<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Waste of Money
Review: I don't know if the test has changed. I just took it two days ago, and the many hours of studying I did with the Barron's preparation book did not help one bit. The book emphasizes how important a thorough review of the subject matter is, but, in fact, the test is more about common knowledge and common sense than anything else. I think I would have been just as prepared without the book than with it. The only useful thing in it was the introduction, which explained how the test is scored, rated, etc. and the back of the book with addresses. I think this book needs to be reviewed thoroughly and changed to better reflect the actual tests.
Rating: 
Summary: This Book Nails the LAST ATS-W Teacher Tests
Review: I got this book just before the October test and it was a life saver. It is the best book to prepare for the LAST ATS-W. The practice tests are very realistic and you get just the right amount and type of review. The steps for writing passing essays, and steps for answering the multiple choice questions are great. This book just nails these tests and the back of the book shows you how look for a job in New York State and lists EVERY school district in the state with the number of schools enrollment and phone numbers.
Rating:
Summary: not at all like the real LAST and full of egregious errors
Review: I read every section of this book pertaining to the LAST exam and took all the practice quizzes and tests. Not only did I find the book frustrating (because of numerous errors in the practices quizzes/tests and some truly absurd statements in the review material) but once I took the actual exam I felt like I had wasted a whole lot of time using the book. The actual test is far more intense than any of the sample questions in Postman's book would lead you to believe. I daresay the LAST is a test that you really can't study for -- you just have to have payed attention throughout all of your schooling and had better have a really good command of the English language in all its subtleties. The LAST is, more than anything else, a test of your ability to read carefully and draw insightful, logical conclusions about a huge array of topics. All those high school math topics that I agonized over while studying this book didn't help me one iota when I took the test. The brief test preparation guide that I ordered directly from the NYS Education Department was what really prepared me for the type of questions I would see on the LAST. (As for the kind of errors I found... see for instance page 244: a piano is a percussion instrument! like a "symbol" is! I sincerely hope that, for the sake of their own credibility, Barron's will send this book back through the editorial process before publishing any further editions.)
Rating: 
Summary: Waste of time, except for the ATS part
Review: I used this book to prepare for LAST and ATS-W, and I passed with very good scores. It took me about a month to prepare for both at the same time. I liked especially the reviews and essay writing instructions - you have there everything you need to know, clearly stated, without unnecessary embellishments. Very easy to digest and memorize. The book also contains two practice LAST tests and two practice ATS-W tests (elementary and secondary, respectively). All tests have explained answers. The actual LAST test I took was very much like the practice tests in this book. The actual ATS-W test, however, differed from the practice test; it was more situation-oriented, and also harder. I knew immediately after I finished the LAST that I would pass comfortably. However, after the ATS-W I found myself for the first time in the unenviable position of having no idea how I did: I wouldn't have been surprised by a score of 100, or 300. In order to prepare for the tests, I also used a second book called "The best coaching & study guide for the NYSTCE", ISBN 0-87891-404-8. The reviews in it were unnecessarily verbose and complicated, I think. That is why I didn't use them. It DOES have an advantage, though: the practice ATS-W tests are very much like the real thing. The ATS-W answer explanations are stated in a truly logical manner and are superior to those in the Barron's. The study guides from the NY State Education Department are of NO value except for the 5 sample questions you can find in there, and the essay examples and essay scoring explanations. They offer no more than a tiny taste of the real thing. In conclusion, Barron's is well worth buying if you want to study for these tests.
Rating:
Summary: A very good helpful book
Review: I used this book to successfully prtepare for thesew tests. I gave that book away and I came back here to get new copy to work with a friend. This book deserves praise. The copies I have was error free. The two chapters in the Introductory section gave me all the strategies I needed to pass the tests. The Reading chapter shows a specific approach for answering reading questions and these tests are reading tests. The English and Writing chapter shows how to write the essays. The Mathematics chapter in this new copy recommends a short cut review. The ATSW chapter gives a very good review for that test. There are four realistic practice tests. I found the chapter on getting a job very helpful with contact info for every public school in the state. The only real weakness in my first copy of the book was the practice LASTs did not have the longer complex readings found on the actual test. The tests in this new copy include those longer readings. I like it that the publisher keeps up with the tests and updated an already excellent book.
Rating:
Summary: I WAS VERY HAPPY TO HAVE THIS BOOK
Review: I was very happy to have this book. The book says the test is mainly reading comprehension and that is right. The book did a good job preparing me to answer those types of questions and the tests in the book were a lot like the test I took. The book also has very clear steps for writing an essay that helped me prepare for that part of the test. The test taking strategies were very good and very helpful. The book did not put an emphasis on knowing content. What the book did empasize was to learn how to read and answer questions about different subjects and NOT to learn the subjects. It says it right there in the book. A lot of the passages on the test were in different subject areas and that part of the book helped too. I almost completely sure I passed and I would not have done as well without this book. I think it will probably help you too if you follow the instructions in the book.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent preparatory guide for new or relocated teachers
Review: This book got me through the New York State Teacher Certification Exams. I taught in New Jersey, but the New York State tests are much more challenging. This guide gives you all the information you need to pass. Although a fraction of the test prep material is actually represented on the test, it was a great basis of knowledge that allowed me to answer more in-depth, analytical questions. The essay writing techniques are very helpful, even for this seasoned writer and editor.
<< 1 >>
| 
