FTCE General Knowledge Book + Online

edition.

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Congratulations! By taking the FTCE General Knowledge Test, you are on your way to a rewarding teaching career. Our book and the online tools that come with it give you what you need to succeed on this important exam, bringing you one step closer to being certified to teach in Florida.

Our FTCE General Knowledge Test Book + Online Prep package includes:

• Complete overview of the FTCE General Knowledge Test

• Comprehensive review of all competencies

• Online diagnostic test to pinpoint your strengths and weaknesses and focus your study

• Three full-length practice tests, two in the book and one online, with powerful diagnostic tools to help you personalize your prep

• Detailed answer explanations

There are many different ways to prepare for the FTCE General Knowledge exam. What’s best for you depends on how much time you have to study and how comfortable you are with the subject matter. Our book and online tests give you the tools you need to customize your prep so you can make the most of your study time.

How to Use This Book + Online Prep

About Our Review

The review chapters in this book are designed to help you sharpen your command of all the skills you’ll need to pass the FTCE General Knowledge Test. Whether you’re a recent graduate of a traditional teacher education program or you’ve gone the alternate route, our review will reinforce what you have learned and show you how to relate the information you have acquired to the specific competencies on the exam.

Our targeted review covers what you need to know to succeed on the exam. After studying our review, you will have an excellent grasp of the subject matter and a solid foundation for passing the exam.

About Our Practice Tests

We know your time is valuable and you want an efficient study experience. That’s why REA’s FTCE General Knowledge test prep gives you a complete, flexible study system that allows you to take printed practice tests in the book and additional practice tests online.

The book contains two full-length practice exams based on the material tested on the FTCE General Knowledge Test. This prep package also gives you online access to additional content at the REA Study Center (www.rea.com/studycenter), where you will find an online diagnostic test and another full-length practice test.

Before you study with the book, take the online diagnostic test to get feedback right from the start on what you know and what you don’t. This will not only help you make the most of your study time, but also pinpoint the topics where you need the most review.

The full-length online exam simulates the computer-based format of the actual FTCE test and comes with these features:

• Automatic Scoring —Find out how you did on your test, instantly.

• Diagnostic Score Reports —Get a specific score tied to each competency, so you can focus on the areas that challenge you the most.

• On-screen Detailed Answer Explanations —See why the correct response option is right, and learn why the other answer choices are incorrect.

• Timed Testing —Learn to manage your time as you practice, so you’ll feel confident on test day.

To achieve the best results, we recommend you take both our printed and online exams. The more you practice, the more comfortable you will be with the format of the FTCE General Knowledge Test—helping you to score higher!

Getting Started

Before you work through this book, we strongly recommend that you visit the Florida Teacher Certification Examinations website at www.fl.nesinc.com. There you’ll find the most current information on the exam, including registration information, testing sites, testing format, test-day advice, registration cost, and FTCE-developed test preparation materials.

An Overview of the Test

Who Takes the Test, and What Is It Used for?

The FTCE-GKT is used by the State of Florida to assess knowledge of teacher certification candidates. If you do not achieve a passing score on the FTCE-GKT, don’t panic. You can take the test again, so you can work on improving your score in preparation for your next administration.

About Computer-Based Testing

The FTCE-GKT is offered only on computer at flexible times and locations throughout the year. Minimal computer and typing skills are required to complete the computer-based tests. You need to be comfortable with a Windows environment, using a mouse (including clicking, double-clicking, dragging, and scrolling), and typing at a rate that will allow you to complete the assignment in the allotted time (approximately 30 words per minute). In computer-based testing, examinees complete the tests by selecting answers on-screen to multiple-choice questions and typing or recording a response to a performance assessment component. The FTCE-GKT requires the examinee to type a response to the essay assignment.

When Should the FTCE-GKT Be Taken?

The FTCE-GKT is usually taken immediately before the completion of a teacher certification program at a college or university. This gives candidates enough time to retake the test if necessary. Our practice tests will familiarize you with the format of the exam so that you do not have to go through the anxiety of learning about the FTCE-GKT during the actual exam.

When and Where Is the Test Given?

The FTCE-GKT is administered at various times and locations in Florida and in select cities nationwide. To find a testing center near you, visit the official website: www.fl.nesinc.com.

The registration bulletin for the FTCE-GKT contains test dates and administration sites. You may obtain a registration bulletin by contacting:

FTCE/FELE Program

Evaluation Systems Group of Pearson

PO Box 226

Phone: (413) 256-2893

Amherst, MA 01004

Website: www.fl.nesinc.com

Is There a Registration Fee?

Yes, you must pay a fee to take the FTCE-GKT. Fee waivers are available for candidates who are unable to afford registration. You must be enrolled in a college undergraduate program and must prove that you are required by a registered score recipient to take the exam. Details regarding income eligibility levels are contained in the registration bulletin.

What is Assessed on the FTCE General Knowledge Test?

The FTCE General Knowledge Test ensures that you have the essential knowledge and skills to teach the state-required curriculum in Florida.

Whether you are a student, a graduate from a Florida state-approved teacher preparation program, or an educator who has received certification in another state, you should familiarize yourself with the requirements for teaching in Florida at the FTCE website. The FTCE General Knowledge Test is a required component of full certification in teacher preparation programs in Florida.

The following chart shows the approximate percentages devoted to each subject covered on the exam:

Scoring the FTCE General Knowledge Test

The FTCE General Knowledge Test is a pass/fail test. The subtests are administered, scored, and reported independently. If you fail any of the subtests, you are required to retake only the subtest(s) failed. For example, if you fail the Mathematics subtest and pass all of the other subtests, you need only retake the Mathematics subtest.

Scoring the English Language Skills, Mathematics, and Reading Subtests

Upon completion of your General Knowledge exam, you will receive an unofficial score report for the multiple-choice subtests: English Language Skills, Mathematics, and Reading. Official score reports for the above three subtests will be available approximately 3 to 4 weeks after your test date.

The minimum percentages needed to earn a passing score on these subtests are as follows:

• English Language Skills: 68 percent of items correct.

• Reading: 73 percent of items correct.

• Mathematics: 69 percent of items correct.

Scoring the Essay Subtest

Your Essay Subtest score will be released approximately six weeks after your test date. The passing score for the General Knowledge Essay Subtest is at least 8 out of 12 points. Your essay will be read and scored by two independent and qualified raters. The two independent scores are combined to create the total score for the Essay subtest.

Study Schedule

Although our study plan is designed to be used in the six weeks before your exam, if necessary, it can be condensed to three weeks by combining each two-week period into one. Be sure to set aside enough time—at least two hours each day—to study. The more time you spend studying, the more prepared and relaxed you will feel on the day of the exam.

When you take the practice tests, be sure to simulate the conditions of the test as closely as possible. Turn off all electronic devices and sit down at a table free from distraction. Read each question carefully, consider all answer choices, and pace yourself.

As you complete each test, score your exam and review the detailed explanations for the questions you answered incorrectly. Concentrate on one problem area at a time by reading the question and explanation, and by studying our review until you are confident that you have mastered the material. Give extra attention to the review chapters that cover your areas of difficulty, as this will build your skills in those areas.

Test-Taking Tips to Boost Your Score

Even though you have probably taken standardized tests like the FTCE-GKT before, you may still experience some anxiety about the exam. This is perfectly normal, and there are several ways to help alleviate test-day nervousness. Here are some tips to help you raise your score.

1. Guess Away

One of the most frequently asked questions about the FTCE General Knowledge Test is: Can I guess? The answer: absolutely! There is no penalty for guessing on the test. That means that if you guess incorrectly, you will not lose any points, but if you guess correctly, you will gain points. Thus, while it’s fine to guess, it’s important to guess smartly, or as the strategy is called: use process of elimination (see Strategy No. 2). Your score is based strictly on the number of correct answers. So answer all questions and take your best guess when you don’t know the answer.

2. Process of Elimination

Process of elimination is one of the most important test-taking strategies at your disposal. Process of elimination means looking at the choices and eliminating the ones you know are wrong, including answers that are partially wrong. Your odds of getting the right answer increase from the moment you’re able to get rid of a wrong choice.

3. All in

Review all the response options. Just because you believe you’ve found the correct answer—or, in some cases, answers—look at each choice so you don’t mistakenly jump to any conclusions. If you are asked to choose the best answer, be sure your first answer is really the best one.

4. Letter Choice of the Day

What if you are truly stumped and can’t use the process of elimination? It’s time to pick a fallback answer. On the day of the test, choose the letter choice (i.e., A, B, C, or D) that you will pick for any question you cannot smartly guess. According to the laws of probability, you have a higher chance of getting an answer right if you stick to one chosen position for the answer choice when you have to guess an answer instead of randomly picking one.

5. Use Choices to Confirm Your Answer

The great thing about multiple-choice questions is that the answer has to be staring back at you. Have an answer in mind and use the choices to confirm it. For the Math test, you can work out the problem and find the match among the choices, or you may want to try the opposite: backsolving—that is, working backwards—from the choices given.

6. Watch the Clock

Among the most vital point-saving skills is active time management. The breakdown and time limits of each section are provided as you begin each test. Keep an eye on the timer on your computer screen. Make sure you stay on top of how much time you have left for each section and never spend too much time on any one question. Remember: Most multiple-choice questions are worth one raw point. Treat each one as if it’s the one that will put you over the top. You never know, it just might. For the essay section, make sure you have enough time to write a well-organized essay. The last thing you want on test day is to lose easy points because you ran out of time and focused too much on difficult questions.

7. Read, Read, Read

It’s important to read through all the multiple-choice options. Even if you believe answer choice A is correct, you can misread a question or response option if you’re rushing to get through the test. While it is important not to linger on a questivon, it is also crucial to avoid giving a question short shrift. Slow down, calm down, read all the choices. Verify that your choice is the best one, and click on it.

8. Take Notes

Use the scratch paper provided to you to make notes to work toward the answer(s). If you use all the scratch paper you’re initially given, you can get more.

9. Isolate Limiters

Pay attention to any limiters in a multiple-choice question stem. These are words such as initial, best, most (as in most appropriate or most likely), not, least, except, required, or necessary. Especially watch for negative words, such as "Choose the answer that is not true." When you select your answer, double-check yourself by asking how the response fits the limitations established by the stem. Think of the stem as a puzzle piece that perfectly fits only the response option(s) that contain the correct answer. Let it guide you.

10. It’s Not a Race

Ignore other test-takers. Don’t compare yourself to anyone else in the room. Focus on the items in front of you and the time you have left. If someone finishes the test 30 minutes early, it does not necessarily mean that person answered more questions correctly than you did. Stay calm and focus on your test. It’s the only one that matters.

11. Confirm Your Click

In the digital age, many of us are used to rapid-clicking, be it in the course of emailing or gaming. Look at the screen to be sure to see that your mouse-click is acknowledged. If your answer doesn’t register, you won’t get credit. However, if you want to mark it for review so you can return later, that’s your call. Before you click SUBMIT, use the test’s review screen to see whether you inadvertently skipped any questions.

12. Creature of Habit? No Worries.

We are all creatures of habit. It’s therefore best to follow a familiar pattern of study. Do what’s comfortable for you. Set a time and place each day to study for this test. Whether it is 30 minutes at the library or an hour in a secluded corner of your local coffee shop, commit yourself as best you can to this schedule every day. Find quiet places where it is less crowded, as constant background noise can distract you. Don’t study one subject for too long, either. Take an occasional breather and treat yourself to a healthy snack or some quick exercise. After your short break—5 or 10 minutes can do the trick—return to what you were studying or start a new section.

13. Knowledge is Power

Purchasing this book gave you an edge on passing the FTCE General Knowledge Test. Make the most of this edge. Review the sections on how the test is structured, what the directions look like, what types of questions will be asked, and so on. Take our practice tests to familiarize yourself with what the test looks and feels like. Most test anxiety occurs because people feel unprepared when they are taking the test, and they psych themselves out. You can whittle away at anxiety by learning the format of the test and by knowing what to expect. Fully simulating the test even once will boost your chances of getting the score you need. Meanwhile, the knowledge you’ve gained will also will save you the valuable time that would have been eaten up puzzling through what the directions are asking As an added benefit, previewing the test will free up your brain’s resources so you can focus on racking up as many points as you can.

14. B-r-e-a-t-h-e

What’s the worst that can happen when you take a test? You may have an off day, and despite your best efforts, you may not pass. Well, the good news is that a test can be retaken. In fact, you may already be doing this—this book is every bit for you as it is for first-timers. Fortunately, the FTCE General Knowledge Test is something you can study and prepare for, and in some ways to a greater extent than other tests you’ve taken throughout your academic career. Yes, there will be questions you won’t know, but neither your teacher education program nor state licensing board (which sets its own cut scores) expects you to know everything. When unfamiliar vocabulary appears or difficult math problems loom, don’t despair: Use context clues, process of elimination, or your letter of the day to make your choice, and then press ahead. If you have time left, you can always come back to the question later. If not, relax. It is only one question on a test filled with many. Take a deep breath and then exhale. You know this information. Now you’re going to show it.

The Day of the Test

Before the Test

On the day of the test, you should wake up early after a good night’s rest. You should have a good breakfast and dress in layers that can be removed or added as the conditions in the testing center require. Arrive at the testing center early. This will allow you to relax and collect your thoughts before the test, and will also spare you the anguish that comes with being late. As an added incentive to make sure that you arrive early, keep in mind that no one will be admitted into the testing center after the test has begun.

Before you leave for the testing site, make sure that you have your admission ticket and two unexpired forms of identification. The first form of identification must be government issued and must contain a recent photograph, your name, and a legible signature. This can be a driver’s license, state-issued identification card, passport, or U.S. military identification. The second identification must have either a clear photograph or a signature. Examples of these could be a student ID or a Social Security card. If you do not have proper identification, you will not be admitted to the testing site. Be sure to check the FTCE website close to the date of your test just in case there are any changes to these requirements.

There are also very strict rules about what you may not bring to the testing site. You may not bring watches of any kind, cell phones or any other electronic communication devices. Scrap paper, written notes, books, and any printed material is prohibited. Smoking, eating, or drinking are not allowed, so do not bring any food or drinks, including water, to the site. Finally, weapons of any kind are banned, as are any visitors, including relatives.

During the Test

Once you enter the test center, follow all the rules and instructions given by your test supervisor. Failure to do so may result in your dismissal from the testing center. You may also have your scores canceled.

After the Test

Keep in mind that several versions of the FTCE-GKT are administered during each testing period. So in any offhanded conversation afterward, remember that the test-takers around you were very likely working on tests with completely different questions and answers than yours. Do not be alarmed when talking to friends and acquaintances about their FTCE-GKT test-taking experiences to discover that you do not remember the questions they are discussing. And be sure to keep such discussions private: You’ll be signing a non-disclosure agreement when you sit for the test.

Good luck on the exam! You are well on your way to certification.

FTCE GENERAL KNOWLEDGE TEST

Content Review

CHAPTER

This review was developed to prepare you for the Reading Section of the FTCE-GKT. You will be guided through a step-by-step approach to focus on the reading passages and questions. Also included are tips to help you quickly and accurately answer the questions that will appear in this section. By studying our review, you will greatly increase your chances of achieving a passing score on the Reading Section of the FTCE-GKT. You will have 40 minutes to complete the 40-question section, which covers the following key competencies:

• Knowledge of key ideas and details based on text selections. (40%)

• Knowledge of craft and structure based on text selections. (25%)

• Knowledge of the integration of information and ideas based on text selections. (35%)

The passages

The selections in the Reading Section are specially designed to be on the level of the types of material in your college textbooks. They will present you with very diverse subjects. The passages will be both expository and narrative. Although you will not be expected to have prior knowledge of the information presented in the passages, you will be expected to know the fundamental reading comprehension techniques presented in this chapter. Only your ability to read and comprehend material will be tested.

The questions

Each passage will be followed by a number of questions, with 40 questions spanning approximately five passages. The questions will ask you to make determinations based on what you have read. You will encounter different questions that target the skills below. The questions will ask you to:

• Identify textual evidence to support conclusions.

• Identify explicit meaning and details.

• Determine inferences and conclusions.

• Discriminate among inferences, conclusions, and assumptions.

• Determine and analyze the development of central ideas or themes.

• Summarize one or more texts.

• Determine how and why specific individuals, events, and ideas develop.

• Determine the cause-and-effect relationship(s) among individuals, events, and ideas.

• Interpret the meaning of words and phrases.

• Analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.

• Analyze how the author uses organization and text structure to convey meaning.

• Contrast the point of view of two or more authors.

• Analyze how point of view and purpose shape the content and style of text.

• Evaluate and relate content presented in diverse formats.

• Evaluate specific claims in text based on relevancy, sufficiency, and validity or reasoning.

• Synthesize information from a range of texts to develop a coherent explanation of a process, phenomenon, concept, or theme.

• Analyze multiple texts to differentiate approaches authors take to develop similar themes.

General strategies

Eight key strategies should guide you in this section.

• Look over all the passages first and then focus on the passages that seem easiest and most interesting.

• Identify the main ideas of each paragraph.

• When a question asks you to draw inferences, your answer should reflect what is implied in the passage, rather than what is directly stated.

• Use the context of the sentence to find the meaning of an unfamiliar word.

• Determine whether the writer is using facts or opinions.

• Recognize key transitions and identify dominant patterns of organization.

• Commit to a response and move on. Don’t get frustrated by the more troublesome passages. If you haven’t gotten answers after two attempts, answer as best you can and go to the next question.

• If you have time at the end, go back to the passages that were difficult and review them again.

General strategies for reading passages

When reading each passage, this is your general plan:

Step 1: Read quickly while keeping in mind that questions will follow.

Step 2: Uncover the main idea or theme of the passage.

Many times it is contained within the first few lines of the passage.

Step 3: Uncover the main idea of each paragraph. Usually it is contained in either the first or last sentence of the paragraph.

Step 4: Skim over the detailed points of the passage; you can always go back and look for details if a question calls for that.

When you take the Reading Section of the FTCE-GKT, you will have two tasks:

1. Read the selection.

2. Answer the questions.

Of the two, carefully reading the passage is more important; answering the questions is based on an understanding of the passage. Here is a four-step approach to reading:

Step 1: Preview.

Step 2: Read actively.

Step 3: Review the passage.

Step 4: Answer the questions.

Step 1: Preview

A preview of the reading passage will reveal its purpose and rationale. Before beginning to read the passage (usually a four-minute activity if you preview and review), you should take about 30 seconds to look over the passage and questions. An effective way to preview the passage is to read the first sentence of each paragraph, the concluding sentence of the passage, and the questions—but not the response options—following the passage. Practice previewing the passage by reading the first sentence of the selection and the last line of the passage. Having this information will make the reading of the passage much easier.

You should also look at the stem of the question in your preview. Don’t spend time reading the answer choices for each question. The stem alone should guide you as you read.

The stems will be similar to the following:

1. The main idea of the passage is best stated in which of the following?

2. The main purpose of the writer in this passage is to . . .

3. Of the following, which fact best supports the writer’s claims?

4. Among the following statements, which states an opinion expressed by the writer rather than a fact?

5. The list of topics below that best reflects the organization of the topics of the passage is . . .

6. Which paragraph below is the best summary of the passage?

7. Based on the passage, the rationale for fact-pattern analyses arises out of what theoretical groundwork?

8. Based on data in the passage, what would most likely be the major cause for the climax of the selection?

9. In the context of the passage, ______________________ might be most nearly defined as which of the following?

Step 2: Read Actively

After your preview, you are now ready to read actively. This means that as you read, you will be engaged in such things as recognizing important words, topic sentences, main ideas, and words denoting the tone of the passage. Carefully read the first sentence of each paragraph since this often contains the topic of the paragraph. During this stage, you should also determine the writer’s purpose in writing the passage, as this will help you focus on the main points and how the writer structures the passage. You can determine the author’s purpose by asking yourself:

• What is the writer’s overall goal or objective?

• Is the writer trying primarily to persuade you by proving or using facts to make a case for an idea?

• Is the writer trying primarily to inform and enlighten you about an idea, object, or event?

• Is the writer attempting primarily to amuse you? To keep you fascinated? To keep you laughing?

Read these examples and see if you can decide what the primary purpose of the following statements is.

(1) Jogging too late in life can cause more health problems than it solves. I will allow that the benefits of jogging are many: lowered blood pressure, increased vitality, better cardiovascular health, and better muscle tone. However, an older person may have a history of injury or chronic ailments that makes jogging counterproductive. For example, the elderly jogger may have hardening of the arteries, emphysema, or undiscovered aneurysms just waiting to burst and cause stroke or death. Chronic arthritis in the joints will only be aggravated by persistent irritation and use. Moreover, for those of us with injuries sustained in our youth—such as torn Achilles’ tendons or torn knee cartilage—jogging might just make a painful life more painful, canceling out the benefits the exercise is intended to produce.

(2) Jogging is a sporting activity that exercises all the main muscle groups of the body. That the arms, legs, buttock, and torso voluntary muscles are engaged goes without question. Running down a path makes you move your upper body as well as your lower body muscles. People do not often take into account, however, how the involuntary muscle system is also put through its paces. The heart, diaphragm, even the eye and face muscles, take part as we hurl our bodies through space at speeds up to five miles per hour over distances as long as 26 miles, which is marathon distance.

(3) It seems to me that jogging styles are as identifying as fingerprints! People seem to be as individual in the way they run as they are in personality. Here comes the Duck, waddling down the track, little wings going twice as fast as the feet in an effort to stay upright. At about the quarter-mile mark, I see the Penguin, quite natty in the latest jogging suit, body stiff as a board from neck to ankles and the ankles flexing a mile a minute to cover the yards. And down there at the half-mile post—there comes the Giraffe—a tall fellow in a spotted electric yellow outfit, whose long strides cover about a dozen yards each, and whose neck waves around under some old army camouflage hat that probably served its time in a surplus store in the Bronx rather than in Desert Storm. Once you see the animals in the jogger woods once, you can identify them from miles away just by seeing their gait. And by the way, be careful whose hoof you’re stepping on, it may be mine!

In (1) the writer makes a statement that a number of people would debate and which isn’t clearly demonstrated in science or common knowledge. In fact, common wisdom usually maintains the opposite thesis. Many would say that jogging improves the health of the aging—even slows down the aging process. As soon as you see a writer point to or identify an issue open to debate and standing in need of proof, she or he is setting out to persuade you to one side or the other. You’ll notice, too, that the writer in this case takes a stand. It’s almost as if the writer is saying, I have concluded that . . . But a thesis or arguable idea is only a hypothesis until evidence is summoned by the writer to prove it. Effective arguments are based on factual or demonstrable evidence, not opinion.

In (2) the writer is simply stating a fact. This is not a matter for debate. From here, the writer’s evidence is to explain and describe what is meant by the fact. She or he proceeds to analyze (break down into its elements) the way the different muscle groups come into play or do work when jogging, thus explaining the fact stated as a main point in the opening sentence. That jogging exercises all the muscle groups is not in question or a matter of debate. Besides taking the form of explaining how something works, or what parts it is made of (for example, the basic parts of a bicycle are . . .), writers may show how the idea, object, or event functions. A writer may use this information to prove something. But if the writer doesn’t argue to prove a debatable point, then the purpose must be either to inform (as here) or to entertain.

In (3) the writer is taking a stand, but she or he is not attempting to prove anything, but instead merely pointing to a lighthearted observation. Moreover, all of the examples the writer uses to support the statement are either fanciful, funny, odd, or peculiar to the writer’s particular vision. Joggers aren’t really animals, after all.

Make sure to examine all of the facts that the author uses to support the main idea. This will allow you to decide whether or not the writer has made a case, and what sort of purpose the writer supports. Look for supporting details—facts, examples, illustrations, expert testimony or research—that are about the topic in question and show what the writer says is so. In fact, paragraphs and theses consist of show and tell. The writer tells you something is so or not so and then shows you facts, illustrations, expert testimony, or experience to support it.

You should also be able to distinguish between fact and opinion. You will be tested on this skill in this section of the test. Let’s look at the following examples. In each case ask yourself if you are reading a fact or an opinion.

1. Some roses are red.

2. Roses are the most beautiful flowers in the world.

3. After humans smell roses, they fall in love.

4. Roses are the worst plants to grow in your backyard.

No. 1 is a fact. All you have to do is go look at the evidence. Go to a florist. You will see that No. 1 is true. A fact is anything that can be demonstrated to be true in reality or that has been demonstrated to be true in reality and is documented by others. For example, the moon is in orbit about 250,000 miles from Earth.

No. 2 is an opinion. The writer claims this as truth, but since it is an abstract quality (beauty), it remains to be seen. Others will hold different opinions. This is a matter of taste, not fact.

No. 3 is an opinion. There is probably some related coincidence between these two, but there is no verifiable or repeatable and observable evidence that this is always true—at least not the way it is true that if you throw a ball into the air, it