NES Foundations of Classroom Support (517) Practice Tests

Competencies 0001–0003 make up about 34% of the test. They ask you to understand word structure and context clues to read and comprehend text; understand the main idea and supporting details in text; understand how to use basic comprehension skills.

• Competency 0001: Understand word structure and context clues to read and comprehend text. Skills tested: Use word structure (e.g., prefixes, suffixes, root words, compound words) to determine the meaning of words; Demonstrate knowledge of how to use word order and arrangement to determine the meaning of words and phrases in the context of a paragraph or passage; Determine the meaning of figurative language (e.g., similes, metaphors, idioms) in the context of a paragraph or passage; Identify and use words and phrases with multiple meanings in the context of a paragraph or passage; Identify and use synonyms, antonyms, and homonyms in the context of a sentence or paragraph.
• Competency 0002: Understand the main idea and supporting details in text. Skills tested: Identify the writer's stated or implied purpose for an intended audience; Determine the main idea of a paragraph or passage; Demonstrate knowledge of content and phrasing of a passage to determine a writer's point of view and/or perspective; Demonstrate knowledge of methods to identify the main idea and relevant supporting details of a paragraph or passage (e.g., summarizing texts, examining the first and last sentences, sequencing vocabulary words); Identify key details that support, illustrate, or elaborate the main idea of a paragraph or passage; Identify details that are unrelated to the main idea of a text.
• Competency 0003: Understand how to use basic comprehension skills. Skills tested: Distinguish between statements of fact and expressions of opinion presented in a paragraph or passage; Draw reasonable conclusions from information stated or implied in a paragraph or passage; Demonstrate knowledge of the structure or organizational elements of expository and other nonfiction texts; Interpret and evaluate information presented in charts, tables, diagrams, maps, and other graphic forms; Make relevant inferences from information presented in a paragraph or passage; Demonstrate knowledge of the elements of fiction and/or narrative texts.

Competencies 0004–0006 make up about 33% of the test. They ask you to understand standard written English usage; understand grammatical structure in standard written English; understand elements of effective writing.

• Competency 0004: Understand standard written English usage. Skills tested: Demonstrate knowledge of the rules of spelling and commonly misspelled words; Demonstrate knowledge of the rules of capitalization for proper nouns (e.g., names, titles, places); Demonstrate knowledge of the rules of punctuation and the standard use of punctuation marks; Identify rules of standard English verb usage and variations of spelling depending on the tense of the verbs.
• Competency 0005: Understand grammatical structure in standard written English. Skills tested: Demonstrate knowledge of the standard use of nouns and pronouns; Demonstrate knowledge of the standard use of verb forms; Demonstrate knowledge of the standard use of adjectives and adverbs; Demonstrate knowledge of subject-verb agreement; Identify basic grammatical errors in standard written English text.
• Competency 0006: Understand elements of effective writing. Skills tested: Identify purpose for writing (e.g., persuade, inform, entertain, explain); Demonstrate knowledge of writing organization (e.g., sequence, cause and effect, problem and solution); Demonstrate knowledge of prewriting planning (e.g., outlining, brainstorming, researching); Demonstrate knowledge of effective introductions and conclusions used in writing; Demonstrate knowledge of effective topic sentences and supporting details used in writing.

Competencies 0007–0009 make up about 33% of the test. They ask you to understand number properties and number operations; understand algebraic principles and data analysis; understand concepts in measurement and geometry.

• Competency 0007: Understand number properties and number operations. Skills tested: Solve problems and make reasonable estimates for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division with whole numbers, fractions, and decimals; Demonstrate knowledge of ways to compose and decompose (i.e., build and break down) whole numbers; Demonstrate knowledge of common errors in writing and solving equations and word problems; Identify and order different forms of numbers (e.g., integers, fractions, decimals) and locate them on a number line; Demonstrate knowledge of place value for whole numbers and decimal numbers; Solve problems and make reasonable estimates using whole numbers, fractions, decimals, percentages, and ratios.
• Competency 0008: Understand algebraic principles and data analysis. Skills tested: Solve single-step and two-step equations involving one variable; Solve real-world mathematical problems using numerical or algebraic expressions and equations; Recognize and extend basic numerical and visual patterns; Represent data in a variety of graphical formats (e.g., tables, pie charts, line graphs, paragraphs, pictographs); Analyze data presented in tables, line graphs, pictographs, bar graphs, and pie charts.
• Competency 0009: Understand concepts in measurement and geometry. Skills tested: Convert between units of time, money, length, mass, volume, and weight in the standard measurement system; Use metric units to convert units within the metric system; Identify and describe geometric figures based on their properties (e.g., square, circle, triangle, rectangle); Solve real-world word problems involving the area, perimeter, and volume of two- dimensional and three-dimensional geometric figures; Locate points and recognize geometric figures on a coordinate plane; Solve real-world problems using measurement (e.g., standard, metric).