Praxis Core Exam Analysis 1

Praxis Core Exam Analysis

Adam Denzler

College of Southern Nevada

Praxis Core Exam Analysis 2

Men and women across the United States must pass a multitude of tests in order to become a

certified teacher, exams like: CBEST in California, the NYSTCE in New York, or the Praxis exam.

Praxis derives its meaning from ancient Greece where it meant to embody or enact a skill or lesson.

This name is quite fitting for an exam that measures a teachers knowledge of the subject(s) they will be

imparting upon students. Passing the Praxis Exam is not only required to achieve a teaching certificate,

it was designed to provide comprehensive assessments that measure the skills and content knowledge

of candidates entering teacher preparation programs (Praxis Core, 2017). Scores needed to pass the

Praxis range depending upon the core subject being tested. There are three core components to the

Praxis Exam: reading, writing, and mathematics. To successfully pass the exam, a score of 156 must be

accrued for reading, 162 for writing, and 150 for mathematics. Based on these high requirements it is

obvious this test is not to be taken lightly because it can be challenging for those that are unprepared.

For those, like I, who were not prepared for the test (or pre-test) at all, it came as an extreme

awakening. It wasn't simply how much preparation I needed before the real exam, it was how much I

had forgotten since I had taken courses that worked on these core subjects. Simple things like line

equations, leaf-and-stem plots, and square roots stumped me. With the use of a phone calculator and

the world wide web, I was able to gather mediocre scores on every test.

Each test was challenging for different reasons. I started with the mathematics portion of the

exam. 60 never ending questions that began innocently enough, but then like some Greek creature of

myth, it ensnared me in with its relentless questioning, and I felt my mind go to stone. The internet

came to my rescue. To some, cheating; to me a refresher course, since I have not taken a math course

in ten years. Despite having the entirety of knowledge in the palm of my hands, I still scored a 72%,

borderline passing, the yellow zone. After a short stretching break later I came back and attacked the

reading portion next. I felt confident logging on, even after the brain sucking mathematics portion of

the exam. Reading is what I do, I recently read all of the Saturday Night Live ladies autobiographies,
Praxis Core Exam Analysis 3

so I thought this test would be a cake-walk. I scored 61%. Horrified, I viewed my graded exam I

discovered I had completely missed the point on several questions; Though, several correct answers

could be to the bank contestable. I took a break after reading, my eyes burned from staring at a

computer screen for so long. I came back to complete my final examination: writing. I have never

thought of myself as a particularly strong academic writer. I use humor, more asides then Shakespeare,

and a lot of pop-culture references; it just never seemed to fit with major academia. I enjoy writing, but

to do so in testing form under time constraints and fluorescent bulbs is a challenge. It took the longest

to complete this test. The multiple choice questions flew by, but it was the essays that took nearly an

hour and a half to complete. I scored the highest at 75%, still borderline passing, but the best out of the

bunch. A lot more studying is going to be needed for me to pass this test.

A game plan has been set for how I am going to prepare for this test. I ran out right after the

practice tests and purchased a practice test. I will make a prudent effort to study at least once a day for

even a few minutes, my goal is ten hours a week. Along with daily multiple choice study, I will

attempt to sit down and write a complete essay with-in a set time period. Not only will I focus on the

core curriculum needed to pass this exam, but I will focus on the type of questions asked and what the

examiners are looking for in answers. Sun Tzu, in his famous The Art of War wrote ... what is of

supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy's strategy (Tzu, S.1971). This is the strategy needed

for me to successfully pass these exams. I find it easier to take and pass tests once I know what type of

questions are being asked. It is a long trek ahead to passing the Praxis Exam and becoming a certified

teacher. Time, effort and determination is required.

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References

Tzu, S. (1971). The Art of War (p. 63). Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. Retrieved

from https://web.stanford.edu/class/polisci211z/1.1/Sun%20Tzu.pdf

Who takes the tests and why?. (2017). In Praxis core academic skills for educators tests overview.

Retrieved April 6, 2017, from https://www.ets.org/praxis/about/core