I got a call from a friend of mine who was my study partner when we were studying for teaching credentials. Her roommate had reached the end of her row with three failed CSET tests. Of course, since I passed the first time I took the CSET Test, she really wanted my advice.

A Succession of CSET Failures

This poor girl took up her first CSET Test with no preparation. So, of course, she failed. Everyone knows that you have to do something to prepare for the CSET Test! She got smart the second time and got different prep materials. She paid all of that money and still failed. For the third attempt, she also spent tons of money on test prep materials.

Third Times a Charm???

When she got the test results back for the third time and she failed yet again, it drove her completely over the edge! Of course, she is a very intelligent woman, and she also spent a lot of her spare time studying learning techniques. I told her there was only one piece of advice that she needed.

Don’t Waste Your Money on College Level Test Prep

Forget the same brand of test prep materials you used in college or high school. All of them will help you to fail if they do not understand one basic principle. That principle is to address the way adults learn after the age of 22.

What I Learned From Taking the CSET Test

It seems like everyone would know this already. However, even most teachers do not know this. It is an incorrect assumption that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. We hear this and apply it to ourselves (and to the CSET Test!). We also think this won’t apply to us until we are very old. The truth is, we to spend most of our time learning how to teach children. We also spent the most time in our lifetimes learning when we are children.

CSET Test Today and for The Future

We must all keep in mind that we need to nurture learning throughout our lives. Taking the CSET Test was an important step for me and having the career I have always wanted. It was also an important step for me to foster growth around adult learning and education.

Jennifer Barnes – former CSET test taker, Certified Teacher”