GACE Faculty Resources

Guiding Candidate Test Preparation

Use the following checklists to assist candidates in preparing to take or retake the GACE:

• Guiding Preparation for First-Time Test Takers
• Guiding Preparation for Candidates Retaking a GACE Test

Guiding Preparation for First-Time Test Takers

An academic advisor might suggest to a candidate that he or she take the following steps in preparing to take the GACE:

• Begin by completing the "Assessment Preparation Worksheet," where candidates record their academic background, reason for testing, certification requirements, and testing history, and complete a checklist of preparation steps for testing.
• Complete the "mapping the test framework to courses taken" activity for the assessment the candidate will be taking. This activity involves having candidates review the test framework and their course work to date, and record on a worksheet whether their studies have covered the knowledge and skills described by each test objective.
• Meet with you to review the completed worksheets and test preparation steps taken to date, and to obtain assistance in evaluating his or her readiness to test.

When meeting with a candidate to review the completed materials listed above, an academic advisor may wish to take the following steps:

• Review page 1 of the completed Assessment Preparation Worksheet to learn the candidate's academic background, reason for testing, certification requirements, and testing history.
• Review the completed worksheet for mapping the test framework to the courses the candidate has taken to determine if he or she has completed sufficient course work to take the assessment. For GACE assessments consisting of more than one test, the advisor may find that the candidate is prepared to take one test, but not all of the tests that make up the assessment. In this case, if there are objectives for which the candidate has not studied the knowledge and skills being assessed, the advisor may wish to recommend that the candidate take additional courses before testing.
• Review page 2 of the completed Assessment Preparation Worksheet to guide the candidate in gathering and using GACE test preparation materials, and if needed, learn or review test content and test-taking strategies.

Guiding Preparation for Candidates Retaking a GACE Test

An academic advisor might suggest to a candidate that he or she take the following steps in preparing to retake the GACE:

• Gather a copy of his or her last score report for the assessment. Complete or update the "Assessment Preparation Worksheet" and the worksheet from the "mapping the test framework to courses taken" activity.
• Complete the worksheet for "Analyzing Test Results for Candidates Retaking a Test." This worksheet may help candidates identify areas of weakness in their past performance to better focus their studies in preparation for retaking the test.
• Meet with you to review the completed worksheets and test preparation steps taken to date, and to obtain assistance in developing a study plan before retaking the test.

When meeting with a candidate preparing to retake the GACE, an academic advisor may wish to take the following steps:

• Review the completed Assessment Preparation Worksheet to learn the candidate's academic background, reason for testing, certification requirements, and testing history. If the candidate has answered "no" to any of the test preparation questions, the advisor may wish to suggest that the candidate follow the test preparation steps suggested on page 2 of this worksheet.
• Review the completed worksheet for mapping the test framework to the courses the candidate has taken to learn the course work that he or she has completed to date.
• Review the completed worksheet for analyzing test results to understand the candidate's past performance on the assessment and identify areas of weakness.
• Review testing performance by content area for selected-response questions and constructed-response assignments. If the candidate performed less than adequately in some content areas, the advisor may wish to direct the candidate to study particular content covered in those areas, and assist the candidate by:
  
  
  • identifying one or more additional courses for learning the required material
  • guiding the candidate in gathering the appropriate test preparation materials, such as textbooks and other references, and the GACE test framework and preparation guide for the assessment
  • helping the candidate develop a study plan for reviewing test content, as well as textbooks and notes from courses already taken
  • offering special workshops for candidates or tutoring the candidate in specific content areas

  If the candidate did not perform well on a particular type of question, the advisor might suggest that he or she review the sample questions in the preparation guide for the assessment. For example, if the candidate received fewer than 3 plusses (+++) for the constructed-response assignments, the advisor might suggest that the candidate complete the sample assignments in the preparation guide and review the sample strong response, his or her response, and the scoring criteria for each sample assignment. In addition, the advisor might offer to review the responses to provide direct feedback to the candidate on his or her performance.

• Assist the candidate in completing page 2 of the Assessment Preparation Worksheet by listing additional test preparation activities.

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