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Buffy Thomas

Professor Teri Wyckoff

Education 299

11 February 2018

Praxis Core Exam Analysis

As potential educators, Education students must diligently seek after knowledge in order

to effectively teach others. Indeed, before issuing a teaching license, most states require

educators to pass the Reading, Writing, and Mathematics Praxis Core Academic Skills Exams to

certify to be a teacher. In the state of Nevada, candidates must receive a minimum qualifying

score of 156 in Reading, 162 in Writing, and 150 in Mathematics (“Nevada Test Requirements”).

To that end, all Education students are required to pass the Reading, Writing, and Mathematics

Praxis Core Exams before acceptance into a bachelors level Education and Early Childhood

program at UNLV, NSC, or UNR. As an Education Major, I must sufficiently prepare myself,

through study and the use of practice tests, to pass the required Praxis Core Exams.

Preparing for the practice, Praxis Core Tests increased my probability of success. I do

not like to fail. A score that falls below the minimum requirement for Nevada would constitute a

failure in my eyes. Therefore, I studiously poured over hours of material before taking the Praxis

practice tests on the Teacher’s Test Prep website. Although I studied all three core subjects, I

found myself spending more time reviewing and reteaching myself mathematical concepts.

During the course of my preparation, I utilized websites such as Khan Academy, Mometrix Test

Preparation, as well as educational videos found on YouTube to study in the three core subject
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areas. Over the past two weeks, I spent fifty hours in preparation for the Praxis practice tests.

Yet, I still was not satisfied with my results.

According to my results for the Reading, Writing, and Math practice tests, I have a solid

foundation of the concepts, yet improvement is needed. I scored 81% in Math and 88% in

Writing, which means that I am “likely” to pass Math and Writing when I take the official Praxis

Core Exams. In Reading, I scored a 79%, which means my chances of passing the Reading

exam are “borderline,” or uncertain. Thus, there is room for improvement in each subject.

Fortunately, Teacher’s Test Prep has divided the core subjects into subcategories; this provides

further understanding of the areas in which increased understanding is needed. According to my

practical test diagnoses, I am “very likely to pass” the following subcategories in Mathematics:

number and quality, algebra and functions, and geometry. However, “improvement is needed” in

statistics and probability. In Writing, I am “likely to pass” language and research skills for

writing, yet “substantial improvement is needed” in text types, purposes and production. Finally,

in Reading I am “likely to pass” key ideas and details, and craft, structure and language skills,

although, I am “borderline” in integration of knowledge and ideas.

On the whole, future exam preparation is needed to boost my chances of success of

passing the official Praxis Core Exams. The practice tests’ diagnoses will help focus my study

efforts on the areas I need the most improvement in. I will continue to utilize the internet to

review core concepts and practice questions from ETS and other Praxis preparation websites.

Specifically, I focus on statistics and probability in Mathematics; text types, purposes, and

production in Writing; and integration of knowledge and ideas in Reading. At this time, I do not

intend to take a CSN Praxis review course or seek tutoring. Self review appears to provide an
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effective means in preparing myself for taking the official Praxis Core Exams. Moreover, I feel a

degree of compulsion to continue with my study efforts, then schedule my official Praxis Core

Exams as soon as possible, while the information is fresh in my mind.

In a letter to John Quincy Adams in March 1780, Abigail Adams wrote, “Learning is not

attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardour and attended to with diligence” (“The

Adams Papers”). I will ardently seek after learning to pass the Reading, Writing, and

Mathematics Praxis Core Exams to move ahead with my goal to obtain a Bachelor’s degree in

Education. I will do this by focusing my study efforts on my weakest areas in Reading, Writing,

and Mathematics and through the use of online practice tests. Through my diligent efforts to

seek after learning, I will ultimately become a more effective educator.


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Works Cited

“Nevada Test Requirements." ETS Praxis, 08 Feb. 2018, www.ets.org/praxis/nv/requirements.

“The Adams Papers.” Massachusetts Historical Society, 08 Feb. 2018, www.masshist.org/

publications/apde2/view?id=ADMS-04-03-02-0240.