Congratulations! By taking the FTCE Exceptional Student Education K-12 exam, youre on your way to a rewarding career working with exceptional students. Our book and the online tools that come with it give you everything you need to succeed on this important exam, bringing you one step closer to being certified to teach in Florida. Our FTCE test prep package includes:
• a complete overview of the FTCE Exceptional Student Education K-12 exam
• a comprehensive review of every competency
• end-of-chapter quizzes
• two full-length online practice tests with powerful diagnostic tools to help you personalize your prep
How To Use This Book
About the Review
The review chapters in this book are designed to help you sharpen the skills needed to pass the FTCE test. We present the competencies assessed on the exam in the order that helps make the material easiest to review and retain. Each of the skills required for all seven competencies is discussed at length to optimize your understanding.
Keep in mind that your schooling has taught you most of what you need to know to answer the questions on the test. Some of the education classes you took should have provided you with the know-how to understand and make important decisions about professional situations involving exceptional students (also called special education students).
Our review is designed to help you relate the information you have acquired to specific competencies. Studying your class notes and textbooks together with our review will give you an excellent foundation for passing the exam.
About the REA Study Center
The best way to personalize your study plan is to get feedback on what you know and what you dont know. At the online REA Study Center, we give you two full-length practice tests with detailed score reports that pinpoint your strengths and weaknesses.
Before you review with the book, go to the REA Study Center and take the first practice test as a diagnostic. Your score report will identify the areas in which you need to concentrate. Review the parts of the book where youre weakest and focus your study on the areas where you need the most review.
After reviewing with the book, take Practice Test 2 online at the REA Study Center to ensure that you have mastered the material and are ready for test day. Use your score reports to identify any other areas where you need extra study, and read those sections of the review chapters again.
If you are studying and dont have Internet access, you can take the printed tests in the book. These are the same practice tests offered at the REA Study Center, but without the added benefits of timed testing conditions, automatic scoring, and diagnostic score reports. Remember, the FTCE is a computer-based exam, and we strongly recommend taking the practice tests online to replicate exam-day conditions.
An Overview of the Test
What is Tested on the FTCE Exceptional Student Education K-12 Exam?
The FTCE Exceptional Student Education K-12 exam is computer-based and assesses seven broad area competencies along with the skills aligned to each competency. Below are the competencies used as the basis for the exam, as well as the approximate percentage of the total exam that each competency covers.
These competencies represent the knowledge that teams of teachers, administrators, subject area specialists, and others have determined to be important for beginning teachers who work with exceptional students. Each review chapter discusses a competency in depth and is organized by the skills that the Florida Department of Education lists for each competency.
What is the Format of the Test?
The FTCE Exceptional Student Education K-12 exam includes 120 scorable multiple-choice questions. All questions are designed to assess your knowledge of the competencies and the related skills reviewed in this book. In general, the multiple-choice questions are intended to make you think logically. You are expected in most cases to demonstrate more than an ability to recall factual information; you may be asked to think critically about the information, analyze it, consider it carefully, compare it with knowledge you have, or make a judgment about it.
Answering the multiple-choice questions is straightforward. Each question will have four choices labeled A, B, C, and D. Mark your answer choice directly below each test item on the computer screen. The test is scored based on the number of questions you answer correctly, and no points are deducted for wrong answers. Therefore, do not leave any item unanswered, since you are not penalized for guessing.
You are given two and a half hours to complete the test, but be aware of the amount of time you are spending on each question so you allow yourself time to complete the whole test. Maintain a steady pace when answering questions and use your time efficiently.
When Should the FTCE Exam Be Taken?
Florida law requires that teachers demonstrate mastery of basic skills, professional knowledge, and the content areas in which they are specializing. A Professional Florida Educators Certificate requires, among other things, that you pass all three parts of the FTCE battery: Professional Education, General Knowledge, and the Subject Area Exam. Temporary Certificates are available to qualified individuals for three years, during which time you may teach while preparing to take the certification tests, including the one corresponding to your area of specialization.
This book helps you prepare for the area of specialization called Exceptional Student Education K-12. (Separate tests are required for certification in the areas of Hearing Impaired K-12, Speech- Language Impaired K-12, and Visually Impaired K-12.) Whether you are a student, a graduate of a Florida state-approved teacher preparation program, or an educator who has received certification in another state, you should carefully read the requirements for working with exceptional students provided in the Educator Certification pages of the Florida Department of Education website (http://www.fl doe.org/edcert/).
How Do I Register for the Test and Is There a Registration Fee?
You may register on the Internet at any time. There are no registration deadlines for the exam, but it is wise to register early for the session you desire, as test sites tend to fill up fast. You must pay a registration fee at the time you register for the exam. Information about FTCE test registration and fees is online at: http://www.fl.nesinc.com.
Scoring the Test
There are 120 multiple-choice questions on this test. A question answered correctly is worth one raw point, and your total raw score is the number of questions answered correctly on the full test. Our online practice tests are scored automatically for you. If you do not get a passing score on the practice tests, review your online score report and study the detailed explanations for the questions you answered incorrectly. Note which types of questions you answered wrong, and re-examine the corresponding review. After further review, you may want to retake the practice tests online.
When Will I Receive My Score Report?
On the score report release date you will receive an email notifying you that your score report is available in your account. This is only if you had provided your email address at the time of registration.
Test scores are released on Tuesdays after 10 p.m. Eastern Time within six weeks of the test date. Your score will be sent directly to the school district, college, or university you indicated when you registered. Your score will also be automatically sent electronically to the Bureau of Educator Certification.
Can I Retake the Test?
If you dont do well on the FTCE, dont panic! You can take it again, and in fact many candidates do. However, you must wait 31 days to retake the exam. You will have to reregister for the test and pay a fee.