248), Psychology: Variability of Behavior (249), and Sociology (250) — aligned to the official GACE 736 blueprint. Detailed answer explanations so you understand not just the right answer, but why it’s right.
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