How Do I Score Well on the PRAXIS™ for Elementary Education?

In order to score well on the Praxis™ for elementary education, you must develop and follow a personalized self-study plan. After signing up for the exam, you must familiarize yourself with the format of the exam and the content it covers. After that, you can begin to acquire study materials. Creating a study schedule will help you make the best use of your time. Finally, taking practice exams at regular intervals will allow you to both measure your progress and improve your time management and test taking skills.

The Praxis™ for elementary education is developed by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). For all of its Praxis™ exams, ETS has on its website a Test at a Glance document. The one for the Praxis™ for elementary education breaks down the exam into topics covered, describes the format and even provides practice questions. Reading this document is a necessary first step in your self-study plan.

After you know what to expect on the Praxis™ for elementary education, you can begin to gather study materials. ETS sells both study guides and practice tests on its website. The high volume of test takers who sit for the Praxis™ for elementary education has led to other test preparation companies producing study materials. These study guides, sometimes less costly than those made by ETS, are available through different online retailers. If you cannot spare money to purchase study materials, free study guides created by previous test takers and teacher preparation colleges may exist online.

Creating a study schedule will allow you to make the best use of your time. Ideally, you should begin studying at least four weeks before your exam date. More time is necessary if you have just begun a teacher education program. Depending on your schedule, finding time may be difficult. Consistency is important though; setting aside the same block of time each day will making studying a habit you will less likely break. If possible, you may want to spend some time in an elementary classroom. Doing so will allow you to see firsthand the teaching skills the exam might cover.

No matter how you design your self-study plan, taking practice exams is essential to scoring well on the Praxis™ for elementary education. The results of practice exams show you where your gaps in knowledge still exist; you can modify your self-study plan if necessary. Equally important, though, practice exams give you the chance to improve upon your test taking and time management skills. Improving these two skills raise both your comfort level with the exam and final score.