The Praxis tests are a suite of teacher certification examinations developed and administered by ETS (Educational Testing Service) and required for initial teacher licensure in most U.S. states. Praxis serves as the gateway to teaching careers for hundreds of thousands of aspiring educators each year, assessing both general academic skills and subject-specific content knowledge.
This guide covers the three main categories of Praxis exams — the Praxis Core Academic Skills, Praxis Subject Assessments, and the Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) — and provides complete preparation strategies for each.
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:
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.
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.
The Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects assessment is one of the most commonly required Praxis tests. It covers four content areas: Reading and Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science. Each content area is a separate subtest, and some states require passing all four, while others require specific subsets. The test uses a combination of selected-response, constructed-response, and multi-select questions. Content spans the elementary curriculum: phonics, reading comprehension, writing conventions, number sense, geometry, U.S. history, earth science, life science, and physical science.
High school teacher candidates typically take a subject-specific Praxis assessment aligned to their teaching endorsement. Common secondary Subject Assessments include: English Language Arts (5039), Biology (5235), Chemistry (5245), Mathematics (5161), Physics (5265), Social Studies: Content Knowledge (5081), Spanish (5195), and many more. Each secondary Subject Assessment focuses exclusively on deep content knowledge in the subject area. Most secondary tests use primarily selected-response format with some constructed-response questions in content areas requiring demonstrations (writing, problem-solving).
Special education teacher candidates typically take the Praxis Special Education: Core Knowledge and Applications (5354) and may additionally need the Praxis Special Education: Teaching Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders or other specialty tests depending on state requirements. Special education Praxis tests assess knowledge of disability categories and characteristics, foundations of special education law (IDEA, Section 504), IEP development and implementation, instructional strategies for diverse learners, assessment and progress monitoring, and collaboration with families and multidisciplinary teams.
Praxis also covers non-classroom educator roles. School Counselors take the Praxis School Counselor (5421), which covers counseling theories and techniques, career development, assessment, and school program management. School Principals/Administrators may need the School Leaders Licensure Assessment (SLLA 6990), developed by ETS and used in many states for principal certification. Library Media Specialists take the Library Media Specialist (5311) test. Each of these assessments uses content-specific rubrics distinct from the K-12 teaching subject tests.
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:
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.
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):
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.
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.