Study Tips to Achieve a High PRAXIS Score

Educators face a number of hurdles on their quest to become certified classroom teachers. The PRAXIS exam is just one of the many challenges they face while preparing for a career in K-12 education. While many aspiring teachers see the PRAXIS exam as just another hurdle to jump in their race to the classroom, others experience serious test anxiety. Considering that a passing score on the PRAXIS exam is required for most certified teaching positions in the United States, it's understandable to feel some pressure about the test. Without a good score, dreams of launching your teaching career could be put on hold.

Thankfully, with the right amount of studying, practice tests and preparation, you can get the score you need. Use these tips to get a jump start on your PRAXIS prep:

Practice Makes Perfect on Standardized Testing

Standardized tests can be stressful. For aspiring teachers finishing up their degree program, the PRAXIS exam may be their first standardized testing experience in several years. Even those confident in the subject matter can feel overwhelmed by the test environment, format of the exam and strict rules. Thankfully, practice tests offer the opportunity to familiarize oneself with the PRAXIS exam. While replicating the exact experience of testing in a room full of strangers, practice tests can otherwise provide a peek into the timing, tools, and types of questions you'll face on the real exam.

If you're hoping to get the most out of your practice exams, make sure to give yourself plenty of time to take a few versions. Mimic the day of testing conditions, including turning off distractions like your cell phone and limiting the number of breaks you take. Of course, the debrief after the practice test is perhaps the most important part – you'll want to review your correct answers and understand why you got some questions wrong. Ultimately, you get out what you put in, so don't overlook practice tests as a valuable tool in your PRAXIS exam prep.

Review Test-Taking Strategies

If the last standardized test you took was the SAT or ACT, it's likely time for a review of the most effective test-taking strategies. While the PRAXIS exam is fairly straightforward in its format and material, it behooves aspiring teachers to reflect on what strategies have worked best in the past and use that information to inform their performance. Simple strategies like the process of elimination and reading questions thoroughly before answering can make a huge difference on your overall score

One test-taking strategy not to overlook? Checking your answers. While it's important to go with your gut and trust your instincts on every question on the PRAXIS exam, each answer is worth a second glance. Before you hit submit, make sure you've reviewed each and every question for clarity and ensure your answer is correct. Just a little extra effort can have a major impact on your overall score!

Find Your Tribe

Just as in life, finding a group to depend upon for PRAXIS exam studying is crucial to success. Not only do classmates make for great accountability partners, but they can also fill in gaps in your own knowledge. If you're great with math but need help with the reading comprehension portion of the test, finding a friend to help you review can be incredibly beneficial. Of course, this goes both ways – and as aspiring teachers know, the best way to learn material is to teach it to someone else!

Group studying can provide a number of other benefits. Because each person has their own unique skills and expertise, the use of traditional study tools like flashcards and outlines can feel fresh. Of course, getting together to blend traditional techniques with contemporary study "hacks" is also a great way to pool resources and effort.

Don't Neglect Self-Care

It's easy to become obsessed with PRAXIS exam prep. While a deep dive into the material is certainly worth your time, it's important not to neglect your self-care routine while doing so. Amidst your practice tests, study sessions and group meetings, remember to drink plenty of water and eat healthily. The night before the test, be sure to get a good night's sleep and have a hearty breakfast before entering the testing center.

One day, you'll recommend these same self-care tips to your students before they sit for exams. With that in mind, do what you'd expect of your students and prioritize your mental and physical health in the days and hours leading up to the PRAXIS exam. All the study tips in the world can't help if you don't take care of yourself first!

Use Online Resources

If you're eager to get your teaching career started, it's tempting to cram for the PRAXIS exam like your life depends on it. Rather than stress out about remembering everything you've learned about education, use online resources to study in a more organic way. Practice tests from Exam Edge can help you brush up on your studies and challenge you on the academic blind spots you might have otherwise overlooked.

Since we offer free sample practice tests to all our users, there's no reason not to dig into Exam Edge's offerings right away. Get started now by creating your account here!