Study Guide
Overview and Test Objectives
Field 040: Family and Consumer Sciences
Test Overview
| Format | Computer-based test (CBT) |
|---|---|
| Number of Questions | 100 multiple-choice questions |
| Time | 2 hours 30 minutes* |
| Passing Score | 220 |
*Does not include 15-minute CBT tutorial
Test Objectives
| Subarea | Range of Objectives | Approximate Percentage of Questions on Test | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Individual and Family Life | 001–007 | 29% |
| 2 | Parenting and Human Development | 008–011 | 16% |
| 3 | Individual and Family Health, Nutrition, and Wellness | 012–016 | 23% |
| 4 | Family, Community, and Career Environments | 017–020 | 16% |
| 5 | Consumer Education and Resource Management | 021–024 | 16% |
Hover over each subarea for details of subtest content or see table above.
Sub area 1 29%, Sub area 2 26%, Sub area 3 23%, Sub area 4 16%, and Sub area 5 16%.
Subarea 1—INDIVIDUAL AND FAMILY LIFE
Objective 001—Understand the characteristics of families.
Includes:
- identifying the characteristics of healthy families
- recognizing roles and responsibilities within a family
- recognizing the various definitions of family, including diverse family structures and cultures
- demonstrating knowledge of strategies for improving interpersonal relationships within a family
- identifying the ways in which families change in composition and configuration over time
- understanding social, cultural, and economic factors that affect families
Objective 002—Understand the characteristics of interpersonal relationships.
Includes:
- recognizing types and characteristics of interpersonal relationships
- distinguishing among different types of love relationships
- demonstrating knowledge of the influence of social and cultural factors on interpersonal communication
- understanding the relationship among social, emotional, and physical development
- recognizing decision-making processes related to choices involved in interpersonal relationships
Objective 003—Understand human growth, development, and aging throughout adulthood.
Includes:
- recognizing the characteristics and stages of adulthood
- recognizing the characteristics and stages of the aging process
- demonstrating knowledge of strategies that facilitate adjustment to major life changes throughout adulthood
- identifying physical, cognitive, social, and emotional factors related to adulthood and the aging process
Objective 004—Understand the development of human sexuality.
Includes:
- identifying physiological changes in adolescence and adulthood
- recognizing key physiological, psychological, and social aspects of sexual development
- understanding the consequences of various sexual behaviors
- analyzing the effects of peer pressure
- understanding principles and practices of family planning and the responsibilities of sexual behavior
Objective 005—Understand how change affects individuals and families.
Includes:
- recognizing the changing needs of family members throughout the life span, including members of families with special needs
- analyzing how personal needs and characteristics affect relationships
- understanding communication skills that contribute to positive relationships and promote effective communication about issues across the life span
Objective 006—Understand strategies for individuals and families experiencing change and transitions.
Includes:
- understanding factors and events that contribute to stress and crisis for individuals and families
- identifying symptoms of and coping strategies for stress and crisis for individuals and families
- recognizing strategies to prevent and manage conflict
- understanding how to gain access to services, education, and support for individuals and families
Objective 007—Understand the rights and responsibilities of individuals and families toward each other.
Includes:
- understanding ethical and legal issues pertaining to individuals and families
- demonstrating awareness of equity issues
- identifying harassment behaviors and practices and appropriate responses
- demonstrating the ability to understand and respect the rights of all people, including those with different values, orientations, and experiences
Subarea 2—PARENTING AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
Objective 008—Understand the stages, characteristics, and implications of physical, motor, cognitive, social, and emotional development in children and adolescents.
Includes:
- recognizing the stages and characteristics of human development in childhood and adolescence
- understanding the relationship between a child's development and parenting
- recognizing changes in individual needs at different stages of development
Objective 009—Understand preparation for parenthood.
Includes:
- identifying ways parents and other members of the family system can prepare for the addition of a child
- understanding strategies for promoting a healthy environment for parents and children
- recognizing methods of and factors affecting family planning
- demonstrating knowledge of the principles of prenatal care and childbirth preparation
Objective 010—Understand the roles, rewards, demands, and responsibilities of parenting.
Includes:
- understanding how the parenting process affects both parents and children
- recognizing parenting skills and child-rearing practices needed to support children's physical, economic, social, intellectual, and emotional well-being
- demonstrating knowledge of methods for teaching life skills to children
- identifying strategies for adapting to various parenting situations
- understanding the effect of family differences on parenting styles
- identifying parents' legal and financial obligations to their children and those of children to their parents
Objective 011—Understand the role of communication in parent-child relationships.
Includes:
- analyzing factors that affect communication between parents and children
- recognizing family conflict and identifying resolution strategies
- identifying strategies for preventing and recovering from family violence, abuse, and neglect
- identifying agencies and services available to assist children, parents, and families
Subarea 3—INDIVIDUAL AND FAMILY HEALTH, NUTRITION, AND WELLNESS
Objective 012—Understand factors that influence the achievement of personal wellness.
Includes:
- recognizing factors that affect life choices
- analyzing the influence of life choices on wellness
- identifying reliable resources for use in making wellness decisions
- using resources, including technology, to assess and evaluate wellness
- recognizing the role of individual and family responsibility in achieving wellness
Objective 013—Understand strategies and techniques for maintaining personal wellness.
Includes:
- understanding the relationships among diet, fitness, gender, heredity, and wellness
- recognizing health problems, disease prevention strategies, and responses to various illnesses
- demonstrating awareness of stress management in relationship to wellness issues
Objective 014—Understand the principles of nutrition.
Includes:
- identifying the functions and sources of nutrients
- demonstrating knowledge of the digestive process and its effects on nutrition and wellness
- recognizing the components of a balanced diet
- analyzing causes and characteristics of malnutrition and its effects on individuals, families, and society
- analyzing the effects of drug and nutrient interaction on health and wellness
Objective 015—Understand the effects of nutritional choices on personal wellness.
Includes:
- identifying varying nutritional needs throughout the life span
- understanding healthy food selection, storage, and preparation methods
- demonstrating knowledge of food choices for disease prevention and diet therapy
- recognizing the effects of specific nutritional deficiencies and excesses
- demonstrating an understanding of the importance of diet and exercise in weight management plans
- recognizing the characteristics of eating disorders
Objective 016—Understand individual and institutional rights and responsibilities regarding health care.
Includes:
- recognizing strategies for effective communication with health care providers
- evaluating options for caring for individuals, including those with special needs, throughout the life span
- understanding issues related to access to and availability of health care and health insurance
- recognizing individuals' and institutions' responsibilities for global health and safety
Subarea 4—FAMILY, COMMUNITY, AND CAREER ENVIRONMENTS
Objective 017—Understand the interrelatedness of family, career, and community roles and responsibilities.
Includes:
- understanding that a personal life plan should reflect individual, family, career, learning, leisure, and community goals
- analyzing the effects of each component of a personal life plan on the other components of the plan
- analyzing strategies for balancing work and community commitments with individual and family needs and desires
Objective 018—Understand skills developed in individual, family, community, and career roles.
Includes:
- demonstrating knowledge of leadership and other skills developed through participation in one's family, career, workplace, and community
- identifying skills developed in individual, family, community, and career roles that are transferable to other roles
Objective 019—Understand the management of individual, family, community, and career roles and responsibilities.
Includes:
- analyzing how to respond to family, workplace, and community issues in a socially responsible manner
- understanding how resources, including technology, can be used to manage individual, family, community, and career roles and responsibilities
Objective 020—Understand the effect of the environment on human needs.
Includes:
- evaluating the needs of individuals and families in diverse environments
- analyzing the effects of family development, needs, values, and resources on housing choices
- analyzing the importance of aesthetics in meeting human environmental needs
Subarea 5—CONSUMER EDUCATION AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Objective 021—Understand the role of the consumer in the world economy.
Includes:
- analyzing the interrelationship between the economic system and consumer behaviors
- analyzing policies and legislation pertaining to consumer rights and responsibilities
- understanding how economic policies and legislation affect consumers and families
Objective 022—Understand individual and family resource management skills.
Includes:
- applying decision-making and goal-setting skills
- understanding the steps and skills involved in developing and maintaining a budget for an individual or a family
- recognizing the components of short- and long-term financial management plans
- understanding how resources, including technology, can be used in achieving family goals
- understanding the types, uses, and misuses of credit
- identifying alternative resources for achieving consumer goals
- analyzing the effects of resource management decisions on individual and family well-being
Objective 023—Understand factors affecting the management of individual and family resources.
Includes:
- analyzing resource management as a means of enhancing human potential and the quality of life
- understanding differing views about the use of family resources
- understanding influences on consumer decision making
- evaluating the effects of values and standards on resource management
Objective 024—Understand responsible resource selection and consumption behaviors.
Includes:
- understanding responsible selection of resources to meet individual and family needs throughout the life span
- recognizing consumer fraud and deception
- recognizing responsible resource consumption and conservation behaviors