United States · Teacher certification test
Praxis tests are the teacher certification tests run by ETS. Core Academic Skills for Educators checks your reading, writing and math, often to get into a teacher prep program. More than 120 Subject Assessments check what you’ll teach. Here’s the catch: ETS doesn’t set passing scores. Your state does, and it also decides which tests you need. This guide explains how the tests work, what they cost and how to find your state’s rules. There’s a free Core-style practice test further down.
Key facts
How it works
Topics
Finding the main idea, the supporting details and what you can safely infer. About 35% of the Reading test.
How a passage is built: the author’s tone, transition words, organization and the meaning of words in context. About 30% of the Reading test.
Reading charts and graphs, judging arguments and drawing conclusions. About 35% of the Reading test.
Spotting errors in grammar, punctuation and word choice, and picking the clearest version of a sentence.
Improving a short passage, and judging sources and citations.
Writing an argument and an informative essay from two sources. This category is about 60% of the Writing test.
Fractions, decimals, percents, ratios, rates, place value and units. About 36% of the Math test.
Reading graphs and tables, mean, median and mode, and simple probability. About 32% of the Math test.
Solving equations and word problems, and using shapes, angles and formulas for perimeter, area and volume. About 32% of the Math test.
Free practice test
Here are 20 questions in the style of Praxis Core: seven reading, six writing and seven math, each with five choices like the real test. They’re our own questions, not ETS’s. The real Core tests have 56 questions each in Reading and Math, and 40 plus two essays in Writing. Praxis has no single pass mark, because each state sets its own, so we use 70% as a practice target: 14 right hits it. That’s a goal for practice, not your state’s passing score. After each answer you can ask the tutor to explain it another way, and anything you miss comes back at the end.
Sample of the test: same format, 20 questions.
Test day
Study options
Start with the free official material: ETS’s Study Companion for each test, with sample questions and answers, plus the free Interactive Practice Test that comes with your registration. If you want more, we’ve compared the official paid prep, apps and courses people use, with prices checked in October 2026.
| Option | Price | Free to use | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official and free | |||
ETS Praxis Study CompanionsOfficial · PDFETS’s own study guide for each test. It lists every topic, shows how much each category counts, and has sample questions with explained answers. There’s one for every Core test and every Subject Assessment, so get the one that matches your test code. | Free | Everything | |
ETS Interactive Practice TestsOfficial · webFull-length practice tests written by the people who make the Praxis, with the same structure and timing. You get your score right away, an explanation for every answer and a summary of your strong and weak areas. There’s an optional timer for practicing your pace. | One free with registration. Extra practice tests $24.95 each | One full-length practice test when you register for a Praxis test | |
Study.com Free Praxis Core PrepOfficial partner · webETS lists this as its free Core resource. It checks your strengths and weak spots, builds a study plan, and gives you videos, lessons and practice questions set out like the real test. It covers Core Reading, Writing and Math. | Free | A free start: diagnostic, study plan, lessons and practice questions for Core | |
| Apps and websites | |||
ETS Praxis eBooks and QuizStacksOfficial · eBook and question bankThe eBooks review every concept on a test. QuizStacks are banks of practice questions. The Core Math QuizStack has 192 questions. Both are sold per test, including each Core test. | $45 each | Nothing, but the free Study Companion covers the same topics | |
Study.com Official Praxis Test PrepOfficial partner · web and appETS’s official paid course, sold through the ETS store. It has short video lessons, practice questions, a 30-question diagnostic and a study plan built around your test date. It covers more than 89 Praxis tests, so search for your test code before you buy. | $240 for 4 months ($190 on sale in October 2026) | The free Core prep above | |
240 TutoringWebsiteOne subscription unlocks every Praxis study guide on the site. The Core guide has a diagnostic test, a study plan, lessons, flashcards, videos, more than 1,000 practice questions and three full-length timed tests. It offers a money-back guarantee if you meet its study requirements and don’t pass. | $49.99 a month, cancel any time | A free Praxis Core practice test | |
Teachers Test PrepWebsite, live classes and tutoringOffers live Core prep classes, one-on-one tutoring and a self-paced online course with videos and practice tests. The free practice tests estimate how likely you are to pass and show your weak areas. Some free tools need a free account. | Course prices aren’t posted on its Core page | Full-length Core practice tests with diagnostics, and short study guides | |
Mometrix Praxis CoreWebsiteThe free practice tests are a good way to get more Core questions. The paid course adds more than 280 videos. | Course price isn’t posted on its free page | A 154-question Core practice test, plus separate Reading, Writing and Math tests | |
Praxis Exam Prep 2026 (Prepia)App · iPhoneThe most-rated Praxis Core app we found on the App Store: 4.6 stars from 257 ratings. It covers Core Reading, Writing and Math. | Free to download. Subscriptions from $8.99 a week, $16.99 a month or $49.99 for 6 months | Free to try. The listing doesn’t say exactly what’s free; mock exams, premium questions and study plans need a subscription | |
Prices and ratings checked October 2026.
Explore
FAQ
It depends on your state. ETS scores most Praxis tests from 100 to 200, but it doesn’t set passing scores. Each state or licensing agency chooses its own. For example, as of October 2026 North Dakota asks for 156 in Core Reading, 160 in Writing and 150 in Math. Other states can ask for different scores, so look yours up on ETS’s state requirements pages.
As of October 2026, each Core test (Reading, Writing or Math) costs $90, and Core Combined, all three together, is $150. Subject Assessments cost different amounts. Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects (5001) is $180, for example. Rescheduling costs $40, and four score reports are free.
Yes. ETS gives a limited number of fee waivers, first come, first served. One waiver covers up to three Core tests or one Subject Assessment, and you can get one per testing year. ETS lists the criteria together: you’re receiving financial aid, you’re enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program, your 2026-2027 FAFSA shows an Expected Family Contribution of $3,000 or less, and a score recipient requires the test. You apply by email with a request form and proof.
Yes, for most tests. More than 100 Praxis tests, including all the Core tests, can be taken at home with a live online proctor. You need a Windows or Mac computer (no tablets or Chromebooks), a webcam, a private room with a closed door, and a small whiteboard for notes. At-home testing is only for people testing in the US.
Only if the test provides one, and it’s always on screen. You can’t bring your own. Core Math (5733) and Core Combined give you a basic four-function calculator. Some Subject Assessments give you a scientific or graphing calculator instead. ETS lists which calculator each test has.
Sign in to your Praxis account, go to My Tests, choose View Details and then Reschedule. It costs $40, and you need to do it at least 3 days before your test date, not counting test day. If you cancel instead, by the same deadline, you can get back 50% of your test fee.
When the town of Millbrook turned an empty lot beside its middle school into a vegetable garden, organizers expected the food to be the main benefit. A year later, teachers reported something else. Students who worked in the garden after school were more likely to talk with classmates outside their usual group of friends, and several said the garden was the first place at school where they felt useful. The vegetables, it turned out, mattered less than the shared work of growing them. Which of the following best states the main idea of the passage?
The garden’s biggest benefit turned out to be social, not the food it grew. The passage sets up what organizers expected (food) and then shows what actually mattered: students connecting with each other and feeling useful. The last sentence says it directly: the shared work mattered more than the vegetables.
Maria Ortiz has run the Ridgeview Library’s summer reading program for twelve years. This spring, for the first time, the sign-up sheet filled up in a single afternoon, and the library has started a waiting list. Ortiz has asked the town council for money to hire a second instructor next year. Which of the following can most reasonably be inferred from the passage?
In earlier years, the program did not fill up as quickly as it did this spring. The passage says that this spring was “the first time” the sheet filled up in one afternoon. That means it didn’t happen in earlier years, so the program filled more slowly before. That’s the only choice that follows from what’s stated.
The following sentences come from a newspaper article about a bridge. Which one states an opinion rather than a fact?
The bridge is the most beautiful structure in the state. “Most beautiful” is a personal judgment. People can disagree about it, and there’s no way to measure or check it. Every other sentence can be checked against records or measurements.
The new manager’s style was refreshingly candid: on her first day, she told the staff exactly what problems the store faced and admitted which ones she didn’t yet know how to fix. As used in the sentence, “candid” most nearly means
frank The part after the colon explains the word. She told the staff exactly what the problems were and admitted what she didn’t know. That’s being open and honest, which is what “frank” means.
Many people believe that bats are blind. In fact, every species of bat can see, and some see quite well. Many bats also use echolocation, a kind of sound-based navigation, to find insects in the dark. In the passage, the phrase “In fact” mainly serves to
correct the common belief stated in the first sentence The first sentence gives a popular belief (bats are blind). “In fact” introduces the truth that goes against it (all bats can see). So the phrase signals a correction.
A city council member argues: “Adding bike lanes to Elm Street will reduce car traffic there. After we added bike lanes to Oak Street, car traffic on Oak Street dropped sharply.” Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the council member’s argument?
The drop in Oak Street traffic happened mainly because a nearby highway exit closed that same year. The argument assumes the bike lanes caused the drop in traffic on Oak Street. If the drop really came from a highway exit closing, then Oak Street isn’t evidence that bike lanes reduce traffic. That takes away the argument’s only support.
A table on a library’s website shows the number of visits to one branch each month: January: 1,200 February: 1,050 March: 1,400 April: 1,350 Which of the following statements is supported by the table?
March had the most visits of the four months. March has 1,400 visits, which is higher than every other month in the table. The other statements don’t match the numbers.
Which part in [brackets] contains an error? If the sentence is correct as written, choose “No error.” Each of the students [who entered] the science fair [were] given a ribbon, [and] the winners [received] a small cash prize.
were The subject is “each,” which is singular. The verb has to agree with it, so it should be “was given,” not “were given.” The word “students” is right before the verb, but it isn’t the subject.
Which part in [brackets] contains an error? If the sentence is correct as written, choose “No error.” [Last spring], the planning committee [chose] a new school logo, and [its] members presented the design to [Ms. Lee and I] at the staff meeting.
Ms. Lee and I After the word “to,” you need the object pronoun “me,” not “I.” The correct phrase is “to Ms. Lee and me.”
Choose the best version of the part of the sentence in [brackets]. The first choice repeats the original. Choose it if the original is best. Although the [forecast called for rain, the game] went ahead as planned.
forecast called for rain, the game The sentence starts with “Although,” so the first part is an introductory clause that can’t stand alone. A comma after it, followed by the main clause, is exactly right. The original is correct.
(1) Community colleges usually cost much less per year than four-year universities. (2) ________, many students begin at a community college and transfer later to finish a bachelor’s degree. (3) This path can save a family thousands of dollars. Which word or phrase best fills the blank in sentence 2?
For this reason Sentence 1 gives a reason (lower cost), and sentence 2 gives the result (students start at community college). “For this reason” shows that cause and effect.
A student is writing a research paper on how sleep affects high school students’ grades. Which of the following sources is likely to be the most credible?
A peer-reviewed study published in a journal of adolescent health A peer-reviewed study has been checked by other experts before publication, and it reports on research. The other sources are either selling something or are one person’s view with no way to check it.
A student is writing an argumentative essay on whether high schools should start later in the morning. Which sentence would work best as the essay’s thesis statement?
High schools should start later in the morning, because students who get more sleep are more alert and do better in class. A good thesis for an argument takes a clear position and gives a reason for it. Choice C does both: it says schools should start later and says why.
A jacket that normally costs $80 is on sale for 25% off. A 5% sales tax is then added to the sale price. What is the total cost of the jacket?
$63.00 25% of $80 is $20, so the sale price is $80 − $20 = $60. The tax is 5% of $60, which is $3. The total is $60 + $3 = $63.
In a class of 40 students, the ratio of boys to girls is 3 to 5. How many girls are in the class?
25 A ratio of 3 to 5 means the class splits into 3 + 5 = 8 equal parts. Each part is 40 ÷ 8 = 5 students. Girls have 5 parts, so there are 5 × 5 = 25 girls.
A car uses 3 gallons of gas to travel 84 miles. At this rate, how many gallons of gas will the car need to travel 210 miles?
7.5 The car goes 84 ÷ 3 = 28 miles on each gallon. To go 210 miles it needs 210 ÷ 28 = 7.5 gallons.
Five students scored 72, 85, 90, 85 and 98 on a quiz. What is the difference between the mean and the median of these scores?
1 The mean is (72 + 85 + 90 + 85 + 98) ÷ 5 = 430 ÷ 5 = 86. In order, the scores are 72, 85, 85, 90, 98, so the median (the middle one) is 85. The difference is 86 − 85 = 1.
A bag holds 4 red marbles, 6 blue marbles and 5 green marbles. One marble is picked at random. What is the probability that it is NOT blue?
3/5 There are 4 + 6 + 5 = 15 marbles. The ones that aren’t blue are the 4 red and 5 green, which is 9. So the probability is 9/15, which simplifies to 3/5.
If 3(x − 4) = 2x + 5, what is the value of x?
17 Multiply out the left side: 3x − 12 = 2x + 5. Subtract 2x from both sides: x − 12 = 5. Add 12 to both sides: x = 17. Check: 3(17 − 4) = 39, and 2(17) + 5 = 39.
A rectangular garden is 12 feet long and 8 feet wide. A path 2 feet wide is built all the way around the outside of the garden. What is the area of the path alone, in square feet?
96 The path adds 2 feet on every side, so the garden plus path is 12 + 4 = 16 feet long and 8 + 4 = 12 feet wide. That’s 16 × 12 = 192 square feet. The garden is 12 × 8 = 96 square feet. The path is 192 − 96 = 96 square feet.