FTCE: GENERAL KNOWLEDGE
WORKSHOP
TO FIND THE COMPETENCIES THAT WILL BE TESTED ON THE GENERAL
KNOWLEDGE EXAM PLEASE REFER TO
HTTP://WWW.FLDOE.ORG/CORE/FILEPARSE.PHP/3/URLT/FTCE20EDITION.PDF
BRIEF UPDATE: THE GENERAL KNOWLEDGE EXAM
• Four sub-sections (Reading, Essay, Mathematics, & English
Language Skills [test takers are required to pass each]);
• The GK was altered in May, 2014 – the questions are now more
challenging;
• The cut scores required to pass the GK increased as of 1/15;
• Test takers were allotted 40 min. to complete the Reading
Subsection of the GK - this was increased to 55 minutes in July,
2015.
THE GENERAL KNOWLEDGE EXAM
THE PASSING SCORES BELOW ARE THE: “MAXIMUM PERCENTAGE
NEEDED TO EARN A PASSING SCORE ON ANY FORM OF AN
EXAMINATION CURRENTLY BEING ADMINISTERED.”
Content Area
Number of Questions
Time Allotted
Passing Score
Mathematics
Approximately 45 MC
questions
100 minutes
69%
English Language Skills
Approximately 40 MC
questions
40 minutes
68%
Reading
Approximately 40 MC
questions
55 minutes
75%
Essay
Answer 1 question from a
choice of 2
50 minutes
8 out of 12 points
WHEN DO I RECEIVE MY SCORES?
• Tests with only MC questions = unofficial pass/non-pass upon
completion of the test unless the exam is being redeveloped or
revised.
• Essay or tests with performance components = within 6-7 weeks of
the test date
• Number of days between taking each test = 31
COSTS
• If you are taking a test for the first time, you will pay the first-attempt
fee $130.00
• For tests with subtests, your first-attempt fee only applies to the subtest(s)
taken on your initial test date. Subtests taken after that date are
considered retakes $150.00
•
“For tests with subtests, you may take any combination of subtests at a single appointment,
for a single test fee. It may be possible to register for multiple appointments on the same day
at the same test site; however, there can be no guarantee that multiple appointments can be
scheduled consecutively.”
•
If you need to review or reschedule…cannot be done within 24 hours of your “scheduled test
time.”
COMPUTER-BASED TEST
You should be provided with:
• Dry-erase “paper”
• Marker
• Four-function calculator
• Ability to check items (in other words, you can complete the items you know,
check on those that take more time, and go back to them later)
• REMEMBER: WHEN IN DOUBT, BETTER TO GUESS – DO NOT LEAVE
ANSWERS BLANK (IF EXTRA TIME, CHECK YOUR ANSWERS)
• Not a bad idea to go and visit the test center prior to your test date (Is the
room cold? Can you wear a sweatshirt?)
• Provide adequate, relevant support by citing ample
THE ESSAY
• Determine the purpose of writing to
task and audience.
• Provide a section that effectively
introduces the topic.
• Formulate a relevant thesis or
claim.
• Organize ideas and details
effectively.
textual evidence; response may also include
anecdotal experience for added support.
• Use of a variety of transitional devices effectively
throughout and within a written text.
• Demonstrate proficient use of college-level, standard
written English (e.g., varied word choice, syntax,
language conventions, semantics).
• Provide a concluding statement or section that
follows from, or supports, the argument or
information presented.
• Use a variety of sentence patterns effectively.
• Maintain consistent point of view.
• Apply the conventions of standard English (e.g., avoid
inappropriate use of slang, jargon, clichés).
SEE HANDOUT: LETS TAKE A MOMENT TO ORGANIZE
THOUGHTS/IDEAS REGARDING HOW TO BEST RESPOND
TO THE FOLLOWING PROMPT:
• “Teaching has become a profession that is considered to be fundamental to
the health of our nation. Some people contend teaching certification
should be granted only after completion of a university teacher education
program. Others maintain teaching certification via an alternate route
through non-university entities such as school districts, education service
centers, and private agencies is appropriate. Analyze the advantages and
disadvantages of each of these paths to teacher certification.”
• Take some time to list the advantages and disadvantages; let’s share
some ideas with the group (BE VERY CAREFUL TO READ THE PROMPT
SO YOU ADDRESS THE QUESTION DIRECTLY)
SAMPLE FIRST PARAGRAPH – SET THE TONE,
FORMULATE YOUR THESIS OR CLAIM
•
Teaching is a highly complex task. Becoming a skilled teacher requires knowledge of best
practices – derived by educational theories-, content area expertise, and extensive practice in the
field. University-based certification programs are often constructed to increase the likelihood that
all teachers will have these competencies; however, some university-based programs are of higher
quality than others, and most require substantial financial and time commitments. These costs can
dissuade those who could be talented teachers from entering the field. At the same time, although
alternate route training programs may make entering the teaching profession more appealing -due to the less lengthy and less costly training processes --, these shortened training programs may
or may not prepare teachers to be skilled at their craft. If this is so then the United States could
gain a larger teaching force, but suffer the consequences of lower teacher quality. These costs
and benefits will surely affect the health of our nation.
PARAGRAPH TWO: ADVANTAGES
• See handout:
• Let’s look at a well-written version of a second paragraph and a less wellwritten version
• What are the differences?
PARAGRAPH 3…DISADVANTAGES
WRITING REMINDERS:
•
•
Vary sentence length
•
•
•
•
•
Avoid overgeneralization
•
Do not use colloquial speech (“flick, cheesy, umpteen, as old as dirt”)
Use transitional words and phrases (secondly, similarly, in essence, therefore,
finally, for example, however, generally, consequently, in short, moreover)
Check for spelling and grammatical errors
Avoid repetition
Be sure your subject and verb agree
Maintain consistency regarding first (“I”), second (“you”) or third person point
of view (an objective observer)
SAMPLE CLOSING: SEE HANDOUT
• In sum, teachers’ influence on educating our citizenry, thereby enabling our
nation to retain its global standing, is incontestable. Whether we can
incentivize entering the profession, while also ensuring our teachers are
trained extensively to effectively assume their professional roles, is an extant
issue. Thus, we must strive to find a balance that protects us from increasing
quantity – or our pool of educators -- at the cost of quality and longevity.
NOW, LET’S TALK ABOUT THE READING TEST
• You will be presented with a reading passage, which is an excerpt pulled
from a longer piece of writing. Then you will be asked to answer several
questions about the passage such as the main idea, the point of view, the tone,
what specific terms mean, and fact-based information.
• How to approach this?
Should I read the passage first and then look at the
questions? Should I read the answers, the questions, and then the passage?
How? Why?
• Free practice: www.ReadTheory.org
•Handout:When Hernando Cortéz left Cuba in February of 1519 with 550 soldiers on 11 ships, he could have no idea that
one of the oldest soldiers in his company would become the last living survivor of his great conquest. Bernal Díaz not only
participated in all of the great events of the conquest, but as an old, old man living almost without funds in Honduras, he
happened to read an idealized and romanticized history of the conquest written by a priest and determined—at the age of
79—to set the record straight. Though Bernal Díaz died at the age of 84, he was able to complete his eminently readable
six-volume account of the conquest of Mexico.
•Though the priest's version of the conquest tells that Cortéz secretly burned the boats of the expedition so that his men
would be unable to retreat and would have to advance, Díaz corrects him. Cortéz, says Díaz, was appalled to learn that
the boats had been attacked
by sea worms and that they were no longer seaworthy. Moreover, the fittings of the
ships were made of metal that could be salvaged and used to make both guns and ammunition necessary for the
conquest. According to Díaz, Cortéz called his men together and informed them of the problems, then they voted to burn
the ships.
•Díaz also sets the record straight with regard to Doña Marina, the brilliant girl from a Yucatan tribe who spoke several of
the Mexican dialects and thus became invaluable to Cortéz as interpreter, negotiator, and guide. He acknowledges that
Doña Marina bore Cortéz a son and that she was with Cortéz when Cortéz's wife died shortly after she arrived in Mexico
City from Cuba. This situation was the center of a firestorm of gossip. But he tells how Cortéz arranged a marriage for
Doña Marina with one of his lieutenants before marching off toward the Northwest on a new exploration and conquest
and vanishing somewhere near the Sea of Cortéz—the inland bay between lower southern California and the mainland,
the bay that bears his name.
•Almost incidentally, Díaz describes how some indolent aristocrats from Spain, expecting to make their fortunes in the new
world, were given large grants of land on some of the Caribbean islands. But, of course, they could earn little from their
lands without workers, so they approached Bernal Díaz with the proposition that they would provide the financing if he
would attack an island and carry back its population to bondage. His reward would be half of the captives.
•Díaz showed his humanity and humility as he refused this partnership, declaring such an attack on the homes, culture,
and lifestyle of free peoples a terrible injustice.
QUESTION ONE: SEE HANDOUT
A
b
d
C
B
A
C
• 1. Identify the most accurate statement of the central idea of this passage.
• A. Bernal Díaz corrected the record of Cortéz's conquest of Mexico.
• B. Bernal Díaz proved that Cortéz did not trick his men into marching to Mexico by burning their boats.
• C. Hernando Cortéz conquered Mexico in one of the greatest invasions the world has ever known.
• D. Doña Marina was a great help to Cortéz during his great battles in Mexico
QUESTION TWO: SEE HANDOUT
2)
From this passage one could infer that the author
• A. likes Cortéz very much.
• B. thinks Díaz was a fine man.
• C. believes that Doña Marina and Cortéz murdered Cortéz's wife.
• D. thinks the priest's version of the conquest is superior to that of Díaz.
QUESTION THREE: SEE HANDOUT
• All of the following pieces of information relate to Cortéz's conquest EXCEPT
• A. Cortéz asked his men to vote on whether or not to burn their ships.
• B. Doña Marina was with Cortéz at the time of his wife's death.
• C. the ships of the expedition had been attacked by sea worms and were no longer
seaworthy.
• D. Bernal Díaz refused to lead an expedition to bring back islanders as slaves.
QUESTION FOUR
•
In this context, the word indolent (paragraph 4) most nearly means
•
A. infamous.
•
B. poor.
•
C. lazy.
•
D. frivolous.
QUESTION FIVE
•
The tone of this passage could best be described as
•
A. reserved.
•
B. approving.
•
C. pious.
•
D. cynical.
QUESTION SIX
•
The author's statement that Bernal Díaz was able to "set the record straight"
(paragraph 1) is
•
A. valid because the author presents several specific examples.
•
B. valid because the author is an expert in history.
•
C. invalid because of the lack of specific details.
•
D. invalid because of illogical conclusions.
QUESTION SEVEN
• What is the relationship between these two sentences?
• Sentence 1: Though the priest's version of the conquest tells that Cortéz secretly burned the
boats of the expedition so that his men would be unable to retreat and would have to
advance, Díaz corrects him. (paragraph 2)
• Sentence 2: Cortéz, says Díaz, was appalled to learn that the boats had been attacked by
sea worms and that they were no longer seaworthy. (paragraph 2)
• A. Sentence 2 analyzes the comment in sentence 1.
• B. Sentence 2 contradicts the main idea of sentence 1.
• C. Sentence 2 explains the main idea of sentence 1.
• D. Sentence 2 continues the definition begun in sentence 1.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS: SEE HANDOUT
1
Knowledge of language structure 25%
• Evaluate correct placement of modifiers.
• Apply knowledge of parallelism, including parallel expressions for parallel ideas.
• Apply knowledge of a variety of effective structures (e.g., recognizing fragments, comma splices, run-on sentences, syntax
errors).
• Determine patterns of organization in a written passage (i.e., modes of rhetoric).
2 Knowledge of vocabulary application
25%
• Determine the meaning of unknown words, multiple-meaning words, and phrases in context.
• Determine and select the correct use of commonly confused words, misused words, and phrases.
• Determine diction and tone appropriate to a given audience.
3 Knowledge of standard English conventions 50%
• Determine and select
standard verb forms.
• Determine and select inappropriate shifts in verb tense.
• Determine and select agreement between subject and verb.
• Determine and select agreement between pronoun and antecedent.
• Determine and select inappropriate pronoun shifts.
• Determine and select clear pronoun references.
• Determine and select pronoun case forms (e.g., subjective, objective, possessive).
• Evaluate the correct use of adjectives and adverbs.
• Determine and select appropriate comparative and superlative degree forms.
• Demonstrate command of standard spelling conventions.
• Demonstrate command of standard punctuation/capitalization.
MODIFIERS
"One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got into my pajamas I'll never know." (Groucho Marx).
• How might we re-phrase this sentence?
WHAT IS A MODIFIER? A MODIFIER IS A WORD, PHRASE, OR CLAUSE WHICH FUNCTIONS AS AN
ADJECTIVE OR AN ADVERB TO DESCRIBE A WORD OR MAKE ITS MEANING MORE SPECIFIC.
MODIFIERS MUST BE CLOSE TO THE WORD IT IS MODIFYING. SEE HANDOUT…
• See handout: Princess Beatrice, who is starting a history degree at Goldsmiths
College, London, later this year, was photographed running in the surf on the
island of St Barts with her American boyfriend Dave Clark dressed in a blue
bikini last month.”
Please view the sentence below. What is the modifier? How can it be moved
closer to the word it is modifying?
• The wildlife scientist saw several male moose driving through the woods.
PARALLELISMS -- PARALLEL CONSTRUCTION
HOW WOULD YOU FIX THIS SENTENCE? SEE
HANDOUT
• Arnold is both friendly and a considerate person.
FRAGMENTS –WHAT IS AN INDEPENDENT CLAUSE? WHAT
IS A COMMA SPLICE? COMMONLY CONFUSED
WORDS…
FRAGMENTS –WHAT IS AN INDEPENDENT CLAUSE? SEE
HANDOUT
Commonly Confused Words: (see handout)
AN INDEPENDENT CLAUSE IS A GROUP OF WORDS
CONTAINING A SUBJECT AND A PREDICATE (VERB).
Answer the question:
• Please see list
Marta will need to decide among two places to visit.
COMMA SPLICE: (SEE HANDOUT)
THE HORSE RACE WAS SUSPENSEFUL FROM START TO
FINISH, MY FRIEND’S HORSE WON THE RACE.
How would you correct this comma splice?
A.
Between
B.
C.
D.
Too
places’
No change is necessary
ALSO STUDY SUBJECT VERB AGREEMENT- A SINGULAR
SUBJECT SHOULD BE FOLLOWED BY A SINGULAR VERB.
ALSO STUDY PRONOUN-ANTECEDENT AGREEMENT. SEE
HANDOUT-A chorus of cheers were heard from
the crowd.
• What is the subject of this sentence?
• What is the verb?
• Is this sentence written correctly?
• A woman who works hard to achieve
success may find they are not
accepted as equals in certain
situations.
What is the antecedent in this
sentence? What is the pronoun? Is
there agreement? Why or why not?
ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS- SEE HANDOUT
• Adverbs modify _________
• Adjectives modify __________
• Now – identify the adjectives or
• He ran quick and turned off the
adverbs in this sentence:
• The rotten fruit smells bad.
alarm.
• I feel bad that I missed your college
graduation.
BE SURE TO STUDY SPELLING- SEE HANDOUT
•
•
•
•
Believe
Occasion
Patted
•
•
•
Receive
•
Irregular plurals: sheep, deer
Noticeable
Beginning
successful
PUNCTUATION – SEE HANOUT
•
•
•
Use of commas
Use of semicolons
Use of colons
• I will need apples, pumpkins, and cinnamon.
• We were living in Newtown, Pennsylvania, before we moved to Florida.
• I broke my clock; therefore, I could not tell what time it was.
CAPITALIZATION – SEE HANDOUT
• I spoke to the dean yesterday regarding our new fundraising initiatives.
• I spoke to Dean Lupi yesterday regarding our new fundraising initiatives.
• My math teacher is friendly, helpful and knowledgeable.
• My English teacher is judgmental and hard to please.
TENSES – SEE HANDOUT
• Present: I work
• Past: I worked
• Future: I will work; he will work
• Present perfect: I have worked; he has written (started in the past and is
ongoing)
• Past perfect: I had worked; she had written (past action that occurred before
a previous past action)
• Future perfect: I will have worked; she will have completed (past action that
will occur before a future action)
PLEASE CHOOSE THE CORRECT ANSWER
• It was highly unlikely that he could pick up the medicine before the store closed. Just as he
was walking to the front door, the store manager sees him and unlocked the door.
• A. closes
• B. saw
• C. unlocks
• D. No change is necessary.
HOW TO STUDY THE CONTENT FOR THE
ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS SUBTEST?
• Look at the list of constructs that will be measured on the test
• Choose some that seem unfamiliar and look up those concepts
• Practice correcting sentences that may or may not be grammatically correct
• You can use the practice tests in the CliffsNotes and other FTCE test prep
guides; please note, however, that the questions in these guides are likely to
be easier than those presented to you on the test.
MATH- YOU WILL BE PROVIDED WITH A MATH REFERENCE
SHEET AND A FOUR FUNCTION CALCULATOR
BE SURE TO USE SCRAP PAPER…
WHICH PART(S) OF THE MATH WILL BE COVERED THE MOST?
1
Knowledge of number sense, concepts, and operations 17%
•Compare real numbers and identify their location on a number line.
•Solve real-world problems involving the four operations with rational numbers.
•Evaluate expressions involving order of operations.
2
Knowledge of geometry and measurement
21%
•Identify and classify simple two- and three-dimensional figures according to their mathematical properties.
•Solve problems involving ratio and proportion (e.g., scaled drawings, models, real-world scenarios).
•Determine an appropriate measurement unit and form (e.g., scientific notation) for real-world problems involving length, area, volume, or mass.
•Solve real-world measurement problems including fundamental units
3
Knowledge of algebraic thinking and the coordinate plane
29%
•Determine whether two algebraic expressions are equivalent by applying properties of operations or equality.
•Identify an algebraic expression, equation, or inequality that models a real-world situation.
•Solve equations and inequalities (e.g., linear, quadratic) graphically or algebraically.
•Determine and solve equations or inequalities, graphically or algebraically, in real-world problems.
•Graph and interpret a linear equation in real-world problems (e.g., use data to plot points, explain slope and y-intercept, determine additional solutions).
•Identify relations that satisfy the definition of a function.
•Compare the slopes of two linear functions represented algebraically and graphically.
4
Knowledge of probability, statistics, and data interpretation
33%
•
Analyze data presented in various forms (e.g., histograms, bar graphs, circle graphs, pictographs, line plots, tables) to solve problems.
•Analyze and evaluate how the presentation of data can lead to different or inappropriate interpretations in the context of a real-world situation.
•Calculate range, mean, median, and mode of data sets.
•Interpret the meaning of measures of central tendency (i.e., mean, median, mode) and dispersion (i.e., range, standard deviation) in the context of a real-world situation.
•Analyze and evaluate how the selection of statistics (e.g., mean, median, mode) can lead to different or inappropriate interpretations in the context of a real-world situation.
•Solve and interpret real-world problems involving probability using counting procedures, tables, and tree diagrams.
•
Infer and analyze conclusions from sample surveys, experiments, and observational studies
SAMPLE PROBLEM USING STATS – SEE HANDOUT
• If the company would like to give the impression that its employees are highly
paid, which salary statistics should it use?
• Employee Salaries
Title
Yearly salary
President
$120,000
Office manager
40,000
Foreperson
60,000
Laborer 1
15,000
Laborer 2
15,000
Laborer 3
15,000
Laborer 4
15,000
A. minimum
B. mode
C. median
D. mean
PROBABILITIES – SEE HANDOUT
• Ellen has a bag full of 5 red, 7 yellow and 8 black marbles.
If she draws one
marble from the bag without looking, what is the probability it will be black?
• First ask: How many marbles are there in all?
• Second: How many are black?
• Then create a ratio: the dividend/divisor = quotient (or probability)
• Or, the number of black marbles is divided by the total number of marbles
CORRELATIONAL STUDIES, EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES,
CONTROL GROUPS, STANDARD DEVIATION, MEAN,
MEDIAN, MODE, CONFOUNDING VARIABLES
• Forearm length is positively correlated with reading ability – why?
• If I randomly assign participants to multiple conditions, is that an experimental
study or a non-experimental study?
• I administered a placebo to 1/3rd of the participants. Why?
• How would I compute the mean, median and mode?
• What does the standard deviation tell me?
• If I want to evaluate reading comprehension on a typewritten test and the
participants vary in their ability to type, why would this variation be a
confounding variable?
LINEAR EQUATIONS
•
Yael bought 4 pairs of shoes and two pairs of boots for $250.00. All shoes cost
$25.00 less than boots. How much did Yael pay for one pair of boots?
4(x – 25) + 2x = 250
4x – 100 + 2x = 250
6x -100 = 250
6x = 250 + 100
X= 58.30
How can I check my answer?
HOW TO STUDY
•
Read over the competencies that will be tested
•
Choose those that may be unfamiliar (test covers up to 8th grade)
•
Practice completing those problems
•
Use Khan Academy or MathisFun.com for assistance
•
The good news: Math is math and you have 100 minutes for this section of the test.
RECAP
• Next steps?
• Essay?
Please feel free to contact me at:
megan.posssinger@unf.edu or 904 620 1944
Thank you!