The FTCE Educational Media Specialist PK-12 (010) is a subject area examination required for any professional or temporary certified Florida educator to work in the school library. Following state legislation passed in 1986, obtaining a Florida teaching certificate requires the candidate to pass a subject area exam that aligns with the certification they are pursuing.
Educators holding either a temporary or professional certification who wish to work as their school's media specialist can do so by completing the Educational Media Specialist exam and adding it to their teaching certificate. The exam will test registrants' knowledge of numerous competencies regarding the media specialist's role in Florida schools. FTCE registration is open year-round and can be done directly from the candidate's FTCE/FELE account. The FTCE Educational Media Specialist PK-12 (010) is taken via computer and requires test takers to answer about 100 questions posed in multiple-choice format.
Employment as a school librarian in Florida requires that the established or prospective educator have their media specialist certification. However, a failing exam score is not the end of the world! After 31 days from when the examinee first takes the FCTE test, they may register again to retake it.
Once candidates pass their media specialist exam, they cannot update their FTCE scores until three years following the certification. Have you gotten your media specialist certification within the last ten years? Good news! That Florida teacher certification is still valid and can count towards a professional or temporary educator certification.
Professional, certified Florida educators must renew their certification once every five years, but their subject area certifications do not require renewal. Once an educator earns their subject area certification, it remains valid unless their professional teaching certificate expires.
While it is unnecessary to renew your certification to remain a media specialist in Florida, information can become outdated. Retaking the test at regular intervals will help ensure that your knowledge retains the highest possible value.
The FTCE Educational Media Specialist PK-12 (010) is a computer-based test that comprises roughly 100 questions posed in multiple-choice format. The exact number of questions may vary according to the number of experimental test questions added or removed. These questions, however, do not positively or negatively affect the FTCE scores of an examinee. Test takers will have to choose between four possible answers labeled A-D for each question.
The Educational Media Specialist exam presents its questions in the following five formats:
Candidates will have two hours and thirty minutes to complete the exam. There are no scheduled break times for this exam, so any breaks taken by the examinee will count towards their total allotted time.
The exam covers 25 skills and competencies relating to the media specialist's role in the school. Because of the number of competencies covered, each focal skill set makes up a relatively small percentage of the exam.
The educational media specialist is responsible for managing resources found at the library and maintaining the media program at the school. They must also handle various other tasks and situations pertaining to student education. For example, when students are in the library, the media specialist also serves as their teacher. The FTCE competencies measure the candidate's skills in these lesser associated duties of a school librarian.
Given that the exam is approximately 100 questions in length, each percentage attributed to a specific competency will closely mirror the number of relevant questions on the test.
Here are the competencies evaluated by the Educational Media Specialist exam and the percentage of questions they account for (in order of most to least)
Registering for the Educational Media Specialist exam requires creating an online account with FTCE/FELE. Register through this platform before viewing FTCE test dates and locations. Click on "Register for the FTCE/FELE" and select Educational Media Specialist PK-12 (010). You will provide some personal information and accept any terms and policies.
Once a candidate has registered for the Educational Media Specialist exam, they will have one year to schedule FTCE exam. Select "Schedule" under the "Open Enrollment" tab of the FTCE/FELE account page to register for a time slot at a testing facility.
Candidates can consent to have their FTCE scores sent on their behalf to their affiliated institution or Professional Development Certification Program.
The Educational Media Specialist exam requires a fee of $150. This FTCE test cost applies to every attempt at taking the exam, though keep in mind that retaking an FTCE test requires a waiting period of 31 days.
Alternative arrangements and accommodations are available at certain FTCE testing locations for candidates with disability and nursing mothers. Candidates should contact their testing site to inquire about alternative arrangement availability.
Examinees receive a scaled scoring of their performance on the Educational Media Specialist exam, and the FTCE passing score being considered is 200. This equates to about 73% of questions being answered correctly. Examinees do not need to bring anything for the FTCE test, as the testing facility provides all the needed materials to complete this exam.
Test takers should ensure they familiarize themselves with the competencies and skills listed above. The Educational Media Specialist PK-12 (010) Test Information Guide on the FTCE/FELE website provides a more in-depth description of what these competencies cover. This guide also provides Florida Teacher Certification Exam sample questions based on the various question types listed previously.
The FTCE competencies relate directly to the media specialist's role within the school. Placing these skills in context to the educational environment will aid in choosing the best possible question response.
Finally, formulating a study and preparation plan is crucial to building the knowledge and confidence needed to succeed. Candidates should be sure to allow enough time to prepare before they schedule FTCE exam.
FTCE 010 study guides and practice tests will help prepare the examinee's mind and expectations for the upcoming Florida Teacher Certification Exam.
Study guides help refresh the candidate's knowledge and understanding of the content covered in the exam and can be found for free or low cost online. Pay attention to the publishing date; finding the most recent edition of the study guide increases the likelihood that the information aligns with the current exam's content.
FTCE 010 Educational Media Specialist practice tests are invaluable in prepping for the real thing, as they can help candidates mimic the real testing experience, including the timing. After taking an FTCE practice test, evaluate which areas need more time for studying, and see if you need to adjust your pacing to match the time allotted. These tests can be found for free and offer the opportunity to solidify the candidate's confidence in their knowledge and readiness for the exam format.
Florida certification refers to the necessary steps, procedures, and accreditation required to achieve an educator certification. Since 1986, the law has required prospective Florida educators to be certified in their pursued subject area.
A school media specialist is an official name for a school librarian. School media specialists have a variety of duties like the development and advocacy of the school's media program, data and resource management, and program implementation.