I live in NJ and am studying for both elementary and middle school certifications, so I had to take the Praxis II: Elementary Education Multiple Subjects 5001 yesterday. To my utter surprise and delight, I seem to have passed all 4 sections.
Before I took the exam, I kept trying to find personal anecdotes online of those who had already taken it so I could prepare myself for what to expect, but I couldn’t find many so I thought maybe I could post this and help someone else out who’s looking for answers about this.
I studied for about a month before I took the test, and I bought both the Cirrus Praxis II Elementary Education Content Knowledge 5018 Study Guide, as well as the 5001 version, both on Amazon. However, I relied much more on 5018 even though I was taking the 5001 exam, and clearly it helped me pass. One thing to keep in mind about the books though, are that they both have a practice exam in the back for each section, but...they’re the same exact exams in both books. Literally same questions in the same order. So I wouldn’t bother buying both if I were you.
I also used this website, which provides one free practice test for each section and highlights which areas you need to work on, and lets you know if you’re likely to pass.
As far as each section on the actual test goes:
English: this section was hands down the hardest one. It’s what I got my lowest score in (178) and as I was taking it I was sure I was going to fail. I have always excelled in any English class throughout school and believed I would soar through this section, but it’s not as easy as you might think. Many of it is based around how to teach language to students and not around showcasing your actual language skills. You must know things like the processes for 1st and 2nd language acquisition and the technicalities that go into teaching phoneme/morpheme/phonics awareness.
You also must be very versed in sentence structure and parts of the sentence, like appositive and gerund phrases, and all the different types of pronouns/adverbs/verbs, etc. You must also be familiar with different literary/writing techniques, like prose and alliteration, stuff like that.
I doubt you will pass this section without at least studying a little bit, but if you’re not already an English expert, I’d suggest spending a decent amount of time studying this part.
————————————————————————-
Math: when I first began studying for the exam, I believed math would be the most difficult subject to pass. I was 100% wrong. I didn’t even study for math and it was my highest score (189 out of 200). It was very, very easy and even if you can’t remember exactly how to do a certain calculation, the multiple choice answers allow you to make your best educated guess.
You are given an on-screen scientific calculator to use as needed, as well as pencils and scrap paper.
I thought there would be much more geometry than there was, which I was happy about because geometry is my least favorite math subject. Mostly questions about shapes and perimeters of shapes, a few about area but again, not many.
I was surprised to see a decent amount of statistics questions. I highly suggest brushing up on that if you haven’t already: things like choosing which graphs to display quantitative vs qualitative variables, interpreting data on a graph, etc.
Other than that, it was all mostly algebraic equations. Very simple.
————————————————————————-
Social Studies: I was super intimidated both before and after I began studying for the social studies part. There is just so much information you need to know. I was confident that I was going into this exam without enough knowledge and that I’d just have to hope the test focused on what I’d actually studied.
I studied way more World History than I needed to. There were general world history questions about ancient civilizations and their influence on the current world, and many about WW1&2. Also, several regarding Russia/space race/Cold War.
Other than that, most of the test focused on US history. I absolutely should have studied more US history, but I still managed to scrape through with a 180. There are a lot of quotes you’re expected to date/ascribe to a certain historical figure.
I was happy that there weren’t too many geography questions, but enough to where you at least need a basic understanding of it.
There were a lot more economic questions than I expected so you have to make sure you familiarize yourself with stuff like that. Also questions about constitutional amendments and Supreme Court cases, as well as general stuff about our government (legislative, executive, and judicial branches).
Easier than I expected, but still very difficult. You will not pass this section without studying.
————————————————————————
Science: I got a 188 on the science section, and I was very happily surprised about that.
There were quite a few questions about cell structure/processes, like prokaryotic vs. eukaryotic or phases of mitosis. Definitely definitely study that stuff. Also study the basic systems in the body and how they function together.
There were many questions about chemical compounds, atoms, molecules, chemical reactions, and phases of matter.
A few questions about specific scientists who did specific things threw me off so I made my best guesses on those.
There are also several questions about planetary movements, as well as about the moon: things like phases of the moon and what happens during them, or exactly how the moon affects the tide/magnetic field of the earth.
Finally, there’s a few questions about energy and Newton’s Laws in general.
The science section was a lot easier than I expected it to be, and even for the answers I didn’t know, I was able to break down the questions/answer choices and make my best educated guess. Assuming you already have a general understanding of the subject, you could probably get by without doing much studying.
————————————————————————
My overall opinion is that, in general, the exam was easier than expected BUT that definitely does not mean it was easy. The most difficult part I think for many people will be the structure of the questions/answers. Take your time and read every word fully before answering. There were many times that one answer choice was right, but another was more right, if that makes sense. Plus, some of the questions are worded in ways that are intended to throw you off if you don’t actually read it fully.
The wording of the questions can seem overwhelming, but if you break them down and figure out exactly what they’re asking, you’ll at least be able to eliminate one or two answer choices and then make your best educated guess. Don’t get overwhelmed with the word choice, just break the questions down into plain English and answer exactly what they’re asking.
Pay attention to the “NOT”s thrown in, like “Which was not a cause of WW1?” There were many times I almost got a question wrong because I didn’t realize I was supposed to be choosing the wrong answer and not the right one.
Don’t be upset if you don’t pass every section on your first try! You’ll have a better understanding of what to expect after your first try and you’ll go into with much more confidence your second time around. Just do your best and STUDY STUDY STUDY.
Feel free to reach out with any other questions about this!!
Submitted February 16, 2020 at 05:48PM by alexsangthat https://ift.tt/2OXv2c6
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario