Ariana Martinez

Praxis Core Exam Analysis

Exam Requirements

The Praxis Core Exam is used to measure academic skills of aspiring educators.

The exam contains the following three sections: Mathematics, Reading, and Writing. The

qualifying scores are 150 for Mathematics, 156 for Reading, and 162 for Writing. It is a

requirement in the state of Nevada for aspiring teachers to pass the Praxis Core Exam

before they may pursue a Bachelor’s in Education and enroll in any education courses at

University of Las Vegas Nevada, Nevada State College, or University of Nevada Reno.

Exam Preparation

There are many free resources available to assist students in preparing for the

Praxis Core Exam. One of the most helpful tools in preparing for the Praxis Core Exam is

the Praxis Practice Test which allows you to take two free practice tests for each of the

categories. Prior to taking version 1 of the practice test, I spent most of my time studying

for the Mathematics portion of the exam since I normally perform weakest in this subject.

I primarily utilized Khan Academy’s videos and quizzes. This was my first time using

this website and I was pleasantly surprised about how easy it was for me to retain the

information. I also spent time on YouTube watching videos that summarized grammar

rules to refresh my memory. Before committing to the Practice Praxis Core Exam, I

attempted the practice questions provided by ETS in the Study Companion for all three

categories. Although I spent many hours this week preparing for the Practice Praxis

Exam, I have only begun to scratch the surface of what is needed for me to comfortably

pass.
Exam Results

Once I completed the Practice Praxis Core Exam, I was surprised by all my

results. I scored 75% in Mathematics, which means I am on the “borderline” of passing

or failing. There are four subcategories within the Mathematics quiz; I placed over 80%

in “Number and Quantity” and “Algebra and Functions” and 54% in both “Geometry”

and “Statistics and Probability.” I scored a 61% in Reading, which means I need

improvement in order to pass. There are three subcategories for the Reading exam; I

placed 57% in both “Key Ideas and Details” and “Integration of Knowledge and Ideas”

and a 66% in the “Craft, Structure and Language Skills.” I scored 78% on the Writing

exam which means I am on the “borderline” for passing or failing. There are two

subcategories for the Writing exam; I scored a 76% on the “Language and Research

Skills for Writing” subcategory and only 27% on the “Text Types, Purposes and

Production.”

Future Exam Preparation

There is a lot of room for me to grow in each of the categories for the Praxis Core

Exam and luckily there are many paths I can take to take prepare myself. I will begin by

looking over the study guide provided by the Teacher’s Test Prep website. Following

that, I will utilize the study plans provided by ETS as I review the Study Companion for

each category. I also plan to continue using Khan Academy as a studying tool. I plan to

see a tutor this summer. When I feel confident in my progress, I will take the second

version of the Practice Praxis Exam and assess where I need to further push myself. After

completing all these steps, I know I will be able to pass the Praxis Core Exam and begin

the next step in pursuing my dream career.