Praxis

Praxis, also known as the PPST (Pre-Professional Skills Test) is an assessment which is taken by aspiring teachers as part of a certification process required by many states and professional licensing organization. There are 2 separate Praxis test provided. Praxis 1 consist of 3 parts, which assess the basic skills of writing, reading, and math and Praxis 2 measures an aspiring teachers subject-specific content knowledge, as well as general and subject-specific teaching skills. The paper version of the test is offered 5 times a year and is 60 minutes in length while containing 40 questions for each portion of the test (reading, writing and math). The computer version is offered anytime of the year and is 75 minutes in length while containing 46 questions for each portion of the test (reading, writing, and math).

The Written portion of Praxis 1 is separated into 2 portions (multiple choice and essay). Overall the test taker is provided with 60 minutes (30min. multiple choice and 30min. essay) to complete these to portions. The multiple choice portion consists of 25 "mistake" questions and 20 "rewording" questions. The essay portion allows the test taker to write up to 2 pages and is then reviewed by 2 reviewers who score your essay on a 1-6 point rubric. These reviewers are looking for good sentence structure, appropriate grammar and logical flow of ideas. The points are then totaled leaving a range of 2-12 available for this part of Praxis 1. The Reading Test covers comprehension and critical thinking skills. All questions are multiple choice with 5 variations of answer choice. It is suggested to familiarize yourself with science, economics, art and philosophy because these subjects may or may not appear on the Praxis 1 test. Being that the math portion of this test must be completed without a calculator it is very important for the test taker to be familiar with basic formulas for volume, area, perimeter, distance, and other basic geometric functions. Also, since many test takers have not dealt with high school level of algebra and geometry in a while it may be a good idea to review methods of solving word problems and using the basic formulas as stated above in solving word problems before taking the test.

There are a variety of strategies in taking the test but the 5 keys to success are: awareness, knowledge of question types, practice, basic skills, and strategies/techniques. A test taker must stay focused and be aware of the questions they may face on the test. Practice will allow test takers to be confident in what they are being asked to answer on Praxis. Basic skills will make sure that the test taker is efficient in answering the question quickly and accurately and strategies/techniques allow a test taker to eliminate the wrong answers before they are 100% sure the answer selected is correct. If a test taker makes sure that they implement these keys to success before taking the test there should be no reason for them to not pass.

Jonathan Miller