Preparation Manual: Section 2: How to Prepare for the Exams

Section 2: How to Prepare for the Exams

This section of the preparation manual provides information to help you prepare to take the TExES exams.

Learn What the Exam Covers

You may have heard that there are several different versions of the same exam. It's true. You may take one version of the exam and your friend may take a different version. Each exam has different questions covering the same subject area, but both versions of the exam measure the same skills and content knowledge.

You'll find specific information on the exam you're taking in the Overview and Exam Framework section of the preparation manual, which outlines the content areas that the exam measures and what percentage of the exam covers each area.

Begin by reviewing the preparation manual for your exam in its entirety, paying particular attention to the content specifications. The content specifications detail the knowledge and skills to be measured on the exam. The Educator Standards section of the prep manual lists the standards necessary for a teacher of that subject.

Once you have reviewed the preparation manual and the standards, you can create your own personalized study plan and schedule based on your individual needs and how much time you have before exam day. Be sure to also seek other resources to strengthen your content knowledge.

Keep in mind that study habits are individual. There are many different ways to successfully prepare for your exam. Some people study better on their own, while others prefer a group setting. You may have more energy early in the day, but another test taker may concentrate better in the evening. Use this guide to develop the approach that works best for you.

Assess How Well You Know the Content

Use your review of the competencies to focus your study time on those areas containing knowledge and skills with which you are less familiar. You should leave yourself time to review the content of all domains and competencies, both the familiar and the less familiar ones, but the focus of your preparation time and priority in your studying should be placed upon those areas about which you are least confident.

Think carefully about how well you know each area; research shows that test takers tend to overestimate their preparedness. People often glance at the specifications, or at the exam questions (with "a peek" at the answers at the same time), and think that they know the content of the exam. This is why some test takers assume they did well and then are surprised to find out they did not pass.

The exams are demanding enough to require serious review. The longer you've been away from the content the more preparation you will most likely need. If it has been longer than a few months since you've studied your content area, make a concerted effort to prepare. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose from such an approach.

Familiarize Yourself with the Different Types of Exam Questions

The TExES exams include several types of exam questions, which can be broken into two categories: selected response (multiple choice) and constructed response (for which you write or record a response of your own that is scored by trained raters based on scoring guidelines). You may be familiar with these question formats from taking other standardized tests. If not, familiarize yourself with them so you don't spend time during the exam figuring out how to answer them.

How to Approach Unfamiliar Question Formats

Some questions include introductory information such as a table, graph, or reading passage (often called a stimulus) that provides the information the question asks for. New formats for presenting information are developed from time to time. Exams may include audio and video stimulus materials, such as a movie clip or some kind of animation, instead of a map or reading passage.

Exams may also include interactive types of questions. These questions take advantage of technology to assess knowledge and skills that go beyond what can be assessed using standard single-selection selected-response questions. If you see a format you are not familiar with, read the directions carefully. The directions always give clear instructions on how you are expected to respond.

For most questions, you will respond by clicking an oval to choose a single answer choice from a list of options. Other questions may ask you to respond by:

Selecting all that apply. In some questions, you will be asked to choose all the options that answer the question correctly.
Typing in an entry box. You may be asked to enter a text or numeric answer. Some questions may have more than one place to enter a response.
Clicking check boxes. You may be asked to click check boxes instead of an oval when more than one choice within a set of answers can be selected.
Clicking parts of a graphic. In some questions, you will choose your answer by clicking on location(s) on a graphic such as a map or chart, as opposed to choosing from a list.
Clicking on sentences. In questions with reading passages, you may be asked to choose your answer by clicking on a sentence or sentences within the reading passage.
Dragging and dropping answer choices into "targets" on the screen. You may be asked to choose an answer from a list and drag it into the appropriate location in a table, paragraph of text, or graphic.
Selecting options from a drop-down menu. This type of question will ask you to select the appropriate answer or answers by selecting options from a drop-down menu (e.g., to complete a sentence).

Remember that with every question, you will get clear instructions on how to respond.

Approaches to Answering Selected-Response Questions

The information below describes some selected-response question formats that you will typically see on TExES exams and suggests possible ways to approach thinking about and answering them. These approaches are intended to supplement and complement familiar test-taking strategies with which you may already be comfortable and that work for you. Fundamentally, the most important component in ensuring your success is familiarity with the content that is covered on the exam. This content has been carefully selected to align with the knowledge required to begin a career as a teacher in the state of Texas.

The questions on each exam are designed to assess your knowledge of the content described in the competencies of each exam. In most cases, you are expected to demonstrate more than just your ability to recall factual information. You may be asked to think critically about the information, to analyze it, to compare it with other knowledge you have, or to make a judgment about it.

Be sure to read the directions carefully to ensure that you know what is required for each exam question. Leave no questions unanswered. Your score will be determined by the number of questions you answer correctly.

Question Types

You may see the following types of selected-response questions on the exam:

Single Questions
Clustered Questions

Below you will find descriptions of these commonly used question formats, along with suggested approaches for responding to each type.

Single Questions

The single-question format presents a direct question or an incomplete statement. It can also include a reading passage, movie clip, graphic, table, or a combination of these.

Example

The following question is an example of the single-question format. It tests knowledge of Subtest 3—Foundations of Bilingual Education and Instructional Practice Competency 001—(Foundations of Bilingual Education): Demonstrate an understanding of the foundations of bilingual education and the educational systems that create an effective learning environment that supports the affective, linguistic, and cognitive needs of emergent bilingual students.

Which of the following approaches is shared by both early exit and late exit transitional bilingual programs?

implementing linguistic strategies to promote emergent bilingual students' access to grade-level learning standards
supporting emergent bilingual students and other students in acquiring full proficiency in an additional language
providing instruction in literacy and academic content using emergent bilingual students' home language
preparing emergent bilingual students to meet reclassification criteria to be successful in English-only instruction in approximately five years

Suggested Approach

Read the question carefully and critically. Think about what it is asking and/or the situation it is describing. Eliminate any answers that seem obviously wrong to you, select the correct answer choice, and mark your answer.

As you read the question, think about the goals and practices associated with each of the bilingual education program models described. Then think about the differences in goals and practices between early exit and late exit transitional bilingual programs.

Option A focuses on the use of linguistic strategies and their role in ensuring emergent bilingual students' access to grade-level learning standards. Both early exit and late exit transitional bilingual models inevitably involve the use of differentiation during content instruction, which is likely to include linguistic supports. When considering the different practices used in the two models, it becomes clear that the late exit model places more emphasis in a longer period of time to guide students to make cross-linguistic connections. It is also true that the early exit model practices strict separation of Spanish and English during content instruction in accordance with the language allocation plan, while the late exit model is likely to intentionally incorporate the strategy of translanguaging during content instruction in both languages.

Option B claims that both models have the goal of promoting both emergent bilingual students' and English proficient students' achievement of full proficiency in more than one language. This is the goal of two-way dual language immersion models and therefore does not apply to either transitional bilingual model. The late exit model's more gradual transition from Spanish instruction to English-only instruction is more likely to foster students' achievement of bilingualism and biliteracy than the early exit model. For these two reasons, Option B can be eliminated as the correct response.

Option C claims that both early exit and late exit transitional bilingual programs provide literacy and content instruction in Spanish. Both models prioritize building students' literacy skills in Spanish at the beginning of the program for the purpose of establishing a foundation for transfer of these skills to English literacy development. Both models also begin with a high percentage of content instruction in Spanish and gradually decrease this percentage while incrementally increasing the percentage of content instruction in English. One difference between the two models is that the transition from Spanish instruction to English instruction occurs more quickly in the early exit model.

Option D asserts that early exit and late exit transitional bilingual programs share the goal of promoting emergent bilingual students' reclassification as English proficient within approximately five years. However, the expected timeframe for reclassification in the early exit model ranges from two to five years, while the timeframe for reclassification in the late exit model ranges from six to seven years. Option D can be eliminated as the correct response.

While A may appear as a potential option at first glance, upon deeper examination, the degree to which linguistic strategies are employed in the late exit model is significantly greater and more standardized than in the early exit models. It is clear that both models prioritize initial literacy and content instruction in Spanish. Therefore, the correct response is option C.

Clustered Questions

Clustered questions are made up of a stimulus and two or more questions relating to the stimulus. The stimulus material can be a reading passage, graphic, table, or any other information necessary to answer the questions that follow.

You can use several different approaches to respond to clustered questions. Some commonly used strategies are listed below.

Strategy 1	Skim the stimulus material to understand its purpose, its arrangement, and/or its content. Then read the questions and refer again to the stimulus material to obtain the specific information you need to answer the questions.
Strategy 2	Read the questions before considering the stimulus material. The theory behind this strategy is that the content of the questions will help you identify the purpose of the stimulus material and locate the information you need to answer the questions.
Strategy 3	Use a combination of both strategies. Apply the "read the stimulus first" strategy with shorter, more familiar stimuli and the "read the questions first" strategy with longer, more complex or less familiar stimuli. You can experiment with the sample questions in the preparation manuals and then use the strategy with which you are most comfortable when you take the actual exam.

Whether you read the stimulus before or after you read the questions, you should read it carefully and critically. You may want to note its important points to help you answer the questions.

As you consider questions set in educational contexts, try to enter into the identified teacher's frame of mind and use that teacher's point of view to answer the questions that accompany the stimulus. Be sure to consider the questions only in terms of the information provided in the stimulus — not in terms of your own experiences or individuals you may have known.

Example

First read the stimulus.

Utilice la información que sigue para contestar las dos preguntas a continuación.

Todos los días, los estudiantes de una clase de Inglés I escriben en sus diarios sobre un tema de autoselección en inglés o español, como el relato a continuación.

El viernes empezó como la mayoría de los días escolares. Abrí los ojos al escuchar el ruido que hacía mi padre con las ollas y sartenes en la cocina y que hacía mi abuela al pasar la aspiradora por la sala. Como hace todas las mañanas, mi hermanita abrió la puerta con fuerza y saltó a la cama con Hugo, nuestro perro gigantesco, quien me dio un lametón asqueroso.

—¿Qué me vas a preparar para desayunar? —preguntó mi hermanita.

Después de tostar unos wafles para mi hermanita, le di a Hugo un plato enorme de comida. Apenas empecé a desayunar, cuando mi padre nos dijo que nos llevaría a la escuela dentro de 15 minutos.

¿Quince minutos? ¡Todavía me faltaba bañarme, preparar la mochila, y hacer la cama! Me bañé de prisa, y el jabón se me metió en los ojos. Casi me resbalé al salir del baño. Al llegar a la habitación me di cuenta de que mis jeans favoritos estaban sucios. Así que tuve que ponerme unos pantalones muy feos. Al mirar el reloj me di cuenta de que me quedaban solo tres minutos. Después de poner los cuadernos, un marcador, y los libros en la mochila, comencé a buscar el teléfono celular frenéticamente por todas partes de la habitación. En ese momento, noté que Hugo lo llevaba en la boca.

—¡No faltaba más! ¡Suéltalo, Hugo! —grité.

Hugo no me hizo caso.

—El sábado no llegará lo suficientemente pronto. —dije.

Now you are prepared to respond to the first of the two questions associated with this stimulus. The first question tests Subtest 2—Reading and Writing in Spanish Competency 001—(Reading): Apply literal, inferential, and interpretive reading skills to demonstrate understanding of a variety of texts in Spanish relevant to bilingual education and the bilingual program and classroom context, including authentic materials.

1. ¿Cuál de los siguientes títulos resumiría mejor el relato?

Las calamidades familiares un viernes por la mañana
Las razones por las que la organización es necesaria
Las consecuencias de despertarse y levantarse tarde
Los perros gigantes son verdaderos dolores de cabeza

Suggested Approach

As you read the question, think about the student's description of a typical Friday morning, including the student's interactions with family members and obstacles the student faces while getting ready for school.

Option A suggests that from the student's perspective, minor inconveniences such as being awakened by family members doing household chores, managing a pet and a sibling, and wearing "ugly" pants instead of a favorite pair of jeans cause the student great distress, and can be considered calamities.

Option B suggests that the student's narrative explains why organization is necessary. While more efficient organization might improve the student's preparation for the school day, it would not prevent the grandmother's vacuuming, the sister's breakfast request, or the dog's inopportune expressions of affection.

Option C suggests that the student's hectic morning is a consequence of waking up late, but the narrative does not support that conclusion. The student does not mention oversleeping. In fact, the narrative suggests that the father may have set an earlier departure time than usual.

Option D suggests that Hugo, the family's "gigantic" dog, is the focus of the student's narrative. However, Hugo's enthusiastic expressions of affection are part of a larger picture in which human family members also play a significant role.

Of the options offered, only option A correctly identifies the focus of the student's narrative and summarizes it in a way that accurately reflects the student's perspective. Therefore, the correct response is option A.

Now you are ready to answer the second question. The second question tests Subtest 2—Reading and Writing in Spanish Competency 001—(Reading): Apply literal, inferential, and interpretive reading skills to demonstrate understanding of a variety of texts in Spanish relevant to bilingual education and the bilingual program and classroom context, including authentic materials.

2. ¿Cuál de las siguientes ideas comunica la estudiante cuando dice «El sábado no llegará lo suficientemente pronto»?

Los sábados son tan agitados como la mayoría de los días escolares, pero sin el caos de la mañana.
Los sábados ofrecen una oportunidad de descansar y recuperarse después de una semana ocupada.
Los sábados suelen ocuparse de mandados importantes y actividades emocionantes.
Los sábados son especiales porque se puede pasar más tiempo con la familia.

Suggested Approach

As you read the question, think about how the student's perspective and tone in the narrative affect the meaning of the statement "Saturday will not arrive soon enough."

Option A suggests that the student thinks Saturdays are as hectic as most school days but that Saturday mornings run more smoothly than weekday mornings. Evidence presented in the narrative suggests that while the student would appreciate having less chaotic mornings than the one described in the narrative, the student would appreciate having an entire day with less chaos even more.

Option B suggests that the student views Saturdays as an opportunity to rest and recuperate from the busy school week. The student's beleaguered tone while describing a frustrating Friday morning supports the idea that the student eagerly anticipates having a calm and relaxing Saturday.

Option C suggests that the student usually spends Saturdays running important errands and participating in exciting activities. The narrative does not present evidence to support the idea that the student would look forward to spending Saturdays this way after an exhausting week.

Option D suggests that the student thinks Saturdays are special because they offer an opportunity for the family to spend more time together. Given the evidence presented in the narrative, a reasonable assumption is that the student would prefer to spend less time with family members on Saturday.

Of the options offered, only option B logically concludes that the statement that "Saturday will not arrive soon enough" reflects the student's eagerness to enjoy a well-earned break from the everyday routine described in the narrative. Therefore, the correct response is option B.

Understanding the Constructed-Response Assignments

Speaking Constructed-Response Assignments

The Listening and Speaking in Spanish subtest includes four assignments that require a constructed response spoken in Spanish. The speaking constructed-response scores will be combined with the selected-response scores to produce a total subtest score.

For this section of the subtest, you will be asked to speak in Spanish about topics and situations relevant to bilingual education and the bilingual program and classroom context. For each assignment, you will read the prompt presented on screen and prepare your response. You will have 2 minutes to record your response to each assignment.

Writing Constructed-Response Assignment

The Reading and Writing in Spanish subtest includes an assignment that requires a constructed response written in Spanish. The writing constructed-response score will be combined with the selected-response scores to produce a total subtest score.

For the writing assignment, you will be asked to write in Spanish about a topic or situation relevant to bilingual education and the bilingual program and classroom context. You may use the erasable noteboard provided to make notes, write an outline, or otherwise prepare your response; however, your final response must be typed in the response box displayed on screen with the assignment. The total testing time for completing the writing assignment is 40 minutes; therefore, you should try to manage your time so that you have enough time to answer the assignment within the allotted time.

Gather Study Materials

For all content areas, think about where you might be able to obtain materials for review:

Did you have a course in which the area was covered?
Do you still have your book or your notes?
Does your college library have a good introductory college-level text in this area?
Does your local library have a high school-level text?

Do you know a teacher or professor who can help you organize your study? Would a study group suit you and help you maintain momentum? People have different study methods that work for them — use whatever you know that works for you.

Preparation manuals are available for all Texas educator certification program exams. Each prep manual provides a combination of exam preparation and practice, including sample questions and answers with explanations. You can also find informational tutorials and interactive practice exams for some fields.

Plan and Organize Your Time

You can begin to plan and organize your time while you are still collecting materials. Allow yourself plenty of review time to avoid cramming new material at the end. Here are a few tips:

Choose a testing date far enough in the future to leave you plenty of preparation time. For exam date information, refer to the exam's information page on the Texas Educator Certification Examination Program website.
Work backward from the exam date to figure out how much time you will need for review.
Set a realistic schedule — and stick to it.

Develop Your Study Plan

A study plan provides a roadmap to prepare for the exams. It can help you understand what skills and knowledge are covered on the exam and where to focus your attention. A study plan worksheet is available on the Texas Educator Certification Examination Program website. You can use this worksheet to:

Define Content Areas: List the most important content areas for your exam as defined in the preparation manual.
Determine Strengths and Weaknesses: Identify where you have thorough understanding and where you need additional study in each content area.
Identify Resources: Identify the books, courses, and other resources you plan to use to study for each content area.
Study: Create and commit to a schedule that provides for regular study periods.

Practice

Exams with constructed-response questions assess your ability to explain material effectively. As a teacher, you'll need to be able to explain concepts and processes to students in a clear, understandable way. What are the major concepts you will be required to teach? Can you explain them in your own words accurately, completely, and clearly? Practice explaining these concepts to test your ability to effectively explain what you know.

Using Study Materials as Part of a Study Group

People who have a lot of studying to do sometimes find it helpful to form a study group with others who are working toward the same goal. Study groups give members opportunities to ask questions and get detailed answers. In a group, some members usually have a better understanding of certain topics, while others in the group may be better at other topics. As members take turns explaining concepts to each other, everyone builds self-confidence.

If the group encounters a question that none of the members can answer well, the group can go to a teacher or other expert and get answers efficiently. Because study groups schedule regular meetings, members study in a more disciplined fashion. They also gain emotional support. The group should be large enough so that various people can contribute various kinds of knowledge, but small enough so that it stays focused. Often, three to six members is a good size.

Here are some ways to use the preparation manual as part of a study group:

Plan the group's study program. Parts of the study plan template can help to structure your group's study program. By filling out the first five columns and sharing the worksheets, everyone will learn more about your group's mix of abilities and about the resources, such as textbooks, that members can share with the group. In the sixth column ("Dates planned for study of content"), you can create an overall schedule for your group's study program.
Plan individual group sessions. At the end of each session, the group should decide what specific topics will be covered at the next meeting and who will present each topic. Use the content domains and competencies in the preparation manual to select topics, and then select practice questions.
Prepare your presentation for the group. When it's your turn to present, prepare something that is more than a lecture. Write two or three original questions to pose to the group. Practicing writing actual questions can help you better understand the topics covered on the exam as well as the types of questions you will encounter on the exam. It will also give other members of the group extra practice at answering questions.
Take a practice exam together. The idea of a practice exam is to simulate an actual administration of the exam, so scheduling an exam session with the group will add to the realism and may also help boost everyone's confidence. Remember, if you take a practice exam, allow only the time that will be allotted for that exam on your administration day. You can use the questions in the preparation manual for your practice exam. Interactive practice exams are available for some fields.
Learn from the results of the practice exam. Check each other's answers. Answers for the selected-response questions with explanations for the answers are included in the prep manual. If your exam includes constructed-response questions, look at the constructed-response sample questions, which contain sample responses to those types of questions and shows how they were scored. Then try to follow the same guidelines that the test raters use.
- Be as critical as you can. You're not doing your study partner a favor by letting him or her get away with an answer that does not cover all parts of the question adequately.
- Be specific. Write comments that are as detailed as the comments about the sample responses. Indicate where and how your study partner is doing an inadequate job of answering the question. Writing notes for your study partner may also help.
- Be supportive. Include comments that point out what your study partner got right and that therefore earned points.

Then plan one or more study sessions based on aspects of the questions on which group members did not perform well. For example, each group member might be responsible for rewriting one paragraph of a response in which someone else did an inadequate job.

Whether you decide to study alone or with a group, remember that the best way to prepare is to have an organized plan. The plan you follow should set goals based on specific topics and skills that you need to learn, and it should commit you to a realistic set of deadlines for meeting these goals. Then you need to discipline yourself to stick with your plan and accomplish your goals on schedule.

Smart Tips for Success

Learn from the experts. Take advantage of these answers to questions you may have and practical tips to help you navigate the exam and make the best use of your time.

Should I guess?

Yes. Your score is based on the number of questions you answer correctly, with no penalty or subtraction for an incorrect answer. When you don't know the answer to a question, try to eliminate any obviously wrong answers and then guess at the correct one. Try to pace yourself so that you have enough time to carefully consider every question.

Are there trick questions on the exam?

No. There are no hidden meanings or trick wording. All of the questions on the exam ask about subject matter knowledge in a straightforward manner.

Are there answer patterns on the exam?

No. You might have heard this myth: The answers on selected-response exams follow patterns. Another myth is that there will never be more than two questions with the same lettered answer following each other. Neither myth is true. Select the answer you think is correct based on your knowledge of the subject.

Can I write on the erasable sheet(s) I am given?

Yes. You can work out problems or make notes to yourself on the erasable sheet(s) provided to you by the test administrator. You may use your notes in any way that is useful to you, but be sure to enter your final answers on the computer. No credit is given for anything written on the erasable sheet(s).

Tips for Taking the Exam

Skip the questions you find extremely difficult. Rather than trying to answer these on your first pass through the exam, leave them blank and mark them. Pay attention to the time as you answer the rest of the questions on the exam, and try to finish with 10 or 15 minutes remaining so that you can go back over the questions you left blank. Even if you don't know the answer the second time you read the questions, see if you can narrow down the possible answers and then guess.
Keep track of the time. Keep an eye on the timer, and be aware of how much time you have left to complete your exam. You will probably have plenty of time to answer all of the questions, but if you find yourself becoming stuck on one question, you might decide to move on and return to that question later.
Read all of the possible answers before selecting one. Then, reread the question to be sure the answer you have selected really answers the question. Remember, a question that contains a phrase such as "Which of the following does NOT ..." is asking for the one answer that is NOT a correct statement or conclusion.
Check your answers. If you have extra time left over at the end of the exam, look over each question and make sure that you have answered it as you intended. Many test takers make careless mistakes that they could have corrected if they had checked their answers.
Don't worry about your score when you are taking the exam. No one is expected to answer all of the questions correctly. Your score on this exam is not analogous to your score on other similar-looking (but in fact very different!) exams. It doesn't matter on the exams whether you score very high or barely pass. If you meet the minimum passing scores along with any other requirements for obtaining teaching certification, you will receive a license. In other words, what matters is meeting the minimum passing score.
Use your energy to take the exam, not to get angry at it. Getting angry at the exam only increases stress and decreases the likelihood that you will do your best. Highly qualified educators and exam development professionals, all with backgrounds in teaching and educational leadership, worked diligently to make the exam a fair and valid measure of your knowledge and skills. The best thing to do is concentrate on answering the questions.

Do Your Best on Exam Day

You followed your study plan. You are ready for the exam. Now it's time to prepare for exam day.

Plan to end your review a day or two before the actual exam date so you avoid cramming. Take a dry run to the test center so you're sure of the route, traffic conditions, and parking. Most of all, you want to eliminate any unexpected factors that could distract you from your ultimate goal — passing the exam!

On the day of the exam, you should:

Be well-rested.
Bring two pieces of original (no photocopies or digital ID) and valid (unexpired) identification, printed in English in the name in which you registered. Your identification must contain your name, a recent recognizable photograph, and your signature. For more information, refer to the ID Policy page on the Texas Educator Certification Examination Program website.
Arrive at least 30 minutes before the scheduled reporting time.
Eat before you take the exam to keep your energy level up.
Wear comfortable clothes and dress in layers.

You cannot control the testing situation, but you can control yourself. Stay calm. The supervisors are well trained and make every effort to provide uniform testing conditions. You can think of preparing for this exam as training for an athletic event. Once you have trained, prepared, and rested, give it your best effort...and good luck!

Are You Ready?

Review this list to determine if you're ready to take your exam.

Do you know the Texas testing requirements for your teaching field?
Have you followed all of the exam registration procedures?
Do you know the topics that will be covered in each exam you plan to take?
Have you reviewed any textbooks, class notes, and course readings that relate to the topics covered?
Do you know how long the exam will take and the number of questions it contains?
Have you considered how you will pace your work?
Are you familiar with the types of questions that you may encounter during your exam?
Are you familiar with the recommended test-taking strategies?
Have you practiced by working through the practice questions in the preparation manual?
If constructed-response questions are part of your exam, do you understand the scoring criteria for these items?
If you are repeating an exam, have you analyzed your previous score report to determine areas where additional study and exam preparation could be useful?

If you answered "yes" to the questions above, your preparation has paid off. Now take the exam, do your best, pass it — and begin your teaching career!