Paraprofessionals and instructional aides take the ParaPro Assessment from Educational Testing Service to show they have the reading, writing and math skills a school job needs. On this page you will find free practice sets for each area, worked explanations of sample questions, a study plan and the main test facts: 90 questions, 150 minutes, and an $85 fee for an at-home attempt.
According to Educational Testing Service, “The test consists of 90 selected-response questions across the three subject areas of reading, mathematics, and writing.”[1] Practice with the free ParaPro Assessment practice test on PracticeTestGeeks (16 questions with answer explanations).
States and school districts use the ParaPro Assessment, an ETS test, to check that paraprofessionals have the reading, writing and math skills to support classroom instruction. The test has 90 selected-response questions across three subject areas: reading, mathematics and writing. You have 150 minutes to finish.
You can test at a test center with an in-person proctor, or at home with a virtual proctor. At-home testing is available seven days a week, and an at-home attempt costs $85. Test-center fees and arrangements are not listed here, so check the current ParaPro Information Bulletin for them.
There is no single national passing score. Qualifying scores are set by the state or school district, so ask the district that is hiring you, or check your state's requirement, before you book. Under the 2026–27 bulletin, scores reach your online ParaPro account about one week after the test date. Scores are valid for 10 years.
If you need to test again, ETS allows one immediate retake. After each two attempts you wait 7 days before the next one. Other job rules, such as education requirements, are set locally, so confirm them with your district. For the latest official rules, use the ETS ParaPro website at parapro.ets.org.
Interactive ParaPro Assessment Test resources on PracticeTestGeeks, free to start:
Prepare for the ParaPro Assessment Test exam with our free practice test modules. Each quiz covers key topics to help you pass on your first try.
Facts verified Oct 20, 2026 against Educational Testing Service. Dates that have passed are removed automatically.
Facts verified Oct 20, 2026 against Educational Testing Service. Dates that have passed are removed automatically.
| Item | Detail | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| Number of questions | 90 selected-response questions | Educational Testing Service |
| Time limit | 150 minutes | Educational Testing Service |
| Passing score | Set by the state or school district | Educational Testing Service |
| Exam fee | $85 for an at-home attempt | Educational Testing Service |
| Retake policy | One immediate retake; seven-day wait after each pair of attempts | Educational Testing Service |
| Validity | Scores valid for 10 years | Educational Testing Service |
| Delivery | Test center or remotely proctored at home | Educational Testing Service |
| Score release | Approximately one week under the 2026–27 bulletin | Educational Testing Service |
| Testing window | At-home testing available seven days a week | Educational Testing Service |
Facts verified Oct 20, 2026 against Educational Testing Service. Dates that have passed are removed automatically.
The content areas below are copied from the official ParaPro content outline published by Educational Testing Service, with the share of the exam each area carries. The right-hand column shows which of our practice sets covers it.
| Official content area | Weight | Practice on this site |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics[9] | 33% | ParaPro Math Questions and Answers Practice number sense, basic operations, geometry, measurement and reading data from charts and graphs, then practice explaining each step the way you would to a student. |
| Reading[9] | 33% | ParaPro Reading Practice finding main ideas, working out vocabulary from context, telling literal questions from inference questions, and spotting an author's purpose and point of view. |
| Writing[9] | 33% | ParaPro Writing Questions and Answers Practice finding grammar and usage errors such as subject-verb agreement, organizing sentences and paragraphs, and supporting students at each stage of the writing process. |
These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.
Question: Which of the following text's underlined passages is false? What the monkey don't realize, though, was that the banana was just bait to lure him to the back of his cage.
Answer: C. don’t realize
Explanation:
The answer is C, don't realize. The subject of that clause is the monkey, which is singular. Don't (do not) goes only with plural subjects or with I and you, so a singular subject needs doesn't. The rest of the sentence is in the past tense (was that, was just bait), so didn't realize fits best. A is correct as written: banana is singular, so was agrees with it. B is correct: him is the right object pronoun after lure. D is correct: was matches both the past tense and the singular clause before it. Rule to remember: find the real subject of each verb, check whether it is singular or plural, then check that the tense matches the rest of the sentence.
Question: A paraeducator asks a student, 'What do you think will happen next in the story?' This question is designed to develop which skill?
Answer: B. Predictive/inferential thinking
Explanation:
The answer is B, predictive/inferential thinking. The story has not yet told the student what happens next. To answer, the student has to combine clues already in the text with what they know about people and events and make a reasoned guess. That is inference. A is wrong because literal comprehension means recalling information the text states directly, and this answer is not in the text yet. C is wrong because decoding means sounding out and reading words accurately, and this question comes after the words have been read. D is wrong because the question does not ask what any word means. Rule to remember: questions about facts on the page test literal comprehension, questions that ask why or what comes next test inference, and questions about reading the words aloud test decoding.
Question: A paraprofessional overhears two teachers discussing a student's confidential information in a public hallway. What is the appropriate response?
Answer: C. Quietly remind the colleagues that confidential discussions should take place in private settings
Explanation:
The answer is C. Information about a student is confidential, and the federal privacy law FERPA protects education records, so this kind of conversation belongs in a private setting. A quiet, respectful reminder protects the student without embarrassing the teachers. A is wrong because sharing more information makes the breach worse. B is wrong because teachers have the same confidentiality duties as every other staff member, and saying nothing lets the problem continue. D is wrong because going straight to the parents skips the school's own channels and may spread the information further. If a reminder does not work, the next step is to tell the supervising teacher or an administrator. Rule to remember: protect student privacy, stay calm, and use the school's chain of communication.
Start with a timed mixed set such as ParaPro General Questions and Answers. The real test gives you 150 minutes for 90 questions, so keep a steady pace and don't get stuck on any one item. Mark every question you miss or guess on.
Next, sort those questions into reading, writing and math, and work through the matching sets. For math, use ParaPro Math, Number Sense and Basic Operations, Geometry and Measurement and Interpreting Data. For reading, use Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary and Author's Purpose and Point of View. For writing, use ParaPro Writing, Sentence and Paragraph Organization and the Student Writing Process. The three areas carry equal weight, so keep reviewing your strongest one too.
Some questions ask how you would use a skill with a student. The reading application and math application sets practice this.
Then read the official ETS test specifications for ParaPro (1755) and the Information Bulletin's rules for the way you plan to test. In the last days before the test, redo the questions you marked and take one more timed mixed set.
Disclaimer: This practice test is for educational and preparatory purposes only and is not affiliated with or endorsed by ETS (Educational Testing Service), the official administrator of the ParaPro Assessment. For official ParaPro testing, registration, and score information, please visit the official ETS ParaPro website at ets.org/parapro.
There is no single national passing score. ETS states that qualifying scores are set by the state or school district, so the score you need depends on where you plan to work. Before you test, ask the hiring district or your state education agency what score it currently requires. You can then compare it with the score report in your online ParaPro account.
The ParaPro has 90 selected-response questions and a time limit of 150 minutes. The questions cover three subject areas, reading, mathematics and writing, and each makes up about a third of the test. Some questions ask you to use a skill in a classroom situation, such as helping a student with a reading or writing task.
Yes, you can take it at home. You can test at a test center with an in-person proctor or at home with a virtual proctor, and at-home testing is available seven days a week. An at-home attempt costs $85. Test-center fees and arrangements may differ, so check the current ParaPro Information Bulletin on the ETS website before you register.
Under the 2026–27 ParaPro Information Bulletin, scores are posted to your online ParaPro account and sent electronically to one score recipient approximately 1 week after the test date. Scores are valid for 10 years, so a qualifying score can count for a later job too, as long as that state or district accepts it.
Yes. ETS allows one immediate retake. After each two attempts you must wait 7 days before testing again, and the same pattern applies to later retakes. Use the wait to review the questions you missed in each subject area rather than just sitting the test again. Check the ETS registration page for the current retake rules before you book.