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The Praxis Core has changed as of Sept 1, 2019.
On September 1, 2019, ETS rolled out a new version of the Praxis Core mathematics subtest.
- The original test is Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators: Mathematics 5732.
- The new test is Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators: Mathematics 5733.
Have All The Subtests Changed?
Only the math subtest has changed. The reading and the writing sections are the same as before. However, all the subtests have been renumbered for the new exam, so be careful if you are registering for each subtest individually.
Changed Praxis Core
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Reading:
old5712 New5713 -
Writing:
old5722 New5723 -
Mathematics:
old5732 New5733
Which Test Should I Take?
Look over your state’s requirements to determine if you should take the original math subtest or the new math subtest. Different states are doing different things. Some states are allowing people to choose between the old and the new until fall 2020. Other states are requiring people to start taking the new Praxis Core starting Sept 1, 2019.
What Has Changed About The Math?
In a nutshell, the new math subtest focuses more on probability and statistics and less on algebra, functions and geometry. This move reflects the ongoing conversation about whether or not the Praxis Core really tests the skills necessary to be a teacher.
People were asking, “Do all teachers really need to be proficient in algebra and functions?” Below is an example.
Which of the following is a function?
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(7, 8), (2, 3), (7, -3)
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(7, 8), (7, 10), (7, 0)
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(0, 1), (1, 2), (2, 3) - It’s this one by the way because the x-coordinate does not repeat in this set.
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(0, 1), (0, 2), (, 3)
However, do all teachers need to be able to analyze statistics to be a teacher?
YES, of course! Teachers have to use data every day to drive their instructional decisions. So this move is seen as one that aligns to the skills necessary for teaching.
The good news…
The test got a little bit easier because the test makers removed questions that assess impractical middle and high school math skills. A digital download is attached to this blog that gives a detailed explanation of the skills that have changed on the new exam.
Other good news…
Our amazing writers here at NavaED have updated our original Praxis Core book to reflect the changes in the new exam. Our materials are up-to-date.
Get our Praxis webinars below.
Praxis® Core Academic Skills for Educators (Core) tests measure academic skills in reading, writing, and mathematics.
Some colleges and universities require students to pass the Praxis test before entering teacher education programs. Many states require the Praxis test for teacher certification and licensing.
We have 4 on-demand Praxis Core webinars—reading, writing (grammar), writing (essay), and math. You can access them for free. Click the links below for access.
Praxis Core Overview
The Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators is required for entrance into many teacher preparation programs across the country. The Praxis Core assesses skills in reading, mathematics, and writing.
Praxis Core Structure
The Praxis Core is divided into three sections: reading, writing, and math.
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You will have 85 min to complete 56 selected response questions on a variety of reading passages: short passages, long passages, double passages, and graphs and charts.
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You will have 85 min to complete 56 selected response questions that assess a variety of math skills: number and quantity, algebra and functions, geometry, and statistics and probability.
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You will have 100 min to complete the entire writing test. It is 2 sections:
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Section 1 - 40 min to answer 40 selected response questions on usage, sentence correction, revision in context, and research skills.
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Section 2 - 60 min to write 2 essays—30 min each. The scores for the essays and the selected response are combined for an overall writing score.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators
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How is the test administered?
The test is administered on the computer.
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Do I need to bring anything with me, like pencils or a calculator?
4-function on-screen calculator- You will not be permitted to bring anything with you in the testing room.
- You will be given scratch paper and pencils for the exam.
- You will also have access to an on-screen 4-function calculator.
- You can also ask for noise-canceling headphones, and we recommend you do so, especially if you are distracted easily. You could be working on the reading section; the person next to you could be writing an essay, tapping away on the keyboard.
- Dress comfortably.
- You will be required to put all items you are not wearing into the testing room into a locker. Some testing centers will make you remove all jewelry except for a wedding ring or wedding band.
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How should I study for the exam?
We always recommend incremental practice over cramming for long periods of time. In our research, we have found students do much better when they take 20-30 min a day to work through different areas than when they try to cram everything over the weekend or over a few days. Of course, this all depends on each person’s skills. Some people need intensive instruction in areas of math, reading, and/or writing. While, others only need a quick refresher on the skills assessed on the Praxis.
Do NOT underestimate the exam. It is tough and will require you to work on your skills. We have a three-week study plan you can use to guide your practice.
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Who creates the test questions for the Praxis Core?
According to ETS (the company that builds and administers the Praxis Core), educators, faculty of teacher preparation programs, and disciplinary specialists prepare Praxis test questions. The developers and reviewers follow rigorous, standardized procedures to ensure that test material reflects the skills being tested and meets high quality assessment standards. Each question is reviewed by ETS experts. After test questions have been reviewed and revised, they are administered in trial situations and assembled into tests. Tests are then reviewed according to ETS procedures to ensure that all tests are free of cultural bias. Statistical analyses of individual questions ensure that all items provide appropriate measurement information.
In a nutshell, teachers and other experts build the questions. ETS reviews the questions to make sure they are up to their standards. ETS then field tests the questions—they put them on actual exams people are taking. They determine if the questions are reliable and valid. If they are, they are then used on the exam. ETS will also periodically run statistical analysis on tests to see how the questions are performing.
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What can I expect from the Praxis Core test?
Praxis Core READING - 85 min
There are two basic categories of questions on the Praxis Reading Exam:
- Content questions require you to understand the explicit information presented in the readings. These are what many teachers call ‘right there’ questions—you can point to them directly in the text.
- Analysis questions require you to analyze the readings for deeper understanding. In these questions, the answers are NOT explicitly stated in the passage and require the reader to use inference to answer the questions.
The reading has short passages, long passages, double passages, and graphs and charts.
The following is an example of a short passage on the Praxis reading test.
The sea-reach of the Thames stretched before us like the beginning of an interminable waterway. In the offing, the sea and the sky were welded together without a joint, and in the luminous space the tanned sails of the barges drifting up with the tide seemed to stand still in red clusters of canvas sharply peaked, with gleams of varnished sprits. A haze rested on the low shores that ran out to sea in vanishing flatness. The air was dark above Gravesend, and farther back still seemed condensed into a mournful gloom, brooding motionless over the biggest, and the greatest, town on earth.
The tone of the above passage can be described as:
A. optimistic as the author gazes at the greatest town on earth.
B. restless as the author is anticipating an upcoming voyage.
C. oblivious as the author is unaffected by the scenery.
D. ominous as the author is cautious about the surrounding area.
E. terminal as the author is sure he will die.
Explanation: If we read the question stem first, we understand that as we read, we should be paying attention to the tone or overall feeling of the passage. From the title—Heart of Darkness—and the descriptions in the text—vanishing flatness, air is dark, a mournful gloom—we can infer that this passage is probably not optimistic or relentless because those words do not fit here. Oblivious means unaware, but the author seems very aware of his surroundings. Terminal is too strong of a word here, and we cannot infer that the author is sure he will die. That is what we call strong language, and choices containing strong language are typically not the correct answers. Therefore, D is the best answer here. Ominous can mean gloomy, and the word gloom is used in the last sentence.
Get more reading praxis in our NavaED Praxis Core study guide.Praxis Core Writing
The writing section of the Praxis Core exam is divided into two parts:
- Text Types Purposes and Production – This includes the essay task and some selected response.
- Language and Research Skills for Writing – This is all selected response.
You will have 100 minutes total to complete the entire writing exam: a 40-minute selected response test and two 30-min essays.
There are two basic parts of the Praxis Writing exam:
- Grammar and Mechanics – This part of the exam will test all the basic grammar and mechanics rules. This includes usage, sentence correction, revision in context, and research skills. We have several videos to help with the grammar tasks. .
- Essays - This part of the exam requires you to write 2 separate essays that are well organized and display proper grammar usage.We have several videos to help with the writing tasks.
Praxis Core Writing - Grammar
This portion of the Praxis Core Writing test contains 40 selected response questions that assess grammar and mechanics:
Structural Relationships
- Errors in the placement of phrases and clauses within a sentence
- Misplaced and dangling modifiers
- Errors in the use of coordinating and subordinating conjunctions
- Fragments and run-ons
- Errors in the use of correlative conjunctions
- Errors in parallel structure
- Errors in capitalization
- Errors in punctuation
- commas
- semicolons
- apostrophes
Grammatical relationships
- Errors in the use of adjectives and adverbs
- Errors in noun-noun agreement
- Errors in pronoun antecedent agreement
- Errors in pronoun case
- Errors in interrogative and relative pronouns
- Errors in the use of intensive pronouns
- Errors in pronoun number and person
- Vague pronouns
- Errors in subject verb agreement
- Inappropriate shifts in verb tense
Research Skills
- Assess the credibility and relevance of sources.
- Recognize the different elements of a citation.
- Recognize effective research strategies.
- Recognize information relevant to a particular research task.
Example Selected Response Grammar Test Question
1. Even though she seemed unaffected, the senator spoke passionately about the tragedy.
- the senator spoke passionately about the tragedy.
- the senator did spoke passionately about the tragedy.
- the senator did actually speak passionate about the tragedy.
- the senator spoke passionate about the tragedy.
- The senator had spoken passionately about the tragedy.
Explanation: A. No change is needed. The word passionately is an adverb and should modify the verb spoke.
2. How should sentence 4 (reproduced below) be revised so it is grammatically correct.
They also argue that todays students need more practice reading and interpreting the type of text they will be exposed to in a professional setting.
- (As it is now)
- They also argue that today’s students need more practice reading and interpreting the type of text they will be exposed to in a professional setting.
- They also argue that todays students needed more practice reading and interpreting the type of text one will be exposed to in a professional setting.
- They also argue, that todays students actually need more practice reading and interpreting the type of text students will be exposed to in a professional setting.
- They also argue that todays students need more practice by reading and interpreting the type of text they will be exposed to in a professional setting.
Explanation: B. The sentence contains an apostrophe error. Change todays to today’s because the author is referring to students that belong to today.
For more grammar and mechanics practice, check out our NavaED Praxis Core products.Praxis Core Writing - Essay Task
Essay Number 1 – The argumentative essay task will require you to offer an opinion on a topic with which you either agree or disagree. Once you take a position on the issue, you must provide your opinion and specific examples to support your argument. It’s very important that your argument is supported by relevant and sufficient evidence that is clearly and coherently written. Your argument and its supporting evidence have to be organized and developed logically. To be sure that the readers completely understand your argument, it is crucial that you write without ambiguity. Most importantly you should provide clear and concise details with concrete examples to support each idea. The rubric also requires that your essay be grammatically correct and show a use of sentence variety and structures.
Essay Number 2 – The explanatory or informational essay task will require you to evaluate a pair of passages, each outlining a different opinion on a particular issue. The most important aspect of the source-based essay is that you adequately summarize the individual passages (author’s opinions/arguments). You will be asked to identify each author’s opinion on the issue presented in the assignment, as well as, the arguments and supporting details provided by each author. To achieve a high score, an essay must address each text and provide citations from each. For the explanatory essay, it is important to understand that you are not supporting any particular side, but rather summarizing both sides of each author presented in the prompt.
Praxis Core Math
The Praxis Core math is made up of 56 selected response questions. You will have 85 min to complete this section of the exam.
The exam tests several skills:
- Number and quantity
- Algebra and functions
- Geometry
- Statistics and probability
Example Praxis Core Math Question:
A newlywed couple purchased their first house for $175,000. Six years later, the house was put on the market and sold for $236,250. What was the percent increase in price?
- 20%
- 26%
- 35%
- 42%
- 74%
Explanation: C. To find percent increase use the formula:
It is important to notice the absolute value bars in the numerator |top of fraction| mean that the number that comes out CANNOT be negative.
Example Praxis Core Math Question:
Explanation: A. This problem is a proportion. Cross-multiply and use algebra to solve for .
Another method to use if the above method escapes you at test time is to guess and check. Since it is multiple choice, substitute each answer in for x. The one that proves the equation true is the correct answer. The following example uses choice A.
NavaED Praxis Core Study Plan
Using the NavaED Praxis Core study guide or other Praxis Core study guide
Monday
- 10 Praxis math problems (analyze your answers)
- 3 reading passages (analyze your answers)
Tuesday
- 10 Praxis grammar questions (analyze your answers)
- Watch NavaED Praxis writing video
Wednesday
- 20 Praxis math problems (analyze your answers)
- 20 Praxis grammar questions (analyze your answers)
Thursday
- Write an argumentative essay using the method in our NavaED Praxis study guide.
Friday
- 10 Praxis math problems (analyze your answers)
- 5 Praxis reading passages (analyze your answers)
Saturday
- 2 Praxis reading passages (analyze your answers)
- 10 Praxis grammar questions (analyze your answers)
- 10 Praxis math problems (analyze your answers)
Sunday
- Take a break. Go do something fun, and get back to studying tomorrow.
Monday
- Focus on your weaknesses in math.
- Go through the skills pages in the NavaED Praxis math study guide.
Tuesday
- Focus on your weaknesses in reading.
- main idea, tone, point of view, vocabulary
Wednesday
- Focus on your weaknesses in argumentative writing.
- Build an argumentative essay, read it back, see if it makes sense.
Thursday
- Review grammar section in the NavaED NavaED Praxis study guide.
Friday
- Focus on the source-based essay.
- Review our video course.
- Write an essay for time and read it back. Use the rubric in the Praxis Study Companion to see how you would score.
Saturday
- Work on any remaining items in the NavaED Praxis study guide.
- Review shortcuts and quick tips in the NavaED Praxis study guide.
Sunday
- Take a break. Go do something fun, and get back to studying tomorrow.
NavaED Praxis Core Series
Our Praxis Core test prep is divided into 3 parts: reading, writing, and math. Our Praxis Core resources include Praxis study guides, books, digital books, and digital courses. Our digital courses are extremely comprehensive, covering a depth and breadth of skills and practice necessary for the exam. There are hours of practice and videos in every section of our NavaED Praxis Core series.
Digital Courses
The full digital course includes all 3 parts. A digital version of our Praxis Core book is included in the full course. The digital version is identical to the physical version. Our digital course is divided into 3 sections: reading, writing and math. You can also purchase these sections individually.
Get the digital course herePraxis Core Reading Digital Course
- Includes the digital NavaED Praxis Core Reading book, which contains a skills and strategy section and a full reading practice test with detailed answer explanations.
- Includes a full video course, which contains skills and strategy videos and individual videos for each question in the NavaED Praxis Core Reading book.
- Includes Praxis Core practice tests and detailed answer explanations.
Praxis Core Writing Digital Course
Grammar Section - the multiple choice section of the writing exam.
- Includes the digital NavaED Praxis Core Writing book, which contains a skills and strategy section.
- Includes 2 full Praxis Core practice tests and detailed answer explanations.
- Includes a full video course, which contains skills and strategy videos and individual videos for each question in both practice tests in the NavaED Praxis Core Writing book.
Writing Section -the essay portion of the writing exam
- Includes the digital NavaED Praxis Core Writing book, which outlines the entire writing process for the exam.
- Includes a full video writing course with videos detailing how to approach both the argumentative essay and the informative (sourced-based) essay.
- Includes organization and timing strategies.
- Includes practice writing prompts.
Praxis Core Math
- Includes the digital NavaED Praxis Core Math book, which contains an extensive math skills and strategy section.
- Includes 2 full Praxis Core Math practice tests with detailed answer explanations.
- Includes a full video course, which contains skills and strategy videos and individual videos for each question in both practice tests in the NavaED Praxis Core Math book.
NavaED Praxis Core Books
We have physical books that we ship to customers, and we have digital books that we email to customers. The physical and digital book are identical.
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The Book Includes
Click for the Physical Book Click for the digital book- Reading - skills and practice passages with answer explanations.
- Writing - grammar practice with two practice tests with detailed answer explanations. Detailed writing practice for both the argumentative essay and the explanatory/informative essay.
- Math -skills overview and 2 practice tests with detailed answer explanations.
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Important:
- You can buy separate sections of the digital book.
- The digital course comes with the digital book. Therefore, if you purchase the digital course, either in full or in sections, it will come with the digital book.