ITA Exam Instructions

After you sign up for the ITA exam, you will receive your Zoom invitation link to your USC email account 24 hours before your exam with your exact time and terms. Please be available for 90 minutes and make sure that you have your USC ID or passport ready to show for identification on the day of your exam.

During the exam, make sure you sign into your USC Zoom account, and not a personal Zoom account. You can ensure that you are signing in correctly by using this URL (usc.zoom.us). Once on this page, click “Sign in,” which will direct you to sign in using your USC Net ID. Also, please make sure that you are in a quiet space by yourself with stable internet connection to ensure the validity and security of your exam.

Your examiners will not be in the room when you join the Zoom session, so don’t worry if you don’t see them right away. Instead of entering the room, you might also receive a dialog box that says “Waiting for the host to start this meeting” or “The host has another meeting in progress.” All these scenarios are normal and expected. Please DO NOT leave the room. Your examiners will join you as soon as they become available. This may take up to 45 minutes. Please wait in the meeting room until they arrive. For instance, if your scheduled time is 2 p.m., you will sign into the room at 2 p.m., then your examiners will enter anytime between 2 p.m. and 2:45 p.m. Once they enter, the exam will take roughly 15 minutes.

IMPORTANT: The webcam will be recording you for the entire duration of the exam. Turn off all other devices (e.g. tablets, phones, second computers) and place them outside of your reach. Clear your desk or workspace as no outside material is allowed during the exam, including the use of AI. Remain at your computer for the duration of the test and ensure that your face can be fully captured by the webcam. It is imperative that you follow instructions and not engage in any forms of academic dishonesty which can result in exam invalidation and or other consequences permitted under as stated in University policy.

The ITA Exam is designed to assess your oral proficiency and readiness to begin teaching. You will not be evaluated on your ability to use technology. The interview consists of two parts:

1. A brief interview in which you talk about your educational experience and interest in graduate studies at USC (three to five minutes).
2. An explanation of a term or concept (approximately seven minutes). Two terms or concepts will be sent to you 24 hours prior to the exam so that you can prepare a simulated classroom presentation on one of those terms or concepts.
3. Given the online nature of the exam, you have the option to choose ONE of the following tools in your presentation:
   1. 1. A maximum of two PowerPoint slides (permitted only for the teaching/lesson)
      2. A physical blackboard or white board
      3. A smart board or Zoom whiteboard

The examiners will act as students and will ask questions about the term.

In addition to providing a definition and explaining the importance of your term, it is recommended that your presentation include one or more of the following:

• Examples (practical and/or personal)
• Analogies (e.g. “The structure of an atom is similar to that of the solar system”)
• Comparisons and/or contrasts
• Word origin (meanings of prefix, suffix, root)
• Drawings or diagrams