The Reading Test of FTCE

All about the FTCE Reading Test

The Reading test is a Subject Area test of the FTCE. This test is of a high standard as its content has been approved after rigorous scrutiny by subject matter experts, comprising of highly qualified persons from the education industry, such as English language experts, college heads and highly experienced college teachers.

Given below is an overview of the Reading examination, as follows:
Format- This is a computer-based test. This test does not have a paper-and-pencil version.

Question Type- The candidates have to answer 120 objective-type questions with multiple-choice answers.

Time Duration- The total time for completing this test is 2 hours 30 minutes or 150 minutes.

Testing Dates- The candidates can get their tests scheduled by appointment, on the available test dates, at the time of registration.

Testing Centers- The test centers are not only available in Florida, but also in other places, throughout the United States of America.

Qualifying Scores and Score Reporting- A candidate should obtain a scaled score of at least 200, in order to qualify in the test. Unofficially, the score obtained is made available to him/her immediately after the completion of this test. Officially, the scores of the test-takers are declared after 4 weeks of their taking the test, and made available in their online accounts, where it is available for 60 days for them to access them and use them for certain purposes, such as, applying for a job as a teacher in the schools of Florida.

Competencies Required to Pass the test

This test aims to test the level of 13 competencies related to Reading skills, of the candidates, who have opted to take this test. The competencies are as follows:

  1. Knowledge of the Theories and Underlying Assumptions of Reading Processes The level of this competency is tested through questions that constitute 2% of the total number of questions. This section aims to test the knowledge of the theorists and foundational theories of English Language Reading Processes. It also aims to test the instructional application of these reading processes.
  2. Knowledge of Emergent Literacy This section, which constitutes 10% of the questions, aims to test the concepts of Emergent Literacy and other subjects related to the subject of Emergent Literacy.
  3. Knowledge of Decoding, Encoding and Related Reading Processes In this section, the word recognition skills, word recognition phase identification skills, identification of instructional methods to encourage encoding and decoding abilities of a candidate, are tested. Questions from this section cover 10% of the total questions.
  4. Knowledge of Reading Fluency Development This section, which covers 7% of the total questions, tests a candidate’s abilities to identify Reading Fluency components, and identify instructional methods to develop these skills.
  5. Knowledge of Reading Comprehension This section, which constitutes 15% of the questions, tests an examinee’s ability to recognize the components of Reading Comprehension, and identify good instructional methods to promote the skills of Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary Building and Critical Thinking, in students.
  6. Knowledge of Content Area Reading and Learning This area, which covers 8% of the questions, tests a candidate’s ability to recognize good instructional methods in several areas pertaining to Content Area Reading and Learning.
  7. Knowledge of Literary Genres, Elements and Interpretations This section, which contributes to only 3% of the questions, tests the skills of identifying the characteristics and components of literary genres, poetry and prose formats, and recognition of good instructional methods for developing literary analysis in students.
  8. Knowledge of Diverse Learners This section, which makes up 5% of the questions, tests one’s abilities to identify good methods of teaching and their modifications, for efficient teaching to diverse(including differently-abled children) and English language learners. It also tests one’s ability to choose resources that will help in addressing the issues of culture diversity and linguistic diversity, which affect their learning.
  9. Knowledge of Reading Assessments This area that constitutes 15% of the questions, tests the knowledge of different types of assessments, such as, norm-referenced and criterion-referenced assessments. It also tests a candidate’s knowledge of other areas related to Reading Assessments.
  10. Knowledge of Print and Non-Print Media This section contributes to only 2% of the questions. It tests the examinee’s ability to study the uses of the print media for Instructional purposes, and also the ability to select them according to teaching needs.
  11. Knowledge of Classroom Environment that Supports Reading This section, that forms 7% of the questions, consists of testing the abilities of an examinee to organize classrooms in ways to facilitate the most effective ways of learning.
  12. Knowledge of Research This section, which constitutes 8% of the questions, tests one’s knowledge about the different aspects of Reading Research.
  13. Knowledge of Reading Program Supervision and Administration This section, which covers 8% of the questions, tests the competency of a candidate to recognize the different Reading program administration and Supervision practices, and also find out ways to improve them.

Conclusion

As one can make out, this test is quite a complicated one. It requires profound knowledge of the various aspects of school level Reading competencies, in order to succeed in this examination, which also requires a high passing score. More information about this examination can be found in the official resource (http://www.fl.nesinc.com/PDFs/ReadingK-12_TIG_5thEdition_DOE051210.pdf) for this examination. Hence, one needs to be thoroughly prepared for this examination, in order to succeed in it.