Arizbeth Zavala

Praxis Core Exam Analysis

Exam Requirements

Before proceeding to UNLV, NSC, or UNR for upper level education courses, all

students majoring in education must pass the Praxis Core Exam. It is recommended for

students to take the Praxis Core Exam after completion of their English and math general

requirements. Preferably, students should take their English and math requirements

during the first thirty hours of their college career. The Praxis Core Exam is composed or

three independent sections that assesses your knowledge of math, reading, and writing.

Additionally, there is one essay at the end of the writing portion used to demonstrate

competent writing skills. You may test on each section at different times or test on all

three sections at once. The passing score for math is 150; the passing score for reading is

156, and the passing score for writing is 162. Lastly, the essay is scored on a scale from

one to six with six being the best score and one being the worst score.

Exam Preparation

I have not yet taken the official Praxis Core Exam, but I have taken practice tests

that simulate the real thing. To prepare myself for the Praxis Core Analysis, I briefly

scanned over the study guides from ETS provided by the professor. I overestimated my

reading and writing capabilities so I only spent about thirty minutes studying for both of

those subjects. Since I do not excel at math, I set aside more time to study for this section.

I assumed that geometry formulas would not be provided, so I tried to memorize the
formulas that I thought would appear on the test. I did rush my studying and preparation

so I am aware that my results reflect that.

Exam Results

Because I overestimated my reading and writing skills and did not reserve enough

time to study, I performed terribly on the practice test. In reading, I scored in the 54%

range, which means that I need significant improvement in order to pass the official

Praxis. In writing, I scored in the 78% range, which means that I am borderline to passing

the official Praxis. Finally, in math, I scored in the 81% range, which means that I am

likely to pass the official Praxis.

Future Exam Preparation

To prepare myself for the Praxis Core Exam, I will dedicate a specific time or

times each week to study for all three sections. I have purchased two study guides from

Amazon called Praxis Core for Dummies and Praxis Core Study Guide by Apex. I

looked at reviews for many study guides and found that these two produce the best

results. Additionally, I know of other coworkers who are studying for the Praxis so we

have decided to start a study group where we can share test tips and hopefully learn from

each other. If I don’t pass a section or sections after my first attempt, I plan to register for

Praxis review courses offered at CSN.