OAE Family and Consumer Sciences (022) cheat sheet
OAE Family and Consumer Sciences (022) · Keep the key ideas within reach.
Family and Consumer Sciences Content Domains
The OAE 022 exam is organized around the broad FCS content areas: human development and family studies; consumer economics and resource management; foods, nutrition, and food science; textiles, apparel, and design; housing and interior environments; and education/professional practice in FCS.
Human development content spans physical, cognitive, and psychosocial milestones from infancy through older adulthood; know classic stage frameworks (Piaget's cognitive stages, Erikson's psychosocial stages, Kohlberg's moral reasoning levels) and their classroom/family applications.
Family systems theory treats the family as an interdependent unit with roles, boundaries, rules, and feedback loops; changes in one member (e.g., a new baby, divorce, illness) ripple across the system and affect all members.
Family life cycle stages (launching, newly married, childbearing, preschool/school-age children, adolescent children, launching children, later life) predict typical transitions, tasks, and resource demands at each stage.
Consumer economics emphasizes decision-making steps: identify the need, gather information, evaluate alternatives (opportunity cost, marginal benefit), select, act, and evaluate; distinguish needs from wants and planned versus impulse purchases.
Financial literacy essentials: budgeting (income minus fixed and variable expenses), emergency savings, credit cost (APR, compounding), insurance types and risk pooling, and consumer protection laws (Truth in Lending, Fair Credit Reporting, Fair Debt Collection Practices).
Nutrition fundamentals: six nutrient classes (carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, water), energy values (carbohydrate 4 kcal/g, protein 4 kcal/g, fat 9 kcal/g, alcohol 7 kcal/g), and Dietary Guidelines emphasis on nutrient density, variety, and moderation.
Food science and safety: the temperature danger zone (40-140°F), HACCP principles, cross-contamination prevention, and the roles of microorganisms in fermentation, spoilage, and foodborne illness.
Textiles and design content covers fiber classification (natural versus manufactured, staple versus filament), fabric construction (woven, knit, nonwoven), care labeling, and design elements/principles (line, shape, color, texture; balance, rhythm, emphasis, proportion, unity).