Books for MTEL Prep

3 Things to Avoid While Choosing an MTEL Book

An important task for all MTEL candidates is to find an effective source of test preparation. Listed below are a few popular study resources to guide test takers:

1. MTEL Magic by Chuck Zucco (AuthorHouse):In general, test takers prefer this book because of the kind of training it provides with respect to test format and structure. It helps candidates to understand what exactly they are expected to answer.
2. The Best Test Preparation for the MTEL by Gail Rae & Co.(Research and Education Association):This book includes three full-length practice exams which several test takers have found to be helpful as they are similar to the real examination.
3. MTEL (Learning Express LLC):MTEL preparation books by this publisher are known for their in-depth reviews of the test content.

The books mentioned above are general names, that is, each book is available for a particular test; for example, MTEL: Communication and Literacy Skills (01) by Learning Express LLC.

3 Things to Avoid while Choosing a MTEL Study Book

As a beginner, it is not possible for you to know which study book to choose for your test preparation. Every book you find will have something lucrative from the outside that tempts you to buy it. Does it mean that you need to personally try using all the available test books before choosing one? NO. This is neither practically feasible nor a smart way of selecting your test guide. However, what you can possible learn is understand the mistakes that other test takers did while choosing a study guide for themselves. This understanding makes you aware of the disadvantages found in some books and acts as a warning so that you can be careful in selecting a study book for your test preparation.

The three most common pitfalls found in the study books that candidates fall a prey to are explained below:

Bigger Books with Lengthy Reviews

It is a common notion among test takers that bigger the book better will be the content. However, you need to be beware of larger books. Study guides that have too much information may not target the test syllabus appropriately. Instead, they may include topics that are not covered by the test. Such vast information may, in fact, exhaust your mind unnecessarily. Also, in general, lengthy reviews can make your test preparation boring and uninteresting. Therefore, you must remember not to get deceived by the size of the books but check for the appropriateness of the review content to the actual test content which is provided in the official website.

Inappropriate Level of Difficulty of Practice Tests

The practice tests provided in the study books need to reflect the right level of difficulty of the test questions. A few books may have sample questions that are too easy to answer. However, such sample questions cannot provide you the right test preparation. After attempting easy questions during preparation, when you face relatively difficult level of questions in the real examination, it may make you panic at the time of the test.

Similarly, when the sample questions are too difficult to answer, it can reduce the motivation and confidence levels of the test taker. Candidates tend to become less confident towards attempting the test when they find the practice tests tougher. Hence, it is important to select the right study book that provides the correct difficulty level of practice tests in par with the actual test.

Out-of-Date Test Syllabus

A few publications keep publishing the same test content year after year, ignoring the necessity of updating the test syllabus in accordance with the actual test. The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education revise the test, its format and content periodically. However, some books do not reflect the changes that are made in the test topics. As a result, test takers who follow such books do not get rightly prepared to face the test. They tend to either miss studying important revised subject content or waste time in studying test topics which are not included in the exam anymore. Therefore, it is your responsibility to check the subject topics included in the study book before purchasing.

As a final note, before you search for a study book, you need to be thorough with the updated test content by browsing information through the official website (www.mtel.nesinc.com). This helps you to rightly weigh the effectiveness of the book at the time of purchase.