How do you study for the Praxis?
Take a full practice test first, then spend your time on the subtest or content area where you lose the most points. Set a test date, plan four to eight weeks, and study your weakest area in short daily sessions with active recall. In the last two weeks, switch to timed practice tests and review every miss. Which Praxis tests you need depends on your state.
In more detail
Praxis is a family of tests. The Core Academic Skills for Educators tests (Reading, Writing, Mathematics) are used by many programs for admission, and the Subject Assessments are used for certification in a specific subject or grade band. Your state or program decides which ones you need and what score passes, so start there, not with a prep book.
The Core tests skills, so practice beats rereading. Reading asks you to find the main idea, make inferences and judge arguments. Mathematics covers number and quantity, algebra, geometry and data, with an on-screen calculator. Writing has grammar and revision questions plus two essays. Subject Assessments test content, so you need the topics in the official outline, learned by recall.
ETS offers a free Study Companion for each test with the content outline and sample questions. Use it as your checklist. Many candidates plan four to eight weeks, but let practice scores, not the calendar, tell you when you are ready.
Step by step
- 1
Find the exact Praxis tests and passing scores your state or program requires.
- 2
Download the free ETS Study Companion for each test and read its content outline.
- 3
Take a full-length timed practice test and score each subtest or content area separately.
- 4
Set a test date and plan four to eight weeks, with 45 to 60 minutes a day on your weakest area first.
- 5
Learn with active recall: flashcards for terms, rules and formulas, math worked by hand, and one practice essay a week checked against the scoring guide.
- 6
In the last two weeks, take timed practice tests at the real pace and review every miss.
How StudyPDF helps
Upload your Praxis study companion, course notes or textbook chapters, and StudyPDF builds flashcards, quizzes and a timed practice exam from them, with a graded report per section. Set your test date in the Plan tab and it schedules sessions, weak topics first. The free plan covers about 4 materials a week, no card. StudyPDF is not affiliated with ETS and has no official Praxis questions. A free 15-question sampler is at Praxis Core Practice Test.
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More questions
How many weeks should you study for the Praxis?
Many candidates plan four to eight weeks. If your first practice test is close to the passing score for your state, two to three weeks of focused review can be enough. If it is far off, plan longer.
Can you use a calculator on the Praxis Core Math test?
Yes, an on-screen calculator is provided, so practice with a basic calculator and do the setup of each problem by hand first.
Do it on your own course
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