Best Prep Books for TExES

The Best Way to Utilize a TExES Book

While preparing for the TExES certification exams, many candidates opt for self-study methods such as books, study guides etc. Self-study may be one of the most effective ways of preparing for the these exams, because the candidates may have recently completed the requirements of a teacher training program and finished the necessary coursework for their certifications. Hence, studying with prep books may be the most cost-effective and efficient method of preparation for these exams. This article will go over the reviews of 3 good books, along with some suggestions on how to best use a study book for test preparation.

A List of 3 Effective Books for TExES:

  1. “TExES Tests at a Glance” GuideThe first recommended choice on our list of books is the set of official TExES guides published on the website. There are about 60 guides available in this category for each in-classroom test. You may download these guides for free from this link – http://cms.texes-ets.org/texes/prepmaterials/tests-at-a-glance/.

    The key aspects of every official “Test At a Glance” guide are listed as follows:

    • It describes the structure of the test, including the number of test questions, test duration, test format and so on.
    • It provides a complete list of the domains and competencies assessed in the test along with detailed descriptions of all these aspects for a given test.
    • It provides a list of TEA educator standards being covered in the test.
  2. TExES Preparation ManualsThese are free study guides published by the TExES administrators. Again, there are about 60 study books in this category, one for every in-classroom certification. You may download these guides for free from this link – http://cms.texes-ets.org/texes/prepmaterials/texes-preparation-manuals/.

    The key aspects of each official TExES preparation manual are listed as follows:

    • It provides an introduction to the framework and the design of the test, along with a few examples on how to understand the domains and competencies of the test.
    • It provides information on how the test has been developed, keeping in mind the educational standards in Texas.
    • It provides a complete list of topics to be covered for the given exam, along with a break-up of questions across the different domains of the test.
    • It describes all the question types that will appear in the test, with examples for each type.
    • It provides several sample questions, with answer keys containing detailed explanations.
    • It provides various study tips and test-taking strategies.
    • It also provides information on how the test is scored.
  3. TExES Practice E-books from ETSThe final set of books that we will discuss in this article is the e-books authored by ETS that contain practice questions for a sub-set of exams. To know which exams have corresponding ETS practice e-books and to purchase one or more of them, you may visit this link – http://store.ets.org/store/ets/en_US/list/ThemeID.12805600/categoryID.35697300

    The key aspects of each of these ETS practice e-books are listed as follows:

    • These contain a good number of practice tests, along with examples for every question type that will appear in the actual test.
    • These contain several preparation tips and test strategies.
    • These also include many test-taking instructions and guides to the answer sheets.
    • All practice tests are accompanied by elaborate answer guides.

Apart from the books listed above, there are several others available for purchase from institutes such as Kaplan, Princeton Review and other expert authors on book stores such as Amazon, Barnes and Noble etc.

The 5 Strategies to Best Use a Book

Now, let’s look at a list of 5 strategies to make the best use of the above books:

  1. Create a study matrix of the test objectives listed in the guides i.e. the TExES domains and competencies. The matrix must contain a checklist about your familiarity with each objective, a list of additional resources and time required to master the objectives.
  2. Alternate the study of material in these books with practice tests. This will boost your confidence and help you track your progress.
  3. Create flash cards for complex terms and definitions from the material available in the prep manual.
  4. Don’t linger on hard topics in a study book, but bookmark them for later use and reference.
  5. Apply the test-taking strategies listed in them in a trial and error manner to all your practice tests and determine what works well for you.

In conclusion, we hope the above-listed reviews and suggestions on their effective usage will help you overcome your lingering test-preparation and thereafter, your exam fears. However, we also recommend that you look for additional prep materials apart from those mentioned in this article for thorough test preparation.