Teachers' Professional License – Subject Test: Research Skills and Information Sources: free practice test

Practice question Unit: Information

1. AProcessing data into information that reveals a pattern ✓ Correct answer

   Organising the counts to show peak days makes the existing data meaningful for a question or decision.

2. BRecording the bibliographic details of the source

   Source documentation concerns attribution, not the transformation of visitor counts into a pattern.

3. CRemoving the context from already interpreted knowledge

   The chart adds an interpretable pattern rather than stripping meaning from knowledge.

4. DCollecting a new set of primary observations

   The counts already exist; creating the chart is analysis, not a new data-collection step.

Reference: ETEC candidate guide (Teacher Licensure – Research Skills and Information Sources), domain "Information", standard "Concept, types and importance of information", p. 7

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Practice question Unit: Information

1. AA tertiary source organising already published reference material

   A tertiary work compiles or indexes existing material rather than presenting a newly conducted survey.

2. BA primary source reporting newly collected survey evidence ✓ Correct answer

   The report presents data collected by the student directly, making it a primary source for that survey.

3. CA secondary source interpreting another researcher’s survey

   The student collected the responses himself rather than reanalysing someone else’s published account.

4. DA catalogue record describing a source without reporting its findings

   A catalogue record helps locate a work; the described report contains the actual survey findings.

Reference: ETEC candidate guide (Teacher Licensure – Research Skills and Information Sources), domain "Information", standard "Concept, types and importance of information", p. 7

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Practice question Unit: Libraries

1. AA national library preserving the country’s published output

   National libraries have national collection and preservation responsibilities, unlike the hospital service described.

2. BA public library serving the general local population

   Public libraries primarily serve a broad community, not one organisation’s specialist information needs.

3. CA school library supporting general school teaching

   The service is for hospital clinicians, not a school curriculum and school community.

4. DA special library serving an organisation and subject area ✓ Correct answer

   A hospital library’s medical collection and professional users make it a special library.

Reference: ETEC candidate guide (Teacher Licensure – Research Skills and Information Sources), domain "Libraries", standard "Types, functions and management of libraries", p. 7

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Practice question Unit: Libraries

1. AStart with a device purchase and decide learning uses afterwards

   Technology should serve an identified learning need; buying first can leave access and training gaps.

2. BChange the name and signage while keeping services unchanged

   A new name alone does not change learning opportunities, access or service quality.

3. CFocus the budget on expanding print holdings before evaluating user needs

   Print can remain valuable, but expanding one resource type without needs assessment is not a comprehensive transition plan.

4. DPlan resources, flexible spaces and user training around learning needs ✓ Correct answer

   A needs-led plan integrates materials, environment and the ability to use them effectively.

Reference: ETEC candidate guide (Teacher Licensure – Research Skills and Information Sources), domain "Libraries", standard "Modern developments in libraries", p. 7

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Practice question Unit: Electronic Search

1. ATranslate the full sentence into another language without analysing its concepts

   Translation may broaden sources, but it does not by itself build a structured search for the research concepts.

2. BPut quotation marks around the whole sentence to require an exact match

   An exact full-sentence match can exclude relevant works using different wording.

3. CExtract the main concepts, add synonyms and combine them with suitable operators ✓ Correct answer

   Separating concepts allows synonyms within each concept and a deliberate relation between the concepts.

4. DLimit results to one file format before deciding the subject terms

   Format filters can help later, but do not substitute for an adequate topic query.

Reference: ETEC candidate guide (Teacher Licensure – Research Skills and Information Sources), domain "Electronic Search", standard "Basics of electronic search", p. 7

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Practice question Unit: Electronic Search

1. Aeducation filetype:pdf site:gov.sa ✓ Correct answer

   The query combines the topic, PDF file type and Saudi government domain restriction.

2. Beducation filetype:pdf site:com

   This seeks PDFs on commercial domains rather than the requested government domain.

3. Ceducation site:gov.sa -filetype:pdf

   The minus sign excludes the PDF file type the student wants.

4. Deducation filetype:docx site:gov.sa

   The domain is suitable, but DOCX is not the requested PDF format.

Reference: ETEC candidate guide (Teacher Licensure – Research Skills and Information Sources), domain "Electronic Search", standard "Search engines", p. 7

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Practice question Unit: Scientific Research

1. ASnowball sampling through referrals from the first participants

   Referral recruitment does not ensure the population proportions of the two school groups.

2. BPurposive sampling of teachers judged especially experienced

   Selecting for experience changes the selection criterion and does not ensure proportional representation.

3. CConvenience sampling from the researcher’s own school

   One accessible school need not reflect the composition of the target population.

4. DProportional stratified sampling within the two school groups ✓ Correct answer

   Dividing the population into strata and sampling in proportion supports representation of the two groups.

Reference: ETEC candidate guide (Teacher Licensure – Research Skills and Information Sources), domain "Scientific Research", standard "Research methods and tools", p. 7

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Practice question Unit: Scientific Research

1. AA historical definition describing how the term developed

   No development of the concept over time is described.

2. BAn operational definition specifying how the variable is measured ✓ Correct answer

   The definition tells the reader exactly which observed score will stand for achievement in this study.

3. CA lexical definition explaining the dictionary meaning

   It does not explain ordinary word usage; it identifies a study-specific measurement.

4. DA conceptual definition describing the theoretical meaning

   A conceptual definition states the construct’s meaning; this one states the measurement procedure.

Reference: ETEC candidate guide (Teacher Licensure – Research Skills and Information Sources), domain "Scientific Research", standard "Writing a research plan", p. 7

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Practice question Unit: Methods of Teaching the Subject

1. ATo postpone evaluating sources until the final written project

   Source evaluation is needed throughout the process, not only after a final draft exists.

2. BTo make the library unit independent of the later research task

   The units provide connected skills; source access should support later research work.

3. CTo build from concepts and finding sources to integrating evidence in a research task ✓ Correct answer

   Earlier concepts and search skills become prerequisites for selecting, evaluating and synthesising evidence in a project.

4. DTo prioritise memorising definitions before any information use

   Concept knowledge matters, but the course sequence aims at applied information use rather than memorisation alone.

Reference: ETEC candidate guide (Teacher Licensure – Research Skills and Information Sources), domain "Methods of Teaching the Subject", standard "The research-skills subject and its aims", p. 7

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Practice question Unit: Methods of Teaching the Subject

1. AAccept generated references when the titles and authors appear plausible

   Plausible-looking references may be fabricated; the actual source must be located and checked.

2. BUse AI to suggest keywords, then verify original sources and disclose use under course rules ✓ Correct answer

   The tool supports exploration while responsibility for evidence, attribution and permitted use remains with the learner.

3. CAssess accuracy from fluent wording before asking students to check sources

   Fluency is not evidence of accuracy, so verification should be built into the process.

4. DReplace source evaluation with a comparison of outputs from two AI tools

   Agreement between tools does not establish that a claim or reference is supported by an original source.

Reference: ETEC candidate guide (Teacher Licensure – Research Skills and Information Sources), domain "Methods of Teaching the Subject", standard "Teaching electronic search", p. 7

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