Teacher Groupie, thanks for all your help. Passed both sections. Will be happy to answer any questions. Didn't know what to expect, as I said, and didn't know how they'll score, but thankfully I'm done now. Thanks again.
Yay, you, sartal! If your official printed score report hasn't already arrived, look for it: side 2 (the side that doesn't go to the agencies that get your scores) contains a chart of performance indicators, and I'll be happy to help translate it for you.
HI! This is my first time posting here. I just got my unofficial result and I failed again at my subtest I. *sigh...* I wonder if anybody wants to form a study group here? Thank you. PS: I hit my head on the forehead for not finding this forum earlier. A LOT of great advises!!
Art CSET HI Sartal it is great to hear that you passed . This was my second time taking it and unfortunately the first time I did better. Is there a book or books that you recommend to use to study also I saw a study guide on amazon I wonder if that is any good. Aesthetic value is quicking my butt and now Hist and cultural context on visual art. I would appreciate any feedback from you or anyone else. I used the Seeing art book to prep for the test. I guess that is not helping. Thank you.
ART subset II The art subset II is driving me crazy. I pass the portfolio essays and the drawing. How do I pass the multiple choice questions? I downloaded the study guide from the wed site and studied it. The study guide does not reflect any of the questions that are on the test. Does anyone have any suggestions, please?
I will be taking the test in 2 weeks. Two things concern me. All of the practice multiple choice tests seem too easy. Are they really representative of the questions on the actual test? Secondly, I have heard that there are fairly obscure artists whose work is used for examples in thequestions. Are we expected to know these artists by name, or is it enough to be able to discuss their work intelligently?
cammy1212, the sample questions tend to be representative of question TYPES - ways in which questions can be asked - and less representative of question CONTENT. You might try Googling for practice questions for AP Art History. As for the obscure artist, discuss intelligently - and there will usually be some clues, either in the question stem or thanks to the displayed artwork, that may help you make an educated guess as to the artist's period, movement, media, or predilections.
Sub test 140 141 I'm currently a sing sub art student, pending my cset exam in CA. I've studied for month, everything from aesthetics to history and still feel like ill be walking in there blind folded. Any advice guys? stressed
Hey I'm wondering did you ever pass your test. I'm having a hard time passing my test. Do you have any study material? I'm in Georgia so I take the G.A.C.E
CSET Art computer-based subtests will differ from paper-based subtests in these respects: 1. You don't have to handwrite all the constructed responses: no writer's cramp! You may need to sketch something and scan it into the computer, though: be sure you attempt the scan before the very last minute so that, if it fails, you can complain to the proctor while there's still time to do something about it 2. You don't get to use the test booklet as scratch paper, but you do get scratch paper, in the form of dry-erase sheets. 3. You'll sign up for an appointment for just one subtest, so you get only that subtest's time to work in, rather than having all five hours. I'll point out, though, that the single-subtest appointment allows more time than you'd sensibly allot to that subtest if you were taking the whole of CSET Art in one go. 4. When you take the subtest for which you submit photos of your own artwork, there may be differences in how that portfolio is submitted. As far as the content, however, don't expect that to change. You WILL need to know about art history (know the major movements and artists: if you don't own a good comprehensive art-history book, this would be a good time to get one); you WILL need to know about media and techniques (if your preferred media involve paint, study up on drawing and 3-D materials and methods, and don't forget photography and performance art); you WILL need to be able to discuss what makes an artwork work, and that includes discussing your own work.
Art Subtest 2 Help Hey folks, (mostly @teachergroupie) I've looked back through this thread and have found some of it helpful. My story is I passed Art Subtest 1 on the first try, failed Subtest 2 by 8 points I have a lot riding on this as if I don't pass this second time around I have to wait a whole year to get back in my credential program. I saw in previous posts that TeacherGroupie would ask people what their results were and offered to help decipher them, so I'm posting here with hopes that will be the case. Thanks! Multiple choice: Creative Expression ++ Connections, Relationships, Applications ++ History and Theories of Learning in Art ++++ Overall Multiple-Choice Section: +++ Constructed response: Assignment 1 - check mark Assignment 2 - p,k,d Assignment 3 - check mark Assignment 4 - p,k Overall Constructed-Response Section: ++
All right, yodagerms... You passed Subtest I, so you know your art history, aesthetic valuing, and art education. On Subtest II you scored 212, which is pretty close, and you must have nailed the History and Theories of Learning in Art multiple-choice questions in order to have compensated for somewhat lackluster performances in Creative Expression and Connections, Relationships, and Applications: Creative Expression accounts for 60% of multiple-choice points. The Subtest II constructed responses are mostly in the domain of Creative Expression, which has to do with how one does art; you got p,k,d on the second assignment, which must be the response in which you discuss your own artwork in your area of concentration (because none of the other three responses CAN receive a diagnostic of d), but it's not clear to me which of the other responses is which - though we do know that none of them was in History and Theories of Learning in Art, because that domain doesn't have a constructed response. I infer that you didn't major in studio art. Am I right?
TeacherGroupie, thank you so much for your response. I'm embarrassed to say that I DID major in studio art. I'm a painter and felt confident about my written responses discussing my own work. I had a bad feeling after taking the test, but that was mostly directed at my guessing at so many multiple choice questions. I thought how can someone tell me I don't know what I'm talking about with my own work? Looking back, I think I probably missed the mark by not providing enough vocabulary in regards to the elements of art and spending most of my time discussing my process conceptually. For multiple choice I was left totally guessing on some questions, like those on welding or searching my brain for the right answer that would only come to me if I remembered that ceramics or photography class I had taken 5 years ago. :huh: The good news is I was just informed that if I don't pass this time around i can retake and hopefully start student teaching by winter, only having to make up for fall time student teaching next year. This means I do not have to withdraw from the program I'm in, which makes the consequences less detrimental. OF COURSE I really want to pass this time, so I'm grateful for your feedback and have been studying every day to figure it out.
Terminology, yup: that's a leading stumbling block. Current syllabi from colleges like yours that teach these courses might help jog your memory as to the processes; if there aren't YouTube videos, it would be surprising. In fact, try finding some of those videos and narrating them as though you were teaching someone how to teach.
Hi everyone! I'm a new teacher with no credential (hired in a hurry) and am trying desperately to get all my credentials while being a first year teacher. I've just started looking into the CSET and am freaking out... I've taken more than my fair share of art and art history classes, but my major was graphic design (not studio art) and my memory is awful; it's been some time since my art history courses and I'm worried about preparation. This test sounds enormously difficult, and even more so if you're out of practice. I do have art through the ages (and I'll be tearing my house apart hoping to find my old college notes) but I can't even begin to figure out how to learn/relearn everything this test will require. While teaching. Has anyone taken it recently, or is anyone planning to take it soon? I've searched for local resources and study groups but found nothing. Thanks in advance!
Breathe, please, msmack: I suspect you'll find that the content comes back to you as you start studying. Start with the subtest description and subject-matter requirements on the CSET Art Web page, and use those as sources of terminology to look up online, then make a point of incorporating that vocabulary into - well, possibly your teaching, but definitely your lesson planning. Try looking for ways to see in the teaching that you're doing anyway the content and terminology on which you'll be tested: that is, a graphic-arts exercise for your students is an opportunity for you, in your prep and self-talk, to deploy the terminology and concepts that CSET Art demands.
Thanks for the quick reply. I'll definitely continue incorporating these concepts in my teaching. I think I'm most worried about the things that I never learned in my educational track, like prominent art critics and theory, cultures I haven't studied, and art mediums I've never worked in. There are a lot of facts, pieces, and concepts I had memorized backwards and forwards at one time, like renaissance art and medieval architecture, that have since been overwritten in my memory. I hope you're right about it coming back to me. I wish I could've taken this exam right out of school; all that education now seems like a waste. Do you think it's possible to prepare adequately for this test on your own or is some kind of prep course or book necessary for success? I'm sure that's a difficult question to answer but I'll throw it out anyways. Thanks again for the quick response.
I am signed up for the Art Subtest II in April and have never taken it before. After reading through this thread, I still have a few questions about the portfolio. I am planning to do watercolor as my depth. Then for breadth I am doing photography, pen/ink, and a mosaic piece. Would this work? I am worried that I don't have a 3D other than mosaic. And without access to a ceramics studio, I would have to hand-build and air dry any other sculpture. Will the mosaic wall piece work? BTW - I took the subtest I today and am eternally grateful for the 18 pages of posts I was able to learn from
Make sure your breadth response shows your breadth: choose pieces that exhibit differences in approach, not just in medium, especially if the shift of medium dictated any of the differences in approach.
Hi, TeacherGroupie. I am taking the Art CSETs in two parts starting this August. I read through the thread and found all of the advice very helpful. Thanks, all, for taking the time to provide focused advice and resource recommendations! After I take the test, I'll let you know how it went.
You're welcome, monkonnabike. I won't wish you good luck, but rather good hunting. (Nobody ever passed a CSET purely on luck.)
Hi ya, new to this forum..."long time listener, first time..." Right to it, my concentration is what I would consider non-standard art. Namely, theatrical art and design, which is a constant mixture of mediums. From large scale sculptured set pieces of wood, steel, or foam to faux rocks to painted scenery to painted backdrops, etc... In your opinion, will this be adequate for the purpose of the CSET ? Or are they looking for traditional works ? Breadth work can include oil painting, sculpture,(welded,) charcoal, pop art, CG, illustration. Any advise would be appreciated. Taking exams in August, Jim
Welcome to A to Z, jmckernan! You've raised an unusual question based on your background in theatrical art and design. The Portfolio Procedures Manual at http://www.ctcexams.nesinc.com/PDF/CSET_Prep/Art_proc_man.pdf sets out specifications for the test taker's concentration portfolio (three artworks, all in one medium) and breadth portfolio (three artworks in three distinct media that don't overlap with the concentration portfolio too much). The Subtest II sample-question document and the manual also set out constructed response questions of the sort that the test taker will encounter. - The constructed response for the breadth portfolio broadly focuses on process: how your choice of tools reflected and shaped the breadth artworks, including dealing with problems that came up in the course of creating the artworks. - The constructed response for the concentration portfolio has you reflecting on how you come up with ideas, how you use design principles and elements of art and media to get those ideas across, and how your art shows your growth and evolution. The test taker who passes is the one who manages to fulfill all of these charges and thus makes the scorers happy. Let me note here that "concentration area" does not necessarily mean 'the kind of art that a particular test taker personally produces the most'. For purposes of CSET Art, it means 'the medium in which the test taker has produced enough to be able to come up with three distinct photographable artworks that exhibit discussable ideation, application of principles/skills/media, and artistic growth'. I think it is possible to make a case for "theatrical art and design" as a sort of medium, given strong deployment of technical terminology, good persuasion skills, and more than a little creativity. I think it might also take a fair bit of work, over and above what one has to do anyway for CSET Art II, and it WILL be up to you to make the case that painted scenery/backdrops and faux rocks and large sculpted set pieces do constitute a single medium. (The test center staff, who get to sign off on your photos, may have more difficulty with this than will the scorers.) If you think you can do it, though, go for it. Two alternative approaches come to mind: 1. Your concentration could be more oriented to set design as such, focusing less on the production of specific bits of scenery and set pieces. This approach could allow you to show off how your ideas etc. have developed from earlier productions to later ones. It also might be wiser if anyone else has helped wield the paintbrushes and the sculpting tools. Then your breadth portfolio could include a particularly important backdrop or set piece without undue overlap. 2. Your concentration could reflect a more traditional sense of the word "medium": sculpture, perhaps, including but not limited to set pieces, and certainly including needs of theatre in the differences in ideation etc. Then sculpture is unavailable for your breadth portfolio, but set design could still figure.
Thank you, Teachergroupie. I think I will go the path of least resistance and remain traditional. On that line, one last question: I have charcoal drawings, theatrical sculpture and cartoon illustration in mind for breadth. Is cartoon illustration too close to charcoal still life as to be insufficient ?
I think you should be fine; if you can, choose works that make the differences in media and handling as clear as possible, and let the differences shine through your constructed response alongside the similarities. Are you cartooning on paper or on computer?
Paper and ink. Style wise, the two drawings are vastly different. I was also considering using a selection of pop art, as the motivations, methodology, goals are different; although in a narrow view the pop art could be considered painting, ( which will be my concentration.) On the surface the exams appear simple enough...then you start thinking.
Hello there, I just found this forum and I'm taking my CSET next week, both of them!! Yikes! I have been going through the practice exams from the website and what i'm most concerned with is the portfolio portion, specifically the concentration aspect. I have viewed and read the sample responses and I am concerned I may have to choose a new piece to photograph and discuss. The pieces in the sample all relate in some way and the writer has an opening and closing paragraph uniting the somewhat tryptic theme. My work, although all in ceramics, is not necessarily interrelated. I have an eagle sculpture in chains (political narrative), an eagle in stark white contrast to severed eagle talon in black (racial narrative), then I have a pit fire piece that is of repetitive tile patterns incorporating nature and design. I do have more political/social artwork but I wanted to show my ability, range, and knowledge with the pit fire piece. Is this a mistake?
The concentration portfolio as described in the Procedure Manual is centered on one medium. Two of your pieces are sculptures in clay; the third, if I understand you correctly, is the pit fire (fire pit?) piece, or perhaps chiefly the tiles on the fire pit. I think it might be possible to make a case for those being "the same medium" - if your tiles form what amounts to bas relief, for example - but otherwise, it's likely to take a fair bit of work to sell the scorers on this point. Please note that your pieces do NOT need to be unified thematically. As I pointed out to jmckernan, Nothing in that description requires thematic unity.
I wrote a complete response, but I'm unsure if I should post it here, is there a direct message I would be able to send. I also can't figure out how to add photos...working on it.
Pite fire is the process of constructing a work out of clay and burnishing it to a smoothness and shine. The piece is placed in a pit in the earth. Wood and other combustibles are added and the pit is ignited. Once cool, the ceramics are removed and reveal an undulation of colors and lines the flames and gases in the fire have created. It is as much ceramics as Raku, but if the grader isn't fluent in ceramics maybe I should spell out the process? thank you again for your reply, I'm very grateful for your feedback.
I think the A to Z software won't let a member post a photo, and I know the software won't let a member launch a private message, before the member has attained a certain number of posts (this is to discourage spam artists, of whom there are a great many more than you might think). You might well encounter one or more scorers who are as good generalists but as little versed in the specifics of ceramics as I. Spelling out the process of pit fire ceramics is extra work for you-the-test-taker, in the sense that I intended above; if you're both willing to do it and confident that you can make the case that you need to make, then do go for it. I'd recommend, though, practicing a response to the concentration-portfolio question and running that response by an artist/teacher who isn't a ceramist, just to make sure.
OK, not to be a Debbi-Downer, buuuut... I took subtest 1, 140, yesterday afternoon; will be taking 2 today. The exams are NOTHING like the example test given at the CTC website. The example test is simplified and basic. I recently took all 4 English exams and passed, ( I'm no dummy,) they are the same way. I thought that it was just me, but no, it seems to be the way they all are. I am a professional artist; my work is all over the internet; I run a theatrical shop for a nationally recognized theater company. I am a control freak, so a great deal of the fine art applications that we do...I do myself. I know color, balance, mass, etc...I have to know this to be where I am. I am more than qualified to teach your kids high school art, be it 2D or 3D or digital. As a parent, I agree that we need qualified teachers to instruct our children, but there needs to be some sort of sane process other than just the CSETs. There is such a shortage of people willing to put the effort in towards teaching anymore.... This exam is a sad thing, NOBODY can ever get 300 points on it. Advice for newbies: Know your principles....I mean REALLY know them, for any and all mediums. Try to at least skim through as many art history books, especially those that deal with modern art, so that you may at least have a fighting chance when they present some obscure artist from half a century ago. LOTS of subjective questions...really frustrating, because there can be differing answers based upon you personal esthetics. Try to get past your own views and look at the question from a different angle. LOTS of trick questions where a few answers are correct..."which one is more correct ?" ( just plain mean.) Something that helped me with the English essays: liberally sprinkle terminology around. It acts to add substance to your answer. ( I was caught flat footed with one of the English essays...totally unprepared...tossed a bunch of literary terms around and squeaked past.) For those who will ask: I used "Annotated Mona Lisa" , ( good book, lots of info presented in plain English,) Mometrix CSET Art Secrets, ( waste of money, I got this thinking it would have something of value...anything. Maybe a little, but not much.) and internet searches on everything I could think of relating to the standards as presented by CTC. I had hoped to ace the multiple choice portion so that the essays might be weak and still allow for at least a 220. I literally had to fight the urge to toss the mouse and walk out halfway through the multiple choice portion. My gut feeling is that I did not pass. Sorry for the negativity,
Hugs, jmckernan. CSET exams are challenging, indeed, and intended less to reward one's ability to memorize than to assess one's ability to think - and, yes, to invent answers. (Inventing plausible answers requires one to know the principles solidly, a point that I see you addressed. If a conclusion fits the prompt and one defends the conclusion with support that's apposite, it's all good.) Anyone who can pass CSET English as you did, has the sense to draw on the Annotated Mona Lisa, and knows to fling around the technical terminology has, in my estimation, a fine chance of passing CSET Art 1. Let me note that I can't count the number of times a CSET taker has slunk onto A to Z to report probable failure only to find, once the score report arrives, that the negative gut feeling was wrong. Let me also note that nobody on God's green earth cares if you ace the test: you don't need 300, you need just 220, and this on a scale that begins at 100. The one thing I'll correct you on here is that those responses aren't essays, not in the CBEST sense: one wants to be organized, yes, but in long responses a bullet list or two can be very useful, and short responses can even consist of a bullet list.
