Common mistakes on TExES 114. Know these cold.
Pedagogy questions — always pick student-centered, inquiry-based, formative answers. If in doubt, pick the one that builds on what students already know.
Domains V, VI, XI underestimated — together they're ~19% of the exam. Don't shortchange them in your study.
Physical vs. chemical change — new substance formed = chemical. Boiling water, melting ice = physical. Iron rusting, wood burning = chemical.
Correlation ≠ causation — two things happening together doesn't mean one causes the other.
Independent vs. dependent variable — independent = what the experimenter changes. Dependent = what gets measured as a result.
Mean vs. median with outliers — outliers drag the mean significantly. The median is resistant to outliers. If you see a question with a skewed dataset, the mean will be the more affected measure.
Earth's seasons ≠ distance from sun — seasons are caused by Earth's 23.5° axial tilt, not proximity to the sun. Earth is actually closest to the sun in January.
Exponential decay requires base 0–1 — y = 0.8^x decays; y = 1.5^x grows. Quick check: is the base less than 1?
Peer review — means OTHER scientists independently evaluate methodology. Not a student repeating an experiment. Not publishing.
Isometries (rigid transformations) — translations, rotations, reflections preserve shape AND size. Dilations change size (not rigid).