C. President Kennedy’s wife was popular with the press D. President Kennedy’s older brother had died during World War Two All four of those answer choices are factually accurate statements. But only one of them can be the correct answer choice. The question was asking specifically about why a manned trip to the moon was important, and only option A answers the question. So remember: an answer choice can be factually accurate and contain true information without being the correct answer to the question. This may be different from tests that you have taken in the past, so do not be confused when you see multiple answer choices with information that is factually correct. Remember to focus on what the question is asking you. The PRAXIS Reading test questions are divided into twelve skill areas. We will now look at each of those twelve areas.
TYPE ONE: THE MAIN IDEA You have probably been learning about the main idea since you were in elementary school. Of course, when this concept is tested on the PRAXIS, its presentation will be a little more sophisticated than what a young student learns. For one thing, you may find questions about the main idea that use other language, such as: Which of the following is the best summary of this passage? Which of the following would be the best title for this passage? What is the core concept in this passage? What is the theme of this passage? What is the author’s primary purpose in this passage? All of these questions are asking you to reflect on the main idea of the passage. If you are struggling to figure out what the main idea is, it can be helpful to first think about the topic. You should be able to state the topic in just a few words, such as “The Gilded Age” or “scorpions.” Once you have identified the topic, ask yourself, “What is the author saying about
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