0 Tips on Passing the Licensure Exam for Teachers (LET)

After reviewing for the Licensure Exam for Teachers and passing it, I decided to share my ten LET passing tips here in my blog. These tips are essentially helpful if you decide not to enroll in a review center and just review on your own to get a license for teaching.

# 1 Know your weak and strong subjects/classes.

Allot a few hours each day or each week to review the lessons for classes you did well when you were still in college. Enjoy this review time so you can easily remember what you are re-learning. Allot more time, however, on classes you were weak in. Well, at least if you are weak in mathematics for example, make sure you dont miss reviewing the concepts that will be tested in the General Math part of the licensure exam. It will be easy to find out your areas of weaknesses. Check the grades in your transcript or assess yourself which among the classes you took you dont remember much about. See my pointers to review based on PRCs table of specification (TOS), which was available for download in first week of June 2011. Also read the coverage of the exam with schedule.

# 2 Understand the major theories, concepts and techniques in Professional Education subjects.
Understanding the theories and concepts by heart will allow you to answer questions that are written to confuse you. There are times that you have to choose which among the situations on the choices will be logical based on theories or concepts mentioned or implied in the question. I didnt have any teaching experience when I took the exam so I really based a lot of my answers on what I remembered from my college years. See some pointers for Professional Education subjects.

# 3 Strive hard to improve your analytical skills on answering questions.

After you reviewed the theories and concepts, you should test your understanding by differentiating and explaining these in your own words. While reviewing, rephrase ideas and think of actual applications.

For example, in methods of teaching, allow yourself to compare method 1 with method 2, then ask yourself why method 1 is preferred than the other on certain situations. Ask yourself questions like:

Why are you doing _________? Why is it similar to ______________? What if you will not _________, what will happen? Why the result is different? How can I apply this? Have I experienced this myself? What other examples can I think of? In other words, this is about ____________.

Just keep asking yourself regarding whatever youve just read on your review. Analyze and answer in your own words. If there are questions at the end of each chapter of your book, answer those questions. Enjoy this process so you will remember.

#4 Review General Education subjects.

Remember that you have to pass all three sets of tests including General Education (for Secondary Education) and two sets of the tests (for Elementary Education). Dont assume that General Education is easy since you took the Gen Ed classes when you were in Elementary or High School. Remember that a lot of years had passed. So refresh your memory especially on common mathematical equations (e.g. Fractions, Volumes, Areas, Percentages, Ages, Distance and Time computations) and major science concepts (e.g. Matter, Gravity, Mass, Energy, Friction). Youll never know what will show up in your test. Solve problems listed on your review materials or old books.

# 5 Prepare everything you need for the exam.

Make sure you have read the test guidelines, which included the things you need to bring for the exam. Also check if the calculator you plan to bring for the exam is in PRCs list of allowed calculators. If not, buy or borrow a calculator that has a model listed there (I bought mine). If you dont want to buy a new one, make sure you have a non-programmable calculator. But dont take my word on this because I wasnt sure if other proctors had allowed calculators not in the list. Although my friend said she didnt even check the list and just grabbed a basic calculator on the exam day. Proctors check each calculator before the exam starts.

# 6 Get enough sleep before the exam.

Make sure you dont feel drowsy while taking the exam so you have enough time to answer all the test questions. You dont want to fail because you didnt have enough sleep the night before.

# 7 Avoid erasures, OR MAKE THE ERASURE CLEAN AT LEAST. And Of Course, Shade it Properly!
In Centro Escolar University (CEU), where I attended college from 2003 to 2007, we used Scantron papers for our prelim, mid-term, and final exams. So, Im used to answering tests by shading boxes. I knew how erasures could make a bad score. So before you shade it, make sure you are shading the right answer, or at least it is your final answer. If you need to erase it, make sure it is clean. But I still dont think it is a good idea. So, before the exam day, try the eraser you plan to bring. On a white paper, or a semicardboard white paper, write something on it with the pencil you plan to bring and erase this writing with this eraser. If the eraser erases cleanly your writing, then you are good. I also make sure when I shade the box of my answer, I dont shade it beyond the box (huwag lumampas ang shading). Dont shade it heavily too (Baka masira mo ung papel).

# 8 Skip questions you arent sure and go back to them later on.
There are some questions that no matter how well you prepared for the exam, you will have no idea what the answer is or it will take you a lot of time to answer it. If you come across to questions like these skip the questions first. Answer questions that you know as much as you can then go back to the questions you skipped. If you still cant figure out the right answer the second time you look at the skipped question, make an educated guess. Eliminate options that are obvious detractors, and usually you will just end up with two possible answers. Make a very very educated guess at this point when you really cant figure the right one out. Or follow your instinct (See Tip #10).

# 9 Follow instructions.
Listen to what the proctor is telling you during the exam. If you are confused, ask the proctor directly not your seatmate.

# 10 Bring with you your Common Sense.

Most of the time, you havent reviewed whatever appears on the real exam. What will help you answer the exam are your basic understanding of the topics and your analytical skill. Dont overdo it though because you might miss the right answer.

My Story:
I completed 18 credits in Education together with my degree in Mass CommunicationsJournalism. In 2008, a year after I graduated, I took the Licensure Exam for Teachers or LET held in September. The challenging exam made me think of enrolling in a review class, but at the end, I chose to study on my own. Not an easy choice but I was fortunate to have my friend enrolled in a review class that I photocopied her reviewers. I started to self-review though just a month away before the exam, and took it more seriously just two weeks before the exam (define cramming!). If I had a bigger goal like to be one of the top 10 examinees, I would had taken the review more seriously and started the review months before or took an earlier initiative to enroll in a review center (excuses!). I just wanted to pass the exam and get a license. Im glad I did, with an overall score between 82-84%.