Advice for TESC's TECEPs: Public Relations, Intro to News Reporting or Marketing Com?

[tickledpink]

Hi all! I'm planning on taking all three of these TECEPs this semester and wondered if anyone had any experience and/or advice for me in regards to these three tests. I've never take a TECEP before and I'm told that the PR test is the "easiest" so I'm planning on taking that one first. How helpful were the suggested books? Was there anything that surprised you?

I'm grateful for any and ALL suggestions that would help! Thanks so much!!!

--tickledpink

[Border]

tickledpink,

Did you take Marketing Comm.? Do you have any specific study suggestions for it.

I will be taking the test in a couple of weeks. I am looking for thoughts on the test.

[Lady Grace of Pemberley]

*Bump* I'm going to be taking all three of these TECEPs soon, but I'm currently working on News Reporting. I have all three of the recommended textbooks, but so far, I've only read the one by Carol Rich (I'm almost done with it). I searched the forums already and couldn't really find a lot of specifics on this test. Does anyone have any thoughts (which textbooks were the most helpful, if the time limit was really hard to meet, random tips and things to know, etc.) for this exam? I'm hoping to take it at the beginning of January.

EDIT: I have also found these Quizlet flashcards for this test ----> http://quizlet.com/subject/news-tecep/ ; did anyone who had taken this exam find them to be accurate?

[Yanji]

I took PR: Thought and Practice without any study and without buying any textbooks and passed (I used to work in communications for one of the largest banks in the world). My exam was pretty easy and included stuff like PR theory, the role of PR practitioners, AC Nielson, etc. ratings and some general PR techniques. Obviously I can't comment on any textbooks though.

[cooperalex2004]

*Bump* I'm going to be taking all three of these TECEPs soon, but I'm currently working on News Reporting. I have all three of the recommended textbooks, but so far, I've only read the one by Carol Rich (I'm almost done with it). I searched the forums already and couldn't really find a lot of specifics on this test. Does anyone have any thoughts (which textbooks were the most helpful, if the time limit was really hard to meet, random tips and things to know, etc.) for this exam? I'm hoping to take it at the beginning of January.

EDIT: I have also found these Quizlet flashcards for this test ----> News tecep flashcard sets and study tools | Quizlet ; did anyone who had taken this exam find them to be accurate?

If you haven't already pay close attention to the breakdown in the study guide located at:
http://www.tesc.edu/tecep_desc/JOU-110.pdf

The test has a lot of writing involved and flashcards only help for part of the exam. You really need to know your stuff as far as news writing goes. For study, I actually took a media writing class and since it didn't overlap credit I found it was a great source of knowledge. For another textbook to look at, this is the one I used for my media writing class and was extremely helpful on the TECEP:
Inside Reporting: Tim Harrower: 9780073378916: Amazon.com: Books

Since the test is paper and has so much writing involved, I actually used all the time on it. I am a fast typist but write rather slowly.

As far as content goes, here is the breakdown:

-60% "Writing the Story", you write three news stories using facts they give you. Note the use of AP Style in the writing example, if you write it like an English Comp assignment you'll lose a bunch of points. I'm not sure of your background, but you want to focus on proper spellings, abbreviations, and capitalization used in the AP style of writing.

-20% "Reporting Terms and Proceedures", see the study guide for examples.

-20% "Legal and Ethical Issues", see the study guide for examples.

I found the exam to match the study guide quite well. Get 65% correct and you'll pass.

If you have further questions then send me a private message on here, News Reporting was the only TECEP exam I completed.

[Lady Grace of Pemberley]

-60% "Writing the Story", you write three news stories using facts they give you. Note the use of AP Style in the writing example, if you write it like an English Comp assignment you'll lose a bunch of points. I'm not sure of your background, but you want to focus on proper spellings, abbreviations, and capitalization used in the AP style of writing.

If you have further questions then send me a private message on here, News Reporting was the only TECEP exam I completed.

Thank you so much for taking the time to share all of that information! It was very helpful. Hmm, that's good to know about the AP Style -- I would have probably missed that. Thanks for the tip!

[Lady Grace of Pemberley]

I have a question about the news stories I will be required to write for the Introduction to News Reporting TECEP. When I write the stories, can I make up supporting facts/statistics or must I ONLY use the information provided? I know that for the College Composition CLEP or the Principles of Public Speaking DSST your information didn't have to be true, it just had to be presented in a smooth and interesting way. Is this the case for this TECEP, as well?

For example, I came across this site ----> Newswriting Exercises to practice writing news stories with. The first one I decided to work on was this one: Newswriting Exercise - School Board - Newswriting Exercise . Well, at the bottom of the page, it gave these instructions:

"Dig up some background online about attempts to teach creationism in other school districts around the country. Put some of that in your story."

Obviously, I'm not going to have a computer available at the testing center to Google random facts like these, but it got me thinking: can I make up facts like this to add substance, background, and context to my news stories? Could I add to my story something like the following:

"Schools in two neighboring counties have also been pressured within the past month to add Creationist teaching to each student's science classes. Our state is not alone in this battle regarding whether or not to teach Creationist philosophies to children's current classes; in fact, 35 other states are currently in the process of deciding whether or not to implement proposals similar to the one proposed at last evening's school board meeting."

Hope that made some sense. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[cooperalex2004]

I have a question about the news stories I will be required to write for the Introduction to News Reporting TECEP. When I write the stories, can I make up supporting facts/statistics or must I ONLY use the information provided? I know that for the College Composition CLEP or the Principles of Public Speaking DSST your information didn't have to be true, it just had to be presented in a smooth and interesting way. Is this the case for this TECEP, as well?

For example, I came across this site ----> Newswriting Exercises to practice writing news stories with. The first one I decided to work on was this one: Newswriting Exercise - School Board - Newswriting Exercise . Well, at the bottom of the page, it gave these instructions:

"Dig up some background online about attempts to teach creationism in other school districts around the country. Put some of that in your story."

Obviously, I'm not going to have a computer available at the testing center to Google random facts like these, but it got me thinking: can I make up facts like this to add substance, background, and context to my news stories? Could I add to my story something like the following:

"Schools in two neighboring counties have also been pressured within the past month to add Creationist teaching to each student's science classes. Our state is not alone in this battle regarding whether or not to teach Creationist philosophies to children's current classes; in fact, 35 other states are currently in the process of deciding whether or not to implement proposals similar to the one proposed at last evening's school board meeting."

Hope that made some sense. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

They should give you everything you need to write a quick story. This is not like that example where you have to research, they will give you "reporter's notes" for the content and the rest is about the way you format it.

AP style is the key, focus on how to turn the notes into text that matches the guidelines for things like datelines, state abbreviations, dates (look at the month abbreviations), and many other little things. The example in the study guide is a perfect example, they give notes and quotes and then show you the writing.

Using the first part of the example from the study guide:

[COLOR="#0000CD"]CLEVELAND BURIED IN SNOW
CLEVELAND, Jan. 12 – For the past three days it has been snowing here. The city is buried under 26 inches of snow.[/COLOR]

As AP style dictates, there is a title in all caps, city in all caps, the state is missing because CLEVELAND is on the list of exceptions to that rule, the month is abbreviated and has a period, and the numbers are written in a different way, three is spelled out while 26 isn't.

As far as exams go, I would say this one may be difficult to many people, it may be a lower level course but it requires a very specific style of writing. If you took the actual course they would most likely ask you to buy the AP Stylebook (https://www.apstylebook.com/apbookstore/...17360-56-5) to help you.

For me, when I took the test I had the stylebook from taking Media Writing, the textbook I previously mentioned, and I do work in the media (but not as a writer).

Here are a few links to a very small portion of AP style:
Associated Press - Using Associated Press Style
Associated Press (AP) Style Guide - the basics

[Lady Grace of Pemberley]

They should give you everything you need to write a quick story. This is not like that example where you have to research, they will give you "reporter's notes" for the content and the rest is about the way you format it.

AP style is the key, focus on how to turn the notes into text that matches the guidelines for things like datelines, state abbreviations, dates (look at the month abbreviations), and many other little things. The example in the study guide is a perfect example, they give notes and quotes and then show you the writing.

Using the first part of the example from the study guide:

[COLOR="#0000CD"]CLEVELAND BURIED IN SNOW
CLEVELAND, Jan. 12 – For the past three days it has been snowing here. The city is buried under 26 inches of snow.[/COLOR]

As AP style dictates, there is a title in all caps, city in all caps, the state is missing because CLEVELAND is on the list of exceptions to that rule, the month is abbreviated and has a period, and the numbers are written in a different way, three is spelled out while 26 isn't.

As far as exams go, I would say this one may be difficult to many people, it may be a lower level course but it requires a very specific style of writing. If you took the actual course they would most likely ask you to buy the AP Stylebook (https://www.apstylebook.com/apbookstore/...17360-56-5) to help you.

For me, when I took the test I had the stylebook from taking Media Writing, the textbook I previously mentioned, and I do work in the media (but not as a writer).

Here are a few links to a very small portion of AP style:
Associated Press - Using Associated Press Style
Associated Press (AP) Style Guide - the basics

Thanks again for all of that information -- very helpful as I prepare for this exam!! I really appreciate it.

[Lady Grace of Pemberley]

Thank you again for all your help! I just found out that I passed the Introduction to News Reporting TECEP!! :hurray: For anyone who is going to be taking it soon, I posted my thoughts on the test here ---> http://www.degreeforum.net/excelsior-tho...post139688