Yet another Certification!
I’m very excited that I have received my GACE scores from the last round and I passed both my tests! This keeps my perfect streak of passing scores intact, and more importantly, gives me more valuable certifications. I passed both Biology and Special Education Academic Content Concentrations, so my certificate looks like this now:
- Biology (6-12)
- Economics (6-12)
- Geography (6-12)
- Middle Grades (4-8)
- Middle Grades Social Science (4-8)
- Political Science (6-12)
- Special Education General Curriculum Consultative (P-12)
- Special Education Language Arts Cognitive Level (P-8)
- Special Education Math Cognitive Level (P-8)
- Special Education Reading Cognitive Level (P-8)
- Special Education Science Cognitive Level (P-8)
- Special Education Social Science Cognitive Level (P-8)
I typed that almost off the new certificate I received in the mail, and it’s almost half a page long on there. I’m definitely proud and excited, and hopeful that all these certifications will make me look attractive and versatile as I continue to search for a teaching job.
The next GACE is after the holidays, and I’ve got a couple of weeks to determine what I’ll be taking. Might be history, might be science, might be math! We’ll just have to see.
Jide said,
December 4, 2009 @ 6:55 am
Congratulations Mike,
l intend to take GACE Geogrpaphy exam, please can you tell me the study materials you used.
Jide
Becky said,
December 4, 2009 @ 3:54 pm
Hey Mike,
I am glad I came across your postings. I have taken the Special ed general curriculum exams and will be taking the special ed academic content exams in January. I am having trouble finding any study materials and could use some help/advice. Any suggestions or tips?
Thanks,
Becky
admin said,
December 6, 2009 @ 2:41 pm
Hi Jide,
Sorry it took me a few days to get back to you, but I responded to your comment on my previous post. Head there for my advice.
–Mike
admin said,
December 6, 2009 @ 2:47 pm
Becky,
Study materials for the Academic Content Concentration exams are hard to come by. There are printed guides that you can purchase in bookstores, but there isn’t one yet for this particular test.
Because you don’t have the benefit of a study guide book, I’ll give you almost the same advice I gave Jide in the comments on my last post. Go to the GACE website and find the study materials there for your tests. You should be able to find sample questions, and you should also be able to find a PDF that spells out exactly what will be covered on the test. Anything on that list is fair game–anything NOT on the list won’t be on the test.
Academic Content Concentrations is a difficult test to study for, simply because it’s so broad. Every topic is covered: science, math, social studies, and English/reading. You have to be ready for anything. I was slightly surprised by the difficulty of the math section, but you’re given a calculator, so you should be able to work your way through it. Even if you don’t know exactly how to solve the problems [don't miss the page of formulas they give you], you should be able to solve most by brute force or working backwards through the answers.
There were some questions about reading strategies that I was uncertain about.
If you go line-by-line through the list of topics on the test, I think that’s a decent strategy.
Best of luck!
–Mike
Carrie said,
January 3, 2010 @ 9:17 pm
Hi Mike,
Do you have any advice for studying for the GACE Special Education General Curriculum test? I have read several reviews that say the study guides you can buy from the bookstores are not helpful.
Thanks,
Carrie
admin said,
January 4, 2010 @ 2:28 am
Hi Carrie:
The problem with the GACE SPED General Curriculum test is two-fold. First and foremost, your biggest problem is that the test is so broad. There’s truly a little bit of everything on this test, and that makes it extremely difficult to study for. Your second problem is that the existing GACE guides are generally not as effective as one might think; they’re pretty expensive, too. I don’t think I bought the guide for this particular test [because it was so broad] but I have bought several GACE guides in the past and they have been very hit-or-miss.
Because you still have a week before the test, let me recommend the following strategy. First: you need to look at the test material on the GACE website. Go there and look on the left for test preparation materials. You’ll find links for PDF files for every GACE. You want the one that has the bulleted outline of everything on the test and the one that is a study guide and contains sample questions. My understanding is that if it’s not on the list of things on the test, it’s not on the test. I’d use that bulleted list to guide your studying. See what you know and what you don’t. Also, if you have time, stop by a bookstore and flip through a copy of the GACE guide just to see if it might work for you–just be sure to call ahead since they’re in such high demand right before the test.
Hope some of that was helpful. Best of luck!
Manning said,
January 4, 2010 @ 6:53 pm
Hey Mike,
I am about to take the Bio GACE and I was wondering how difficult it was. I just graduated with a degree in Bio. Have you heard anything about the Science? I’m taking that too.
Thank you, and good luck on the job search,
Manning
admin said,
January 5, 2010 @ 2:08 am
Hi Manning,
I passed the Biology GACE with only moderate difficulty–and my degree was in Social Science Education, not biology. You should be OK, but you need to make sure you’re not surprised by anything quirky you might not have seen. My advice is pretty much the same: go to the GACE website, find the test-prep materials, and download some of the files for the Biology test. In particular, you’re looking for the one file that is a bulleted list of all topics on the test, and you want the sample test as well. Both files are free. Use the list of what’s on the test as sort of a checklist; go look up things you don’t know, and skip over stuff you do. The sample test questions will give you a feel for what to expect. Note that the essays only count for a total of 20% of the grade: 10% per essay, two essays per test, two tests. So don’t freak out if you see an essay question and can’t come up with something good. Also, you only get about 3/4 of a page to write your answer on, so keep it brief. If it’s your first GACE, and I think it might be, you’ll be OK. Don’t let yourself get caught up over any one thing. And, lastly, get there very early before parking runs out, make sure your papers and IDs [you need 2--check the website] are in order, and don’t let the craziness like fingerprinting get to you. Some basic prep work and Wikipedia will help you big time. I used the CliffNotes guide to Biology and I had no previous experience since high school.
Best of luck! Let me know how you think it went.
–Mike
P.S.: Don’t quote me on this, but I’m pretty sure if you teach with a bachelor’s in something other than education, you eventually must get a master’s degree in education. Might want to look at that after the GACE.
P.P.S.: Go Dawgs! Graduate December 2007 here.
Manning said,
January 5, 2010 @ 6:59 pm
Nice! I am currently in the MAT program at the university. It’s great!
Thanks Mike!
Go Dawgs!!
-Manning