Preparing for Instructors’ Certification

All aspiring instructors, whether in the simplest field or the more complex sciences, will have to go through written and/or practical instructors’ certification examinations to practice. Exams in any nature can be nerve-wracking. Just thinking about the questions that would come out and the outcome after an exam induces heightened anxiety. We often lose confidence and are unable to perform optimally in an instructor’s certification. Fortunately, ample preparation can greatly reduce anxiety and induce a positive outlook on an exam.

Know the Requirements

The first step before enlisting in an exam is to know the requisites for sitting in it. Almost all certifying boards and organizations require a number of years (usually two years) of experience in the field. Majority of these boards also require examinees to join their paid preparatory classes that range from a few hours to a couple of days. Preparatory courses may also be self-studied. All certifying boards and organizations provide preparatory or study materials for an additional fee before the exam. Requirements could also vary per state.

Determine the Topics to be Examined

Instructor’s certification examinations have topics that include general information, detailed information on the field of interest, teaching methodologies, and class management. Examinees can check out exam topics by requesting the information from the certifying boards and organizations. They could also obtain a Candidate Information Bulletin (if available) offered per state or per certifying board for their field’s instructor certification. The Candidate Information Bulletin is a brochure that lists the topics to be tested in the state exam, the examination type, references from which the questions were derived from, and all other pertinent information about the exam.

Study

Studying is the essential preparatory action for an exam. Aspiring instructors can study on their own, join a group study session, or take an exam preparation class.

Self-Studying

Self-studying is a low-cost way of preparing for an exam. Candidate instructors should obtained study materials based from exam topic outlines. They could borrow study materials from libraries or licensed professional instructors in their field. They could also access and download resources and practice exams from the Internet.

Group Study

Group study sessions use the same methods as in self-study except it is participated by a number of individuals. Group study sessions are also low-cost preparatory methods since individuals in the group share resources and knowledge essential to passing the exam. Confidence to face the exam is built up in these sessions since individuals help and support each other. Memorization is also better facilitated in group studies than an individual session.

Exam Preparation Classes

Exam preparation classes or reviews are conducted by exam preparation companies. These classes are specifically designed to help examinees pass their certifying exams. They are costly but otherwise provide intensive preparation treatment with practice exams that are closely similar to what can be expected in the actual exam. Classes also have confidence building and stress debriefing programs.

Practice Examinations and Demos

To measure the intensity that can be expected in instructor certification exams, examinees should conduct or partake in practice examinations. Practice exam questions can be obtained from review books and manuals, exam preparatory classes, or from the Internet. Instructor examinees should first try to answer all questions in an unlimited time frame. Next, they could set a time-limit of an hour to two for every one hundred questions and see how far they can get. In both situations, accuracy in getting the right answers must be determined. The examinee should strive for a higher accuracy each time.

Teaching demos should also be practiced. Although aspiring instructors may have had prior teaching experience, they should still set a course of action to be followed depending on the topic that they would have to present. They could practice in front of a study group or their family and friends and request feedback from them.

Practice exams and demos reduce anxiety by letting the examinee anticipate what can happen in his/her instructor’s certification.