The visual arts examination is not a requirement for teachers in any state; however, it is offered as an assessment tool to make sure the applicants are prepared to be successful in this highly competitive field. It also helps to determine whether a prospective teacher has the skills, knowledge, and confidence to provide quality education in this highly specialized area of teaching.
For educators, taking the NYSTCE exam is a critical tool for assessing their understanding of the visual arts. This assessment is one of the most rigorous and comprehensive tools available for evaluating an individual’s educational knowledge and experience. Each candidate must pass a written portion, a reading section, and an oral portion of the assessment, before they are allowed to take the examination.
The Visual Arts Examination is broken up into three sections. The first section is a reading portion and is comprised of a large-format, essay-style reading, designed to present the candidate’s knowledge and writing skills in relation to the subject. The second section, the Written Analysis, provides the candidate with the opportunity to present their understanding of the subject and answer the questions presented by the teacher. The final section, the Oral Assessment, consists of a variety of questions designed to evaluate the student’s ability to demonstrate critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving abilities.
In order to get a grade on the visual arts examination, a student must pass at least three of the four sections (written analysis, the written portion of the examination, and the oral portion of the examination) within a certain amount of time. Once passed, the student must submit a written report to the State Board of Regents of Teachers of Arts & Science and then take an oral part of the Visual Arts Examination.
There are a number of resources available to help students prepare for this examination. One such resource is the Visual Arts Test Prep Program, a course designed for students who want to take the NYSTCE exam but do not have the necessary skills or experience needed to do so. This course has been developed by the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SACI). The course is designed to equip students with both classroom and self-study methods of preparing for the visual arts examination.
Another resource is the Visual Arts Teacher Certification Program, created by the Council of Teachers of Arts in Education (CATA), a nationally recognized organization of professionals dedicated to building knowledge about the educational process. This program is designed to help teachers prepare for the NYSTCE examination, and prepares teachers to assess the skills of each student who takes the exam. It also provides information on how to evaluate a student’s ability to communicate well, as well as how to assess a student’s ability to use information successfully in the classroom. This program is a very helpful tool for teachers who wish to improve their education and become certified as an effective visual arts teacher in New York State.
If you are an educator who is considering taking the NYSTCE for the first time, or you are looking for ways to improve your education in the field of visual arts, you should visit the New York State Board of Education (NYSBOE) website. for more information.
