Praxis I Test Overview

If you are interested in becoming a teacher, you will most likely be required to take the Praxis 1 test. The Praxis I Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST) assesses your basic math, reading, and writing skills. The test is designed to determine whether you have the types of skills that will best prepare you for an education career. Many states also require that you take the test in order to become licensed to teach in that state.

The number of questions on the test varies depending on whether you take the computer test or the paper-and-pencil test. You can take the computer-based test in three separate sessions on three separate days. If you choose this option, each section will last two hours. Or, you can take all three sections as a combined test that lasts 4 ½ total hours. On the combined test, you’ll have 75 minutes to complete 46 multiple choice questions on reading comprehension and analysis; 75 minutes to complete 46 multiple choice questions on math skills and concepts; 38 minutes to complete 44 multiple choice questions on writing, grammar, and language choice; and 30 minutes to complete 1 written essay.

Each paper-and-pencil test can be taken as three separate, one-hour tests or as a combined test of three hours on one day. You’ll have 60 minutes to answer 40 multiple choice questions in the reading section, 60 minutes to answer 40 questions in the math section, 30 minutes to answer 38 questions in the writing and grammar section, and 30 minutes to complete one written essay.

The test questions are prepared by a team of teachers and faculty who design teacher preparatory programs. The designers must follow a rigorous set of standards to ensure that the resulting test material properly assesses the skills needed to be successful in an education program. The questions are reviewed by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) so that any cultural bias is removed and to ensure that each test item measures the desired skills.

The fees for the tests vary depending on whether they are taken by paper or computer and whether they are taken separately or together. For example, taking one section of the test by computer currently costs $80, while taking all three sections of the test by computer costs $130. For the paper tests, each section of the test costs $40 whether they are taken separately or together.