This practice test contains 60 original multiple-choice questions on lesson planning, Herbartian steps, modern lesson plan formats, questioning techniques, wait time, and core teaching skills, in the style of Pakistani teacher recruitment tests. Each question has one correct answer. Click Show Answer to check your answer and read a short explanation.
Lesson Planning: Foundations and Purpose
Q1. A teacher who decides the objectives, activities, materials, and method of checking learning before entering the classroom is mainly practising
- (A) lesson planning
- (B) timetable preparation
- (C) record keeping
- (D) syllabus coverage
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Answer: A – Lesson planning is advance decision-making about what will be taught, how it will be taught, and how learning will be checked.
Q2. A teacher prepares a lesson on fractions but writes no statement of what pupils will be able to do by the end of the lesson. The missing element is a
- (A) teaching aid
- (B) homework task
- (C) behavioural objective
- (D) board summary
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Answer: C – A behavioural objective states the observable pupil outcome the lesson aims to achieve; without it, teaching and assessment lack direction.
Q3. Which of the following is the best-written behavioural objective?
- (A) Pupils will appreciate the importance of fractions.
- (B) Pupils will solve five addition problems involving unlike denominators correctly.
- (C) The teacher will explain fractions clearly.
- (D) Pupils will enjoy the lesson on fractions.
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Answer: B – A good objective is pupil-centred, observable, and measurable; only this option states what pupils will do and how well.
Q4. A lesson plan should be treated by the teacher as
- (A) a script to be read word for word
- (B) a substitute for subject knowledge
- (C) a record written only for inspection
- (D) a flexible guide that may be adapted during teaching
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Answer: D – A plan guides teaching but must bend to pupils’ responses; a rigid script prevents the teacher from responding to learning needs.
Q5. A teacher prepares extension tasks for pupils who finish the main activity early. This shows that the plan provides for
- (A) repetition of content
- (B) individual differences among learners
- (C) classroom discipline
- (D) homework completion
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Answer: B – Learners work at different speeds, so a good plan includes varied or extension work rather than leaving fast finishers idle.
Q6. The first step in planning a lesson is usually to
- (A) identify the learning objectives
- (B) select the homework
- (C) prepare the end-of-lesson test
- (D) arrange the classroom seating
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Answer: A – Objectives come first because they decide the content, activities, aids, and assessment that follow.
Q7. Why should a lesson plan allocate time to each stage of the lesson?
- (A) To impress an observer
- (B) To make the lesson longer
- (C) To reduce the amount of content
- (D) To pace activities so that the objectives are covered within the period
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Answer: D – Time allocation keeps the lesson moving at a workable pace and prevents the main learning from being squeezed out.
Q8. A plan that lists only the topics to be covered, without objectives, activities, or assessment, is weak because it
- (A) is too short to file
- (B) contains no homework
- (C) gives no direction for teaching or checking learning
- (D) ignores the textbook
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Answer: C – Topics alone do not tell the teacher what pupils should learn, what they will do, or how success will be judged.
Q9. During a lesson, a teacher discovers that pupils have already mastered the planned content. A good lesson plan allows the teacher to
- (A) cancel the remaining period
- (B) adapt the activities to extend learning
- (C) repeat the same examples
- (D) move to the next chapter without checking
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Answer: B – A plan is a guide, not a chain; the teacher should adjust the level or activity when pupils’ actual knowledge differs from expectations.
Q10. The main benefit of lesson planning for pupils is
- (A) more homework
- (B) longer explanations
- (C) fewer questions asked
- (D) organised, purposeful learning with clear direction
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Answer: D – Planned lessons sequence activities toward clear objectives, so pupils experience coherent learning instead of disconnected talk.
Q11. The previous knowledge section of a lesson plan should state
- (A) what pupils learned in earlier lessons that this lesson builds on
- (B) the new terms to be introduced
- (C) the date of the next examination
- (D) the teacher’s qualification
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Answer: A – Previous knowledge records the foundation the new lesson connects to, which is exactly what the Preparation step uses.
Q12. A teacher writes the lesson plan only after teaching the lesson. The main loss is that the
- (A) record looks untidy
- (B) supervisor will disapprove
- (C) plan cannot guide decisions during the lesson
- (D) pupils miss their homework
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Answer: C – A plan written afterwards is only a record; its real value is in shaping choices before and during teaching.
Herbartian Steps of Lesson Planning
Q13. The Herbartian lesson plan is built on
- (A) the project method
- (B) the play-way method
- (C) lecture teaching only
- (D) five formal steps of instruction
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Answer: D – Herbart proposed five formal steps through which teaching should move from known ideas to new knowledge and its use.
Q14. In the Herbartian model, the Preparation step mainly serves to
- (A) recall previous knowledge and arouse interest
- (B) present new content
- (C) test the pupils
- (D) assign homework
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Answer: A – Preparation connects the new lesson to what pupils already know and creates readiness for the new material.
Q15. During the Presentation step, the teacher
- (A) tests pupils on previous work
- (B) presents new material using explanations, examples, and aids
- (C) gives homework
- (D) compares new ideas with old ones
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Answer: B – Presentation is the stage where new content is actually delivered to the class.
Q16. In the Association step, pupils are required to
- (A) memorise definitions
- (B) copy notes from the board
- (C) compare new knowledge with previous knowledge and find relationships
- (D) answer a final test
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Answer: C – Association links new ideas with old ones so that new knowledge is absorbed into the pupil’s existing understanding.
Q17. The Generalisation step leads pupils to
- (A) draw a general rule or principle from the examples studied
- (B) write their homework
- (C) repeat definitions aloud
- (D) prepare wall charts
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Answer: A – After comparing examples, pupils generalise by stating the underlying rule or principle in their own words.
Q18. The Application step is best demonstrated when pupils
- (A) listen to a summary
- (B) copy the rule from the board
- (C) recall the previous lesson
- (D) use the learned rule to solve new problems
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Answer: D – Application means putting the generalised rule to work on fresh, unfamiliar material.
Q19. A teacher revises the previous lesson on nouns, then tells a short riddle to arouse curiosity before starting the new topic. This opening is the
- (A) Presentation step
- (B) Application step
- (C) Preparation step
- (D) Generalisation step
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Answer: C – Revising prior knowledge and creating interest is the work of Preparation.
Q20. After teaching the rule for forming plurals, a teacher asks pupils to state the rule in their own words. This is the
- (A) Presentation step
- (B) Generalisation step
- (C) Application step
- (D) Preparation step
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Answer: B – Stating the rule independently shows pupils have generalised from examples to a principle.
Q21. A common criticism of a rigidly followed Herbartian plan is that it
- (A) uses teaching aids
- (B) states objectives
- (C) checks previous knowledge
- (D) can make teaching mechanical if steps are followed without regard to pupils’ responses
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Answer: D – The steps are a helpful framework, but treating them as a fixed ritual ignores the living responses of a real class.
Q22. The correct order of the Herbartian steps is
- (A) Preparation, Presentation, Association, Generalisation, Application
- (B) Presentation, Preparation, Association, Application, Generalisation
- (C) Preparation, Association, Presentation, Generalisation, Application
- (D) Association, Preparation, Presentation, Application, Generalisation
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Answer: A – Teaching moves from preparation of the mind, through presentation and comparison, to a general rule and its application.
Q23. While teaching democracy, a teacher links it to the pupils’ experience of electing a class monitor. This Association works because
- (A) it tests memory
- (B) new learning is connected with known experience
- (C) it provides homework
- (D) it summarises the lesson
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Answer: B – Association succeeds when new ideas are tied to something pupils already understand from their own experience.
Q24. Recapitulation at the end of a Herbartian lesson mainly serves to
- (A) introduce the next topic
- (B) assign homework
- (C) check whether the objectives were achieved through brief questions
- (D) prepare teaching aids
Show Answer
Answer: C – Recapitulation revisits the key points and tests, in a few questions, whether the lesson’s aims were met.
Modern Lesson Plan Formats
Q25. Modern lesson plans differ from the Herbartian pattern mainly by
- (A) dropping objectives altogether
- (B) emphasising objectives, activities, and assessment aligned together
- (C) removing all teacher talk
- (D) banning the use of aids
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Answer: B – Modern formats keep the idea of structure but align objectives, learning activities, and evidence of learning, rather than following five fixed steps.
Q26. In a 5E lesson plan, the Explore phase is the stage when pupils
- (A) listen to a lecture
- (B) take the final test
- (C) hear the teacher’s summary
- (D) investigate materials and gather evidence before formal explanation
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Answer: D – In Explore, learners handle materials and observe, so the later explanation builds on their own first-hand evidence.
Q27. The Engage phase of the 5E model aims to
- (A) capture interest and surface pupils’ prior ideas
- (B) test mastery of the topic
- (C) assign homework
- (D) present definitions first
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Answer: A – Engage hooks attention and reveals what pupils already think, giving the teacher a starting point.
Q28. A plan written in the structure of objectives, introduction, development, assessment, and homework reflects
- (A) the Herbartian model only
- (B) no recognisable structure
- (C) a modern structured format
- (D) a school timetable
Show Answer
Answer: C – Modern plans commonly use this practical structure, with assessment built into the lesson rather than added afterwards.
Q29. An objective that asks pupils to classify animals into groups mainly targets
- (A) mere recall
- (B) creating new products
- (C) attitudes and values
- (D) higher-order organisation of knowledge beyond recall
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Answer: D – Classifying requires understanding the features of each item and organising them by criteria, which goes beyond remembering facts.
Q30. Success criteria in a modern lesson plan tell pupils
- (A) what successful learning looks like so they can judge their own work
- (B) the marks awarded in the test
- (C) the homework deadline
- (D) the seating plan
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Answer: A – Success criteria describe the standard of good work, letting pupils self-check instead of guessing what the teacher wants.
Q31. In a plan with a starter, main activities, and a plenary, the plenary mainly serves to
- (A) introduce the topic
- (B) give homework
- (C) review learning and check understanding at the end of the lesson
- (D) prepare teaching aids
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Answer: C – The plenary closes the lesson by revisiting what was learned and finding out what still needs work.
Q32. A differentiated lesson plan provides
- (A) the same task for every pupil
- (B) varied tasks and support matched to pupils’ readiness
- (C) only extra homework
- (D) less content for the whole class
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Answer: B – Differentiation adjusts task difficulty, support, or grouping so that all pupils can progress from their own starting points.
Q33. Assessment for learning in a lesson plan means
- (A) using questions and feedback during the lesson to adjust teaching
- (B) holding only a final examination
- (C) grading homework
- (D) ranking pupils
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Answer: A – Assessment for learning is ongoing: the teacher gathers evidence mid-lesson and changes pace or explanation in response.
Q34. The resources section of a modern lesson plan lists
- (A) examination dates
- (B) pupils’ marks
- (C) the teacher’s timetable
- (D) the materials and aids needed for the activities
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Answer: D – Resources name exactly what must be ready, so activities are not held up by missing materials.
Q35. A weakness of an over-detailed, fully scripted lesson plan is that
- (A) it states objectives clearly
- (B) it leaves little room to respond to pupils’ understanding
- (C) it uses teaching aids
- (D) it includes assessment
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Answer: C – A script that fixes every word leaves the teacher unable to follow up a good question or reteach a point pupils missed.
Q36. Madeline Hunter’s lesson model emphasises
- (A) homework only
- (B) anticipatory set, objectives, modelling, guided practice, and closure
- (C) the 5E phases
- (D) project work only
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Answer: B – Hunter’s model sequences a lesson from an opening hook through teacher modelling and guided practice to a clear close.
Questioning Techniques and Wait Time
Q37. A convergent question mainly
- (A) invites many acceptable answers
- (B) asks for personal opinions
- (C) seeks a single correct answer
- (D) asks pupils to create something new
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Answer: C – Convergent questions narrow thinking toward one expected answer, which suits checking facts and understanding.
Q38. Which of the following is a divergent question?
- (A) What is 7 multiplied by 8?
- (B) In how many different ways could our school reduce waste?
- (C) Define photosynthesis.
- (D) Who wrote the national anthem?
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Answer: B – Divergent questions have many possible answers and invite original thinking; the others each expect one correct reply.
Q39. A higher-order question is one that asks pupils to
- (A) recall a date
- (B) repeat a definition
- (C) copy an answer from the book
- (D) analyse, evaluate, or create
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Answer: D – Higher-order questions go beyond memory and demand analysis, judgement, or original production.
Q40. Wait time in classroom questioning means the
- (A) pause a teacher gives after asking a question before expecting an answer
- (B) time pupils spend on homework
- (C) break between periods
- (D) time allowed for copying notes
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Answer: A – Wait time is the deliberate silence after a question that lets pupils think before responding.
Q41. Research on wait time shows that longer pauses of about three to five seconds tend to
- (A) reduce the number of answers
- (B) produce longer, more thoughtful responses and wider participation
- (C) waste teaching time
- (D) confuse pupils
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Answer: B – When pupils get thinking time, answers become fuller and more pupils, including slower responders, join in.
Q42. A teacher asks a question and then immediately answers it herself. The main harm is that pupils
- (A) find the lesson too long
- (B) miss the board work
- (C) learn not to think because the answer will be supplied
- (D) miss their homework
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Answer: C – If the teacher always rescues the class, pupils stop investing effort in thinking and simply wait.
Q43. A probing question is used to
- (A) test memory only
- (B) maintain discipline
- (C) end the lesson
- (D) push a pupil to deepen or justify an incomplete answer
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Answer: D – Probing follows up a partial answer with prompts such as asking for reasons or examples, deepening the thinking.
Q44. A teacher asks a question to the whole class, pauses, and only then names a pupil. This is good practice because
- (A) all pupils think before one answers
- (B) it saves time
- (C) it tests only one pupil
- (D) it avoids wrong answers
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Answer: A – Asking the whole class first, then pausing, makes every pupil think; naming first lets the rest switch off.
Q45. A leading question is poor classroom practice because it
- (A) is too difficult
- (B) hints at the expected answer, so it tests guessing rather than knowledge
- (C) is open-ended
- (D) takes too long to answer
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Answer: B – A question that contains its own answer cannot show whether the pupil actually knows the content.
Q46. Redirecting a question means
- (A) repeating the same question more loudly
- (B) answering it yourself
- (C) ignoring a wrong answer
- (D) passing a pupil’s answer to another pupil for comment or extension
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Answer: D – Redirecting spreads discussion: one pupil’s response becomes material for others to build on or challenge.
Q47. Moving a discussion through questions from broad to specific helps the teacher to
- (A) move from general discussion toward a precise point
- (B) end the lesson quickly
- (C) test only recall
- (D) avoid pupil answers
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Answer: A – A funnel of questions narrows a wide discussion step by step until the exact concept is reached.
Q48. Which questioning pattern best checks whole-class understanding?
- (A) Asking only the front row
- (B) Asking the same volunteer each time
- (C) Distributing questions across the class, including quiet pupils
- (D) Asking only after the lesson ends
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Answer: C – Spread-out questioning samples the whole class; relying on volunteers hides the understanding of the rest.
Teaching Skills: Introduction, Explanation, Illustration, Reinforcement and Closure
Q49. The skill of introducing a lesson is judged mainly by whether the introduction
- (A) uses a chart
- (B) is long
- (C) revises homework
- (D) arouses curiosity and links to previous knowledge
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Answer: D – A good introduction captures attention and connects the new topic with what pupils already know.
Q50. An effective explanation is one that
- (A) uses clear language, a logical sequence, and examples
- (B) uses difficult technical terms
- (C) is delivered as fast as possible
- (D) covers the most pages
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Answer: A – Explanations work when language is clear, ideas follow a logical order, and examples make meaning concrete.
Q51. The skill of illustration means that the teacher
- (A) draws only on the board
- (B) reads aloud from the textbook
- (C) uses examples, diagrams, and analogies to make abstract ideas concrete
- (D) asks questions
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Answer: C – Illustration turns abstract content into something pupils can picture, through examples, models, and comparisons.
Q52. Positive reinforcement in the classroom includes
- (A) scolding a wrong answer
- (B) praising effort and a specific correct response
- (C) ignoring all answers
- (D) giving extra homework
Show Answer
Answer: B – Positive reinforcement adds something pleasant, such as specific praise, to strengthen the desired behaviour.
Q53. Negative reinforcement differs from punishment in that it
- (A) strengthens behaviour by removing an unpleasant condition
- (B) adds an unpleasant consequence
- (C) ignores the behaviour
- (D) praises the pupil
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Answer: A – Negative reinforcement increases a behaviour by taking away something unpleasant, for example ending extra drills once work is correct.
Q54. A proper closure of a lesson should
- (A) introduce a new topic
- (B) assign homework only
- (C) repeat the whole lesson
- (D) summarise key points and check learning
Show Answer
Answer: D – Closure consolidates the lesson: key ideas are drawn together and understanding is briefly checked.
Q55. A teacher explains evaporation by describing how a wet cloth dries in the sun. The skill mainly used here is
- (A) questioning
- (B) illustration through example
- (C) closure
- (D) reinforcement
Show Answer
Answer: B – A familiar, concrete example illustrating an abstract process is the illustration skill at work.
Q56. The skill of stimulus variation helps learning because
- (A) it lengthens the lesson
- (B) it punishes inattention
- (C) changes in voice, movement, and aids sustain attention
- (D) it reduces the content
Show Answer
Answer: C – Varying voice, gesture, position, and media prevents monotony and keeps pupils attending to the lesson.
Q57. A teacher responds to a wrong answer with, Good try, think again about the first step. This shows
- (A) punishment
- (B) ignoring the error
- (C) sarcasm
- (D) encouraging reinforcement that keeps the pupil thinking
Show Answer
Answer: D – Acknowledging effort while redirecting thought reinforces participation without rewarding the error itself.
Q58. Skill in using the blackboard is best shown when the writing is
- (A) legible, organised, and highlights key points
- (B) spread over the entire board
- (C) done as fast as possible
- (D) written in a single colour only
Show Answer
Answer: A – Board work supports learning when it is readable, orderly, and emphasises the points pupils must remember.
Q59. Closure differs from a mere summary when the teacher
- (A) talks for longer
- (B) writes more on the board
- (C) involves pupils in recalling and connecting the key ideas
- (D) gives homework
Show Answer
Answer: C – True closure is active: pupils themselves pull the ideas together, which consolidates learning better than listening to a recap.
Q60. A teacher who opens with a story, explains with examples, questions with wait time, and closes with a pupil summary is demonstrating
- (A) planning only
- (B) integrated teaching skills used as a sequence
- (C) reinforcement only
- (D) classroom management only
Show Answer
Answer: B – Effective teaching combines introduction, explanation, illustration, questioning, reinforcement, and closure in one flowing lesson.
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