I have just started studying for Subtest II (which I plan on taking in July) and I am starting to get concerned about the art section of the test. I was wondering... 1) What study materials/resources have people used in the past that they thought were helpful. I have Cliff Notes and Barrons study books, and neither one of them have actual pictures of art, or names of famous artists and their work, but they give plenty of definitions! This leads to my second questions.. 2) What would one say the percentage of the questions were on actual photographs of art, and what percentage was on art definitions... ultimately, I want to make sure that I'm not wasting my time studying one part, when I should be studying the other. Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks! Danielle
If you don't know the terminology, it's hard to talk about art in ways that make sense; if you don't know the artworks, it's hard to make sense of the terminology. They do go together. Look for kids' books (well, or grownups' books as well) that give you neat pictures with explanations and background. Usborne, a kids' publisher, has an Introduction to Art, ISBN 0-7945-0661-0, that is gorgeously illustrated and incredibly interesting and has Internet links. There are also Web sites - many major art museums, including both the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Getty Museum, have Web sites with resources especially for teachers. Look for a number of links at http://www.caea-arteducation.org/artedlinks/artedlinks.html. (Have a look at Eyes on Art, which is mentioned there.)
Personally I wouldn't get that stressed. Remember the part of Subtest III that includes art also includes dance, music, and theatre. Since there are only 13 multiple choice questions to cover those four areas, at most you'll get 3-4 art questions. Look over the sample tests in your study guides to get a sense of what sort of things are covered in art and how well you do at those questions. And even if you miss a few art questions, you can "make up for it" by doing well on the other parts of Subtest III. Finally, there is a chance that one of the constructed responses will be on art. From what I've seen in the study guides, those seem to focus on being able to analyze art. So know your definitions and how to apply those to the analysis of a particular piece of art.
