CTEL California Teacher of English Learners (XAM CSET, 1)

I have passed two portions of the test so far using this and some online resources, so it must have helped me a little. My complaints are the same as the other negative reviews. It has a lot of typos, extra information and a lot of stuff that does not pertain to the actual exams. I was just using the practice exams to study and had to put it down and write this review in frustration. The reading portions and the practice exams don't always match up, and their answers don't always make sense.I studied the book pretty thoroughly for the third portion and I remember the actual test questions being much different then the material I studied in this book. I remember doing a lot of guessing!This is certainly better than nothing, but can be very frustrating. I have to believe there are better books out there.

This book provided a good background but not enough to pass all sections of the exam.The practice test questions were the most helpful and they included explanations for the correct answers for most questions.I spent over a week reading the book, making flash cards and practicing for the exam and it helped but this book did not cover at least 20% of what I needed to know on multiple choice questions and seemed to covered lots of things that were not tested.The odd thing is the exam seemed to have lots of similar questions, that seemed to cover areas that this review did not include.Finally, the written part of the exam was what killed me and this book only provided a brief and way too short review for that area.I just missed passing by a few points and would have benefited from practice on stating responses for the written portion.

This was a good resource to study with for the test. I did not use this book alone, but paired it with the PDF study guide given by the test creators on the website. Personal opinion: I would stick more with answering the test questions in the back of the book and study guide, and creating study notes off those questions. The questions are weirdly worded in this book and on the study guide, so it is best to get familiar with the wording and questioning style. The back section of this book has an explanation for why the answer is what it is, and this was the most helpful. On a side note, I did pass all 3 tests so something worked. Good Luck!

This study guide is a sham! I poured over it for weeks only to score a 60% on a certified CTEL practice test because the information I had been learning was either incorrect or not what was addressed on the test. Please DO NOT make the same mistake I made and purchase this study guide. I completely regret it and I will now be at least 6 months behind in the hopes I had for my teaching career, not because I didn't put my all into studying (I've passed all California teacher testing I've ever taken on the first try.) but because I was tricked into purchasing a study guide that was 5 years old and a complete fraud.The study guide even contradicts its own practice test! For instance, question 33 states that reading does improve listening skills and then says in the same explanation that it does not improve listening skills.In question 63, it states having an IQ of 132 or higher does not make a child eligible for GATE programs, but the study guide says it does make a child eligible.Question 64 uses age as a factor in special education, but it is not mentioned in the study guide section which the test is referring to.Question 65 also contradicts the study guide regarding reasons to reteach a skill.Question 96 address a topic not even mentioned in the study guide.And that's just to name a few of the errors in this fraudulent book.

The book is flooded with errors which at times made studying rather difficult. I was constantly having to look up terms online and double-check the facts that just didn't seem right (and often weren't). This is frustrating when you're trying to study and become familiar with specific terms. Did ANYONE proofread this book before sending it to print!?!? Being a teacher, I couldn't help but proofread and edit as I read this book. Exhausting, really! Page 34 says "Taking tour emotional temperature" instead of "Taking YOUR emotional temperature." Page 61 says "For example, teachers can observe students working on a task in groups or students' or they could structure an assessment so that comprehension. . . ." Um...WHAT?!?If you decide to purchase this book, think of it as more of a springboard than an official textbook. It's really more like borrowing your friend's notes from a semester of classes. Don't expect her to have proofread her notes too carefully for you. And you'll still need to do a lot of your own research in order to clarify and get a deeper understanding of some of the concepts.Good luck!

Just took the CTEL - a whopping 5-6 hour, 3-part exam. Purchased this book while also taking an on-line prep course (through kdsi.com). Book is filled with typos, and is also formatted in a way that appears to be useful and relevant, but is not a worthwhile tool for learning the material. Picked it up several times, only to put it down with some disgust - it did not help me in the least. Contained lots of useless and extraneous material, and practice test questions were not very indicative of those on actual exam. Having just taken the exam, I'd strongly recommend taking the kdsi on-line prep course (taught with California teachers in mind), and/or reading a book that a teacher colleague also felt prepared her very well for the exam - 'Crosscultural, Language and Academic Development Handbook' by Diaz-Rico and Weed (available through Amazon).

The book has a lot of information in it. It covers everything that you would find on the three parts of the CTEL. I passed all three sections on my first attempt. I did a little studying from the book but did do the practice tests numerous times. It gives you an idea of what types of questions will be on the test so you aren't going in blind.