Praxis Overview: What Is the Praxis?

The Praxis tests are teacher certification exams used by approximately 40 states and territories as part of their educator licensing requirements. The tests are developed by ETS (Educational Testing Service), the same organization that creates the GRE, SAT, and TOEFL — ensuring rigorous, nationally normed assessment standards.

There are three main categories of Praxis exams:

• Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators — Three separate tests (Reading, Writing, and Mathematics) that assess the foundational academic skills all teachers are expected to possess, regardless of subject specialty. Most states require Praxis Core for admission to teacher education programs, though some states accept high SAT or ACT scores as alternatives.
• Praxis Subject Assessments — Over 90 individual exams covering specific content areas from Elementary Education to High School Physics, Special Education, School Counseling, Library Science, and more. States typically require the Subject Assessment aligned with the teaching license sought.
• Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) — Four grade-band tests (K-6, 5-9, 7-12, and Special Education) that assess pedagogical knowledge: how students learn, effective instructional strategies, classroom management, assessment, and professional development. PLT is required by many states alongside the Subject Assessment.

Most states require teacher candidates to pass Praxis before they can be recommended for initial licensure. Some states use the Praxis for admissions to teacher education programs; others require passing before student teaching; many require all tests to be passed before applying for the teaching certificate. Always check your specific state's education department for the exact Praxis requirements and minimum passing scores.

Praxis Core Academic Skills

The Praxis Core consists of three separate tests: Reading (5713), Writing (5723), and Mathematics (5733). Many states require passing all three as a condition of admission to accredited teacher education programs. Scores are reported on a 100–200 scale, and minimum passing scores vary by state.

Praxis Core Reading (5713): 56 questions in 85 minutes. Tests reading comprehension across informational texts, literary passages, and paired passages. Skills assessed include: identifying main idea and supporting details, making inferences, analyzing author's purpose and tone, evaluating arguments, and understanding vocabulary in context. The reading passages include a mix of social studies, science, humanities, and literary content. No prior subject knowledge is assumed — all answers are supported by the provided passages.

Praxis Core Writing (5723): 40 selected-response questions in 40 minutes, plus 2 essay tasks in 60 minutes. Selected-response questions test grammar and usage (sentence correction, usage identification), research skills (selecting appropriate sources and citations), and argument analysis. Essay 1 is an argumentative essay on a provided claim; Essay 2 is an informative essay based on two provided source texts. Essays are scored by human raters on a 1–6 scale (holistically) combined with the selected-response score.

Praxis Core Mathematics (5733): 56 questions in 85 minutes. Tests number and quantity (fractions, ratios, proportions, percentages), algebra (linear equations, inequalities, functions), geometry (perimeter, area, volume, coordinate geometry), statistics and probability (mean, median, mode, basic probability), and data interpretation. An on-screen calculator is available for some but not all questions — questions that do not permit calculator use are flagged. Basic math fluency without a calculator is important.

PLT: Principles of Learning and Teaching

The Praxis Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) tests assess pedagogical knowledge — how to teach effectively — rather than content knowledge. PLT is divided into four grade-band tests, and candidates take the version corresponding to their teaching endorsement level:

• PLT: Early Childhood (5621) — for PreK-K teaching licenses
• PLT: Grades K-6 (5622) — for elementary teaching licenses
• PLT: Grades 5-9 (5623) — for middle school teaching licenses
• PLT: Grades 7-12 (5624) — for high school teaching licenses

Each PLT test consists of 70 selected-response questions and 4 constructed-response questions, totaling 2 hours. The selected-response section covers: Students as Learners (developmental stages, learning theories — Piaget, Vygotsky, Bloom's Taxonomy), Instructional Process (lesson planning, differentiation, questioning strategies), Assessment (formative vs. summative, data-driven instruction), and Professional Development (legal and ethical obligations, professional standards, collaboration).

The four constructed-response items are based on provided case studies — a scenario about a student or classroom situation — and require written responses demonstrating pedagogical reasoning. Each case study includes 2 questions. Responses are scored by trained raters on a 0–2 scale. Constructed-response preparation requires practice writing clear, organized, jargon-free responses that directly reference the case study details and apply specific educational concepts.

The PLT practice tests on PracticeTestGeeks cover selected-response questions across all four PLT content categories with scored feedback and explanations aligned to the ETS PLT content specifications.

State Passing Score Requirements

The minimum passing score for each Praxis test varies by state. ETS sets recommended passing scores, but each state independently determines its own cut scores — which may be higher or lower than ETS recommendations.

For Praxis Core, example state minimum scores (approximate — always verify with your state education department):

• Reading (5713): Most states require 156–162 (out of 200)
• Writing (5723): Most states require 158–162
• Mathematics (5733): Most states require 150–160

For Subject Assessments, minimum passing scores vary widely by test and state. For example, Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects subtests require 157–161+ in most states, while secondary content assessments may require 150–165+ depending on the subject and state selectivity.

States that use Praxis: Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. California, Texas, and Florida use state-specific alternative assessments.

ETS provides a state policy search tool at ets.org/praxis/states that shows which tests are required in your state and the current minimum passing scores. This should be your first reference when planning your Praxis testing schedule.

Study Strategies for Praxis

Effective Praxis preparation varies by test type. Praxis Core tests require remediating foundational academic skills; Subject Assessments require content mastery; PLT requires pedagogical reasoning. A different study approach is most effective for each.

For Praxis Core Math: The most common failure point for Praxis Core Math is algebra and proportional reasoning. Khan Academy's free courses on pre-algebra, algebra, and statistics provide excellent remediation for candidates whose math skills have lapsed. The key is to practice without a calculator consistently, since some Praxis Core Math questions prohibit calculator use and time pressure is real.

For Praxis Core Writing: Grammar review is essential — study the most commonly tested rules: subject-verb agreement, pronoun-antecedent agreement, parallel structure, comma usage, and modifier placement. For the essays, practice writing complete, well-organized responses in 30 minutes. The constructed-response scoring rubric emphasizes organization, evidence quality, and clarity over grammatical perfection.

For Subject Assessments: Your teacher education program coursework is the best preparation. Use your course textbooks, supplemented by the ETS Study Companion (free PDF with practice questions and content outline for each test). For math and science Subject Assessments, practice solving problems rather than just reading — active problem-solving builds the fluency needed for timed test conditions.

For PLT: Memorize the key theorists and frameworks by name: Piaget's stages of cognitive development (sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, formal operational), Vygotsky's zone of proximal development and scaffolding, Bloom's Taxonomy levels (remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, create), and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. IDEA provisions (IEP requirements, disability categories, procedural safeguards) are also heavily tested. The Praxis writing practice tests and math practice tests on PracticeTestGeeks provide scored practice with explanations that target common error patterns.