The Social Studies Test of CSET

Question Types in CSET Social Studies

The CSET or The California Subject Examination for Teachers offers an excellent opportunity to the potential teachers for earning certification or teaching credentials in different subjects that are tested in this examination. The test of each subject intends to measure the skills and abilities of the students along with their knowledge and understanding of different aspects of that subject.

The candidates taking this test should prepare themselves with all the aids that are available for this purpose in order to get the passing score status in the subjects for which they are taking this test. As far as the Social Studies subject is concerned, the candidates should demonstrate their proficiency for implementing high levels of thinking, presentation and writing with respect to their knowledge of this subject.

The Test Sections and Duration

Social Studies is one of the sections of the first subtest of Multiple Subjects in CSET, which is to be taken along with Reading, Language, Literature, and History. The time allotted to the test takers for the entire subtest 1 is three hours or 180 minutes.

The major sections or domains included in the test are:

  • World History
  • History of US
  • The Principles of American Democracy
  • Californian History
  • The Principles of Geography
  • The Principles of Economics

The Topics of Social Studies in CSET

What are the questions that can be expected? Let us analyze them in the following points:

  • The questions in this section require the candidates to prove their skills of analysis along with comparing, contrasting and assembling information about all the important political, economic, geographic and economic issues in written and verbal form.
  • In order to answer the questions in this section, the candidates need to evaluate the information in a critical manner and also consider the effects of political, cultural and ethical perceptions on the issues and their knowledge.
  • Here, the candidates must have knowledge of historiography and the need for historical revisions for answering the questions. In addition to this, they should be able to distinguish between authentic and misleading arguments in historical perspective. Their understanding of the subject should allow them to pose challenges to the historical conjectures of previous times that should be supported by adequate data that have been collected from primary and secondary resources in order to prove their point fully.
  • The candidates should be able to establish the connection that lies between History and Social Sciences whether casual or otherwise.
  • The test takers should have the ability to apply the tactics of social sciences and relate it with their historical studies and interpretations. Similarly, they are expected to familiarize themselves with generation of hypothesis and the issues of testing.
  • Furthermore, the candidates of this test should focus on the potency and the restrictions of different methods that are used for collection of data such as analysis of contents, surveying, experimentation and others. Additionally, they must also be aware of the quantitative and qualitative methods of analyzing data or its relevance and the strength and weakness of the same.
  • In order to answer and obtain the desired scores, the candidates need to consider the analytical standpoint of social studies in a comprehensive manner. They must remember that although the issues of social studies are similar, the approach towards the topics is quite different. The only point of disagreement may originate on how to understand the relationship between and society and whether to focus on culture and language along with social structure and behavior.
  • Lastly, the candidates should be able to address the ethical viewpoints that have originated from social analysis and are inclusive of fundamental disputes.

The Social Studies section in CSET includes a vast area based on which the candidates are required to answer questions in order to earn a credential for teaching this subject to their students.