What are the Praxis assessments?
Praxis is ancient Greek that roughly translated means: to practice. The Praxis Series tests are part of a national testing program that replaces the old national Teachers Exam (NTE). What is meant by national is most states use these tests. The advantage of taking these tests is that, if you want to move to another state, you can transfer your scores to that state. Passing scores are set by the individual states, however, so if you do plan to apply for a teaching license in another state, you may find that passing scores are different.
So, What is the Praxis exactly?
The Praxis Series are assessments for teacher candidates administered by a company called Educational Testing Services (ETS). The number of assessments required depends on the content area in which a candidate will teach. There are two main tests, the Praxis I, Academic Skills Test, and the Praxis II, Subject Assessments, which consist of multiple choice and short essay questions.
Praxis I assesses basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills and is required for all candidates. Praxis I assess subject matter and pedagogy skills in one of twenty-five (25) content areas. In content areas without an assessment, the teacher candidates only need to pass Praxis I. To put it another way, the Praxis II: Subject Assessments are designed by ETS to assess your knowledge of the subject area you plan to teach. They are a part of the licensing procedure in many states. The subject tests assess your knowledge of the actual content you hope to be licensed to teach. Maryland has adopted the Praxis Series tests because it wants to be certain that you have achieved a specified level of mastery of your subject area before it grants you a license to teach in a classroom.
The State Board of Education in Maryland (MSDE) approved Praxis qualifying scores in February 1999 and plans to review Maryland candidate performance in the following years to consider raising the qualifying scores.
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The passing scores for the Praxis I are:
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National Average
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Maryland
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Virginia
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Math =
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172
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177
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178
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Reading =
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172
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177
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178
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Writing =
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171
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173
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176
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In place of Praxis I, MD will accept the following options from candidates:
• SAT taken after 2005, math and critical reading composite score of 1100;
• SAT taken between 4/95 and 2005, math and verbal composite score of 1100;
• SAT taken prior to 4/95, math and verbal composite score of 1000;
• ACT composite score of 24;
• GRE math and verbal composite score of 1000.
If the SAT score is on the official transcript for approved program graduates, that will suffice, if not, a copy of your SAT/ACT/GRE official report should be sent to:
Division of Certification and Accreditation
Maryland State Department of Education
200 West Baltimore Street
Baltimore, MD 21201-2595
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The only state that has required scores higher than Maryland's is Virginia.
Four Steps to Success:
(1) Learn what the test covers.
(2) Honestly assess how well you know the content.
(3) Collect the materials you need to study.
(4) Plan and organize your time.
Additional Information about the Praxis Exams
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