Praxis® Core For Dummies®, 3rd Edition
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If you want to be a teacher, you generally have to take the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators exam at least once. “What?! What do you mean by ‘at least once?’” Yes, it’s true that you may have to take the Praxis twice in your quest to shape the minds of future generations. Many colleges and universities require that students who want to enroll in an education major take the exam. And if that isn’t bad enough, most states and some U.S. territories require that you pass the Praxis in order to be licensed to teach. But don’t panic. You’ve come to the right place for help in acing the exam.
The goal of this book is to help you brush up on what you need to know to pass the Praxis with flying colors. We don’t cover every topic that will be tested in detail; instead, we offer an overview of those topics. The overview allows you to review a topic and say to yourself either, “Yep, got it! I can move on to the next topic” or “I don’t get it. I’d better focus on my statistics knowledge.” (If you decide you need more review on a topic, check out the many For Dummies books that relate to the chapters in this book.)
You can also use the two practice tests in this book and the additional four practice tests online to test yourself in a lifelike testing situation. You may want to take one test before you read any chapters to see where your strengths and weaknesses are; then you’ll know where to focus your attention. After you’ve studied your weak areas and reviewed the topics you’re better at, you can take another practice test to see how much you’ve improved and where you still may need more work.
So, we have you covered when it comes to studying for and passing the Praxis. Take a couple of tests, review the chapters, and get the confidence you need to score well on the test when it really counts.
Praxis Core For Dummies breaks down the exam’s main objectives into understandable sections. This book is organized into parts that align with the test’s subsections so you can find the answers to your most challenging areas quickly. If you’re struggling with math, you can find all those topics grouped together. If writing makes you want to pull your hair out, you can get a comprehensive overview in Part 4.
In addition to reviewing Praxis topics, we offer strategies that you can practice and keep in mind so you don’t fall for the booby traps that others seem to. We outline the different types of questions so you know where to expect the hurdles you’ll see on the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators exam. (Okay, this is the last time we will spell out the official title of the test. From now on, we will refer to it as the Praxis or the Praxis Core.)
A test-prep book wouldn’t be a test-prep book without a couple of practice tests. This book offers two tests in the book, those same two tests online, and then another four tests online to help you become familiar with the content and question types you’ll encounter when you take the exam. They say practice makes perfect. With these practice tests, you can put that theory to the “test.”
In writing this book, we’ve made some assumptions about you. The biggest assumption we’ve made applies to all readers: You have decided to teach, which is one of the most rewarding professions known to man. Beyond that, you fall into one of the following categories:
Regardless of your category, we have written this book to fit your specific needs.
Icons are the drawings in the margins of this book, and we use several icons to call out special kinds of information.
Examples are sample test questions that appear at the ends of sections and that highlight particular ideas that you should be familiar with. We provide an answer and explanation immediately after the question. (And there’s more — at the end of a chapter, you usually find a handful of numbered sample questions, which we don’t mark with the icon because they’re in their own practice-questions section.)
The Remember icon points out something you should keep in mind while you’re taking the exam.
A Tip is a suggestion that usually points out a trick for remembering information for the test.
The Warning icon flags traps and tricks that the creators of the Praxis often employ to trip you up when it comes to choosing the correct answer. Pay special heed to these paragraphs.
In addition to the material in the print or e-book you’re reading right now, this product also comes with some access-anywhere goodies on the web. In addition to the two complete practice exams contained in this book, your book purchase also comes with a free one-year subscription to additional practice questions that appear online — enough to fill four more exams. You can access the content whenever you want. Create your own question sets and view personalized reports that show what you need to study most.
You also get access to six full-length online practice tests and hundreds of flashcards. To gain access to the online practice, all you have to do is register. Just follow these simple steps:
www.dummies.com/go/getaccess.If you do not receive this email within two hours, please check your spam folder before contacting us through our Technical Support website at http://support.wiley.com or by phone at 877-762-2974.
Now you’re ready to go! You can come back to the practice material as often as you want — simply log on with the username and password you created during your initial login. No need to enter the access code a second time.
Your registration is good for one year from the day you activate your PIN.
Use this book as a reference. You don’t need to read this book from front to back. Feel free to skip around to the sections that you find most useful. If you can’t decide, begin with Chapter 1 — it includes an overview of the Praxis, and you’ll probably need to read it at some point. If you know that geometry (Chapter 6) is your Achilles heel or that reading comprehension questions (Chapter 9) make your eyes cross, go straight to the corresponding chapter. We give you an index, too, at the back of the book to help you find specific information. Or, if you like, you can take one of the tests to see how well you do and determine what you need to brush up on.
Part 1
IN THIS PART …
Get the details about who takes the Praxis, what’s on the test, and how your score is calculated.
Figure out how to schedule your study time in advance of test day, find out what to expect on test day, and get some pointers if you’re retaking the test.
Try out some practice Praxis questions to discover the areas in which you’re strong and the areas where you need more review. Then develop a plan to strengthen the areas in which you’re weak.
Chapter 1
IN THIS CHAPTER
Knowing why you’re taking the Praxis
Finding out what’s on the Praxis
Seeing how the Praxis is scored
For decades, teacher candidates have been taking assessments to meet certification requirements. Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators is the latest version of these tests that measures core skills in the areas of reading, writing, and mathematics for potential teacher candidates. This chapter gives you an overview of what you need to know about the exam.
If you want to become a teacher, you may face the Praxis at some point on the road to certification. You may take it to get into a teaching program at college, or you may take it to get your teaching license before starting a second career. If you’re lucky, you may only take it once, but our bet is that you’ll take it twice before you’re fully qualified to work in a classroom.
Colleges and universities use the Praxis Core testing series to determine whether teaching program candidates meet the minimum requirements to enter into the field of teaching. Most colleges and universities won’t allow admission into their teacher preparation programs until candidates complete this basic skills exam. Undergraduate students generally take the Praxis early in their college careers. Some students may be able to skip taking certain parts of the Praxis if they have high scores on college entrance exams like the ACT.
Most states also use the Praxis as a certification test to show that you’ve mastered the skills needed to be a highly competent teacher. In many cases, teaching licenses are directly tied to this test. Age doesn’t get you out of this standardized test.
Almost every state in the country uses some form of the Praxis. Contact your state department of education for specific licensure details.
The updated Praxis Core evaluates the core academic abilities of prospective educators in the areas of reading, writing, and math. Previously, this test was called the Praxis I PreProfessional Skills Test, but ETS (Educational Testing Services, the folks who create the exam) decided to make a change to reflect the requirement to get potential teachers up to the level needed to meet ever-changing standards. According to ETS, the exam is broken down into the following three parts:
The following sections give you more details about the subtests and the question types so you don’t encounter any (or too many) surprises when you sit down to take the test.
Just like most other standardized tests you’ve taken, the Praxis includes long reading passages, complicated math problems, and detailed essay topics. You’ll have a set number of questions about certain topics to answer in a given amount of time. Check out Table 1-1 for the breakdown.
TABLE 1-1 Breakdown of the Praxis
|
Test Subject |
Number of Questions |
Time |
|
Reading |
56 multiple-choice questions |
85 minutes |
|
Writing |
40 multiple-choice questions and 2 essays |
100 minutes |
|
Mathematics |
56 multiple-choice questions |
85 minutes |
Each subject is broken down further into specific concepts.
Reading:
Writing:
Mathematics:
The good news about the math subtest is that an on-screen four-function calculator is available for your use, which reduces the chance that you’ll select a wrong answer choice based on a simple arithmetic error.
The Praxis Core gives you multiple types of questions. Taking all of our practice tests will give you a consistent idea of what you will see on the actual test. Before you get to the practice tests, check out this list of question types you’ll encounter in the different subtests:
The reading test has four categories of text paragraph sections:
The writing test has four categories of multiple-choice questions and two essays.
The mathematics test has several question categories:
The Praxis Core exam is divided into three tests: reading, writing, and mathematics. Take careful note of the difference between our use of “exam” and “test.” Each test is scored separately, and most states that require passing scores for the exam require that exam-takers pass each of the three tests that compose the exam. Some states consider exams to have passing scores when their composite (overall) scores are high enough. Your score on a given test is based on a raw score and adjusted to a scale that ranges from 100 to 200 points.
Your raw score is the number of questions you answer correctly. You don’t lose any points for answering a question incorrectly. If you were to answer every single question incorrectly, your raw score would be 0, which is exactly what it would be if you didn’t answer any questions at all. That’s why you have nothing to lose by guessing if you don’t know the answer to a question.
Your score for each test involves taking your raw score, or the number of questions you answer correctly, and comparing it to the number of questions on the test. This comparison, along with the level of rigor involved in the particular test you take, determines your final score, the number that exists in the range from 100 to 200. Your final score determines whether you pass the test. (Note: When you take the practice tests in the book or online, there is no way to convert your raw score to a final score.) You pass the test in most states by answering at least 60 percent of the questions correctly. This gives you a benchmark to measure yourself against as you go through the practice tests.
If you fail the Praxis the first time you take it (or if you’ve already failed it), you can look at your scores for each content category to see where you did well and where you struggled. Use those scores to direct your studies in anticipation of taking the test again.
Each state that requires passing the exam has its own minimum scores for each of the tests that make up the exam, except for states in which a high enough composite score qualifies as passing. What constitutes a passing score in one state may not be a passing score in another state. Contact your state department of education for the actual cut scores.
Chapter 2
IN THIS CHAPTER
Signing up to take the test
Making the most of your time
Knowing what to expect on test day
Preparing to take the test again
You’ve known for months, if not years, that you need to take the Praxis exam to be certified to teach in your state. And just like any other major undertaking in life, you need to prepare for the test. You wouldn’t run a marathon without doing some training, would you? You shouldn’t just show up to take the Praxis either.
Before you take the Praxis, you should put a strategy in place. Ideally, you’ll give yourself a couple of months to get ready for the test. In that time, you’ll study and review concepts the test covers, take practice tests to familiarize yourself with the format and timing of the test, and brush up in areas where you’re weak so you can ace the test.
In this chapter, we offer suggestions about how to prepare for the test, whether you’re taking it for the first time or taking it again.
Before you register to take the Praxis, check with the local department of education to make sure you’re taking the right test. Don’t ask ETS or your mom or anyone else who isn’t in a position to admit you to a teaching program; they may give you wrong information, which can lead to wasted time and money.
You can find out how to register to take the Praxis Core by going to www.ets.org. The Praxis Core is offered during testing windows at more than 300 Prometric testing sites across the country. Contact your local testing site for specific questions regarding its testing windows. Test-takers must register at least three days prior to their intended test date, and you must pay the testing fee online. At the time of this writing, individual tests (reading, writing, or mathematics) cost $90; the price to take all three tests at once (on the same day) is discounted to $150.
After you register, read all the admission ticket info to make sure all the content is correct. Contact ETS if you have any disabilities that require accommodations.
Consider taking one test per day instead of multiple tests per day. You know your limits and abilities. Some people take all three tests on the same day, and they bomb all three. If you aren’t super confident that you can pass multiple tests in one sitting, you may want to schedule them for different days. This approach will also help you map out your study plan more strategically (see the next section). You can study for one test at a time instead of all three.
A test session includes time for taking a test or tests, and it also includes time for tutorials and collection of background information. If you take one test on a given day, the session will last two hours. If you take all of the tests in one day, the session will take five hours.
When preparing for the Praxis, you need to think of time in two different ways. First, you need to plan your study time. Expect to spend many hours over the next several weeks reviewing the material that could be on the test. Then you need to know how much time is allotted for the test itself. Knowing these details will help you pace yourself as you answer questions during the test when it really counts. We cover both aspects of using your time wisely in the following sections.
When you budget your study time ahead of your test date, you increase your chances of passing the first time. Do you really want to face the Praxis more than once to enroll in a teacher education program? We didn’t think so.
If you can’t put in adequate study time before taking the test, seriously consider rescheduling. The Praxis Core is given several times each year at the local testing center. Rather than taking the test with no preparation, contact the testing center or go online to reschedule to take the test at a later date.
The best way to prepare to take the Praxis is to set up a study schedule and then stick to it. Block off an amount of time each day to prepare for the test and note what topics you plan to study or review. You may need to ask your sister to baby-sit the kids, or you may need to turn down drinks with friends for a few weeks, but it will be worth it. This test will affect your life for a short amount of time. After you receive a passing score, you can commit to the bowling league. Use all of your extra time to focus on the Praxis.
Create an adjustable timetable that you can revise to best meet your needs as test time gets closer. The latest that you should begin studying is four to six weeks before the test.
During your study sessions, familiarize yourself with the question types for each section. Not all the questions are straightforward, multiple-choice questions. Some of them ask you to choose all the right answers. Other questions require you to calculate an answer and write it in a box. Knowing the variations in question types gives you a better chance of answering them correctly. As you get familiar with the question types, also pay attention to the test’s directions. Understanding the directions ahead of time can save you valuable time on test day and can reduce test anxiety.
This book includes the two full-length tests in Part 5 plus four additional tests online. You may want to take a test now and save the others to take in the days leading up to the exam.
When you take the practice tests, take them under timed conditions in a quiet setting where you won’t be disturbed. This creates a test-like environment and gives you a better sense of how you’ll perform on the Praxis when it counts. After you take a practice test, be sure to review the answer explanations. These help you see what you did right or where you went wrong; they’re another learning opportunity beyond the review material.
Sometimes people gain more knowledge when they study with others. Others may have a different way to solve an algebra problem or a better way to get to the heart of a reading passage, and their explanations may help you learn what you need for the test. So, consider creating or joining a study group.
If you can’t find a group to study with, look for a Praxis prep course. The instructors of these courses know the ins and outs of what’s on the test, and during the class, they review material that you’re likely to encounter. Yes, you’ll have to pay for the course, but the advantage is that the instructor should know the material in depth and be able to answer your questions or explain the material in a way that suits your learning style. The Kirkland Group has been conducting Praxis workshops for several years. For more details, go to www.kirklandgroup.org.
Take the test within a week after the prep class ends. This will increase your chances of remembering the information until you take the test. Don’t wait six months after completing the course before you take the test, or you may end up back in the same boat.
Even when you’re not officially studying, try to sneak in some learning or review. Pull out your old textbooks for grammar, reading, and math, and skim through them during lunch or while you’re on the treadmill. The info in your old textbooks may jog your memory about something you learned a while back. The only way to study math is to practice on the problems in the books. You need to know certain grammar rules that may only be explained in a traditional grammar book. If you think the verb “to be” is one of Shakespeare’s famous lines, you may need the extra practice.
Gather up crossword puzzle books, Sudoku challenges, and other mind games, and work them while you’re relaxing in front of the TV. If you’re a whiz at English, work numbers games. If numbers are your thing, try your hand at crossword puzzles. Your goal is to strengthen the areas where you’re weak, and puzzles or games are a fun way to accomplish that.
You are what you eat. You can’t run a marathon by eating candy bars and drinking soft drinks every day for breakfast. Some foods assist you during the learning process. They naturally increase the memory and release chemicals that are helpful to the brain. These foods include eggs, fish, whole grains, leafy greens, fruits, and — thank goodness — coffee.
On test day, it’s all about pacing yourself. We like to look at the test from the perspective of how many questions you have to answer per minute:
You may look at those numbers and think, “There’s no way I can answer questions that quickly!” But fear not. Here are some tips that will help you shave seconds off the amount of time it takes you to answer many of the questions:
Don’t make time your sole focus. Don’t get so caught up on timing that you aren’t paying attention to what the questions are asking. Strike a balance between monitoring the time and concentrating on the task at hand.
If you’ve followed the advice up to this point, you’ll begin test day well prepared for the task at hand. By this time, you should be in shape and ready to concentrate on the test.
Print testing-center map directions to make sure you know where you’re going. Drive to the testing center the day before to find out exactly where the testing center is located. Try to make the drive at the same time that you’ll make the drive on test day; that way you’ll know what traffic may be like and can plan accordingly for backups. You should consider using an app for real-time traffic information on the day of the test.
Arrive at the testing center at least 30 minutes early. Arriving late could cause you to forfeit registration. And make sure you bring a picture ID. Without your ID, you won’t be admitted to the test center, and you’ll lose your registration fee.
Don’t take the test while you are fatigued. Sleep deprivation can lead to failing test scores. Make sure you get a good night’s sleep the night before you’re scheduled to take the test.
After you arrive at the testing center, you’ll need to follow a few rules and sit through a bit of training. We cover those details in the sections that follow.
You must bring two items to the testing center:
www.ets.org for more details. If you don’t have these items, you won’t be allowed to take the exam.
Thousands of people take the Praxis every year. To make sure everyone has a fair chance at passing, ETS has set up guidelines for what isn’t allowed in the test center. Following is a list of items to leave at home:
Be sure you wear the right clothing. Sometimes buildings are colder or warmer than expected. Dress in layers so that you can make adjustments for the temperature.
You will take the Praxis Core on a computer. This allows you to take the test any day of the week and almost on demand at the local Prometric testing center. It also allows for faster scoring of your test, meaning you’ll get your results faster than you would if the test were administered on paper. According to ETS, score reports for selected response only tests that are given continuously are available 10–11 business days after the day of the test. On the other hand, score reports for constructed response tests (like the writing test that contains the essays) given continuously are available 15–16 business days after the day of the test.
Before you take the test, ETS gives you 30 minutes of practice time during which you can figure out how the computer test works. Pay attention during this online computerized testing tutorial session. Tips like how to use the computer, answer questions, and review previous pages can be helpful. Take advantage of this time because you’re on your own once the test starts.
Make sure to figure out how to mark questions. Occasionally you’ll come to an item that you aren’t sure about. If you have extra time left at the end of the test, you can go back and check your answers.
The reality is that sometimes you study for, prepare for, and focus on the Praxis Core only to receive the bad news that you didn’t achieve a passing score. Don’t panic. According to ETS, you can take the test once per calendar month, but no more than six times within a 12-month period.
If you do need to retake the test, spend some time analyzing the areas where you fell short and then create a plan to improve your score the next time. Examine your previous test scores. The numbers can tell you how close you were to passing and how much work you have to do to bring up your score.
Don’t make the same mistakes the second time around. A wise saying defines insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Don’t repeat your previous mistakes on subsequent tests. If you didn’t pass because you just don’t understand decimals or grammatical rules, spend extra time studying those areas.
Some people miss passing the test by 15 points or more. If that’s the case, don’t rush to retake the test. Enroll in a review course in order to increase your chances of passing the test on your next try. You may spend a little money on the class, but you’ll save money in the long run because you won’t have to take the test repeatedly. Sometimes individuals who work together, take the same college course, or go to the same church can form a study group. Or you can look for a personal tutor.
When test day rolls around again, try to minimize negative circumstances, and know that uncontrollable ones aren’t likely to reoccur. You may have argued with your spouse on the morning you took the first test. Maybe the baby contracted diarrhea the night before, or perhaps the chicken salad you ate didn’t agree with your stomach. These factors may have contributed to your failure to pass the test. Take it again and the conditions will probably be better.