TExES Art EC-12 (178) Secrets Study Guide: TExES Test Review for the Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (Mometrix Test Preparation)

Much of the information is repetitive, but that makes it helpful. When I took the test I felt like half of what was in it was missing from the text BUT it was enough scoring wise to help me pass the test.It is black and white so I googled every photo and art piece. Also the pictures described in the paragraphs are usually on the following/back page which can be a little confusing.

I am feeling so relieved at this point to have this product! I currently teach theatre, but I excel at painting. Knowing this, my principal has asked me to get certified to teach art over the summer so that we can have it next year. I am THRILLED about this, but terrified as well considering the fact that I have never in my life taken an art class. I know nothing of the actual techniques, history, movements, practitioners, etc. I flippantly took a couple of little practice tests to see where I stand on my own knowledge and did not fair well. I found that the "Secrets" study guide had some really good reviews from people who had already taken their exams and passed, so I decided to order it. When it came in the mail I was flooded with relief to see that the study guide contains all of this information (techniques, history, etc) condensed into quick chunks of relevant information that can be studied easily. Unlike the help you'll find in the TExES preparation manuals which only give you a HUGE list of textbooks to use. For starters, I can't afford to purchase all of them (I'm a teacher after all), and wouldn't know which ones to purchase if I wanted to get just a few, and for seconders, I'd need a couple of years to be able to study them all...in other words a degree in art! As soon as I've devoured this study guide a couple of times, I will return to the practice tests and expect to have MUCH better results! The people who put this manual together are obviously educators! They didn't just write a manual to try to make a financial profit, they wrote it using the best practices that an educator can in order to enable success for their students!

I got this book under the advisement from my department professor and no doubt I passed thanks to this book! I studied this thing for two months and when taking the exam I felt confident about most of the answers I chose. Use the practice test in the back to your advantage! I will keep this book for as long as it holds up because this will help during teaching because it is also a great review source!

My experience is based on early findings. I am taking the time to read and highlight as well as pausing to look up examples. Specifically works of art that are described with color, which is my only suggestion that art samples be presented in color especially when the text mentions elements of art and how color helps with movement etc. I have also purchased the flash cards that go with this set and look forward to follow up with that and keep taking the practice test at back while looking up areas I may need to work on more for complete understanding. I feel so far this will be a solid tool for my success when I go to take the test.

I passed my exam-so in this sense the study guide is excellent. Very comprehensive and well-written. The only thing that it could be improved on are the pictures. In the book the pictures are black and white, I wish they were in color. I believe that the pictures can be viewed in color on their website, but I did not go there. I think that this study guide was instrumental in me passing this exam so I wholeheartedly recommend it.

A reminder - a 3-star review is the equivalent of me saying "it's okay." This guide is the epitome of being just okay.If you have a decent understanding of art (not just actual art work, but the vast world of art) then this should be all you need for passing the exam. However, if you're not that familiar with some of the concepts of art criticism, the different movements, specific artists, etc. - you'll obviously need more supplemental study material.As others have posted in their reviews this guide really could be better with some restructuring and possibly being reviewed a few times before printing it. It also needs to be understood that you can't expect basic art knowledge (like the things found in this book) to make up a large portion of the art exam. It's a pretty comprehensive and random test in regards to the questions. Don't expect to get questions that this guide (or others) will have specifically covered. This will help you in understanding and figuring out what the right answers are.Again, if you're wise to art concepts, methods, movements, important figures, materials, etc. - this should suffice in serving as a good guide to brush up on.If you're not that comfortable with those things please don't rely solely on this book, but rather use it as a companion to other resources.Good luck!

Considering this book is for ART and the image are in black and white, it kind of doesn’t help. But the study material itself is good.

I primarily used this book along with another to prepare for the test and I'm happy to say that I passed. I will say that this book does not cover a lot of art history material so I suggest that an additional source be used to study the art history portion. I don't have an art degree, I'm self taught.