Study Guide for Environmental Science

To work as an environmental science teacher at an Illinois public school, you need to pass the Illinois Licensure Testing System (ILTS) Science: Environmental Science content area test, in addition to meeting education and practicum requirements. This exam features 125 multiple-choice questions. Testing sessions are offered six days a year, with two five-hour-and-45-minute sessions each day. You're unlikely to need the whole session to complete the exam. You will be able to use a scientific calculator for the ILTS; however, you're required to use one provided by the testing center rather than bringing your own.

We worked with experienced professional educators to develop this online study guide for the ILTS Science: Environmental Science content area test. In addition to teaching you about cell structure and function, the study guide covers principles of heredity and biological evolution and characteristics and life functions of organisms. You'll also learn about nature, properties of energy, and the structure of matter. These lessons cover the following topics and more:

• Systems of the body
• Climate change and cycles
• Forces and motion
• Waves and the electromagnetic spectrum
• Land, water and atmospheric systems
• The dynamic nature of Earth
• Origins and changes in the universe
• Energy flow in natural ecosystems
• How humans effect the global environment
• Understanding national and global environmental policy

Questions on the ILTS Science: Environmental Science content area test cover six subareas: science and technology, life science, physical science, Earth systems and the universe, the physical and living environment, and environmental issues. Some parts of the test are specific to Illinois, while others examine environmental science issues from a national or global perspective.

ILTS Science: Environmental Science Content Area Test Preparation & Registration

This environmental science study guide includes more than a dozen brief video lessons that you can use to reinforce what you learned through your postsecondary studies. Each video is accompanied by a self-assessment quiz that was designed with the ILTS in mind. This way, you can gauge your knowledge of environmental science while at the same time become familiar with the types of questions you'll encounter on test day.

The ILTS Science: Environmental Science content area test is offered only in a paper-based format. Testing is held in February, April, June, July, September and November, with both a morning and afternoon testing session each day. Regular registration is available online and closes approximately six weeks prior to the exam; however, emergency registration - which requires an extra fee - is available up to four days before the test.

ILTS Science: Environmental Science Content Area Test Scoring

Your scores from the ILTS Science: Environmental Science content area test should be available online approximately four weeks after your test date. The exam is scored on a scale of 100-300, with 240 being the minimum score to qualify for certification. Your score will be automatically reported to the Illinois State Board of Education and also can be sent to prospective employers and your alma mater, if you request so at registration.

In addition to receiving your total score for the test, you'll receive a breakdown of how you performed in each of the following subareas:

Science and Technology

This section of the ILTS Science: Environmental Science content area test measures your understanding of science as inquiry, as well as your ability to apply concepts of technology and technological design. You also might be asked about accepted science practices, including various laws and theories, or be expected to identify major unifying concepts of the sciences.

Life Science

Cell structure and function, principles of heredity and biological evolution, and characteristics and life functions of organisms are some of the topics you can expect to encounter in this section of the exam. Other questions might focus on interaction between organisms themselves and between organisms and their environments.

Physical Science

Questions on this part of the test determine whether you're proficient in your knowledge of the properties of energy and matter. You also might be asked about forces and motion, electricity, magnetism and waves.