Preparing for your Content
Knowledge Certification Exams
E X A M P R E PA R AT I O N S T R AT E G I E S
Agenda
 Introduction to Teacher Candidate
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Educator Exams
Know what you need to study
Know how you learn best
Select exam preparation tools to fit your
learning style
Failing to plan is planning to fail
Success on educator examinations
An Introduction to Content
Knowledge Certification Exams
College of Education Content Knowledge Certification
Exam Preparation
Learning, Leading, and Serving
The College of Education approach to teacher candidate testing is closely
aligned with our conceptual framework using the learning, leading, and serving
components as a way to help demonstrate and guide our teacher candidates’
coursework preparation and knowledge competencies.
As students progress through coursework and clinical practice experiences-
Their level of subject-knowledge comprehension, along with the associated
professional knowledge competencies develop towards the acceptable level of
beginning teacher preparation.
Curricular assignments, evaluations, and performance measures-
Designed to support the teacher candidate as they apply the whole knowledge
body of their program experiences towards becoming a leaner-ready teacher
and to assist them in preparing for educator exams.
Preparing for Certification Exams
• be intentional in your dedication
and preparation
• read through this module in its
entirety
• think through and develop a
personalized plan for test
preparation
Exam Types
 Required tests may be any combination of the following:
 Basic Skills Exam (Reading, Writing, Math)
 Content/Subject Knowledge Exam (Content area of expertise)
 Professional Knowledge Exam (Pedagogical knowledge)
Exam
 Assessment
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 Exams required may be slightly different for each candidate
depending on the respective state and program of the
candidate.
 Candidates must begin early in their designated program to
make preparations to understand which tests are required
and what topics they contain.
Exam Providers
 Each State Department of Education designates a specific
exam provider for required certification exams
 For example, Arizona candidates will take NES exams:
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National Evaluation Series Test Framework:
http://www.aepa.nesinc.com
 Candidates in other states may take a state-specific*
exam or one of the ETS series exams:
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ETS, Praxis Study Companion: https://www.ets.org/praxis
ETS, GACE Study Companion: http://www.gace.nesinc.com/
*This is not a complete list of all state-specific exams.
Who can help with exam identification?
 It is important to identify the correct required certification
exams early in your program.
 There is a support team at GCU of Teacher Education
Specialists (TEdS).
 TEdS support students with inquiries about practicum
placement, professional exams, and internship or student
teaching requirements.
 Contact your TEdS: http://www.gcu.edu/College-ofEducation/Clinical-Practice/Contact-Field-Experience.php
Know what you need to study
Exam selection
 Many state Department of Education websites direct candidates
to exam preparation sites which provide practice questions and
preparation manuals. Links to the state-specific Department of
Education websites are available here: Requirements by State
Candidate Certification Exam
Personalized Study Plan
This Personalized Study Plan will be completed as you go through this module.
Test Name
Test Center (Planned)
Test Date (Planned)
Test Competencies/Objectives
Areas to Focus
Study Days/Times
Study Space Description
Learning Style
Selected Resources
Test Framework, Competencies and Objectives
 The test framework designates the Content Domain areas that will be
covered in the test, and the percentage of questions that will be on each
domain.
 The competencies/objectives are conceptual statements written in language
that reflects the skills, knowledge, and understanding that an entry-level
educator needs to practice effectively in schools. The test is made up of
questions that measure a candidate's mastery of these test
competencies/objectives.
 National Evaluation Series Test Framework: http://www.nestest.com
 ETS, Praxis Study Companion: https://www.ets.org/praxis
 ETS, GACE Study Companion: http://www.gace.nesinc.com/
Examine Exam Content
 The content will have two or more content subareas. Each
subarea will be defined by objective statements and descriptive
statements.
1. The objective statement, which broadly defines the subject
matter.
2. The descriptive statement, which provides examples of the
types of knowledge and skills covered by the test objective.
 Don’t waste time studying unnecessary material
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Remember that one of the number one time wasters in school
is to spend time studying topics that will not be in an exam.
Even if the topic is very interesting personally, it might not
help you to get a good grade, so it should be better postpone
to some time later when you have your work done.
Begin Your Personalized Study Plan
 Your Personalized Study Plan will be a guide to prepare
 Include the sequence of topics you need to study, and how
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much progress you have made
You can start from the topics given by test objectives
You can quickly get lost without a plan for learning
You can maximize study time with alignment to test objectives
Annotate what you think you need to study more, or topics that
you need to understand more
Be thorough and write down everything you need to read
and/or practice
Take Time to Schedule
 Time Management
A problem that many students have is that they don't know how to
divide their time in a proper way. This way they spend way too much
time on just a small part of the topics in an exam.
 Divide and Conquer
The best way to do this is to divide your study in sessions, and then
create different tasks that can be accomplished individually. These
study tasks should cover the whole material that you are trying to
master.
 Make a “To Do” List
Each day do some of the tasks in your schedule and check them off. Be
realistic but spend time on your tasks. You will see that it becomes
much easier to track your progress. This also helps to avoid the problem
of trying to do everything in the previous day. If you have an idea of
how much time it takes to do a task, you have a better chance to
accomplish it on time
Where to Study?
Create a Good Study Environment
 Find a place that promotes concentration.
 Turn off all distractions.
 Don’t study lying in bed or on the couch.
 Your study area should have good lighting.
 Have all of your resources handy.
Know how you learn best
W H AT S T R AT E G I E S C A N S T U D E N T S U S E W H I L E
THEY STUDY TO HELP THEM SUCCEED ON
CONTENT EXAMS?
Personalize study methods
 Exam preparation must be personalized to the learning style of each
candidate.
 Teacher candidates can determine their preferred learning style and study
methods by reflecting on the following questions and using the responses
to select preparation materials and process.
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How do I learn best?
Do I require a quiet space to study?
Do I prefer to read information first and then try to apply it?
Do I work best at a task in large or small chunks?
Get To Know Your Learning Style
Personalize content to fit your learning needs.
 Visual/Spatial
• Draw pictures or thinking maps to represent content.
 Kinesthetic
• Create motions or movements that represent content.
 Linguistic
• Write notes and summarize the lectures in your own words.
 Auditory
• Access materials or lectures to listen to.
Read in your Subject Area
 Learn the language. Learn any specialist language that has been used
with the topic that you are currently studying.
 Seek out books, magazines, websites, and forums to practice
communicating topics in your subject area.
Strength in Numbers
Studying with a partner or group can help!
 Different people know different things, so in combination you have a
better chance of learning everything.
 In a group it is easier to maintain the concentration on a topic.
 Explaining to another person what you think of a topic is an excellent
way of mastering the material.
 Encouragement or support from students in different areas can be done
virtually or electronically
Use flash cards
 Depending on the topic that you are trying to learn, flash cards can be an
excellent technique of study.
 They can be useful not only for language learning, but also for more
complex topics.
 Flash cards are useful in topics such as History, Geography, Biology, and
Sciences in general.
 Math flashcards are useful when learning the basic formulas and concepts
with flash cards.
 Keep a set of blank index cards with you during lectures so you can create
them as you learn.
Study Tips
 Create Mnemonics
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Please Excuse My Dear Aunt SallyParentheses, Exponents, Multiply, Divide, Add, Subtract
Great for remembering lists and procedures
Select exam preparation resources
and tools to fit your learning style
Certification Examination Companies
 Many certification examination companies provide preparation materials,
practice tests, study guides, and test preparation multi-media.
 Candidates in states accepting National Evaluation Series (NES) exams
can access http://nestest.com/.
 Candidates in states accepting Praxis series exams can access
http://www.ets.org/praxis/.
 Candidates in states accepting other Educational Testing Service (ETS)
exams can access https://www.ets.org/.
Begin to Gather Study Materials
Use the test objectives of your content exam to guide your search for study
materials. You may need:
 Lecture notes
 Textbooks
 Journals
 Homework Assignments
 Review Papers
 Reputable Websites
External Websites Offer Test Preparation
External websites offer test preparation that can be
accessed by order, download, flashcards, print, live online
or virtual. Candidates may select study materials in a
format that will support their subject area(s), test type,
format preference, and study methods.
GCU Offers Candidate Resources
 GCU offers candidates free learning resources for test-taking, including
the Center for Learning & Advancement, Webinars, and Thinking Storm
Online Tutoring Service, available at http://www.gcu.edu/LearningResources.php
 Teacher candidates may find their test preparation requires additional
support in a specific topic area. There are many free learning aids that are
not directly aligned with certification tests, but will still cover many
objectives that are relevant. Some resource sites are available at:
http://www.gcu.edu/Learning-Resources/Center-for-Learning-andAdvancement/Academic-Success-Tutorials.php
 Teacher candidates are encouraged to review notes and materials from
prior coursework relevant to the selected exam. Used elementary and
subject-specific textbooks from the library can also be a valuable resource.
 Resources in the GCU Learning Lounge (on campus and virtual)
Personalize Your Study Plan
 GCU does not endorse any particular external companies. Teacher
candidates are advised to carefully select materials for exam preparation
and follow your Personalized Study Plan that will allow for an adequate
timetable.
 Select your resource/study materials carefully, as it will be more beneficial
to have a few select, thorough sources. Use the following Selecting
Resource Materials Chart to help guide your selection process.
Selecting Resource Materials Chart
Guided Reflection
Learning Preferences
Do I prefer audio, visual, or multimedia
materials?
Do I prefer a guided tracking system to
mark my progress, or self-guided?
Monetary Preferences
Do I have money to spend on preparation
materials, or do I need to focus on
materials free of charge?
How much money do I have reserved for
materials and exam fees?
Time Preferences
Which days of each week can I dedicate
to studying for my exam?
How much time would I like to dedicate
to studying?
How many weeks do I have to prepare?
Selecting Resource Materials Chart
Sorting and Identifying Materials
What materials would align with my learning
preferences?
What materials would align with my
monetary preferences?
What materials would align with my time
preferences?
What materials would be effective in the
number of weeks I have to prepare?
What materials do I have a strong feeling
would help me to be successful?
Practice Test
 If your selected resource materials do not include a practice test, and you
have not yet taken your exam, it is recommended that you take a practice
test to begin your preparation.
 If you have attempted the exam previously and have your score report, visit
your testing company website to analyze your score report for your testing
strengths and areas of opportunity.
 A practice test is available from your testing company (there may be a small
fee for this service).
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http://www.aepa.nesinc.com/AZ_viewSG_opener.asp
http://www.nestest.com/TestView.aspx?f=HTML_FRAG/NT102_PrepMaterials.html
http://www.ets.org/praxis/prepare/materials/5014
Preparation Log and Reflection Documentation
Logged
Study
Hours
Dates:
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Total Hours
by Week
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
Preparation Log and Reflection Documentation
Weekly Reflection Questions
What topic area or competency
did you improve upon this
week?
What topic area do you know
you need to work on more to
improve?
What do you plan to focus on
for next week?
What additions or alterations
might you make to your
preparations for next week?
Failing to plan is planning to fail
Preparing for Success
 Successful exam preparation follows a focused plan, which starts 3-6
months prior to the administration date of the exam.
 Candidates can access a variety of exam preparation resources to assist the
development of an adequate exam preparation plan.
 Use the respective timeline that follows to plan a reasonable timetable for
preparation, practice, registration, test administration and scoring.
Undergraduate Learner Exam Preparation
Graduate Learner Exam Preparation
Success on Certification Exams
W H AT A R E S O M E S T R AT E G I E S Y O U U S E T O H E L P
M E N TA L LY P R E PA R E Y O U R S E L F F O R A N E X A M ?
Guidance on Certification Exams
 Candidates achieve success on certification examinations when they take
the time to organize preparation material, create a study plan that includes
proven memorization techniques.
 Preparing for a lengthy exam requires tremendous personal motivation.
 Candidates who utilize effective study skills are able to achieve the
knowledge levels required for confidence on test day.
 This calm confidence of thorough preparation can lead candidates to
achieve passing scores on the exams.
Taking Certification Exams
Certification exams often have several distinctions:
 Timed
 Scheduled
 Multiple choice and short answer
 Computer based or paper and pencil
 Scores immediately returned for feedback, electronically posted later, or
mailed to you
Clarify Instructions Before Testing
Carefully read the instructions for answering questions:
 Is the time you take to complete the test divided?
 If so, is there a clock you can access for your time?
 Must you answer the questions in sequence?
 Is there a “review” feature that lets you check your work, or check for
unanswered questions?
Key Words
Look for one or more key words. The key
word carries the weight of the question and
determines how you will choose your
answer.
Multiple Choice
Eliminate the Wrong Answer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0P5U9s4wYE&feature=related
Multiple Choice
 Read the question before you look at the answers.
 Come up with the answer in your head before looking at the possible
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answers. The choices given on the test won't throw you off or trick you.
Eliminate answers you know aren't right.
Read all the choices before choosing your answer.
If there is no guessing penalty, always take an educated guess and select
an answer.
Don't keep on changing your answer. Usually your first choice is the right
one, unless you misread the question.
Multiple Choice
All or None Strategy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yQuMHouXbw&feature=related
Essay Questions
 Read the directions carefully. Pay close attention to whether you are
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supposed to answer all the essays or only a specified amount.
Budget your time. Do not spend the entire test time on one essay.
If you have an hour to write 3 essays, spend no more than 20 minutes on
each essay. Then if you have time left over at the end, go back and finish.
Make an outline before writing your essay. This way your essay will be
more organized and fluid.
Make sure that you write down everything that is asked of you and more.
When writing your essay, write in a clear and concise manner. Papers with
clear grammar and sentence structure receive higher points.
Don't write long introductions and conclusions. The bulk of your time
should be spent on answering the question(s) asked.
Focus on one main idea per paragraph.
If the question is asking for facts, do not give your personal opinion
If you have time left at the end, proofread your work and correct any errors.
Reduce Test Anxiety
 Engage in deep breathing
 Close your eyes and concentrate on the air going in and out of your lungs.
 Tense and relax different muscle groups.
 Engage in guided imagery for a few minutes.
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Pick a scene that you find peaceful and natural.
Think about what you see, what you hear, what you feel and what you
smell while in this scene.
The Morning of the Test
 Get up early so you can get ready and arrive early to sit where you are
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most comfortable
Know where you are going, print directions or enter the address into an
electronic navigation tool
Dress comfortably so you will not fidget with your clothing during the
exam
Bring layers in case you are cold or hot in the room
Bring a snack if you have a break between sections
Avoid people who are anxious and might cause you to doubt your
knowledge
Go to the restroom and take any personal breaks before walking into the
exam room
Give yourself a pep talk
Have a Wonderful Test Day!