Education skill test 5 pdf

Having complete information about the exam is the first step in getting control of the exam, and with the LearningExpress Test Preparation System, you’ll learn stress management techniqu

What’s the common denominator in all these

test-taking pitfalls? One word: control Who’s in

con-trol, you or the exam?

Now the good news: The LearningExpress Test

Preparation System puts you in control You only have

to pass the CBEST once, and in nine easy-to-follow

steps, you will learn everything you need to know to

make sure that you do Why? Because you will be in

charge of your preparation and and your performance

on the exam Other test-takers may let the test get the

better of them; other test-takers may be unprepared or

out of shape, but not you You will have taken all the

steps you need to take to get a good score on the

CBEST

Here’s how the LearningExpress Test Preparation

System works: Nine easy steps lead you through

every-thing you need to know and do to get ready to master

your exam Each of the steps listed below includes both

reading about the step and one or more activities It’s

important that you do the activities along with the

reading, or you won’t be getting the full benefit of the

system Each step tells you approximately how much

time that step will take you to complete

We estimate that working through the entire

sys-tem will take you approximately three hours, though

it’s perfectly ok if you work faster or slower than the

time estimates assume If you can take a whole

after-noon or evening, you can work through the whole LearningExpress Test Preparation System in one sit-ting Otherwise, you can break it up, and do just one or two steps a day for the next several days It’s up to

you—remember, you’re in control.

 S t e p 1 : G e t I n f o r m a t i o n

Time to complete: 60 minutes Activities: Use the suggestions listed here to find out about the content of your exam.

Knowledge is power The first step in the LearningEx-press Test Preparation System is finding out everything you can about the CBEST Once you have your infor-mation, the next steps in the LearningExpress Test Preparation System will show you what to do with it

Part A: Straight Talk About the CBEST

Why do you have to take this exam? The states of Cal-ifornia and Oregon require the CBEST for all appli-cants for a first-time teaching or service credential Unless the applicant already has a California teaching credential or is exempted, he or she must take the CBEST in order to be issued—or obtain renewal of—

an Emergency Permit (This latter requirement does

Step 4 Learn to Manage Your Time 10 minutes Step 5 Learn to Use the Process of Elimination 20 minutes

Step 7 Reach Your Peak Performance Zone 10 minutes

not apply to Oregon applicants.) The CBEST might

also be required for applicants who have not taught for

39 months or more, and for students applying for

admission to a California Commission on Teacher

Credentialing (CCTC) approved teacher-preparation

program

But why reading, writing, and math? Why don’t

they test professional knowledge instead? Simply

because the states of California and Oregon want to

know that every teacher has the basic skills necessary

both to communicate clearly to students, parents, and

colleagues and to impart their knowledge of the

Eng-lish language and math to their students Basically, the

states just want to know that you did learn what you

should have learned in high school and college

Of course, there are all sorts of things a written

exam like this can’t test So keep some perspective

when you take this exam Don’t make the mistake of

thinking that your score determines who you are or

how smart you are or whether you’ll make a good

teacher However, your chances of being certified

depend on your getting a passing score And that’s why

you’re here—using the LearningExpress Test

Prepara-tion System to achieve control over your exam

Part B: What’s on the Test

If you haven’t already done so, stop here and read the

first chapter of this book, which gives you vital

infor-mation on the CBEST The CBEST is given six times a

year at selected schools in California and Oregon; you

can go to the placement office at your school or check

the CBEST website, at the Web address listed in

Chap-ter 1, to find out when and where to take the exam

The CBEST tests the skills reflected in the

prac-tice exams in this book:

■ Reading comprehension: demonstrating skills in

criticism, understanding literal meaning, and making inferences

■ Writing: demonstrating insight, logical thinking,

and the ability to write clearly and coherently for

a specific audience

■ Mathematics: demonstrating skills in arithmetic,

algebra, measurement, and geometry

 S t e p 2 : C o n q u e r Te s t A n x i e t y

Time to complete: 20 minutes Activity: Take the Test Stress Test

Having complete information about the exam is the first step in getting control of the exam Next, you have

to overcome one of the biggest obstacles to test success:

test anxiety Test anxiety can not only impair your

per-fomance on the exam itself, but can even keep you from preparing! Having complete information about the exam is the first step in getting control of the exam, and with the LearningExpress Test Preparation System, you’ll learn stress management techniques that will help you succeed on your exam Learn these strategies now, and practice them as you work through the exams in this book, so they’ll be second nature to you

by exam day

Combating Test Anxiety

The first thing you need to know is that a little test anx-iety is a good thing Everyone gets nervous before a big exam—and if that nervousness motivates you to pre-pare thoroughly, so much the better It’s said that Sir Laurence Olivier, one of the foremost British actors of this century, threw up before every performance But his stage fright didn’t impair his performance In fact,

it probably gave him a little extra edge—just the kind

of edge you’ll need to do well in the CBEST examina-tion room

– L E A R N I N G E X P R E S S T E S T P R E PA R AT I O N S Y S T E M –

You only need to worry about test anxiety if it is extreme enough to impair your performance The following questionnaire will provide a diagnosis of your level of test anxiety In the blank before each statement, write the number that most accu-rately describes your experience.

0 = Never

1 = Once or twice

2 = Sometimes

3 = Often

I have gotten so nervous before an exam that I simply put down the books and didn’t study for it.

I have experienced disabling physical symptoms such as vomiting and severe headaches because I was nervous about an exam.

I have simply not showed up for an exam because I was scared to take it.

I have experienced dizziness and disorientation while taking an exam.

I have had trouble filling in the little circles because my hands were shaking too hard.

I have failed an exam because I was too nervous to complete it.

Total: Add up the numbers in the blanks above.

Your Test Anxiety Score

Here are the steps you should take, depending on your score If you scored:

■ Below 3, your level of test anxiety is nothing to worry about; it is probably just enough to give you that little extra

edge.

■ Between 3 and 6, your test anxiety may be enough to impair your performance, and you should practice the stress

management techniques listed in this section to try to bring your test anxiety down to manageable levels.

■ Above 6, your level of test anxiety is a serious concern In addition to practicing the stress management techniques

listed in this section, you may want to seek additional, personal help Call your local high school or community col-lege and ask for the academic counselor Tell the counselor that you have a level of test anxiety that sometimes keeps you from being able to take an exam The counselor may be willing to help you or may suggest someone else you should talk to.

On the previous page is the Test Stress Test Stop

here and answer the questions on that page, to find out

whether your level of test anxiety is something you will

need to manage

Stress Management Before the Test

If you feel your level of anxiety getting the best of you

in the weeks before the test, here is what you need to

do to bring the level down again:

■ Get prepared There’s nothing like knowing what

to expect and being prepared for it to put you in

control of test anxiety That’s why you’re reading

this book Use it faithfully, and remind yourself

that you’re better prepared than most of the

peo-ple taking the test

■ Practice self-confidence A positive attitude is a

great way to combat test anxiety This is no time

to be humble or shy Stand in front of the mirror

and say to your reflection, “I’m prepared I’m full

of self-confidence I’m going to ace this test I

know I can do it.” Say it into a tape recorder and

play it back once a day Memorize the words If

you hear it often enough, you’ll believe it

■ Fight negative messages Every time someone

starts telling you how hard the exam is or how it’s

almost impossible to get a good score, start telling

them the self-confidence messages you have been

practicing If the person with the negative

mes-sages is you, telling yourself you don’t do well on

exams, you just can’t do this, don’t listen Turn on

your tape recorder and listen to your

self-confi-dence messages

■ Visualize Imagine yourself standing in front of

your class or chatting with a student Think of

yourself coming home with your first paycheck as

a teacher and taking your family or friends out to

celebrate Visualizing success can help make it

happen—and it reminds you of why you’re going through all this work in preparing for the exam

■ Exercise Physical activity helps calm your body

down and focus your mind Besides, being in good physical shape can actually help you do well

on the exam Go for a run, lift weights, go swim-ming—and do it regularly

Stress Management on Test Day

There are several ways you can bring down your level

of test anxiety on test day Practice them in the weeks before the test; they’ll be effective only if you know which ones work best for you

■ Deep breathing Take a deep breath while you

count to five Hold it for a count of one, then let

it out on a count of five Repeat several times

■ Move your body Try rolling your head in a circle.

Rotate your shoulders Shake your hands from the wrist Many people find these movements very relaxing

■ Visualize again Think of the place where you are

most relaxed: perhaps lying on the beach in the sun or walking through the park Now close your eyes and imagine you’re actually there If you practice in advance, you’ll find that you only need

a few seconds of this exercise to experience a sig-nificant increase in your sense of well-being

When anxiety threatens to overwhelm you right there during the exam, there are still things you can do

to manage the stress level:

■ Repeat your self-confidence messages You

should have them memorized by now Say them quietly to yourself, and believe them!

■ Visualize one more time This time, visualize

yourself moving smoothly and quickly through the test, answering every question right and

– L E A R N I N G E X P R E S S T E S T P R E PA R AT I O N S Y S T E M –

finishing with time to spare Like most

visualiza-tion techniques, this one works best if you’ve

practiced it ahead of time

■ Find an easy question Skim over the test until

you find an easy question, and answer it Getting

even one circle filled in gets you into the

test-taking groove

■ Take a mental break Everyone loses

concentra-tion once in a while, so don’t worry about it

Instead, accept what has happened Say to

your-self, “Hey, I lost it there for a minute My brain is

taking a break.” Put down your pencil, close your

eyes, and do some deep breathing for a few

sec-onds Then you’re ready to go back to work

Use these tried and true techniques ahead of time, and

see if they don’t work for you!

 S t e p 3 : M a k e a P l a n

Maybe the most important thing you can do to

man-age anxiety and get control of your exam is to make a

study plan Too many people fail their test simply

because they don’t allot enough study time for test

preparation! Spending hours cramming on the day

before the test, poring over sample test questions, not

only raises the level of your test anxiety, but there is

simply no substitute for careful preparation and

prac-tice over time!

So DON’T fall into the cram trap Take control of

your preparation time by mapping out a study

sched-ule In fact, all the instructional material you’ll need to

study for the CBEST is in Chapter 4, the “CBEST

Mini-Course.” The “Mini-Course” is conveniently divided

into 24 half-hour lessons, so a study schedule has

already been provided for you, built right into the

LearningExpress Test Preparation System The best

way to devise your own personal study plan is to first

do the sample CBEST Diagnostic Exam in Chapter 3

of this book Your study plan will be based on your own personalized scores from each of the individual sections—with this knowledge, you can then concen-trate on the areas that give you the most difficulty

On the following pages, we have provided sample schedules of “what” you should do “when,” based on how much time you have before you take the exam If you have months before the exam—lucky you! REMEMBER: You can’t improve your reading, writing, and math skills overnight! So…

■ DON’T PUT OFF YOUR STUDY UNTIL THE WEEK BEFORE THE EXAM!

■ START NOW!

You have to set aside some time every day for

study and practice Try for at least thirty (30) minutes

a day—but even a few minutes a day, with a half-hour

or more on weekends, can make a big difference in your score—and in your chances of landing that plum teaching job!

 S c h e d u l e A : T h e L e i s u r e P l a n

If you have six months or more in which to prepare, you’re lucky! Make the most of your time

 S c h e d u l e B : T h e J u s t E n o u g h

-T i m e P l a n

If you have three to five months before the exam, you still have enough time to prepare for the written test This schedule assumes four months; stretch it out or compress it if you have more or less time

Time Preparation

Exam minus 6 months Take the CBEST Diagnostic in Chapter 3 and skim the 24 lessons in the

Mini-Course Based on your scores on the individual sections of the diagnostic exam, divide up the next 5 months into segments of time which you estimate each lesson will take Be sure to schedule in more time on those skills that give you problems Exam minus 6 months Work steadily and calmly through each lesson, sticking to your schedule and being

to 2 months sure to do the practice exercises Besides doing the lessons, be sure to read more

during these months than you are accustomed to—novels, non-fiction books, mag-azines, newspapers; it is very important for the CBEST that your reading skills be honed Also, look at the “More Help” section of the Mini-Course Choose one or two books from the area that gives you the most trouble, and use them to help you improve your weak area

Exam minus 2 months Take the first practice exam, CBEST Practice Exam 1 Use your score to help you

decide where to concentrate your efforts Review the relevant lessons of the Mini-Course and get the help of a friend or teacher If necessary, choose additional resources from the “More Help” section of the Mini-Course to help you

Exam minus 2 weeks Take the second practice test, CBEST Practice Exam 2, to see how much you’ve

improved, and then, again, review the areas that give you the most trouble

Exam minus 1 day Relax Do something unrelated to the exam Eat a good meal and go to bed at your

usual time

Schedule A: The Leisure Plan

Exam minus 4 months Take the CBEST diagnostic in Chapter 3 and skim the 24 lessons in the

Mini-Course Based on your scores on the individual sections of the diagnostic exam, divide up the next 4 months into segments of time which you estimate each lesson will take Be sure to schedule in more time on those skills that give you problems Exam minus 4 months Work steadily and calmly through each lesson, sticking to your schedule and being

to 1 month sure to do the practice exercises Besides doing the lessons, schedule in more

reading during these months than you’re used to doing—novels, non-fiction books, magazines, newspapers; it is very important for the CBEST that your reading skills

be in top shape If you fall behind in your schedule, remember that you’re in

con-trol—it’s your schedule Don’t shrug your shoulders and moan, “I’ll never make it!” Just take a look at the schedule, see where you went off track, revise the schedule for the time you have left, and continue

Exam minus 2 months Take the first practice exam, CBEST Practice Exam 1 Use your score to help you

decide where to concentrate your efforts Review the relevant lessons of the Mini-Course and get the help of a friend or teacher If you need more help, choose addi-tional resources

Exam minus 2 weeks Take the second practice test, CBEST Practice Exam 2, to see how much you’ve

improved, and then, again, review the areas that give you the most trouble

Schedule B: The Just-Enough-Time Plan