Read the passage: Several districts have started opening school libraries during the summer. Staff say the main goal is to slow the loss of reading skills that many students show between June and September. Early results are mixed: some districts report that more children check out books, while others report that few families know the library is open. Organizers say better communication with families is the next step. Which statement best expresses the main idea?
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About this test
This free Praxis Core practice test has 15 questions written by the StudyPDF team, five each in reading, writing and math. The real Core Academic Skills for Educators subtests have 56 reading questions, 40 writing questions plus two essays, and 56 math questions, so this is a sampler to show you where you stand, not a full-length exam. Answer all 15, then check your score and read the explanation for every question.
All 15 questions at a glance
Prefer to read before you play? Every question in the sampler is listed below. Answers and explanations stay collapsed until you open them.
1.Read the passage: Several districts have started opening school libraries during the summer. Staff say the main goal is to slow the loss of reading skills that many students show between June and September. Early results are mixed: some districts report that more children check out books, while others report that few families know the library is open. Organizers say better communication with families is the next step. Which statement best expresses the main idea?
- A. Most students lose all of their reading skills over the summer.
- B. Summer library openings may help prevent reading loss, but their success depends partly on families hearing about them.
- C. Few families use school libraries at any time of the year.
- D. Districts that open libraries in summer should stop doing so until results improve.
Answer: B. Summer library openings may help prevent reading loss, but their success depends partly on families hearing about them.
The main idea has to cover the whole passage: the goal of the openings, the mixed results and the need to reach families. The first choice exaggerates, since the passage says skills slow down, not that they are lost, and the third and fourth choices go beyond anything the passage says. When you check a main idea, ask whether it leaves out a big part of the passage or adds something the writer never claims.
2.Read the sentence: When the principal announced the new schedule, the applause was tepid; a few teachers clapped politely, but most simply nodded. As used in the sentence, tepid most nearly means
- A. loud and enthusiastic
- B. angry and critical
- C. lacking enthusiasm
- D. long and drawn out
Answer: C. lacking enthusiasm
The clues come after the semicolon: only a few teachers clapped, and they did so politely while most just nodded. That describes a reaction with little energy, so lacking enthusiasm fits. Loud and enthusiastic is the opposite, and nothing in the sentence suggests anger or length. In vocabulary-in-context questions, use the clues in the sentence rather than what you already think the word means.
3.A school posts this table of library visits for one week: Monday 42, Tuesday 55, Wednesday 48, Thursday 61, Friday 34. Which conclusion is supported by the table?
- A. Visits were higher on Thursday than on any other day.
- B. Visits rose every day until Friday.
- C. Fewer than 40 visits were recorded on two different days.
- D. Tuesday had the second-lowest number of visits.
Answer: A. Visits were higher on Thursday than on any other day.
Thursday's 61 is the largest number in the table. Visits did not rise every day, because Wednesday (48) was lower than Tuesday (55). Only Friday (34) is below 40, and Tuesday's 55 is the second highest, not the second lowest. On table questions, test every number a choice mentions before you pick it.
4.Read the passage: A town council debated adding bike lanes to Main Street. Supporters pointed to a drop in crashes in cities that built them. Opponents, mostly shop owners, worried that losing eight parking spaces would cost them customers. One council member noted that a nearby town saw sales rise after adding lanes, but added that the two main streets are very different. Select all statements that the passage supports.
Select all that apply.
- A. The shop owners' main concern is the loss of parking.
- B. The passage proves that bike lanes raise sales.
- C. Supporters used crash data from other cities.
- D. The council voted to build the lanes.
- E. The council member offers evidence for the lanes while noting a limit on it.
Answer: A. The shop owners' main concern is the loss of parking., C. Supporters used crash data from other cities., E. The council member offers evidence for the lanes while noting a limit on it.
The passage says the shop owners worry about eight lost parking spaces, that supporters cited fewer crashes in other cities, and that the council member shared a nearby town's sales increase while warning that the streets differ. It does not prove higher sales, since the council member says the towns are not alike, and it never says how the council voted. On select-all questions, each choice stands or falls on its own.
5.Complete the sentence.
In an argument, the claim is the point the writer wants you to accept, and _____ is the information offered to support it. A statement that presents the opposing view so the writer can answer it is called a _____.
Options for blank 1: a conclusion, evidence, a transition, a definition
Options for blank 2: counterargument, summary, example, title
Answer: evidence, counterargument
Evidence is what backs a claim up: facts, numbers, examples or expert statements. A counterargument raises the other side, and a strong writer then answers it, which makes the claim more convincing. When you read an argument, mark the claim first, then ask what evidence supports it and whether the writer faces the other side.
6.Which sentence is written correctly?
- A. The list of required supplies are posted outside the classroom.
- B. The list of required supplies is posted outside the classroom.
- C. The list of required supplies were posted outside the classroom.
- D. The list of required supplies have been posted outside the classroom.
Answer: B. The list of required supplies is posted outside the classroom.
The subject is list, which is singular, so the verb must be singular too: is posted. The phrase of required supplies describes the list but is not the subject, and its plural noun is what tempts people to write are. Cross out the phrase between the subject and the verb, and the sentence The list is posted reads correctly.
7.Which revision best fixes the error in this sentence? The bus was late, we waited twenty minutes in the rain.
- A. The bus was late we waited twenty minutes in the rain.
- B. The bus was late, we waited twenty minutes in the rain.
- C. Because the bus was late, we waited twenty minutes in the rain.
- D. The bus was late, however we waited twenty minutes in the rain.
Answer: C. Because the bus was late, we waited twenty minutes in the rain.
The original joins two complete sentences with only a comma, which is a comma splice. Making the first part a dependent clause with because fixes it and shows how the ideas connect. The first choice becomes a run-on, the second repeats the error, and the fourth still splices two sentences, because however is not a conjunction that can be joined with a comma alone.
8.Read the sentences: Our school garden produced 40 pounds of tomatoes this fall. ____ the cafeteria added a tomato soup to the weekly menu. Which transition best fills the blank?
- A. As a result,
- B. However,
- C. Otherwise,
- D. Previously,
Answer: A. As a result,
The second sentence is a consequence of the first: the garden had plenty of tomatoes, so the cafeteria made soup. As a result signals that cause-and-effect link. However signals a contrast, otherwise signals an alternative, and previously points back in time, and none of those fit this pair of sentences.
9.Select all sentences that use commas correctly.
Select all that apply.
- A. After the assembly ended, the students returned to class.
- B. My sister, who lives in Denver, is a nurse.
- C. The students who finished early, left the room.
- D. We bought apples, pears, and plums at the market.
- E. She said, that she would be late.
Answer: A. After the assembly ended, the students returned to class., B. My sister, who lives in Denver, is a nurse., D. We bought apples, pears, and plums at the market.
A comma follows an introductory clause, and commas set off extra information such as who lives in Denver. A list of three or more items takes commas between the items, and the comma before and is a style choice as long as you are consistent. The third sentence wrongly separates the subject from its verb, and the fifth puts a comma after said before an indirect statement.
10.Complete the sentence.
Moving a sentence to a better place in a paragraph is an example of _____, while correcting a misspelled word is an example of _____.
Options for blank 1: revising, editing, drafting
Options for blank 2: revising, editing, drafting
Answer: revising, editing
Revising changes what the writing says or how it is organized: adding, cutting, reordering or clarifying ideas. Editing fixes the surface of the writing, such as spelling, grammar and punctuation. The Writing test has revision-in-context questions, and a useful habit is to fix the ideas and order first and the small errors last.
11.A student read 3/8 of a 240-page book on Monday and 1/4 of the book on Tuesday. How many pages are left to read?
- A. 60
- B. 90
- C. 120
- D. 150
Answer: B. 90
Add the fractions read: 3/8 + 1/4 = 3/8 + 2/8 = 5/8 of the book. That leaves 3/8 of 240 pages, which is 90 pages. The answer 150 is the number of pages already read. Reading the question for what is asked, pages left and not pages read, saves points on problems like this.
12.The price of a $120 item is raised by 10%, and the new price is then lowered by 10%. What is the final price?
- A. $120.00
- B. $132.00
- C. $108.00
- D. $118.80
Answer: D. $118.80
A 10% increase gives $120 x 1.10 = $132.00. The 10% decrease applies to the new price, so $132.00 x 0.90 = $118.80. The two changes do not cancel, because the second percent is taken of a larger amount. Each percent step applies to the amount you have at that point.
13.The mean of five numbers is 12. Four of the numbers are 8, 10, 14 and 15. What is the fifth number?
- A. 11
- B. 12
- C. 13
- D. 14
Answer: C. 13
A mean of 12 across five numbers means the total is 5 x 12 = 60. The four known numbers add up to 8 + 10 + 14 + 15 = 47, so the missing number is 60 - 47 = 13. Whenever a question gives a mean and asks for a missing value, work from the total.
14.Select all ordered pairs (x, y) that are solutions of the equation 2x + y = 7.
Select all that apply.
- A. (2, 3)
- B. (3, 1)
- C. (1, 4)
- D. (0, 6)
- E. (4, -1)
Answer: A. (2, 3), B. (3, 1), E. (4, -1)
Substitute each pair. For (2, 3): 4 + 3 = 7, which works. For (3, 1): 6 + 1 = 7, which works. For (4, -1): 8 - 1 = 7, which works. The pair (1, 4) gives 2 + 4 = 6 and (0, 6) gives 0 + 6 = 6, so neither works. Remember to double the x-value before you add y.
15.Complete the sentence.
A right triangle has legs of 9 inches and 12 inches. Its hypotenuse is _____ inches long and its area is _____ square inches.
Options for blank 1: 15, 18, 21, 108
Options for blank 2: 27, 54, 108, 180
Answer: 15, 54
By the Pythagorean theorem, the hypotenuse is the square root of 9^2 + 12^2 = 81 + 144 = 225, which is 15. The area of a right triangle is half the product of its legs: (1/2)(9)(12) = 54. The number 108 is the product of the legs, which is the area of the rectangle, not the triangle.
What the Praxis Core covers and how it is scored
The Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators tests measure the reading, writing and math skills that teacher preparation programs, and some states, ask for before you start or finish training. There are three subtests, and the Combined test (5752) lets you take all three in one session. According to ETS, Reading (5713) has 56 questions in 85 minutes, Writing (5723) has 40 selected-response questions plus two essays in 100 minutes, and Mathematics (5733) has 56 questions in 90 minutes. The three time limits add up to 4 hours and 35 minutes. The tests are computer delivered, at a test center or at home with an online proctor.
Each subtest is scored on its own scale from 100 to 200. There is no national passing score. Each state, and sometimes each program, sets its own, and ETS lists them on its state requirements page. Some programs also accept other scores in place of the Praxis Core, such as SAT or ACT results, so ask your program which test and which score it wants before you register. Each test also contains some unscored pretest questions, and ETS does not mark which ones.
The points are spread by content category. Reading is split roughly 35, 30 and 35 percent across key ideas and details, craft, structure and language skills, and integration of knowledge and ideas. Writing is about 60 percent text types, purposes and production, which includes both essays, and 40 percent language and research skills. Math is about 36 percent number and quantity, 32 percent data interpretation, statistics and probability, and 32 percent algebra and geometry. The math test gives you an on-screen four-function calculator, and some questions ask you to type a number instead of choosing one.
How to approach reading, writing and math
Pace first. On the real test you have about 1.5 minutes per reading question and about 1.6 minutes per math question. In the writing test, the 40 selected-response questions share a 40-minute section, so budget about a minute each, and keep the two 30-minute essay sections for the essays.
Reading. Decide what the question asks before you reread the passage, then answer from the text only. A main idea answer has to cover the whole passage, not one detail. For a conclusion, check each number or claim in the choice against the passage, because wrong answers usually go one step further than the text does. For vocabulary in context, replace the word with each choice and see which one fits the sentence around it.
Writing. The selected-response questions test usage, sentence correction, revision in context and research skills, so learn the common errors: subject and verb agreement, comma splices and run-ons, comma use, pronoun reference and transitions. For the essays, plan for five minutes, state your position in the first paragraph, give each body paragraph one reason with one piece of support, and leave a few minutes to reread.
Math. Most of it is arithmetic and algebra you already know: fractions, percents, ratios, mean and median, linear equations, area and perimeter. Write the setup before you calculate, estimate the size of the answer, and check units. Keep an eye on questions that ask you to select all correct answers, since you need every correct choice and no extra one.
An honest note: the StudyPDF team wrote every question here from the content categories ETS publishes. None of them are real Praxis items, none come from a prep company's bank, and StudyPDF is not affiliated with ETS. ETS sells official practice tests for each subtest on its Praxis site if you want questions from the test maker.
How to build more practice tests from your own materials
Fifteen questions can show you which subtest needs the most work. They cannot get you ready on their own, especially if your program gave you its own study packet or your prep book leans on one area.
StudyPDF works from your material instead. Upload your study guide, a prep book, your class notes or the packet your program gave you. Then press New material, pick a practice test, choose those files as the sources and set how long it should be. You get a test written from those exact pages, and every explanation cites where the answer comes from. Run one on a single area, such as sentence correction or fractions and percents, and repeat it after you review.
Bo is the tutor for the rest. Ask him why an answer is right and he explains it from your own pages, with a hint first if you want one.
You do not have to upload anything to start. Name a topic instead, for example revision in context or data interpretation, and you get practice questions on it. A free account is enough to start, and Free covers about four new materials a week, with Pro and Ultra covering more.
Written by the StudyPDF team. Last updated August 19, 2026.
Good to know
How many questions are on the Praxis Core, and how long is it?
According to ETS, Reading (5713) has 56 questions in 85 minutes, Writing (5723) has 40 selected-response questions plus two essays in 100 minutes, and Mathematics (5733) has 56 questions in 90 minutes. The Combined test (5752) lets you take all three in one session, which is 4 hours and 35 minutes of testing time.
What score do I need to pass the Praxis Core?
There is no national passing score. Each subtest is scored from 100 to 200, and each state, and sometimes each program, sets its own required score. ETS lists them on the state requirements page of its Praxis site, and your program can confirm which one applies to you.
Do I have to take all three subtests at once?
No. The Combined test lets you take reading, writing and math in one session, and ETS also lets you register for the subtests separately. Taking them one at a time can help if one subject is much weaker than the others. Check with your program whether it accepts scores from different dates.
Are these real Praxis Core questions?
No. The StudyPDF team wrote all 15 from the content categories ETS publishes, and StudyPDF is not affiliated with ETS. The practice test is free to play in your browser, and ETS sells official practice tests for each subtest on its Praxis site.
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