If you’re serious about how to pass the Praxis exam, stop treating it like a college final. The Praxis isn’t about how much you know—it’s about how well you navigate ETS’s testing logic. Most teachers fail not from lack of knowledge, but from misreading question formats or underestimating the PLT (Principles of Learning and Teaching) section’s scenario traps.
Start here: Take an official ETS practice test—free or paid—from the exact test you’re registered for. If you’re taking Praxis 5003 (Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects), don’t practice with generic “teacher exams.” ETS reuses question styles: for example, in the science subtest, you’ll get a graph of plant growth under different light conditions and be asked which variable is independent. That’s not biology—it’s data literacy disguised as content.
For Praxis Core (5713, 5723, 5733):
- In Writing, 40% of your score comes from the two essays. ETS doesn’t care about fancy vocabulary—they want clear thesis statements, logical flow, and zero grammar errors. Practice writing a 30-minute argument essay using this structure: claim → 2 reasons + classroom-relevant examples → counterargument → conclusion.
- In Math, half the battle is avoiding calculator dependency. Many questions (like ratios or percentages) are faster done mentally. Drill mental math daily—ETS loves real-world contexts like “A teacher budgets $240 for 30 students. What’s the per-student amount?”
For PLT (e.g., 5624): Memorizing Piaget or Vygotsky won’t cut it. Questions drop you into messy classroom moments: “A student refuses to work after a disagreement. What should the teacher do FIRST?” The right answer is almost always de-escalate privately, not enforce consequences publicly. Review ETS’s “Classroom Scenarios” PDF—it’s gold.
Finally, schedule your exam when you’re fresh, not after a full teaching day. And never walk in without knowing your state’s passing score—some require 150, others 165. That changes everything.
To pass the Praxis exam isn’t about more hours—it’s about smarter, exam-specific practice. Use ETS materials, decode the scenarios, and write like a clear-headed educator—not a scholar.