Study Guide
General Education Assessment
Test Design and Framework
The test design below describes general assessment information. The framework that follows is a detailed outline that explains the knowledge and skills that this test measures.
Test Design
| Format | Internet-based test (IBT) and online-proctored test |
|---|---|
| Number of Questions | 120 multiple-choice questions and 1 constructed-response assignment |
| Time* | 4 hours |
| Passing Score | The passing score is set by Missouri educator preparation programs. |
*Does not include 15-minute tutorial or optional 15-minute break for the online-proctored test
Test Framework
| Content Domain | Range of Competencies | Approximate Percentage of Test Score | |
|---|---|---|---|
| I. | Communications | 0001–0003 | 26% |
| II. | Mathematical Sciences | 0004–0005 | 18% |
| III. | Natural Sciences | 0006–0007 | 18% |
| IV. | Social and Behavioral Sciences | 0008–0009 | 16% |
| V. | Humanities and Fine Arts | 0010 | 7% |
| VI. | Unified, Coherent, and Effective Writing | 0011 | 15% |
Domain I—Communications
Competency 0001–Demonstrate literal and inferential understanding, and apply critical reasoning skills, to the analysis and interpretation of informational and literary texts.
For example:
- Recognize a writer's purpose for writing and determine a writer's tone, opinion, or point of view.
- Identify the main ideas of a text and analyze information and details that support central themes and develop important topics.
- Apply knowledge of word structure, context, and syntax to determine the meanings of words and phrases in a text.
- Draw conclusions or make inferences from stated or implied information and recognize the relationship of ideas in a text.
- Recognize the assumptions on which a writer's argument is based; and assess the credibility, accuracy, objectivity, and bias of information presented in a text.
- Analyze the arguments or claims made in an informational or persuasive text and distinguish between statements of fact and expressions of opinion.
- Analyze how literary devices and techniques are used in a work of fiction, drama, or poetry to establish setting, create a mood, develop characters, or convey ideas.
Competency 0002–Demonstrate knowledge of the principles of effective written expression and the ability to produce proficient writing.
For example:
- Demonstrate knowledge of clear, focused, coherent, and unified writing; effective sentences and paragraphs; the development and organization of ideas; and style and vocabulary appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
- Demonstrate the ability to use words, phrases, transitional devices, and syntax to link sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify relationships between ideas.
- Demonstrate the ability to support claims in writing using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
- Demonstrate the ability to introduce and develop ideas through the effective use of thesis statements and topic sentences and to provide an effective conclusion that follows from the ideas presented in a composition.
- Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English grammar, usage, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.
- Demonstrate the ability to apply a recursive writing process (e.g., prewriting, drafting, revising, editing) to generate, revise, edit, and proofread texts.
- Demonstrate effective research and information literacy skills.
Competency 0003–Demonstrate understanding of oral communications and the ability to engage in effective speaking and listening.
For example:
- Demonstrate understanding of the process of audience analysis and the ability to create and use oral communications for different purposes.
- Demonstrate the ability to gather relevant subject information and supporting evidence (e.g., statistics, examples, testimonies) and to utilize appropriate visual aids (e.g., charts, slides, multimedia).
- Demonstrate the ability to develop unified, coherent, and developed oral arguments, utilizing different organizational patterns (e.g., chronological, topical, comparison/contrast) and rhetorical techniques.
- Demonstrate knowledge of different speech delivery methods, the effects of verbal and nonverbal cues on speech delivery, and techniques for overcoming speech apprehension and anxiety.
- Demonstrate knowledge of ethical standards in selecting, employing, and citing sources of information; an awareness of unethical behavior in speaking and listening; and the responsible use of emotional and logical appeals.
- Demonstrate the ability to apply effective listening skills and strategies for the comprehension and interpretation of oral messages.
- Demonstrate understanding of the role of public speaking in a democratic society and the contributions of effective speaking and listening to productive group communication.
Domain II—Mathematical Sciences
Competency 0004–Understand fundamental mathematical concepts and their applications to society.
For example:
- Formulate and use generalizations based on pattern recognition.
- Apply numbers (e.g., integers, fractions, decimals, percentages) and operations to solve problems.
- Apply mathematical symbols and basic algebra to create models and solve problems.
- Apply knowledge of measurements (e.g., units, length, area, volume) and properties of geometric figures (e.g., angles, lines of symmetry, number of sides) to model and solve problems.
- Recognize and use connections within mathematics and between mathematics and other subjects (e.g., social science, physical science, information science, visual arts).
- Describe contributions to society from the discipline of mathematics and analyze real-world applications of mathematical science.
Competency 0005–Demonstrate quantitative literacy and apply quantitative methods to make decisions and solve problems.
For example:
- Read, interpret, analyze, and synthesize quantitative data (e.g., graphs, tables, statistics, survey data).
- Demonstrate knowledge of basic statistical measures (e.g., mean, median, mode, range) and apply statistical concepts to summarize and analyze information.
- Select appropriate graphical or statistical models to collect, organize, represent, and present information.
- Use quantitative data to solve problems and make real-world decisions (e.g., interpret a scatterplot, distinguish between causation and correlation).
Domain III—Natural Sciences
Competency 0006–Understand fundamental concepts of the natural sciences.
For example:
- Demonstrate knowledge of fundamental concepts of physical science (e.g., matter and its interactions, motion and stability, energy, Earth systems).
- Demonstrate knowledge of fundamental concepts of life science (e.g., the nature, organization, and evolution of living systems).
- Demonstrate knowledge of how human interactions affect living systems and the environment.
Competency 0007–Understand scientific processes.
For example:
- Apply knowledge of the empirical methods of scientific inquiry.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the process of scientific inquiry and how to develop and test hypotheses to draw defensible conclusions.
- Demonstrate knowledge of experimental designs, laboratory procedures, and methods for collecting, displaying, and interpreting scientific information.
- Evaluate scientific evidence, data, arguments, and conclusions.
- Demonstrate understanding of how science is influenced by historical and social contexts and how scientific discoveries change theoretical views of the world and shape human history.
Domain IV—Social and Behavioral Sciences
Competency 0008–Understand social institutions and human behavior.
For example:
- Demonstrate knowledge of the roles and functions of social institutions (e.g., family, schools, religious organizations, government) and the processes through which social institutions influence and shape culture.
- Demonstrate understanding of the ways in which the political, economic, and social structures of the United States have reflected and transformed American society.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the stages of human development and factors associated with the emergence of a sense of self and its relationship to others.
- Analyze the ways in which various cultures, historical circumstances, and social conditions have shaped human development and behavior and influenced moral systems and ethical perspectives.
- Demonstrate understanding of the processes, terms, and concepts used by historians and social and behavioral scientists to discover, describe, explain, and predict human behavior and the creation and evolution of social systems.
Competency 0009–Understand historical settings, processes, and contexts.
For example:
- Compare and contrast world historical settings, eras, and developments and consider how different historical experiences contribute to diverse cultural perspectives and belief systems.
- Demonstrate understanding of fundamental historical processes (e.g., economic growth and decline, demographic transitions, technological innovation) and analyze patterns of continuity and change across historical eras.
- Analyze factors that promote connection, support cooperation, create competition, and provoke conflict between nations and societies.
- Apply knowledge of history and the social and behavioral sciences to analyze and evaluate contemporary social, economic, political, and environmental issues and problems in the United States and the world.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the constitutions of the United States and Missouri.
Domain V—Humanities and Fine Arts
Competency 0010–Understand literature, the arts, and philosophy.
For example:
- Demonstrate knowledge of the scope and variety of genres and works in literature, fine arts, and performing arts; and compare the ways in which writers and artists have addressed the human condition.
- Analyze how historical, social, cultural, political, and linguistic contexts and developments have shaped literary and artistic movements and influenced individual works of art and literature.
- Demonstrate knowledge of fundamental questions of ancient and modern philosophical and religious thought and analyze the relationship between social and historical settings and the evolution of philosophical inquiry.
- Identify similarities, differences, and relationships between formal and popular culture.
- Identify aesthetic standards used to make critical judgments in various artistic fields and apply those standards to the analysis of individual works.
Domain VI—Unified, Coherent, and Effective Writing
0011–Demonstrate the ability to prepare a well-organized, developed, and focused composition for a given purpose and audience.
For example:
- Take a position on a contemporary social, educational, or political issue, proposition, or statement and defend that position.
- Develop a well-organized, rhetorically effective argument using sound reasoning and relevant supporting information, evidence, or examples.
- Maintain a central theme or main idea through the use of an effective thesis statement, topic sentences, and transitions.
- Employ unified, coherent, and developed paragraphs, sound and effective sentences; precise words and phrases; and vocabulary appropriate for the audience and purpose of the writing task.
- Demonstrate command of Standard English conventions of grammar, usage, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.