ABCTE PTK CORE EXAM MANUAL QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔Which of the following phrases BEST completes the following sentence?
"Vocabulary should be taught...
A. in every subject area in order for students to master the subject matter."
B. by giving students vocabulary lists to memorize every week."
C. as a separate subject area."
D. by the English department faculty because they are experts in teaching words." -
✔✔A. in every subject area in order for students to master the subject matter."
✔✔A social studies teacher wants students to consider the role of geography in
population patterns. She asks her class, "What role did geography play in the growth of
Chicago as a major U.S. city?" What should she do next?
A. Allow students to call out answers and write them on the board.
B. Tell students not to call out responses but to raise their hand when they think of an
answer and wait to be called on.
C. Call on a student and ask for an immediate response.
D. List some possible answers on the blackboard and ask students which they think are
best. - ✔✔B. Tell students not to call out responses but to raise their hand when they
think of an answer and wait to be called on.
✔✔Consider the following two questions a teacher might ask a high school social
studies class. I: According to our textbook, what does the public welfare system do to
solve the problems of poverty? II: What are some ways our country might solve the
problems of poverty? Which of the following best describes the differences between
these questions?
A. I invites more critical thinking than II.
B. II invites more divergent thinking than I.
C. II is closed-ended and I is open-ended.
D. I invites more divergent thinking than II. - ✔✔B. II invites more divergent thinking than
I.
✔✔How should a teacher generally begin almost every class?
A. By engaging in some casual conversation with students.
B. By reminding students to pay attention.
C. By telling students what they will be covering that day.
D. By reviewing skills learned during the previous class session. - ✔✔C. By telling
students what they will be covering that day.
✔✔What activity would BEST help students in a middle school social studies class
understand why different Native American tribes had different trading practices?
A. Give a carefully constructed lecture that covers the similarities and differences
among tribal trading practices, while having students take notes on the outline of the
lecture. Follow up with worksheet questions to answer.
,B. Assign a tribe to each group of students and give each group handouts that identify
needs and oversupply for a particular tribe. Then stage trading activities among groups
and have students identify important aspects.
C. Have students compare and contrast trading practices of Native Americans with the
trading practices of pioneer settlers, developing a list of differences and similarities. -
✔✔B. Assign a tribe to each group of students and give each group handouts that
identify needs and oversupply for a particular tribe. Then stage trading activities among
groups and have students identify important aspects.
✔✔A struggling student comes to pick up a paper at your desk during class time. You
have determined that this student needs extra help. Which of the following would be
BEST to say to the student?
A. "Come in at lunch and I'll help you work on the problems in this paper."
B. "This paper needs work. Would you like my help?"
C. "I had another student like you who needed help with this topic. When can you get
help?"
D. "I'd like to talk to you about this paper in a little more detail. Let's set up a time when
we can talk in private." - ✔✔D. "I'd like to talk to you about this paper in a little more
detail. Let's set up a time when we can talk in private."
✔✔Consider the following question asked by a first grade teacher: "What do the three
stories we have read by Tomie de Paola have in common?" What is the main
instructional value of asking a question like this?
A. Factual recall of characters from the three stories
B. Analysis of the separate stories and comparison between them
C. Analysis of the themes the author carries across the stories
D. Factual recall of specific events from the three stories - ✔✔B. Analysis of the
separate stories and comparison between them
✔✔If a school wanted to compare how its students were doing with respect to students
in other schools, what kind of assessment would be MOST appropriate?
A. Norm-referenced test
B. Criterion-referenced test
C. Performance assessment
D. Portfolio - ✔✔A. Norm-referenced test
✔✔A teacher is planning a lesson for a unit on the portion of the Seven Years War
fought in North America between England and France, known to Americans as the
French and Indian War. The lesson's main goal is to show the relative strengths and
weaknesses of English and French forces in North America. Which of the following aids
would be MOST useful for reaching that goal?
A. Maps showing which parts of North America each nation controlled at the start of the
war
B. A comparison/contrast chart for students to fill in as they work through the unit
C. A timeline showing major events before, during, and after the fighting
, D. Projected or online facsimiles of original documents, letters, and diaries - ✔✔B. A
comparison/contrast chart for students to fill in as they work through the unit
✔✔Suppose you want students to learn to distinguish between the words imply and
infer. Which of the following sequences would be MOST effective?
A. Have students apply the terms to their own examples and then explain the
distinction.
B. Be sure students can work without your direction, then ensure the skill is retained.
C. Explain the distinction, then have students evaluate their own examples.
D. Explain the distinction, then have students apply the terms to their own examples. -
✔✔D. Explain the distinction, then have students apply the terms to their own examples.
✔✔In order to use an inductive sequence for teaching about World War II, which of the
following would be the BEST way for a class to work?
A. Arrange events, persons, and groups along a timeline leading up to and through the
war.
B. Examine events leading up to the war and develop a general model of world war in
the process.
C. Learn a model of world warfare and examine how World War II fits into the model.
D. Examine how different persons, groups, and events contributed to the war. - ✔✔B.
Examine events leading up to the war and develop a general model of world war in the
process.
✔✔Which of the following statements BEST illustrates a proven technique for
encouraging student effort?
A. "I know you can do it if you really try."
B. "You do this better than any student I've ever had."
C. "You're exactly right here and here. Now check this."
D. "You look great today. How's it going?" - ✔✔C. "You're exactly right here and here.
Now check this."
✔✔A student, usually well-behaved, is being disruptive at the moment. Which of the
following techniques is an effective first intervention?
A. Ask, "What's up with you today?"
B. Say, "Watch what you're doing."
C. Move closer to the student.
D. Tell the student to stay after class. - ✔✔C. Move closer to the student.
✔✔Given the following set of scores on a standardized test, which choice most closely
approximates the difference between the mean and median of the set- 89, 65, 77, 93,
80, 87, 79
A. 1
B. 3
C. 28
D. 80 - ✔✔A. 1
ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔Which of the following phrases BEST completes the following sentence?
"Vocabulary should be taught...
A. in every subject area in order for students to master the subject matter."
B. by giving students vocabulary lists to memorize every week."
C. as a separate subject area."
D. by the English department faculty because they are experts in teaching words." -
✔✔A. in every subject area in order for students to master the subject matter."
✔✔A social studies teacher wants students to consider the role of geography in
population patterns. She asks her class, "What role did geography play in the growth of
Chicago as a major U.S. city?" What should she do next?
A. Allow students to call out answers and write them on the board.
B. Tell students not to call out responses but to raise their hand when they think of an
answer and wait to be called on.
C. Call on a student and ask for an immediate response.
D. List some possible answers on the blackboard and ask students which they think are
best. - ✔✔B. Tell students not to call out responses but to raise their hand when they
think of an answer and wait to be called on.
✔✔Consider the following two questions a teacher might ask a high school social
studies class. I: According to our textbook, what does the public welfare system do to
solve the problems of poverty? II: What are some ways our country might solve the
problems of poverty? Which of the following best describes the differences between
these questions?
A. I invites more critical thinking than II.
B. II invites more divergent thinking than I.
C. II is closed-ended and I is open-ended.
D. I invites more divergent thinking than II. - ✔✔B. II invites more divergent thinking than
I.
✔✔How should a teacher generally begin almost every class?
A. By engaging in some casual conversation with students.
B. By reminding students to pay attention.
C. By telling students what they will be covering that day.
D. By reviewing skills learned during the previous class session. - ✔✔C. By telling
students what they will be covering that day.
✔✔What activity would BEST help students in a middle school social studies class
understand why different Native American tribes had different trading practices?
A. Give a carefully constructed lecture that covers the similarities and differences
among tribal trading practices, while having students take notes on the outline of the
lecture. Follow up with worksheet questions to answer.
,B. Assign a tribe to each group of students and give each group handouts that identify
needs and oversupply for a particular tribe. Then stage trading activities among groups
and have students identify important aspects.
C. Have students compare and contrast trading practices of Native Americans with the
trading practices of pioneer settlers, developing a list of differences and similarities. -
✔✔B. Assign a tribe to each group of students and give each group handouts that
identify needs and oversupply for a particular tribe. Then stage trading activities among
groups and have students identify important aspects.
✔✔A struggling student comes to pick up a paper at your desk during class time. You
have determined that this student needs extra help. Which of the following would be
BEST to say to the student?
A. "Come in at lunch and I'll help you work on the problems in this paper."
B. "This paper needs work. Would you like my help?"
C. "I had another student like you who needed help with this topic. When can you get
help?"
D. "I'd like to talk to you about this paper in a little more detail. Let's set up a time when
we can talk in private." - ✔✔D. "I'd like to talk to you about this paper in a little more
detail. Let's set up a time when we can talk in private."
✔✔Consider the following question asked by a first grade teacher: "What do the three
stories we have read by Tomie de Paola have in common?" What is the main
instructional value of asking a question like this?
A. Factual recall of characters from the three stories
B. Analysis of the separate stories and comparison between them
C. Analysis of the themes the author carries across the stories
D. Factual recall of specific events from the three stories - ✔✔B. Analysis of the
separate stories and comparison between them
✔✔If a school wanted to compare how its students were doing with respect to students
in other schools, what kind of assessment would be MOST appropriate?
A. Norm-referenced test
B. Criterion-referenced test
C. Performance assessment
D. Portfolio - ✔✔A. Norm-referenced test
✔✔A teacher is planning a lesson for a unit on the portion of the Seven Years War
fought in North America between England and France, known to Americans as the
French and Indian War. The lesson's main goal is to show the relative strengths and
weaknesses of English and French forces in North America. Which of the following aids
would be MOST useful for reaching that goal?
A. Maps showing which parts of North America each nation controlled at the start of the
war
B. A comparison/contrast chart for students to fill in as they work through the unit
C. A timeline showing major events before, during, and after the fighting
, D. Projected or online facsimiles of original documents, letters, and diaries - ✔✔B. A
comparison/contrast chart for students to fill in as they work through the unit
✔✔Suppose you want students to learn to distinguish between the words imply and
infer. Which of the following sequences would be MOST effective?
A. Have students apply the terms to their own examples and then explain the
distinction.
B. Be sure students can work without your direction, then ensure the skill is retained.
C. Explain the distinction, then have students evaluate their own examples.
D. Explain the distinction, then have students apply the terms to their own examples. -
✔✔D. Explain the distinction, then have students apply the terms to their own examples.
✔✔In order to use an inductive sequence for teaching about World War II, which of the
following would be the BEST way for a class to work?
A. Arrange events, persons, and groups along a timeline leading up to and through the
war.
B. Examine events leading up to the war and develop a general model of world war in
the process.
C. Learn a model of world warfare and examine how World War II fits into the model.
D. Examine how different persons, groups, and events contributed to the war. - ✔✔B.
Examine events leading up to the war and develop a general model of world war in the
process.
✔✔Which of the following statements BEST illustrates a proven technique for
encouraging student effort?
A. "I know you can do it if you really try."
B. "You do this better than any student I've ever had."
C. "You're exactly right here and here. Now check this."
D. "You look great today. How's it going?" - ✔✔C. "You're exactly right here and here.
Now check this."
✔✔A student, usually well-behaved, is being disruptive at the moment. Which of the
following techniques is an effective first intervention?
A. Ask, "What's up with you today?"
B. Say, "Watch what you're doing."
C. Move closer to the student.
D. Tell the student to stay after class. - ✔✔C. Move closer to the student.
✔✔Given the following set of scores on a standardized test, which choice most closely
approximates the difference between the mean and median of the set- 89, 65, 77, 93,
80, 87, 79
A. 1
B. 3
C. 28
D. 80 - ✔✔A. 1
