Teacher Education Content Exams

Last update: August, 2005

Students completing their professional education programs after August 31, 2004, must take and pass an approved content examination. These tests, the Praxis II: Subject Assessments/Specialty Area Tests, are offered through the Educational Testing Service (ETS). No candidate may be waived from taking the required Praxis II test for their license area. Find the list of tests, the test numbers, and minimum passing scores at this website: http://www.ets.org/praxis/prxwi.html#prxII.

IMPORTANT: UW-Madison teacher education students must take and pass the exam for their program area before beginning their final student teaching semester.

Students completing multiple licensing areas--either as a major or a minor--must take a test in each licensing area; for example, a student completing a Secondary Math major and a Physics minor must test in both subjects. Elementary Education students are NOT required to take a content test in their minor area EXCEPT (1) when students are completing a foreign language minor for certification or (2) when students completing the Middle Childhood through Early Adolescence program option wish to be certified in their minor area of Health, Theatre, or English as a Second Language (ESL).

Test Exemptions

Students in the Communicative Disorders undergraduate program do not have to take the content test now; it will be required upon completion of the Master's degree. Students completing a licensing program in the less frequently taught foreign languages (e.g., Japanese or Chinese) are also exempt from the testing requirement at this time.

Test Registration and Administration

Students must register online through the ETS website, www.ets.org/praxis. Direct questions about registration to 609-771-7395 or praxis@ets.org.

• To find the name and number of the test(s) you need to take: Select "Wisconsin" under the State Requirements tab along the top of the ETS Praxis page. Scroll down to the "What are the Praxis II: Subject Assessment Requirements?" heading and find your licensing area. The first digit of the test number indicates the session during which the test is offered. You will need these numbers to proceed with your registration.
• To register online: Select the "Online Registration" tab across the top. To avoid late registration fees, you must register approximately one month before the actual test date.
• Costs: Each test costs $75 with a non-refundable $40 registration fee for a total of $115. The registration fee is paid only once if signing up for two tests on the same day. If two required tests are offered at the same time, they must be taken on different test days and students must pay two registration fees.

Space is limited. Only a certain number of test takers can be accommodated in any one subject at any one test site. Moreover, most test sites will be administering the PPST on the same date. Special accommodations may be made for students whose primary language is not English and/or students with disabilities. Consult the website.

IMPORTANT: Be sure to indicate the correct "Attending Institution/Recipient Code" for UW-Madison School of Education. This is RA1846. Using the wrong recipient code will prevent scores from reaching EAS and may require students to pay ETS to re-send their scores.

Tests are two hours long with a multiple-choice question format. Unlike the Praxis I/PPST, computerized versions of the Praxis II tests are not available. See below for important test information related to specific subject areas.

Test Preparation

• Subject Area study guides. ETS has published study guides for many of the tests; more will be available in the near future. Go to the website at www.ets.org/praxis and select "Study Guides" under the Test Preparation tab. Most of the guides cost $25-$40. The CIMC has purchased copies of the guides.
• Tests at a Glance. Students can find a great deal of free information about an individual test under Tests at a Glance, in the Test Preparation section of the website. Find information about each test, the topics covered, and ten or so sample questions (with the answers).

Information Regarding Specific Subjects or Program Areas

• Elementary Education
  • Early Childhood through Middle Childhood. Students completing this option take test number 0014, Elementary Education: Content Knowledge Test. The test has four sections--Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science--with each containing approximately 25% of the test questions. A scientific or four-function, non-programmable calculator is permitted.
  • Middle Childhood through Early Adolescence. Students in this licensing option take the Middle School: Content Knowledge Test, number 0146. The test has four sections, each approximately 25% of test: Literature and Language Studies, Mathematics, History/Social Studies, and Science. A scientific or four-function, non-programmable calculator is permitted.
    
• English. Students in English, Journalism, and Speech Communication (not Theatre) take the same test, number 0041, English Language, Literature, and Composition: Content Knowledge. It includes three categories with these approximate percentages of the examination: Reading and Understanding Text, 55%; Language and Linguistics, 15%; Composition and Rhetoric, 30%.
• World Languages, Music, and ESL. The tests in these areas include taped listening sections.
• Secondary Mathematics. A graphing calculator is required.
• Special Education. All students seeking a license in Special Education take the Middle School: Content Knowledge Test, number 0146, the same one taken by the Middle Childhood through Early Adolescence students in Elementary Education.
• Social Studies. One test is taken by all Social Studies students, number 0081, Social Studies: Content Knowledge. The test includes six categories divided in this manner: United States History, 22%; World History, 22%; Government/Civics/Political Science, 16%; Geography, 15%; Economics, 15%; Behavioral Sciences (Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology), 10%.
• Science. One test is taken by all Science students, number 0435, General Science: Content Knowledge. The test includes five categories with the approximate percentage of the examination distributed as follows: Scientific Methodology, Techniques, and History, 10%; The Physical Sciences, 40%; The Life Sciences, 20%; The Earth Sciences, 20%; Science, Technology, 10%.

Comments or Problems: easinfo@education.wisc.edu.
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