Teaching Exam InformationInformation about taking the Praxis I, Praxis II and other teaching exams All Education Articles & Resources | Find Education Schools If you want to become a teacher, you will have to take at least one state-accepted exam in order to become certified. Depending on the state in which you live, the grade level you want to teach and your subject matter focus areas, you may have to pass a number of tests throughout your teacher certification process. In order to help you anticipate the types of exams you may have to take, we've gathered information on the most common ones here. Read on to learn about the national teaching exams, PRAXIS I, PRAXIS II and PRAXIS III. Teaching Exams in AmericaThe teacher certification process in the U.S. is generally comprised of showing satisfactory completion of education, student teaching and examination requirements set by the state in which you want to teach. Each state sets its own requirements for the teaching exams and scores needed in order to become licensed. Because the education field varies by age group and subject matter, testing criteria for a generalist elementary school teacher can be quite different from those for a high school science teacher, and even more so from those for a specialist position such as middle school speech therapist. To ease the difficulty of navigating through the dozens of teaching exam options available, the Educational Testing Service (ETS), a nonprofit organization that oversees other national tests such as the TOEFL and SAT, created the PRAXIS tests for potential teachers. Currently, 45 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the US Virgin Islands and some organizations (including the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the National Association of School Psychologists) utilize PRAXIS tests as part of their certification process. To see what tests your state requires, contact your local State Department of Education or search for your state on ETS's PRAXIS test website. The PRAXIS I ExamThe PRAXIS I exam, also known as the Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST), is a basic test of your reading, writing and mathematical skills. It is sometimes required before being admitted into a teacher education program. Some states require successful completion of the test to gain certification and some do not. The PPST can be taken on a computer or in paper form, with only slight variation between the two. The computerized test can be taken in two separate two hour sittings or as a combined test in four and a half hours. The paper-based test consists of three separate one hour tests that can be taken separately or on the same day. The tests range in price from $40 to $160 each, depending on number of sittings you choose. Math, reading and writing questions are evenly distributed in the PRAXIS I. The math and reading sections are all multiple choice while the writing section contains both multiple choice questions and an essay question. All sections are timed. Scoring for the PPST is simply a count of the questions you answered correctly, so you are not penalized for attempting to answer all questions. PRAXIS II ExamsThere are multiple PRAXIS II teaching exams available to potential teachers. Each measures your knowledge of a specific subject or grade level and of related teaching skills. PRAXIS II tests are often required to complete state teacher certification requirements. There are three different types of PRAXIS II assessments:
PRAXIS II tests are offered on paper only at specified testing locations. Each test is timed and lasts either one, two or four hours. You may take more than one test per testing day based on availability and session schedules. Prices range from $65 to $115 per test. All three types of PRAXIS II teaching exams include both multiple choice questions and constructed-response questions. Score reports are mailed approximately four weeks after the test date, and additional paper copies and phone scoring are also available for a fee. The PRAXIS III ExamThe PRAXIS III assessment is a test that licensing bodies use to determine teacher readiness for full certification in certain states. It is administered to beginning teachers (often those teaching under a provisional or temporary teaching license) to assess their classroom practice techniques and teaching skills. A decidedly more flexible teaching exam than any of the other PRAXIS tests, the PRAXIS III utilizes trained assessors to interview teachers and monitor in-class teaching and other professional duties. Assessors measure 19 criteria that fit under the following categories:
The amount of assessment varies based on state regulations and time constraints. Your teacher education program will prepare you to meet the requirements in your state, but you can contact your state's Department of Education if you have further questions. Other Teaching ExamsWhile the PRAXIS teaching exams are the most commonly used teaching exams in the U.S., many states use their own assessments instead of these national tests. For example, California utilizes a test called the California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST) instead of the PRAXIS I or PPST, and another set of teaching exams called the California Subject Examinations for Teachers (CSET) in lieu of PRAXIS II tests. Most alternate tests, like the CBEST and CSET, follow similar guidelines as their national PRAXIS counterparts. To see how your state utilizes PRAXIS tests, search for state testing requirements on ETS's PRAXIS series home page. |
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