CORE Subjects EC-6

So you're taking the CORE Subjects EC-6 and need to master the test? No problem. We have the 5 things you need!

1- Important Tidbits: There are a few important details you need to know, like the cost of the test, where to take it, and how many times you CAN take it...

2- What to Know: Each subtest focuses on a specific set of skills and knowledge. We breakdown the specific concepts, ideas, and skills you need to pass EACH subtest.

3- Testing Tips: How you answer each question is important. Did you know there are mathematically-proven ways to increase your chance of passing?

4- Practice Test: Get an idea for the kinds of questions you can expect on each subtest and see how well you know the concepts.

5- Helpful Resources: Let us tell you the best resources to use to get the in-depth preparation you need to pass the CORE Subjects EC-6!

CORE Subjects EC-6 Breakdown

TThe TExES CORE Subjects EC-6 is a test you must pass to teach at the elementary level in Texas. The exam consists of 5 individually graded subtests with a total of 210 multiple choice questions. You will have 5 hours to complete all five subtests.

The CORE Subjects EC-6 is difficult because you must pass each subtest and each subtest is individually timed.

This page will give you a breakdown of the exam, what you need to know for each subtest, provide testing tips and strategies, a practice test, and resources. Want to learn more? Then keep scrolling!

Table of Contents

CORE Subjects EC-6 Exam

CORE Subjects EC-6 Breakdown

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Each subtest has a specific number of questions you must complete in the allotted time. Below is a breakdown of the number of question per subtest, as well as the time allotted to answer the questions.

Subtest

English Language Arts

Mathematics             

Social Studies                   

Science

Fine Arts, Health, PE 

Questions          Time

- 45 Questions    -  70 Minutes

- 40 Questions    -  70 Minutes

- 40 Questions    -  50 Minutes

- 45 Questions     - 55 Minutes

- 40 Questions     - 35 Minutes

Important Tidbits

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Cost: $116 for the CORE Subjects EC-6; $65 per subtest (if registering for an individual subtest(s)).

Locations: The CORE Subjects EC-6 is a Computer-Administered Test (CAT), so it can be taken at numerous locations across Texas, as well as a few locations outside of Texas.

Limited Number of Attempts: The state of Texas allows a person only 5 attempts to pass the CORE Subjects EC-6 before requiring a waiver for a 6th attempt. The process to get a waiver is time-consuming and expensive so it is best to prepare and pass the first time. For more information, contact the TEA or your Educator Preparation Program.

Who can take the test: Almost anybody. If you are a certified teacher, you can just register for the exam. If you are in an Educator Preparation Program, you can request test approval from your certification program. If you are not a certified teacher and not in an Educator Preparation Program, you can take the exam. All you have to do is register as a Pre-Admission Content test-taker.

Important CORE Subjects EC-6 Tips

What You Need to Know

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English Language Arts and Reading

The English Language Arts and Reading portion of the exam is going to focus on the best practices to help students learn to read and write. Concepts, such as oral language,reading comprehension, written communication, and viewing and representing media, will be covered on the exam. Not only will a test-taker have to be familiar with the concepts, but also know the best practices for implementing instruction in the classroom.

The English Language Arts questions on the CORE Subjects EC-6 will be mainly pedagogical- the questions will ask how best to teach the concepts to students. That means a test-taker must be familiar with the concepts and also the best way to implement the concepts in a classroom setting. The foundation of good preparation will be an understanding of English Language Arts terminology and the best practices of English Language Arts instruction.

With the implementation of the Science of Teaching Reading exam, the CORE English Language Arts subtest will mostly focus on areas NOT covered by the STR. The majority of early reading questions covering concepts such as phonological awareness and the alphabetic principle have been moved to the STR.

One concept the test-taker should be familiar with is “scaffolding”. Scaffolding refers to supporting student learning by building new concepts upon familiar concepts- similar to how scaffolding helps support structure that is being built. Students learn better when the new information they process is conceptualized and taught through concepts they already know.

On the Reading and Language Arts subtest, knowing how to best scaffold instruction when teaching the concepts (such as oral language, reading comprehension, written communication, and viewing and representing media) is essential to passing the exam. A helpful source to learn the best practices in Reading and Language Arts is the Put Reading First pamphlet.

Mathematics

The mathematics subtest can be the most intimidating for many test-takers. The reason is many test-takers do not feel comfortable with math, yet alone answering forty math questions that range from solving for “x” to calculating a probability of a die roll to how best to teach fractions to fifth-graders. The good news is that the mathematics tested on the CORE Subjects EC-6 is, for the most part, basic mathematical skills that are used fairly often. When test-takers start to review for the mathematics questions they often find they remember much more than they thought. Math often seems easier now than when they were in school!

The numbers, operations, and algebraic thinking questions will be about patterns, whole numbers, rational numbers, basic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division), variables, and how best to apply formulas. Understanding how and when to use formulas is essential for success on the mathematics subtest.

The geometry and measurement questions (covering concepts such as transformations-rotations, reflections, length, time, and mass) will require the test-taker to interpret data presented graphically, and basic questions regarding statistics will require test-takers to determine mean, median, mode, and range. To be successful on these questions the test-taker should have a broad understanding of how the mathematical concepts are used in a variety of contexts. A broad review consisting of content and practice questions is highly recommended. Proper preparation for the mathematics exam requires working many practice questions to ensure understanding of how to best implement the concepts.

Math builds upon itself more so than any other area. Addition must be learned before multiplication; multiplication must be learned before anyone can be expected to multiply fractions. Because of this, the test-taker should have a comprehensive mathematics review. Many times, if a test-taker is confused in one area of mathematics, then that confusion will lead to trouble in many different areas. Being up-to-date on a wide spectrum of knowledge is critical to passing the mathematics subtest successfully.

The classroom-based questions on the math subtest will put these math concepts through an instructional lens. You may have to determine the concept the teacher is teaching based on details from the lesson. It’s also important to be familiar with types of assessment and how to use assessment to guide classroom instruction.

All math questions on the CORE Subjects EC-6 are multiple-choice. A multiple-choice math exam is the easiest way to take a math exam. A great strategy to use on a multiple choice mathematics exam is “Guess and Check”. When applicable, don’t be afraid to plug all answer options into a problem to see which answer works best. Use all the advantages you can on the math subtest.

Social Studies

 

The United States history and government questions will focus primarily on how the United States began and how those beginnings influenced the nation and its leaders up until the present day. Key events such as the Mayflower Compact, the Revolutionary War, and the Gettysburg Address will be tested, as well as the ideology reflected in the events. The better understanding you have of the cause and effect relationship on political ideology and important historical events of the United States, the better you will be able to answer history and government questions.

The world history questions will focus on the contributions of classical civilizations to modern western civilization. The broad political, social, and military influences of Greece and Rome will appear on the test. The test-taker needs to understand how important ideas and events from these civilizations influenced leaders of western countries.

The geography questions will focus on the interaction between humans and their environment. Understanding how humans change the environment and how the environment influences human adaptation is essential to correctly answering questions in this category. While you don’t need to memorize the globe to be successful on this portion on the exam, it is helpful to have a general sense of where important features are located. Also, it is very helpful to have a broad knowledge and understanding of influential cultures (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, etc.) and their impact on western civilization.

Economic questions will largely center around basic economic concepts such as supply and demand, scarcity and choice, and the influence of government in the market.

Government questions focus on the structure and function of government, including concepts such as checks and balances and powers allowed by governing documents, like the Constitution. There are also questions about how citizens participate in the government.

Questions about Texas will appear on the Social Studies portion of the CORE Exam. Knowing key points in Texas’ history (including key people) and key information about its economic development, government, culture, and geography will help you prepare for these.

Some questions will appear in the framework of classroom instruction. On the Social Studies subtest, this typically requires knowing what resource to use to teach a certain concept. You may also be presented with details from a lesson and asked to identify the concept being taught, or reversely, be presented with a broad concept and asked which lesson details would apply.

Social Science is primarily a study of cause and effect. History can be seen as one event leading and shaping another event. This is one reason studying timelines is so important. The study of geography is important because it examines how humans interact with their environment. Geography seeks to understand how environmental causes affect human behavior. The same is true of economics and government. How does human interaction cause events and behavior? How does human interaction affect events and behavior? Studying the Social Sciences through this perspective is a helpful strategy because it provides a context for the concepts. More pragmatically, the more a test-taker understands historical events, the easier it is to eliminate answer options on the CORE Subjects EC-6

Science

The earth science questions will be about the structure, properties, and processes of the earth. Geological structures and formations, properties of solid Earth, and the water cycle are all aspects of earth science that will be tested. Earth science encompasses concepts such as: the formation of the earth, how to understand the age and structure of the earth, various cycles essential to life on the earth, and the impact of humans on the earth. Understanding how all these different concepts affect one another is important to having a full understanding of earth science.

The life science questions will be about adaptations in living organisms, the role of genetics, the effect of ecosystems on life, the effect of substances on life (i.e. nutrition, disease, drugs). Life science is comprised of the field of biology and the study of life on earth. Having a broad understanding of basic life processes, such as the function and structure of a plant and animal cell, is essential to successfully answering life science questions.

The physical science questions will be about the physical and chemical aspects of life and forces found in the universe. Understanding the laws of motion, the types of forces (applied force, electrical force, magnetic force, etc.), and how they are revealed in nature is essential in correctly answering the physical science questions.

The information tested by the Science subtest is on the level of concepts taught in an elementary classroom- so the information is not very technical or detailed. However, there is a lot of information taught in an elementary classroom so the test-taker should be familiar with a variety of scientific concepts. The classroom-based questions require test-takers to apply scientific concepts to teaching scenarios, such as identifying an appropriate assessment for a particular concept. It’s also essential to have knowledge about inquiry-based instruction

Testing Tips

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Passing the test can be a difficult thing, but luckily, we have developed some great strategies that will help you increase your score up to 10 points!  One of our strategies is a 4-step guide on how to answer a question:

Step 1: Read the question for a general comprehension.

What is the question about? This first step is to get a general idea of the question and a framework for what is happening in the question.

Step 2: Re-read the question

The second time you read the question look for:

-What is the question asking? Focus on the sentence with the question mark at the end.

-What is the grade-level of the students? (If students are mentioned)

-What information is important in the question? Not all information in the prompt is relevant for the question.

Step 3 & 4: Read each answer option, and then re-read each answer option.

As you first read the answer options, try to not make a judgment if it is a correct answer.

On the second reading, try to eliminate the incorrect answers BEFORE trying to identify the correct answer.

Important CORE Subjects EC-6 Tips

 

The CORE Subjects EC-6 240Tutoring study guide has over 1200 questions, 400 pages of instructional content and comes with the 240Tutoring Guarantee; if you score a 95% on the study guide but fail your exam- you are eligible for a FULL refund.

          Get the 240Tutoring CORE Subjects EC-6 Study Guide

240Tutoring also has study guides for each individual CORE Subjects EC-6 subtest. 

TExES CORE Subjects EC-6 Study Guide

CORE EC-6 Practice Test

English Language Arts and Reading Practice Test

*Answers at the bottom

1. Which of the following is the most appropriate way for a teacher to help students develop an understanding of parts of speech?
a. Show example words and example sentences to help analyze/explain how each part of speech functions within a sentence.
b. Write five examples of nouns on the board and have students identify what all the words have in common.
c. Have students copy down the definitions of each part of speech.
d. Have students practice changing present tense verbs to past tense.

2. In what ways do small-group conversational activities help improve oral language development?
a. Students are able to chat with their friends, relieving stress and clearing the mind for more learning.
b. Students can respond to each other and learn to formulate arguments and express different views.
c. The teacher can step back from the discussion and allow students to express themselves.
d. Students are able to respond to each other in a low-stakes setting, which contributes to higher student involvement.

3. Mrs. Ling, a sixth-grade English teacher, is introducing an instructional assignment to promote her students' writing skills. Before she provides the writing assignment, she asks each student to think of a person they view as a role model and then list five characteristics they like about their role model. Once each student has completed the activity, she instructs her students to construct a three-paragraph essay about what makes a good role model. Which of the following is the most beneficial reason for the teacher to ask each student to list five characteristics of their role model?
a. It allows each student to write about something they want to write about.
b. It stimulates the students' creativity and gives them a beginning outline for their essay.
c. It promotes students' creativity outside the structure of a classroom activity.
d. It allows the teacher to identify a foundation to help the students begin their writing activity.

4. What question could be asked during literature circles to encourage students to evaluate the author's word choices?
a. In what ways is the main character relatable to yourself or someone you know? How does this likeness help you understand his motivations and actions?
b. Based on what we learned in this chapter, what do you think will happen to the main character in the next chapter?
c. What was the most significant event in the chapter that caused the main character to act the way she did?
d. How did the descriptive language used in this chapter help you visualize the setting?

5. A teacher wants to model for students how to determine the meaning of words within a nonfiction text. Which activity below would be the most effective way to demonstrate this for the students?
a. Read a text that's projected for the class and take notes in the margins while reading.
b. Provide student with a teacher-written summary of a text after the class has read it together.
c. While reading aloud to the class, the teacher pauses to define vocabulary terms using context clues.
d. While reading a text projected for the class, the teacher highlights transition words and phrases used in each paragraph.

6. Mr. Blaschke wants to develop his students' fluency while reading. Which activity would best help him achieve this goal?
a. Reviewing phonics and frequent morpheme pronunciations.
b. Create a word wall to introduce students to new terms they may encounter in their reading.
c. Have students read unknown excerpts in front of the class.
d. Read short excerpts of poetry, demonstrating how to pause and add proper inflection.

7. Which of the following strategies should be incorporated into the classroom to help students determine the meaning of unknown words while reading?
a. using context clues
b. using root words and morphology
c. vocabulary word walls
d. identifying individual phonemes in a word

8. When choosing vocabulary words for his fifth-grade students, a teacher has been purposefully selecting academic and high-frequency words. He already has various strategies and routine activities in place to facilitate the use of and interaction with high-frequency words. He is now focused on expanding his students' experiences with the academic vocabulary specifically. Which of the following would best support this goal?
a. deliberately using the new academic vocabulary terms in questions and activities outside of reading instruction
b. requiring students to use the new academic vocabulary outside of school a certain number of times
c. requiring the students to use the new academic vocabulary in their journal writing
d. completing word searches that include the new academic vocabulary

9. A sixth-grade student is researching the Civil War and has read two conflicting secondary sources about the motivations of Abraham Lincoln in issuing the Emancipation Proclamation. He asks the teacher how he can find which secondary source is most accurate in the matter. Which of the following responses by the teacher would be most appropriate?
a. Suggesting to the student to read the primary sources quoted by the secondary sources so the student can draw an independent conclusion
b. Urging the student to look at online reviews of the book to find which one is more accurate
c. Identifying which book has a larger bibliography as a means of deciding which book is more accurate
d. The teacher should tell the student which book is more accurate

10. Which of the following is the biggest benefit of requiring oral presentations for students?
a. demonstrating their use of segmentation and syntax
b. providing practice in using morphemes, phonemes, and pragmatics
c. demonstrating how effective they are at literal and inferential comprehension
d. providing practice in pronouncing clearly, controlling grammar, and clarifying information

Mathematics Practice Test

*Answers at the bottom

1.A fifth-grade teacher is beginning a unit on equivalent fractions with her students. If this is an introductory lesson, which of the following activities would be the most effective in helping the students understand the concept of equivalent fractions?
a. find as many fractions as possible equivalent to ½ in one minute
b. use pattern blocks to model different fractions equivalent to ½
c. compare pictures showing ½ of a variety of different objects
d. begin with the concept that 50¢ is ½ of $1; 25¢ is ½ of 50¢; 5¢ is ½ of 10¢

2. After a lesson on rounding and estimation, a teacher tells students that the football concession stand has purchased 590 candy bars to sell for the 6 football home games this year. The teacher asks the students to estimate the average number of candy bars that will be sold at each home game. Which of the following would be the correct estimation?
a. 90
b. 98.3
c. 100
d. 105

3. Which of the following has the least value?
a. 0.518
b. 0.5108
c. 0.0518
d. 0.5018

4. Simplify the expression: 30 - 2 × 50 + 70
a. 0
b. 1470
c. -210
d. -70

5. Two angles are complementary. If the measure of one of the angles is 68°, what is the measure of the other angle?
a. 22° because the sum of the measures of complementary angles is 90°.
b. 112° because the sum of the measures of complementary angles is 180°.
c. 68° because complementary angles are congruent to each other.
d. 292° because the sum of the measures of complementary angles is 360°.

6. Which situation could best be represented by the equation: 12x = 54?
a. Marty earns $12 for typing a paper. If her rate is $54 per hour, what is x, the number of hours it actually took to type the paper?
b. Marty collected 12 dozen eggs every day for 54 days. What is x, the total number of dozens of eggs she collected?
c. Marty had 54 minutes left on his cell phone plan. If he uses 12 minutes, what is x, the number of minutes remaining on his cell phone plan?
d. Marty made car payments on her car for 54 months until it was paid off. What is x, the number of years it took Marty to pay off her car?

7. A teacher engages her class in a discussion of the coordinate plane. The students are asked to identify the quadrants, the coordinate axes, and the mathematical notation for various points in the plane. Students are asked to develop a way to quickly identify the quadrant in which various points lie. Which of the following objectives is the teacher most likely trying to address with this lesson?
a. developing precise mathematical language when expressing mathematical ideas
b. demonstrating how to model and solve real-world problems using mathematics
c. augmenting an understanding of estimation and its appropriate uses
d. encouraging student use of mathematics manipulatives and technological tools

8. The Trout family just purchased a large table in the shape of a perfect circle. It is 600 cm across. John helps set one side of the table for dinner and walks exactly halfway around the table. Which of the following is closest to how far has he walked?
a. 950 cm
b. 1,900 cm
c. 1,000 cm
d. 600 cm

9. Bill went to the store to purchase new clothes for the upcoming school year. Bill purchased 8 shirts, 4 pairs of shorts, and 2 pairs of pants. If a single outfit consists of one shirt and either one pair of shorts or one pair of pants, how many outfits can Bill create with the clothes he purchased?
a. 32
b. 16
c. 42
d. 48

Social Studies Practice Test

*Answers at the bottom

1. A sixth-grade student is researching the Civil War and has read two conflicting secondary sources about the motivations of Abraham Lincoln in issuing the Emancipation Proclamation. He asks the teacher how he can find which secondary source is most accurate in the matter. Which of the following responses by the teacher would be most appropriate?
a. Suggesting to the student to read the primary sources quoted by the secondary sources so the student can draw an independent conclusion
b. Urging the student to look at online reviews of the book to find which one is more accurate
c. Identifying which book has a larger bibliography as a means of deciding which book is more accurate
d. The teacher should tell the student which book is more accurate

2. Which of the following is the primary economic reason for the initial exploration of the Americas by European powers in the 15th and 16th centuries?
a. finding gold and capturing the natural resources of the Americas
b. discovering the Fountain of Youth
c. converting people in the Americas to Christianity
d. discovering a western sea route to trade with China

3. Which of the following factors best explains the power of the Catholic Church in the Middle Ages?
a. Each bishop controlled their area based on its unique needs.
b. Those who disapproved of Church doctrine were excommunicated.
c. The Church levied heavy fines against those who fought against it.
d. There were no governments to maintain law and order.

4. Which of the following best describes the importance of the Battle of the Alamo?
a. The Texas army was reinvigorated and inspired by the bravery of the men who fell at the Battle of the Alamo.
b. The Texas army was overwhelmed by the loss and retreated for a period of time.
c. Following their defeat at the Alamo, Texas agreed to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
d. Both sides suffered a similarly devastating number of losses.

5. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 had which of the following effects?
a. It outlawed discrimination by public accommodations (theaters, hotels, restaurants, etc.).
b. It encouraged desegregation of schools.
c. It instituted minimum wage.
d. It secured voting rights for African Americans.

6. Which canal creates a water route from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean?
a. Erie Canal
b. Panama Canal
c. Suez Canal
d. Kiel Canal

7. Which of the following geographic features most likely contributed to the lack of cultural consistency and political unity among the Greek city-states?
a. the mountainous terrain of Greece
b. competition among fisherman at seaports
c. importance of kinship bonds in Greek culture
d. diverse economic resources resulting in city-states specializing in one production area

8. Which of the following best describes the purpose of the Bill of Rights?
a. to correct errors in the original drafting of the Constitution
b. to place limits on the rights of the states
c. to provide additional protections to individuals
d. to guarantee women the right to vote

9. A teacher reads a current newspaper article about how a new state law was just ruled invalid by the state judge. Which of the following concepts could best be taught using the newspaper article as an example?
a. popular sovereignty
b. natural law
c. common law
d. checks and balances

10. Which of the following describes a significant shift in the Texas economy in the early 1900s that still impacts the state today?
a. The Spindletop oil derrick attracted investors and speculators to Texas.
b. Demand for seafood from the Gulf increased from northern states.
c. Wheat production dropped in other parts of the country increasing reliance on Texas production.
d. The development of the railroad decreased the demand for Texas cattle.

Science Practice Test

*Answers at the bottom

1. During a sixth-grade unit on suspensions, Mr. Ricky teaches that the color of a suspension depends on how light reflects on the solutes. He uses the examples of glacial lakes, which contain silt from the glacier's movement. When sunlight hits the lake and reflects from this suspended silt, the lake appears a spectacular turquoise blue or green color. Of the following student activities, which would be most useful to include while assessing students' understanding of his unit on suspensions?
a. creating a photo collage of the various colors of lakes
b. drawing a diagram of why glacial lakes are blue
c. calculate the rate of dissolution based on the lake color
d. inviting a local scientist in to talk about the effect of climate change on the lakes

2. A teacher wants his students to learn about different forms of energy in everyday life. Which of the following is the most engaging way to start a lesson that relates to the lesson goals and encourages students to see themselves as scientists?
a. Give students time to rotate through several hands-on science experiments that demonstrate the transformation of energy from one form to another.
b. Tell students a story about the chain of events that brings energy from the Sun into their bodies so they can run and play.
c. Ask the class for their thoughts on where they see energy in everyday life and make a list on the board.
d. Demonstrate and discuss the different forms of energy present in a toy such as a jack-in-the-box.

3. A scientist is performing an experiment to determine the conductivity of a specific substance. Which of the following actions would increase the reliability of the results?
a. testing multiple substances
b. using a variety of materials to test the conductivity of the substance
c. predicting the outcome of the experiment
d. recording the results of repeated experiments

4. Which of the following is an example of a positive feedback system?
a. contractions during labor and childbirth
b. body temperature regulation
c. blood glucose regulation
d. using a thermostat to regulate house temperature

5. Which of the following would not be characterized as an adaptation to warmer than average global temperatures in recent decades?
a. improved heat tolerance in corals
b. plants adjusting their flowering times
c. trees dropping leaves in winter
d. delayed loss of summer coats in animals

6. Red flowers are dominant over white flowers in roses. A heterozygous red flowering rose is mated with a purebred, white colored rose. What percentage of their offspring will have the genotype rr?
a. 25%
b. 50%
c. 75%
d. 100%

7. A weatherman on the local news is describing a cold front reaching and pushing up warm air later in the day. Which of the following is the weatherman most likely explaining?
a. the development of thunderstorm clouds
b. the development of clear, calm skies
c. an increase in air pressure
d. the likelihood of rain

8. Pieces of broken rock often become cemented together to form a new rock. This rock is referred to as:
a. a sedimentary rock.
b. an igneous rock.
c. a fossilized rock.
d. an oceanic rock.

9. Newton's third law of motion states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Which of the following is the best example of the application of this law?
a. The length of a tsunami
b. A ball continues to roll when kicked.
c. More force is needed to push a wagon full of children than an empty wagon.
d. When a car suddenly stops, the passengers keep moving forward until something stops them.

10. As a demonstration during a unit on heat transfer, a teacher heats one end of a long metal rod and later measures the temperature at different positions along the rod. Which of the following processes is demonstrated by the range of temperatures?
a. convection
b. radiation
c. conduction
d. condensation

Fine Arts Practice Test

*Answers at the bottom

1. Which of the following three colors are typically used in a traditional elementary art class because they can be combined to make a variety of other colors?
a. black and white
b. red, yellow, and blue
c. violet, red-violet, red, red-orange and orange
d. orange, green, and purple

2. Which of the following is not included in the definition of perception as it applies to teaching and understanding art?
a. awareness or recognition beyond just looking
b. enhances a student's ability to shape new information and reflect upon new experiences
c. developed through information gathered through the senses
d. shaped by the students natural artistic talent

3. Ms. Hansel is considering a song for her elementary music students. Which of the following is most important for her to consider?
a. range
b. tempo
c. melody
d. lyrics

4. If a musician sees "dim." in a piece of music, how should it impact their performance in that section?
a. play more slowly compared with the previous section
b. gradually increase their volume until they are playing quite loudly
c. play more quickly compared with the previous section
d. gradually decrease their volume until they are playing quietly

5. Which of the following behaviors is most likely to positively impact someone's health?
a. increasing sugar and fat intake
b. increasing tobacco intake
c. decreasing stress levels
d. decreasing physical movement

6. Which of the following is the best example of a non-locomotor activity?
a. Have students jump on incrementally higher boxes until they can no longer jump high enough onto the next box
b. Have students stand back to back and have them practice passing a basketball between each other by rotating their hips while remaining in place
c. Have students run an obstacle course that incorporates skipping, running, and jumping
d. Time students in a quarter-mile footrace

7. Physical activity can increase a person's self-awareness by doing which of the following?
a. helping a person become more mindful of how they feel both physically and mentally
b. building a person's ability to ignore pain or discomfort
c. increasing a person's anxiety and stress levels
d. causing a person to become more self-conscious of their body

8. When teaching health topics, all of the following are effective ways to interactively involve students and provide opportunities for them to take an active role in their education except:
a. roleplay exercises
b. direct instruction
c. problem-based learning activities
d. group discussions

9. Mr. Driscoll wants to help his first-grade students apply interpretive dance movements to a song they will be hearing in class. Mr. Driscoll wants to use the exercise to promote the students' ability to express themselves. Which of the following would be the best strategy to help the students to successfully complete the exercise?
a. As a class, have the students brainstorm various movements that they think would be good to use with the song.
b. Assign students a movement to perform when they hear a specific word in the song.
c. Perform example movements for the students to use during the activity.
d. Allow each student to perform a series of movements in front of the class during the song.

10. Theatre emerged in ancient Greece from which of the following:
a. political conflict between the city-states
b. social tensions between enslaved people and citizens
c. religious ceremonies
d. the need for actors to support themselves

English Language Arts and Reading Practice Test Answers

1. Answer Choice (A). This is the best answer. This would be an appropriate way to introduce the concept of parts of speech.

2. Answer Choices (B), (D). Bouncing ideas off each other and learning to formulate arguments are important oral language skills, and thus an important byproduct of small group discussions. Also, it is important for students to feel comfortable enough to participate in discussions, and small groups also increase the amount of opportunity each student has to participate.

3. Answer Choice (D). Requiring students to think about a specific role model in their lives and characteristics they admire about that role model will help the teacher guide the students in constructing a three-paragraph essay about role models.

4. Answer Choice (D). This question asks students to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the language used in the chapter.

5. Answer Choice (C). By modeling his thought process while reading, the teacher is able to demonstrate how a strong reader uses context clues to define new words. The teacher is also demonstrating an effective tool students can use when they read on their own.

6. Answer Choice (D). By modeling how to pause and inflect while reading, Mr. Blaschke can demonstrate good fluency to his students through short reading passages.

7. Answer Choices (A), (B). Knowing how to use context clues during reading will enable students to quickly define unknown words. Also, a strong knowledge of roots and morphology can help students connect definitions from known to unknown words.

8. Answer Choice (A). Reinforcing these terms across different content areas will expose them to the words in a new setting and increase the likelihood that they remember the words, their meaning, and how to use them in a sentence.

9. Answer Choice (A). This is the best answer. If a student has two conflicting reports and motivations, reading the primary sources of the secondary sources will provide detail and allow the student to deduce their own conclusions.

10. Answer Choice (D). These are the primary purposes of having students speak orally, as these are the most important aspects of oral language.

Need additional help preparing for the exam? Get it here: TExES CORE Subjects EC-6 Study Guide!

Mathematics Practice Test Answers

1. Answer Choice (B). Since this is an introductory activity, concrete, proportional manipulative materials like this should be used for concept development. It is important not to rush past this step and to use a variety of different materials to develop and reinforce understanding of this concept.

2. Answer Choice (C). An estimate is finding an approximation of a value. Estimates are used to quickly find an answer that is close, but probably not precise. 590 can easily be rounded to 600 which is divisible by 6. This means that about 100 candy bars will be sold per game.

3. Answer Choice (C). This has the least value of the set. The tenths place has a 0 while the other numerals have a 5 in the tenths place.

4. Answer Choice (A). To simplify the equation, follow the order of operations: Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction (PEMDAS) and work left to right. The steps to simplify the expression would be:
= 30 - 2 × 50 + 70
= 30 - 100 + 70
= -70 + 70
= 0

5. Answer Choice (A). Complementary angles are two angles whose sum is 90 degrees. So, if one angle is 68 degrees, its complement would be 90 – 68 = 22 degrees.

6. Answer Choice (D). To get the total months, 54, multiply the number of years, x, by the number of months in a year, 12; 12x = 54.

7. Answer Choice (C). Looking at the table above, there 36 possible combinations and three ways in which a sum of 4 can be achieved. 3/36 reduces to 1/12.

8. Answer Choice (A). The precise use of mathematical language is required when using and describing information in the coordinate plane.

9. Answer Choice (A). Since John walked halfway around the table, we are solving for half of the circumference, C = 𝜋d. Since the table is 600 cm across, d = 600 cm and therefore P = 600𝜋cm. John walked halfway around, so John walked frac{1}{2}(600)pi which is about 950 cm.

10. Answer Choice (C). The answer can be found by multiplying the number of shirts by the number of pairs of shorts and pairs of pants. This would create the equation (8 shirts) × (4 pairs of shorts + 2 pair of pants) = 8 × (4+2) = 8 × 6 = 48.

Need additional help preparing for the exam? Find it here: TExES CORE Subjects EC-6 Study Guide!

Social Studies Practice Test Answers

1. Answer Choice (A). This is the best answer. If a student has two conflicting reports and motivations, reading the primary sources of the secondary sources will provide detail and allow the student to deduce their own conclusions.

2. Answer Choice (D). Trade between Asia and Europe was dominated by Italian merchants. Other European nations, especially along the Atlantic coast, wanted to find a direct trade route that eliminated middlemen from trade between their nations and Asia.

3. Answer Choice (B). The power of the Catholic Church during the Middle Ages (5th century to the 14th century) was derived from the power to excommunicate people from the Church. Excommunication meant the person was not a part of the Church, could not take communion, and was eternally damned to hell. The belief that the Church could dictate a person's eternal destiny was a strong power. Furthermore, being excommunicated would result in an ostracism, or expulsion, from society.

4. Answer Choice (A). The Texan army was invigorated by the heinous acts. In future battles Texas soldiers cried, "Remember Goliad! Remember the Alamo!" The Battle of the Alamo is specifically remembered, due to the bravery of the men who died in the battle as a stand against tyranny in the face of certain death.

5. Answer Choices (A), (B). The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is considered an important legislative accomplishment. The purpose of the Act was to end discriminatory practices by businesses and public services towards African Americans. Also, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited racial discrimination and Title IV encouraged the end of segregation.

6. Answer Choice (B). The Panama Canal is in Central America. It connects the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, greatly reducing travel time.

7. Answer Choice (A). The mountainous terrain encouraged each Greek city to be self-contained and isolated from other cities, because communication and trade with other city-states was so difficult, due to the mountains dividing the cities. The isolation of cities led to a diverging of cultures as each city developed its own politics and societal norms. Geographic areas tend to have similar cultures because trade and travel are so prevalent between areas, such as the common cultural characteristics in the United States. The lack of trade and travel in ancient Greece, caused by the mountainous terrain, resulted in each city-state having a unique political structure and varying societal norms.

8. Answer Choice (C). The Bill of Rights is made up of the first ten amendments to the Constitution. Of these, the first nine guarantee additional protections for individuals that are not stated elsewhere in the Constitution.

9. Answer Choice (D). The term "checks and balances" refers to a governmental system where one branch of government has the power to "check," or otherwise nullify, the actions of another branch. The system is designed to restrict one branch of government from obtaining too much power and ensure each branch "balances" the power of another. In the U.S. system of government, the legislative branch makes the laws, the judicial branch interprets the laws, and the executive branch enforces the laws.

10. Answer Choice (A). The oil derrick Spindletop began producing over 100,000 barrels of oil a day, overnight becoming the most productive oil derrick in the world. Investors and speculators from across the country flocked to Texas, bringing money and jobs.

Need additional help preparing for the exam? Find it here: TExES CORE Subjects EC-6 Study Guide!

Science Practice Test Answers

1. Answer Choice (B). Mr. Ricky wants to assess understanding of the effect of solutes on the color of a suspension. Having students draw a diagram is a good way for him to see if they understand that light is reflecting on the solutes.

2. Answer Choice (A). Not only does this pique interest in energy transformations, it also allows students to be scientists as they form theories and ideas about the different forms of energy present in the experiment.

3. Answer Choice (D). To increase reliability, at least three trials for every experiment should be completed and the data recorded.

4. Answer Choice (A). Contractions during labor and childbirth are an example of a positive feedback system, where the action causes a result further in the direction the system was already moving, as in, the process of labor advances.

5. Answer Choice (C). An adaptation is a common feature in a population because it is advantageous. In a changing environment, some pre-existing traits will become adaptations. Deciduous trees drop their leaves in winter to protect against the cold. As average global temperatures increase, this is less advantageous.

6. Answer Choice (B). The red flowering rose (Rr) will provide R or r. The white rose (rr) will always provide r. So the genotypes would be Rr half the time and rr the other half. Therefore, 50% of their offspring will have the genotype rr.

7. Answer Choices (A), (D). When cold and warm air meet in the atmosphere, then inclement weather develops, usually rain.

8. Answer Choice (A). Sedimentary rocks are formed when sediments or pieces of broken rock are cemented together to form a new rock.

9. Answer Choice (B). Newton's third law explains why objects move in the opposite directions. The law states, for every action there is an equal or opposite reaction. For example, if the engine pushes air backward, the air pushes the plane forward.

10. Answer Choice (C). Conduction is a method of heat transfer that happens when the kinetic energy of molecules is transferred to other molecules in the substance. In this demonstration, the parts of the rod that are not over the heat source are heated by convection.

Need additional help preparing for the exam? Find it here: TExES CORE Subjects EC-6 Study Guide!

Fine Arts Practice Test Answers

1. Answer Choice (B). These are the primary colors and can be mixed to make all other colors on the color wheel.

2. Answer Choice (D). Natural talent can alter perception, but prior knowledge, beliefs, and cognitive processes are the main factors in each students' perception of art. Art provides an opportunity to see, speak, write, hear, and actually touch the creation process. Providing students with varied sensory input allows them to develop neural pathways that will be used for life. The art teacher should recognize that each student perceives art as an individual and will guide students to appreciate their own perceptions and those of others.

3. Answer Choice (A). Range is the most important consideration as young singers often have limited vocal ranges. Most young singers can keep a beat and adjust to tempo, and Mrs. Hansel has a wide variety of melodies to choose from and should expose her students to many melodies. The lyrics should be age-appropriate, but beyond the appropriateness aspect, lyrics are not much of a consideration.

4. Answer Choice (D). Dim. represents diminuendo and instructs the musician to play with less volume.

5. Answer Choice (C). Higher stress levels tend to weaken the body. Decreasing stress tends to lead to a healthier lifestyle.

6. Answer Choice (B). A non-locomotor activity consists of moving body parts, but remaining in the same place. Non-locomotor activities include stretching, twisting, turning, bending, etc. This is the only activity where students stay in the same spot throughout the activity.

7. Answer Choice (A). Physical activity can increase a person's self-awareness by helping a person to be more mindful of physical and emotional feelings. In order for an exercise session to be successful, a person not only has to focus on breathing and posture, but also on continuing to move even when muscles are tired. Regular practice allows an individual to establish norms of physical and emotional feelings for reference.

8. Answer Choice (B). Direct instruction is teacher-led with the instructor lecturing at the front of the room. When teachers utilize direct instruction the students are not interacting or taking active roles in their learning.

9. Answer Choice (A). This is the best option as the class has a structured environment to offer expressive ideas.

10. Answer Choice (C). Modern theatre emerged from Greece in the 6th century B.C. Theatre evolved from religious ceremonies.

Need additional help preparing for the exam? Find it here: TExES CORE Subjects EC-6 Study Guide!

Helpful Resources

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Testing Center: Find the closest testing center near you.

The two ETS resources are an elaboration of state standards assessed on the CORE Subjects EC-6, general exam information, and practice questions. They are great resources for in-depth preparation. 

The Pearson. TExES CORE Subjects EC-6 Preparation Manual

The Pearson CORE Subjects EC-6 Overview

 

CORE Subjects EC-6 Resources

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Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Certified Texas Teacher

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