Do you really read the whole textbook from A-Z?

[Westerner]

Hi! As a a student who has taken a bunch of TECEPs, this is the way I tackle them:

1) obtain recommended textbook used or rented from Amazon; I did purchase a few I thought would be good reference material. Print out reference material from these forums if available.

2) print out TECEP description and compare to textbook; usually I didn't have to read all the chapters in the book - the description from TESC's website usually matched the sections of the table of contents word for word. If chapters did not show up in the TESC TECEP description, I didn't read them.

3) write out study plan on the printed TECEP description detailing what chapters would be read on what days- timeline was 1 week with the capstone the only exception, I gave myself 2 weeks for that but ended up taking 2 of those days off to bang out Project Management at Sophia during the free offer. After all the chapters were scheduled, I wrote in the review days as well, usually for the last 2 days of the week.

4) Initial go through the chapters was a read with a highlighter. Pausing occasionally to lay a groundwork memorization on lists if the TECEP involved essays. If the test was just multiple choice, I only read through with the highlighter. Use instantcert flashcards at lunch at work, while waiting on line at stores, basically anywhere I couldn't use the textbook.

5) Review days involved highlighted material only. If TECEP involved essays, the review involved memorization of lists. As a conceptual learner, I memorize by applying the list/what I'm learning to actual situations I have experienced to cement them in the old noggin.

6) Pumped myself up mentally for the test by telling myself I'm the best there is at taking tests and I know the subject better than anyone else. It didn't matter if it was true or not, as long as I believed it at the time. Getting my swagger on improved my performance. Still does.

7) Pass TECEP. All of them. Because once the plan is in place the plan happens.

Great advice here ^^

I read entire textbooks before I discovered InstantCert and the Specific Exam Feedback thread.

IC and the SEF have been extremely helpful in focusing my study efforts. Still, I'd always read the reccomended textbook, at least to get a foundation.

[Westerner]

Oh, I thought this was going to be about whether I read the text books for my classes from front to back or just skim, etc. I'd like an answer to that question. LOL

So, what I did for (most of) my tests and (all of) my classes was I'd read the book front to back. Then I'd go to other supplemental resources: Google, Wikipedia, IC and SEF if available, video lectures. Then if I had practice tests I'd take one, and see what I needed to work on. Then I'd go back over those sections in the textbook, and also use supplemental resources. Right before the test, I'd skim the textbook or portions of it, however many times I could.

Several reasons I read the textbook:
-the test makers recommended that particular book
-I know from experience that tests done by colleges, especially UL ones, follow reccomended texts quite closely
-I'm just as upset as you all about the college textbook racket because you have to pay tons for the most recent edition, BUT
-I've always gotten a cheaper edition of the text by going one edition previous, and it's ALWAYS worked fine