Last/Ats-W: How to Prepare for the Liberal Arts and Sciences Test Assessment of Teaching Skills-Written, with an Introduction to t (Barron's How to Prepare for the LAST/ATS) [Paperback]

Robert D. Postman (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 493 pages
• Publisher: Barron's Educational Series (August 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764104462
• ISBN-13: 978-0764104466
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 7.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #679,688 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #12 in Books > Education & Reference > Education > Test Guides - Graduate & Professional > Teaching

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars not at all like the real LAST and full of egregious errors, November 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Last/Ats-W: How to Prepare for the Liberal Arts and Sciences Test Assessment of Teaching Skills-Written, with an Introduction to t (Barron's How to Prepare for the LAST/ATS) (Paperback)

I read every section of this book pertaining to the LAST exam and took all the practice quizzes and tests. Not only did I find the book frustrating (because of numerous errors in the practices quizzes/tests and some truly absurd statements in the review material) but once I took the actual exam I felt like I had wasted a whole lot of time using the book. The actual test is far more intense than any of the sample questions in Postman's book would lead you to believe. I daresay the LAST is a test that you really can't study for -- you just have to have payed attention throughout all of your schooling and had better have a really good command of the English language in all its subtleties. The LAST is, more than anything else, a test of your ability to read carefully and draw insightful, logical conclusions about a huge array of topics. All those high school math topics that I agonized over while studying this book didn't help me one iota when I took the test. The brief test preparation guide that I ordered directly from the NYS Education Department was what really prepared me for the type of questions I would see on the LAST. (As for the kind of errors I found... see for instance page 244: a piano is a percussion instrument! like a "symbol" is! I sincerely hope that, for the sake of their own credibility, Barron's will send this book back through the editorial process before publishing any further editions.)

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pased with a Nearly Perfect Score, August 10, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Last/Ats-W: How to Prepare for the Liberal Arts and Sciences Test Assessment of Teaching Skills-Written, with an Introduction to t (Barron's How to Prepare for the LAST/ATS) (Paperback)

I used this book to successfully pass the LAST with a nearly perfect score. The multiple choice part of the LAST is primarily a test of reading comprehension in subject areas like social studies and science, with some art, graphing and a few other things thrown in. It is not test of your knowledge. The practice tests in the book were very much like the actual test I took.

This book gives excellent study tips and steps for writing the essay. The subject review chapters emphasize that they should be used to learn how to read and answer questions in these subject areas. I think this is the key to this test. I recommend this book if you are preparing for the LAST.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very useful, September 10, 2002

By 

"bijucu" (freeville, ny United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Last/Ats-W: How to Prepare for the Liberal Arts and Sciences Test Assessment of Teaching Skills-Written, with an Introduction to t (Barron's How to Prepare for the LAST/ATS) (Paperback)

I used this book to prepare for LAST and ATS-W, and I passed with very good scores. It took me about a month to prepare for both at the same time.

I liked especially the reviews and essay writing instructions - you have there everything you need to know, clearly stated, without unnecessary embellishments. Very easy to digest and memorize.

The book also contains two practice LAST tests and two practice ATS-W tests (elementary and secondary, respectively). All tests have explained answers.

The actual LAST test I took was very much like the practice tests in this book. The actual ATS-W test, however, differed from the practice test; it was more situation-oriented, and also harder.

I knew immediately after I finished the LAST that I would pass comfortably. However, after the ATS-W I found myself for the first time in the unenviable position of having no idea how I did: I wouldn't have been surprised by a score of 100, or 300.

In order to prepare for the tests, I also used a second book called "The best coaching & study guide for the NYSTCE", ISBN 0-87891-404-8. The reviews in it were unnecessarily verbose and complicated, I think. That is why I didn't use them. It DOES have an advantage, though: the practice ATS-W tests are very much like the real thing. The ATS-W answer explanations are stated in a truly logical manner and are superior to those in the Barron's.

The study guides from the NY State Education Department are of NO value except for the 5 sample questions you can find in there, and the essay examples and essay scoring explanations. They offer no more than a tiny taste of the real thing.

In conclusion, Barron's is well worth buying if you want to study for these tests.