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Study Guide

Purpose of This Preparation Guide

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This preparation guide is designed to provide information about the content and format of a test for the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations  trademark  (  N Y S T C E   registered trademark ) program. Education faculty and administrators at teacher preparation institutions may also find the information in this guide useful as they discuss the test with candidates. This preparation guide illustrates some of the potential types of questions that appear on a test; however, the set of sample questions provided in this preparation guide does not necessarily define the content or difficulty of the actual test. All test components (including, but not limited to, directions, question content and formats) may differ from those presented here. Furthermore, review of this preparation guide, in whole or in part, does not guarantee an increased likelihood of success on any of the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations. The  N Y S T C E  program is subject to change at the sole discretion of the New York State Education Department, and any changes will fully supersede the information presented in this document. As a reminder, candidates are responsible for contacting their certification officer(s) regarding any changes to the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations.

Test Design and Framework

For a complete overview of the assessment design and framework, review the Languages Other Than English Test Design and Framework PDF.

For information on computer-based testing for  L O T E  please review the  L O T E  computer-based testing tutorials.

This test consists of five sections:

 start bold Presentational Speaking section end bold  (Competency 0004): You will record a spoken response in the target language to an assignment presented on the screen.

 start bold Interpretive Listening section end bold  (Competency 0001): You will listen to spoken messages in the target language and answer selected-response (multiple-choice) questions presented on the screen.

 start bold Interpretive Reading section end bold  (Competency 0002): You will read passages written in the target language and answer selected-response questions presented on the screen.

 start bold Presentational Writing section end bold  (Competency 0003): You will write an essay in the target language in response to an assignment presented on the screen.

 start bold Pedagogical Content Knowledge section end bold  (Competency 0005): You will write a response in English to an assignment presented on the screen.

The Presentational Speaking section is administered first. You may complete the remaining sections of the test in any order and you can go back and review your responses to questions in these sections as needed throughout the remainder of the test duration. Please note, however, that you will  start uppercase NOT end uppercase  be able to replay the audio recordings in the Interpretive Listening section.

For sections containing selected-response questions, each question includes four response choices. Read each question and response choice carefully and choose the  start uppercase ONE end uppercase  correct response. You should answer all questions. Even if you are unsure of a response, it is better to guess than not to answer a question at all.

At the test center, you will be provided with a felt pen and an erasable notebooklet on which you may take notes.