Praxis Educational Testing Service: An Overview
The Praxis tests, administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), are a series of American teacher certification exams. Required in about half of the states in the US for teacher certification, these tests play a vital role in ensuring teacher quality.
Praxis Test Structure
The Praxis test typically consists of two separate tests: Praxis I and Praxis II.
Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators (CASE)
The Praxis I, formerly known as the Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST), was composed of three exams: reading, writing, and mathematics. As of September 1, 2014, ETS transitioned to the Praxis "CASE," or "Core Academic Skills for Educators," which also includes reading, writing, and mathematics exams. These sections can be taken as a combined test or separately. In most colleges and universities, a passing score must be earned for admission to teacher education programs.
Praxis Core tests measure reading, writing, and mathematics skills as well as the content knowledge of those entering teacher preparation programs. Educators determined that regardless of content or grade level, these skills are vital for all prospective teachers. Praxis Core includes objective response questions like single-selection selected responses, multiple-selection selected responses, and numeric-entry questions. The Writing test also includes two essays. Users take these assessments - either as three separate tests on separate days or as one combined test - on a computer either in a test center or at home.
Praxis Subject Tests
The Praxis Program Reading Series, the Science of Reading, and the collective Praxis Subject tests measure the deep understanding, knowledge, and skills a beginning K-12 educator must have. Furthermore, Praxis Subject tests include over 90 different tests ranging from Agriculture to World Languages. Except for the Braille Proficiency test, most of the tests are computer delivered. They range from 1 hour long to 4 hours long and include selected-response questions, essays, constructed-response questions, or a combination of question types.
Read also: Understanding the Praxis Special Education Exam
Praxis II Assessments
The Praxis II assessments cover many different subject areas. Each state requires a different combination of Praxis II exams for certification. In many states, these include a content knowledge and a pedagogy exam. In some states, students must pass these exams before being accepted into the student teaching component of the program. Many states use the Praxis II tests to determine highly qualified teachers status under the No Child Left Behind Act.
Praxis Content Knowledge for Teaching (CKT) Assessment
The Praxis CKT Assessment was designed for teacher candidates seeking a generalist elementary school license. It assesses whether candidates have the full range of knowledge needed when entering the elementary teaching profession. This content knowledge includes the following:
- what they learn during their elementary education studies to do the work of the student curriculum
- what specialized understanding they apply to specific tasks so that they can teach the student curriculum
The CKT assessment is computer delivered in test centers or at home. It is made up of four subtests: Reading and Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. The purpose of the test is to assess whether the entry-level elementary teacher has the content knowledge that is important, necessary, and needed at time of entry to the profession to teach reading, mathematics, social studies, and science at the elementary level. The test is designed to support a generalist elementary school license.
Test Delivery
You take the Praxis on a computer, either at a test center or at home.
Determining Which Test to Take
Your state or licensing agency’s requirements determine which test(s) you’ll need to take.
Read also: Bridging the Gap
Preparation Resources
ETS provides resources to help candidates prepare for the Praxis tests. These include free study companions and study guides to plan your test prep. Candidates can also learn the ins and outs of testing at home.
Study.com offers Praxis prep resources, including custom study plans, real-time progress tracking, and expert-backed lessons that adapt to the user. They also offer flashcards designed to help students study smarter and retain more, with an adaptive learning system that personalizes review.
Specific courses are available for various Praxis tests, such as the Speech-Language Pathology (5331) test, Social Studies (5581) test, and Mathematics Elementary Education tests. These courses include interactive lessons, practice materials, and immediate feedback.
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Read also: Ace the Praxis 5091 Exam
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