PASSED NY State Certification Exams

I am so incredibly thrilled to share that I passed the two exams required to be certified to teach biology and general science in New York State.

These tests are issues by an agency called the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations (NYSTCE).  These test ensure that teachers have basic knowledge that is ample for instructing students about some content.  Teaching Fellows must pass these tests before they begin teaching.  With several opportunities before and during training, the is plenty of time to prepare.  However, if you do not pass them, you cannot teach and are not eligible to continue the Fellowship.  Because of that I am very happy to have alleviated my anxiety by passing sooner than later.

The first exam that all teachers must pass before teaching is the Liberal Arts and Sciences Test (LAST).  If you had a high quality high school education or any undergraduate liberal arts education, this exam is entirely passable.  It basically looks to see if you have basic skills and knowledge in a few general areas.  The subsections of the exam are: Scientific, Math & Technical Processes; Historical & Social Scientific Awareness; Artistic Expression and The Humanities; Communication and Research Skills; and Written Analysis & Expression.  You receive a score for each subsection and an overall score.  The score is out of 300, with a 220 minimum passing score.  Even if a subsection is below a 220, as long as your overall score is 220 or more, you have passed.

The second exam is the Biology Content Specialty Test (CST).  Typically, the CSTs are considered more difficult than the LAST because they require specific content knowledge.  The Bio CST tests for basic and some higher level knowledge about the various fields of biology.  The subsections are: Foundations of Scientific Inquiry; Cell Biology & Biochemistry; Genetics & Evolution; Biological Unity & Diversity & Life Processes; Human Biology; Ecology; and Foundations of Scientific Inquiry (written response).

For those who have taken and passed, congratulation.  For those who have yet to take them, I wish you the best of luck and my guess is you'll do just fine.