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Home Teacher Education and Clinical Practice Praxis

Praxis Exam Information

Candidates that need to take either the Core Academic Skills for Educators (Core) Tests or any of the Praxis II Series exams should visit the ETS Tennessee Praxis Homepage for a list of required exams, a store for purchasing test prep, a calendar of test dates & times, online registration for your exams and more. Candidates registering for Praxis exams must enter the following codes when indicating where scores will be sent:

University of Memphis 1459
Tennessee Department of Education 8190

It is important for candidates to enter their social security number on the registration form and the examination form. If candidates fail to do so, their scores will not be identifiable by the College of Education or the Tennessee Department of Education for licensure purposes. ETS charges a fee to reissue scores with Social Security Numbers.

Exam Requirements for Undergraduates and Graduates

View the Praxis Exams required for certification by subject, including test numbers, test dates and passing scores.

Undergraduate Praxis Test Requirements >
Graduate Praxis Test Requirements >

Praxis Scholarships

COE Undergraduate Scholarships

  • Scholarship Eligibility Requirements
    • Applicants must be full-time undergraduate Juniors enrolled in the College of Education at the University of Memphis who will complete their Residency between the Fall and Spring semesters.
    • Applicants must have an overall GPA of 2.75
    • Applicants must major in Teaching All Learners (TALN), Human Development and Learning (HDVL) or Secondary Math (SCED Math)
    • 2023 Scholarship deadline, March 15, 2023
  • Learn more and apply to the Scholarship here >.

Additional Scholarships

  • PraxisExam.org Teacher Scholarship for Future Teachers > deadline June 1
  • "Pass the Torch" Teacher Scholarships > deadline July 31
  • Study.com Praxis scholarships for various groups > deadline May 1
    • Examples of scholarship-eligible groups include: Military Spouse Scholarship | Military members and Veterans | Latin American Students | Black Students | Navajo Nation Scholarships | Future Teachers | First-gen college student | Students diagnosed with ADHD | LGBTQ+ students | Students with disabilities | DACA students | Cherokee students | Students with dyslexia | Pacific Islander students | Children of first responders | Alaska Native Students | Children of Teachers | Transgender students | Homeschool students | undergraduate students.

Study Resources

  • Beyond the Test YouTube Channel features help, tips, and strategies for college prep tests like the ACT. The narrator goes through real examples and walks through the strategies for choosing options and understanding the material.
  • Magoosh offers a variety of ACT resources such as short video lessons in each subject area that target different concerns (i.e. like commas or semicolons within the English test), diagnostic tests and practice exams.
  • Varsity Tutors also provides various diagnostic tests that point out target areas for test takers to focus on while studying. There are also many practice exam options in the different subject areas, click each subject area to view resources.
  • The ACT website >  has various resources for students. Preparing for the ACT Test > (also offered in Spanish) features an overview of the test, expectations, full length practice test, answer/scoring key, content breakdown and test-taking strategies.  

FAQs

  • What is the Praxis Core?
    • The Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators tests your academic ability in three subtests: Reading, Writing, and Mathematics. Mastery in these areas is essential for all teacher candidates. These tests measure the skills and knowledge of candidates entering teacher preparation programs.
  • How much does the Praxis Core cost?
    • The Praxis Core Combined (5752) consists of all three tests and costs $150. If you register for the subtests individually, the cost is $90per test ($180 for two subtests, $270 for all three subtests).
    • If you need to take all three subtests, the Praxis Core Combined (5752) is the cheapest option. If you do not pass all three sections of the test, but pass one or two subtests, you can register to retake the subtest(s) that you did not pass individually rather than retaking the combined test.
  • How long is the Praxis Core?
    • Praxis Core Reading (5713) – 85 minutes to answer 56 selected-response questions.
    • Praxis Core Writing (5723) – 40 minutes to answer 40 selected-response questions and 60 minutes to answer two essay prompts (30 minutes for each).
    • Praxis Core Mathematics (5733) – 85 minutes to answer 56 selected-response questions.
  • What do I need to score to pass the Praxis Core subtests? 
    • The state of Tennessee requires the following scores on each Praxis Core subtest:
      • Reading – 156
      • Writing – 162
      • Mathematics – 150
  • Additional information regarding the Praxis Core exam can be found on the ETS website.

Study Resources

Helpful Websites
  • Study.com offers a free online test prep resource for the Praxis Core exam. You can learn more and create your free account here.
  • Teacherstestprep.com> also has free Praxis resources as well as additional resources available for purchase. With the creation of a free account, you will have access to free practice tests for each Praxis Core subtest.
Study Guides

Praxis 5355 (Special Education: Foundational Knowledge) - Study Guide > / Study Plan >
Praxis 5547 (Special Education: Severe to Profound) - Study Guide > / Study Plan >

YouTube Resources

The Office of Teacher Education has created a list of YouTube videos that can be used as a study resource to help you prepare for the Praxis Core.

Library Resources

There are study resources available to University of Memphis students through the library's database search system.

  • Go to the University Libraries webpage> and click on the "Search Databases" tab.
  • Then, type in "Testing & Education Reference Center" in the search box.
  • On the next page, click on "Testing & Education Reference Center."
  • Click on career at the top of the page (above "What type of student are you?") and select "teacher".
  • From here, you can access online practice exams and test prep e-books. You must create an account to use these materials.

Tips for Taking the Praxis Core

  • Studying is crucial to success. At least four weeks prior to your test date, take a practice test for each of the three tested subjects: Reading, Writing, and Mathematics.
  • Review your scores for each practice test and review the questions you answered incorrectly. Understanding why your answers were wrong will help you to better understand the test material.
  • Review the tests' topics covered listed in ETS's Praxis Study Companion. Click each test subject to see the Praxis Study Companion >.
  • Should you guess if you do not know the answer? Yes!
    • Your scores are based on the number of questions you answer correctly. There are no penalties for incorrect answers; therefore, it is to your advantage to answer every question.
  • Make sure to be aware of how much time you have remaining on each test to ensure that you have time to answer each question.
  • Eliminate incorrect answers first so that you have a greater chance of selecting the correct response.
  • Make sure to get plenty of sleep the night before the exam. Being well rested will improve your memory recall, which can increase your test scores!

Library Resources

Tennessee Electronic Library

The Tennessee Electronic Library > offers free resources for The Praxis Core and Praxis Content Examinations (Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Mathematics, Chemistry, Work and U.S. History, Biology, Library Media Specialist, and School Leadership). This resource also offers general test preparation. 

240 Tutoring

240 Tutoring is an online system that provides online, self-directed Praxis preparation for most Praxis examinations. As a UofM student, you can request to use the system here. After requesting a registration, look out for an email to sign up for your 240 tutoring account with 48 hours. Please sign up for 240 tutoring no earlier than 1-2 months prior to taking the exam.

Request a 240 Tutoring Account Here> 

Learn with Chegg

Chegg > is a free learning resource that provides students with comprehensive information on a wide range of topics spanning relevant coursework like Chemistry, Biology, Economics, Statistics and more! 

Study.com

Prepare for your next Praxis exam with Study.com's > comprehensive Praxis study guides. With engaging lessons, practice tests and additional learning resources, we'll help you master all the concepts you'll need to know for your upcoming teacher certification exam.