General Test-Taking Advice

be directions for each type of question on the PRAXIS. Also, the E-T-S website has a

demonstration of the types of test questions if you would like to become more familiar with

them.

GENERAL TEST-TAKING ADVICE

Soon, we’ll review the reading, writing, and mathematics content that you’ll need to know in

order to do your best on the PRAXIS. But first, we will cover some general test-taking advice.

First. You need to develop a study plan. Decide when you will take the PRAXIS tests. Then,

develop a plan to prepare for each of the tests. Write it down, check it frequently, and stick to

it.

Second. Do not try to cram for the test. Studies show that this is not effective. Instead, spread

out your study sessions over as long of a time period as possible. It is much better to study for a

small amount each day than to study for hours and hours the day before the test.

Third. Do not study the night before the test. Instead, do something relaxing and go to bed

early.

Fourth. Eat a good breakfast on the day of the test. Research has shown that this improves test

performance. Don’t overeat, but be sure to consume some fat, protein, and water.

Fifth. Plan to arrive at the test center early. Be sure that you know how to get to the testing

center. This will allow you some time to get settled, as well as a time buffer in case something

goes wrong. You should plan on arriving about a half hour before the test is scheduled to begin.

Sixth. Dress in layers on test day. You can never know if the testing center will be hot or cold,

and either one can distract you from the test.

Seventh. Be sure to bring your admission ticket and a photo ID to the test center. You do not

need to bring pens or pencils—the testing center will provide these for you. Do not bring any

electronics to the testing center, including a calculator. Testing center workers are likely to ask

you to remove jewelry, scarves, headbands, and other similar items, so it is best to just leave

these at home. You may not bring scratch paper, but you will be provided some.

Eighth. Be prepared to be examined at the testing center to be sure that you haven’t brought

any notes or other prohibited items. You may be asked, for example, to take off your eyeglasses

and allow the testing center worker to examine them.

Ninth. Stay calm during the test. If you find yourself getting stressed out or panicky, close your

eyes and take a few slow, deep breaths.

Tenth. You should answer every question on the PRAXIS, even if you do not know the answer.

Some tests give you a penalty for wrong answers, but the PRAXIS is not one of those tests. This

means that it is to your advantage to answer all of the questions, even if you are just randomly

guessing. If you are about to run out of time, pick one letter and answer all of the remaining

questions using that one letter. This will maximize your chances of earning the highest possible

score on the PRAXIS.

Eleventh. Be careful to read all of the directions carefully. If you overlook the word “not,”

“except,” “least,” or “always” in the question, you are likely to choose the wrong answer. If you

didn’t realize that you were supposed to mark more than one correct answer, you are likely to

lose points on that question.

Twelfth. Use the process of elimination. Here is how that works: if you are having a hard time

with a question, change your perspective from asking yourself, “What is the correct answer?”

to asking yourself, “Which answers are wrong?” Here is an example of how that might work.

Question: How far is it from New York to Los Angeles?

A. twenty-seven miles

B. two hundred miles

C. three thousand miles

D. twenty thousand miles

You may not know the actual distance from New York to Los Angeles, but you probably had no

difficulty answering that question correctly because the wrong answers are so obviously wrong.

You were able to eliminate the incorrect options, and the only option left was the correct

answer. Now, the PRAXIS probably won’t have any questions where the answers are so

obviously wrong—and it won’t have any geography questions, either—but this question is a

good illustration of the process of elimination. So, remember, if you get stuck, use the process

of elimination to ask yourself which answers are wrong. Then choose from the remaining

answer options.

This concludes this introductory chapter to the PRAXIS. Next, we will prepare for the reading

test.