How Do I Score Well on Praxis I® Reading?

In order to score well on the Praxis I® Reading, you must create and follow a study plan that meets your specific needs and situation. Knowing the structure and content of the test is essential for scoring well. After that, gathering study materials and creating an appropriate study schedule allows you to efficiently use your study time. Finally, taking practice tests at the beginning, middle and end of your self study program gives you the opportunity to measure your progress and improve test taking skills.

The Praxis I® Reading exam is a 40-question, multiple choice exam generally used to gain admission to teacher training programs in the United States. No states use the Praxis I® exams to grant teacher licensure/certification. The Educational Testing Service (ETS), maker of the Praxis™ series of exams, provides a Test at a Glance document on its website for all exams. Reading this document will give you all the basic information about the test including the information/skills tested. The Test at a Glance even provides practice test questions.

After you understand what is required for the Praxis I® Reading, you can begin to gather study materials. Considering how the exam evaluates only your reading comprehension, studying content knowledge is not necessary. That being the case, acquiring full-length practice tests from ETS or another test preparation company may be your best option. ETS sells practice exams through its website while other preparation materials are sold through different online retailers. If you are on a budget or for another reason cannot acquire materials specific to the Praxis I® Reading, acquiring studying materials for other standardized exams that include a similar reading section may provide some benefit.

Creating a study plan involves more than attaining appropriate study materials. You must consider your schedule and the amount of time you have before test day. Knowing these two pieces of information is important so you can set some time aside each day to study. Thirty minutes to an hour is recommended. Though you may already work or study full time, a consistent study plan will lead to better results on the Praxis I® Reading.

Though practice tests may be the best study materials for the Praxis I® Reading, they are important for a second, equally important reason. Many years may have passed since you took a standardized test. Practice tests give you the chance to improve your time management and test taking skills. In addition, taking multiple practice tests lets you gauge your improvement over time.