Praxis 5001 - took and passed! Thoughts and tips

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ladybee4

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Hey!

I took the Praxis 5001 yesterday and much to my surprise appear to have passed all four sections. Thought I would share thoughts and tips in case it can help anyone. I am generally not a good test taker and have been out of school/work for over 12 years raising kids.

Had a month to study for the test. I freaked out midway through the month when I realized how tough the tests would be. Basically gave up studying after that. I studied social studies for 1.5-2w about an hour a day, and LA very briefly. I did not study math or science at all. I did take the praxis math core last year though, so some of that knowledge was still in my head. I took the RVE (reading for VA educators) last month, and gained reading/la knowledge studying for that test. I figured if I was lucky I could MAYBE pass one or two sections in in the first go, and take the individual tests later on. I did purchase this study guide on Amazon, but only got around to studying 1/3 of the book (all the SS!).
Praxis II Elementary Educations (5001) by Mometrix (yellow and black book with "SECRETS" on cover

The study guide is laid out very well. The videos on youtube (type in Mometrix and a subject) were invaluable! I am a visual learner and these REALLY help. I would listen to the SS/history when driving the kids around. The girl who does SS is my favorite and though her videos are wordy, they were a discussion and helped me remember so much.

My exit scores were LA - 169, Math - 165, SS - 163, Science - 173 (needed 157, 157, 155, 159 to pass)

LA - You def need to know about prefix/suffix, prosody, and onset/rime. Those have been all my tests. Need to know the basics of noun, pronoun, adjective, verb. There were several passages I had to read and figure out the main point, the tone etc. Several questions on ELL and the best ways to teach them. A lot of these are common sense if you break the question down.

Math - Most of the math questions looked scarier than they actually were. I knew very few formulas and was able to figure things out by breaking them down. This part was the least fun for sure. Definitely need to know PEMDAS and solving basic equations. How to find the volume of a figure. Take your time here.

SS - Not going to lie, the toughest section. The problem it that you really need to know so much information so you can compare and link things together in different time periods. The youtube videos and study guide were invaluable to me here! Most questions required critical thinking and understanding of various events to answer one question. There were a lot more questions on economics, trade, market economy etc. than I was expecting. Should have studied that a LOT more, made best guesses. Need to know basics of WWI and WWII specifically why we entered each and the impact of each. Learn about Louis and Clark, The Missouri Compromise, Louisiana purchase, and the Cold War. Also some questions of where the equator, prime meridian is etc. Unless you are really good at history/ss I would spend the most time studying here. This is info you just have to learn.

Science - I did not study science at all and am not a natural. Most of the questions are common sense honestly. I was able to link life experiences and general knowledge to help. Several questions about classes of animals and vertebrate/invertebrate. Questions on type of rocks formations, one on the planets, electrons/protons, dna, know the basic organ systems, know common scientists, read about insulin and glucose, liquid/solid/gas specifics, basics of motion and force. I believe the only reason I knew these answers was because I did some homeschool with my 4yo last year.

My biggest recommendation is to remain calm and really dissect the test questions and possible answers. There were MANY questions that seemed impossible at first glance. After reading them again slowly and connecting knowledge I was able to narrow down the answers and make educated guesses. A lot of the questions aren't really as hard as they seem, the language can just be overwhelming.

Good luck!!
 
Thank you I was just looking for some advice on how to study for the Praxis II, this was helpful. I feel so overwhelmed and I do not know where to begin...
 
LadyBee4, Congrats on the pass, and thank you for this post! It is quite helpful. I will be taking both the Praxis 5001 and RVE next month (on short notice). I have a few questions regarding both, if you don't mind taking some time to answer.

I bought the "Secrets" book, you mentioned for both tests. Are the practice tests in the book harder than the actual 5001? I paid for a set of practice exams through ETS (Form 1) and found them to be WAY easier that what's in the Mometrix. I passed both the science and social studies tests from ETS only missing 3 questions and only missed 2 on the math. I didn't do nearly as well on the Mometrix tests. I almost feel ETS practice test was so easy, they're trying to set me up to fail, so I'd have to pay to retake. How did the actual 5001 compare to the Mometrix practice?

Regarding the RVE, was it harder than what's on the LA section in the 5001? I had originally planned on taking this in July, after taking a graduate reading course, but had to push it up early. I passed the middle school language arts (Praxis 5047) easily, but that was more literature based. The RVE more about reading stages and process, phonemic awareness, etc., so I'm a bit worried about it. Haven't dug too deeply into the study guide for that yet, so any tips you have for RVE would be appreciated.

Thanks so much!!
 
5KidsMom said:
LadyBee4, Congrats on the pass, and thank you for this post! It is quite helpful. I will be taking both the Praxis 5001 and RVE next month (on short notice). I have a few questions regarding both, if you don't mind taking some time to answer.

I bought the "Secrets" book, you mentioned for both tests. Are the practice tests in the book harder than the actual 5001? I paid for a set of practice exams through ETS (Form 1) and found them to be WAY easier that what's in the Mometrix. I passed both the science and social studies tests from ETS only missing 3 questions and only missed 2 on the math. I didn't do nearly as well on the Mometrix tests. I almost feel ETS practice test was so easy, they're trying to set me up to fail, so I'd have to pay to retake. How did the actual 5001 compare to the Mometrix practice?

Regarding the RVE, was it harder than what's on the LA section in the 5001? I had originally planned on taking this in July, after taking a graduate reading course, but had to push it up early. I passed the middle school language arts (Praxis 5047) easily, but that was more literature based. The RVE more about reading stages and process, phonemic awareness, etc., so I'm a bit worried about it. Haven't dug too deeply into the study guide for that yet, so any tips you have for RVE would be appreciated.

Thanks so much!!
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I felt like the practice tests in the book were harder. I got so discouraged after the social studies one I did little of the others. The SS def seemed harder. On the actual test I was able to make educated guesses based on what I had studied. SS links together in different way and the more I knew and easier it was to narrow down the choices. I didn't take the paid ets test, but the free questions and study guide seemed more of a good indicator.

I felt like the RVE was harder, but it is also different. More about how your would teach and not just general LA questions. But when I took the RVE I only had to study one subject so that made me feel more confident as well. For the RVE I just printed off everything I could find online and started studying. You have to move past just knowing the definitions and really think about how to applies to teaching children those concepts and the challenges that might arrise
 
Yeah I'm really curious as to how well the official practice tests you pay for (bought the 5001 practice form 2) prepare you for the actual exam. Im taking the test in a couple weeks but heard from multiple people all published books are now outdated and don't really help.

I also noticed there are 2 versions of the practice test but the 2nd form is said to have been published in sept of 2016 (supposedly around when the test was revised?) versus form 1 which was published in 2014.

not much info on that anywhere and not sure which sources of information regarding what to study are the most accurate. Really don't want to take this test more than once.

any feedback from people who have been down this road would be appreciated to help best prepare.

one other question: if i had to retake the praxis how quickly can i book a retake? Can you book another test before you take your first one just to secure a seat in case you need to retake? I'm aware of the 21 day time period that must elapse but it seems testing centers are first come first serve (trying to get this testing done ASAP)
 
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Hey! I'm taking 5004 SS this Friday. I've been studying various books, taking pretests and making flash cards. This will be my third time taking this test. The past two times, it has seemed like nothing I studied was on the tests. I've got to pass this test by a deadline or I'll lose my job. Please help! Do any of you have suggestions on what to study?
 
I decided to go ahead and take the praxis 5001 multiple subtest. I took the praxis 5018 (3) times and was unsuccessful. I feel I am stronger in the reading/language arts section so I have decided to schedule 5002 first. I will use the information you provided and wish me luck. Thank you! Have you heard or found the subtest less complicated than praxis 5018?
 
Hi. I took Praxis 5004 yesterday. I received my raw score but am lost as to how to convert the score. I live in Alabama so I need a score of 142 to pass. Could anyone share their raw scores and what they converted to so I will have some sort of idea. My raw score was 24. Will someone please help me?
 
Please don't even bother trying to convert your score, nervouswreckteacher. If Praxis didn't give you an unofficial scaled score along with the raw score, it's because Praxis hasn't yet determined scaled scores. (The mapping from raw score to scaled score is a bit different for each version, because questions inevitably vary in difficulty.) I know that it's hard to wait, but your official score report will be along in due course.
 
I recently found out I have to take this test. I am already certified in the LA/Reading section since I have an English degree. Do you have to take the whole 5001 Praxis test? Is there a way to register for the ones I need - math and social studies? I'm guessing I have to take the whole test and then it will allow me to retest in only the areas that I failed. Thoughts?
 
cschumac88 said:
I recently found out I have to take this test. I am already certified in the LA/Reading section since I have an English degree. Do you have to take the whole 5001 Praxis test? Is there a way to register for the ones I need - math and social studies? I'm guessing I have to take the whole test and then it will allow me to retest in only the areas that I failed. Thoughts?
Click to expand...
To pass the whole thing, you have to take the whole thing, yes. And since it's dispensed in four distinct subtests, if you take all four in one go, you can subsequently retake only the ones you didn't pass, yes (though chances are good that one must sign up for fewer-than-all-four-subtests one by one).
 
Thank you! Another question - when you take the test, can you choose which subtest to take first? Then, are each subtest timed, or is it all one time for the total test. For example, math is the one I need to pass, can I spend more time on that subtest than LA/Reading?
 
cschumac88 said:
Thank you! Another question - when you take the test, can you choose which subtest to take first? Then, are each subtest timed, or is it all one time for the total test. For example, math is the one I need to pass, can I spend more time on that subtest than LA/Reading?
Click to expand...
Hello. I took the Praxis 5001 today and yes, each subsection is timed separately. You cannot spend more time on the Math than ELA. The ELA subsection is 90 minutes and the math is 60 minutes. You also cannot choose the order of the subsections you want to take. They are presented in this order: ELA, Math, Social Studies, and finally Science. I bought both forms of the ETS practice Praxis tests and they were a great help. I really only studied for about a week (all day long) and feel as though I was prepared. According to my unofficial scores, I passed every section. ELA-181, Math- 175, SS-173, Science-176. In most states you need ELA-157, Math-157, SS-155, and Science 159. Ladybee4 is correct, if you have basic knowledge of the content areas you can dissect difficult questions to determine the correct answers. Social Studies is definitely the most difficult of the subtest.
 
I recently took the Praxis in May and honestly it wasn't hard. The most difficult part for me ended up being the reading section as I hadn't slept very well the night before. But if you are stressing about the social studies portion you may want to watch the Crash course series on youtube related to history. I did for a week and scored a 195. The science portion is pretty straight forward as it's just testing your basic understanding of how the world works. Math I thought was going to be brutal, but ended up being no harder than a freshman algebra quiz. So do not stress, just study and watch some youtube videos and you will be fine.
 
I just took the 5001 and felt very hard! I felt time passed so quickly. From the screen I saw the raw scores: ILA 160, Math 185, SS 144 and Science 170. I am wondering if the real scores are same as what I saw on the screen. Anyone can tell please?

For SS, I felt that I did not know a lot even I studied very hard, I did not study for ILA and math at all. I studied Science for one week. My raw scores for SS is 13+9+5, any one knew the way to calculate? Anyway I need to retake the SS.

Good luck on all of us!
 
CarolWang2017, your 160, 185, 144, and 170 aren't raw scores, but rather unofficial scaled scores. It's possible for the official scaled scores to be different, but it's rather rare. You're certainly going to need to retake the social studies component. Whether you'll also be retaking the reading/language arts component depends on what your state's chosen passing scores are.
 
Thank you very much. Do you know how soon i will see the official scores? I have to wait 21 days to retake social studies, right? Thank you.
 
Hi all. I promised myself if I passed the Praxis 5001in one sitting I would share my study preparation and exam experience because I learnt so much from this site and from the initial post - thanks ladybee4. It took 21 days (exam date May 4, 2018 - Colorado) for the official results to come through. The raw score was presented on the screen after the exam but I thought I had bombed the math so I didn't really believe the scores. They ended being the same as the final results. I was considering signing up for a Math retake because of the 21 day wait but decided not to spend the money til I had to.

I finished my degree in November but it took me 8 years to complete it so a lot of the subject areas were a little dusty.

Study:
Books: Kaplan: Praxis Prep: 2017-2018. I didn't love this book. I felt it hard to follow. I felt like the book was designed more for people taking the specific subject units versus the 5001. I used this one as a back up to the other notes I took. I used the practice exams supplied in the back of each section.
Cirrus: Praxis II Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects 5001. I liked this one it was easy to read and follow. With good exam practises.
Secrets: praxis II Elementary practice 5001. I liked this one too. I also like the video tutorials they gave as well. I could use them for further information.
I wouldn't use just one book or resource for learning. I think each book offered a different perspective and ways of understanding. I reinforced each of their explanations with research online.

Practice Tests: I had read this site earlier and realised there was a lot involved with the preparation for this exam. I allocated 8-10 hours per day for two weeks studying. Breaking it down to 2.5 days English, 2.5 days Math, 2 days SS, 1 day Sc. The remaining days I practice every exam I could get my hand on. There were plenty of exams online but the biggest help were the timed Praxis exams available online from my local library. They took some time to find and you had sign up for a free EBSCO learning express account but it was well worth it. There were two exams for exam subject under the 5001 section. I did one exam before starting my testing to see where my strengths and weaknesses were then the other at the end of my study for each unit to see if I had improved. The pressure of the timing definitely helped. I think spacing the study out over three weeks might have been less stressful.

I also completed the Teacher Test Teachers exams I agree with other people's comments those ones are definitely harder than the exam with stuff that wasn't in the prep notes. I think for the harder social studies and math they were worth it. Just to keep on top of it.

If you get your hand on a Kaplan book they also have access to exams online. Their math exam made me cry and realise I had work to do. It was good for an eye opening experience.

I liked taking practice exams before I started studying anything - good place to highlight my strengths and weaknesses.

Notes: I downloaded the 5001 study notes supplied on the ETS praxis website Each subject unit has a section and I copied and pasted all the subject sections into different word documents. From there I just started working my way through each area I had know and adding information. There are a lot of blogs and websites online that have done the same thing. You can pretty much cut and paste all their information but if I had done that then I would not have retained any of the information. This one was good as a reference.

Math: I really liked the Kahn Academy especially for studying Math. They talked you through each concept and there were practice questions for every area. I wished I had this during high school!!! I highly recommend using this site.

Exam:
Going to exam was crazy. I was glad I had read about the set up. This was serious. They even x-rayed my glasses to make sure there was no camera in it!!! No jewellery, watches, tissues, water bottles. They patted me down and made me empty my pockets!! My exam was scheduled for 9am. They told me to get there early so I was there about 815am. Cool thing was after the checks I was allowed to start early so I didn't have to sit around and sweat for wait!!! I signed up to sit all 4 of the 5001 exams at the same time!

Make sure you read each question. There are a lot of questions that ask for two answers. If you get stumped on a question. You can check it and go back to it later before submitting your final answers. That was my mistake on the math. I spent too much time on the harder questions. So I suggest choose the closest answer, check the question then go back to it. Make sure you get the answers of the questions you do know.

I had a big breakfast and drank a lot of water prior to going into the exam. I finished the first English exam with about 20 minutes left. I checked my work but needed to pee. I was under the impression that I could use the bathroom between exams. This I would double check at your exam because the Math exam was the only one where I ran out of time and I am not sure if it was because I left the exam room. If you do have to leave you can access your locker (me for water although they had a water cooler) but they will pat your down and do all the security checks again.

Reading and Language Exam: phonemes, phonic awareness, blending, segmenting, digraphs, tiers of words, author's perspective, onset/rime, ELL - find out about the varying ways of recognising the stages, narrative (first second etc), fluency/prosody/accuracy/reading rate (lots of questions) nouns/verbs/adjectives (ways of using them and changing them out) fish bowl groups, story elements, poem patterns, conjunctions and sentence structures, resource materials - primary versus secondary.

Math: I went into the math section pretty confident but was freaked out during the exam. They say every exam is different and I felt like I had a seriously hard one. As mentioned above I didn't complete all the questions and I found that the number and operations, algebraic thinking questions I was strong at were at the end of the exam. Definitely know: XY axis and calculating, Order of Operations, fractions, number theory - greatest common factors, least common multiples, percentages, patterns, expressions and equations, associative/communicative/distributive properties, volumes, shapes, geometric models, converting units (mm - inches etc) graphs (which to use)
Watch your timing. If you feel it is taking too long move onto questions you know you can do. Practice using an online calculator. This was the most time consuming part for me plus the clicking of others drove me crazy even through the head phones!!!

Social Studies: Similar to ladybee4. I thought this was the most detailed section. Definitely learn all aspects of the US government (who makes which decisions), separation of powers, Dec of Independence, Bill of Rights - amendments to constitution, early colonies, civil war, American revolution, Louisiana purchase, relocating of native Indians, industrialisation, westward expansion, Geography: where major deserts, mountain ranges are, I had questions on places in the middle east, ring of fire, regions and temperatures, WW1, WW2 Vietnam, Korean Wars, Cold War (fall of USSR) Economics (trade, mercantilism, supply, demand, inflation, opportunity cost) Romans, Greeks

Science: I was worried about the scientific wording but it wasn't too bad. Mine covered: layers of earth, plate tectonics, rock types, oceans, water cycle, origin of earth, sun-earth-moon relationships, comets, Cells - lots of questions (nucleus protons electrons, membranes, mitochondria, photosynthesis, structure etc) biomes, basic organ systems, classification (KPCOFGS), matter (solids, liquids, gases) atoms, laws of motion, energy, heat, science inquiry.

I don't know if this will help anyone but figured it worth the share.

Good luck and don't forget to breath.
 
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Congratulations, abbii! And thanks on behalf of future test takers for the tip about accessing online practice tests via one's local library and an EBSCO account.
 
abbii said:
Hi all. I promised myself if I passed the Praxis 5001in one sitting I would share my study preparation and exam experience because I learnt so much from this site and from the initial post - thanks ladybee4. It took 21 days (exam date May 4, 2018 - Colorado) for the official results to come through. The raw score was presented on the screen after the exam but I thought I had bombed the math so I didn't really believe the scores. They ended being the same as the final results. I was considering signing up for a Math retake because of the 21 day wait but decided not to spend the money til I had to.

I finished my degree in November but it took me 8 years to complete it so a lot of the subject areas were a little dusty.

Study:
Books: Kaplan: Praxis Prep: 2017-2018. I didn't love this book. I felt it hard to follow. I felt like the book was designed more for people taking the specific subject units versus the 5001. I used this one as a back up to the other notes I took. I used the practice exams supplied in the back of each section.
Cirrus: Praxis II Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects 5001. I liked this one it was easy to read and follow. With good exam practises.
Secrets: praxis II Elementary practice 5001. I liked this one too. I also like the video tutorials they gave as well. I could use them for further information.
I wouldn't use just one book or resource for learning. I think each book offered a different perspective and ways of understanding. I reinforced each of their explanations with research online.

Practice Tests: I had read this site earlier and realised there was a lot involved with the preparation for this exam. I allocated 8-10 hours per day for two weeks studying. Breaking it down to 2.5 days English, 2.5 days Math, 2 days SS, 1 day Sc. The remaining days I practice every exam I could get my hand on. There were plenty of exams online but the biggest help were the timed Praxis exams available online from my local library. They took some time to find and you had sign up for a free EBSCO learning express account but it was well worth it. There were two exams for exam subject under the 5001 section. I did one exam before starting my testing to see where my strengths and weaknesses were then the other at the end of my study for each unit to see if I had improved. The pressure of the timing definitely helped. I think spacing the study out over three weeks might have been less stressful.

I also completed the Teacher Test Teachers exams I agree with other people's comments those ones are definitely harder than the exam with stuff that wasn't in the prep notes. I think for the harder social studies and math they were worth it. Just to keep on top of it.

If you get your hand on a Kaplan book they also have access to exams online. Their math exam made me cry and realise I had work to do. It was good for an eye opening experience.

I liked taking practice exams before I started studying anything - good place to highlight my strengths and weaknesses.

Notes: I downloaded the 5001 study notes supplied on the ETS praxis website Each subject unit has a section and I copied and pasted all the subject sections into different word documents. From there I just started working my way through each area I had know and adding information. There are a lot of blogs and websites online that have done the same thing. You can pretty much cut and paste all their information but if I had done that then I would not have retained any of the information. This one was good as a reference.

Math: I really liked the Kahn Academy especially for studying Math. They talked you through each concept and there were practice questions for every area. I wished I had this during high school!!! I highly recommend using this site.

Exam:
Going to exam was crazy. I was glad I had read about the set up. This was serious. They even x-rayed my glasses to make sure there was no camera in it!!! No jewellery, watches, tissues, water bottles. They patted me down and made me empty my pockets!! My exam was scheduled for 9am. They told me to get there early so I was there about 815am. Cool thing was after the checks I was allowed to start early so I didn't have to sit around and sweat for wait!!! I signed up to sit all 4 of the 5001 exams at the same time!

Make sure you read each question. There are a lot of questions that ask for two answers. If you get stumped on a question. You can check it and go back to it later before submitting your final answers. That was my mistake on the math. I spent too much time on the harder questions. So I suggest choose the closest answer, check the question then go back to it. Make sure you get the answers of the questions you do know.

I had a big breakfast and drank a lot of water prior to going into the exam. I finished the first English exam with about 20 minutes left. I checked my work but needed to pee. I was under the impression that I could use the bathroom between exams. This I would double check at your exam because the Math exam was the only one where I ran out of time and I am not sure if it was because I left the exam room. If you do have to leave you can access your locker (me for water although they had a water cooler) but they will pat your down and do all the security checks again.

Reading and Language Exam: phonemes, phonic awareness, blending, segmenting, digraphs, tiers of words, author's perspective, onset/rime, ELL - find out about the varying ways of recognising the stages, narrative (first second etc), fluency/prosody/accuracy/reading rate (lots of questions) nouns/verbs/adjectives (ways of using them and changing them out) fish bowl groups, story elements, poem patterns, conjunctions and sentence structures, resource materials - primary versus secondary.

Math: I went into the math section pretty confident but was freaked out during the exam. They say every exam is different and I felt like I had a seriously hard one. As mentioned above I didn't complete all the questions and I found that the number and operations, algebraic thinking questions I was strong at were at the end of the exam. Definitely know: XY axis and calculating, Order of Operations, fractions, number theory - greatest common factors, least common multiples, percentages, patterns, expressions and equations, associative/communicative/distributive properties, volumes, shapes, geometric models, converting units (mm - inches etc) graphs (which to use)
Watch your timing. If you feel it is taking too long move onto questions you know you can do. Practice using an online calculator. This was the most time consuming part for me plus the clicking of others drove me crazy even through the head phones!!!

Social Studies: Similar to ladybee4. I thought this was the most detailed section. Definitely learn all aspects of the US government (who makes which decisions), separation of powers, Dec of Independence, Bill of Rights - amendments to constitution, early colonies, civil war, American revolution, Louisiana purchase, relocating of native Indians, industrialisation, westward expansion, Geography: where major deserts, mountain ranges are, I had questions on places in the middle east, ring of fire, regions and temperatures, WW1, WW2 Vietnam, Korean Wars, Cold War (fall of USSR) Economics (trade, mercantilism, supply, demand, inflation, opportunity cost) Romans, Greeks

Science: I was worried about the scientific wording but it wasn't too bad. Mine covered: layers of earth, plate tectonics, rock types, oceans, water cycle, origin of earth, sun-earth-moon relationships, comets, Cells - lots of questions (nucleus protons electrons, membranes, mitochondria, photosynthesis, structure etc) biomes, basic organ systems, classification (KPCOFGS), matter (solids, liquids, gases) atoms, laws of motion, energy, heat, science inquiry.

I don't know if this will help anyone but figured it worth the share.

Good luck and don't forget to breath.
Click to expand...
How do you make an account with EBSCO? What do you mean under the Science portion classification (KPCOFGS)?
 
The local public library or university library might be able to set you up with an EBSCO account, which will allow you to access quite a few resources online.

KPCOFGS is an acronym for the levels of classification for life forms, from broadest to narrowest: kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species. Look up an ordinary domestic cat on Wikipedia, and you should see a sidebar that goes through these levels and a few more, beginning with the animal kingdom and ending with genus Felis, species domesticus.
 
I am taking this test in a few days, and I have mixed feelings, so I've just been reviewing as much as possible. I noticed some practice questions provided me with formulas. Are they also provided on the real test's math and science sections?

Thanks!

ladybee4 said:
Hey!

I took the Praxis 5001 yesterday and much to my surprise appear to have passed all four sections. Thought I would share thoughts and tips in case it can help anyone. I am generally not a good test taker and have been out of school/work for over 12 years raising kids.

Had a month to study for the test. I freaked out midway through the month when I realized how tough the tests would be. Basically gave up studying after that. I studied social studies for 1.5-2w about an hour a day, and LA very briefly. I did not study math or science at all. I did take the praxis math core last year though, so some of that knowledge was still in my head. I took the RVE (reading for VA educators) last month, and gained reading/la knowledge studying for that test. I figured if I was lucky I could MAYBE pass one or two sections in in the first go, and take the individual tests later on. I did purchase this study guide on Amazon, but only got around to studying 1/3 of the book (all the SS!).
Praxis II Elementary Educations (5001) by Mometrix (yellow and black book with "SECRETS" on cover

The study guide is laid out very well. The videos on youtube (type in Mometrix and a subject) were invaluable! I am a visual learner and these REALLY help. I would listen to the SS/history when driving the kids around. The girl who does SS is my favorite and though her videos are wordy, they were a discussion and helped me remember so much.

My exit scores were LA - 169, Math - 165, SS - 163, Science - 173 (needed 157, 157, 155, 159 to pass)

LA - You def need to know about prefix/suffix, prosody, and onset/rime. Those have been all my tests. Need to know the basics of noun, pronoun, adjective, verb. There were several passages I had to read and figure out the main point, the tone etc. Several questions on ELL and the best ways to teach them. A lot of these are common sense if you break the question down.

Math - Most of the math questions looked scarier than they actually were. I knew very few formulas and was able to figure things out by breaking them down. This part was the least fun for sure. Definitely need to know PEMDAS and solving basic equations. How to find the volume of a figure. Take your time here.

SS - Not going to lie, the toughest section. The problem it that you really need to know so much information so you can compare and link things together in different time periods. The youtube videos and study guide were invaluable to me here! Most questions required critical thinking and understanding of various events to answer one question. There were a lot more questions on economics, trade, market economy etc. than I was expecting. Should have studied that a LOT more, made best guesses. Need to know basics of WWI and WWII specifically why we entered each and the impact of each. Learn about Louis and Clark, The Missouri Compromise, Louisiana purchase, and the Cold War. Also some questions of where the equator, prime meridian is etc. Unless you are really good at history/ss I would spend the most time studying here. This is info you just have to learn.

Science - I did not study science at all and am not a natural. Most of the questions are common sense honestly. I was able to link life experiences and general knowledge to help. Several questions about classes of animals and vertebrate/invertebrate. Questions on type of rocks formations, one on the planets, electrons/protons, dna, know the basic organ systems, know common scientists, read about insulin and glucose, liquid/solid/gas specifics, basics of motion and force. I believe the only reason I knew these answers was because I did some homeschool with my 4yo last year.

My biggest recommendation is to remain calm and really dissect the test questions and possible answers. There were MANY questions that seemed impossible at first glance. After reading them again slowly and connecting knowledge I was able to narrow down the answers and make educated guesses. A lot of the questions aren't really as hard as they seem, the language can just be overwhelming.

Good luck!!
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ladybee4 said:
I felt like the practice tests in the book were harder. I got so discouraged after the social studies one I did little of the others. The SS def seemed harder. On the actual test I was able to make educated guesses based on what I had studied. SS links together in different way and the more I knew and easier it was to narrow down the choices. I didn't take the paid ets test, but the free questions and study guide seemed more of a good indicator.

I felt like the RVE was harder, but it is also different. More about how your would teach and not just general LA questions. But when I took the RVE I only had to study one subject so that made me feel more confident as well. For the RVE I just printed off everything I could find online and started studying. You have to move past just knowing the definitions and really think about how to applies to teaching children those concepts and the challenges that might arrise
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I am taking this test ina few days, and I have mixed feelings so I have just been reviewing as much as possible. I noticed some practice test questions provided formulas in the math section. Is the same true for the actual test's math and science sections?

Thanks!
 
abbii said:
Hi all. I promised myself if I passed the Praxis 5001in one sitting I would share my study preparation and exam experience because I learnt so much from this site and from the initial post - thanks ladybee4. It took 21 days (exam date May 4, 2018 - Colorado) for the official results to come through. The raw score was presented on the screen after the exam but I thought I had bombed the math so I didn't really believe the scores. They ended being the same as the final results. I was considering signing up for a Math retake because of the 21 day wait but decided not to spend the money til I had to.

I finished my degree in November but it took me 8 years to complete it so a lot of the subject areas were a little dusty.

Study:
Books: Kaplan: Praxis Prep: 2017-2018. I didn't love this book. I felt it hard to follow. I felt like the book was designed more for people taking the specific subject units versus the 5001. I used this one as a back up to the other notes I took. I used the practice exams supplied in the back of each section.
Cirrus: Praxis II Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects 5001. I liked this one it was easy to read and follow. With good exam practises.
Secrets: praxis II Elementary practice 5001. I liked this one too. I also like the video tutorials they gave as well. I could use them for further information.
I wouldn't use just one book or resource for learning. I think each book offered a different perspective and ways of understanding. I reinforced each of their explanations with research online.

Practice Tests: I had read this site earlier and realised there was a lot involved with the preparation for this exam. I allocated 8-10 hours per day for two weeks studying. Breaking it down to 2.5 days English, 2.5 days Math, 2 days SS, 1 day Sc. The remaining days I practice every exam I could get my hand on. There were plenty of exams online but the biggest help were the timed Praxis exams available online from my local library. They took some time to find and you had sign up for a free EBSCO learning express account but it was well worth it. There were two exams for exam subject under the 5001 section. I did one exam before starting my testing to see where my strengths and weaknesses were then the other at the end of my study for each unit to see if I had improved. The pressure of the timing definitely helped. I think spacing the study out over three weeks might have been less stressful.

I also completed the Teacher Test Teachers exams I agree with other people's comments those ones are definitely harder than the exam with stuff that wasn't in the prep notes. I think for the harder social studies and math they were worth it. Just to keep on top of it.

If you get your hand on a Kaplan book they also have access to exams online. Their math exam made me cry and realise I had work to do. It was good for an eye opening experience.

I liked taking practice exams before I started studying anything - good place to highlight my strengths and weaknesses.

Notes: I downloaded the 5001 study notes supplied on the ETS praxis website Each subject unit has a section and I copied and pasted all the subject sections into different word documents. From there I just started working my way through each area I had know and adding information. There are a lot of blogs and websites online that have done the same thing. You can pretty much cut and paste all their information but if I had done that then I would not have retained any of the information. This one was good as a reference.

Math: I really liked the Kahn Academy especially for studying Math. They talked you through each concept and there were practice questions for every area. I wished I had this during high school!!! I highly recommend using this site.

Exam:
Going to exam was crazy. I was glad I had read about the set up. This was serious. They even x-rayed my glasses to make sure there was no camera in it!!! No jewellery, watches, tissues, water bottles. They patted me down and made me empty my pockets!! My exam was scheduled for 9am. They told me to get there early so I was there about 815am. Cool thing was after the checks I was allowed to start early so I didn't have to sit around and sweat for wait!!! I signed up to sit all 4 of the 5001 exams at the same time!

Make sure you read each question. There are a lot of questions that ask for two answers. If you get stumped on a question. You can check it and go back to it later before submitting your final answers. That was my mistake on the math. I spent too much time on the harder questions. So I suggest choose the closest answer, check the question then go back to it. Make sure you get the answers of the questions you do know.

I had a big breakfast and drank a lot of water prior to going into the exam. I finished the first English exam with about 20 minutes left. I checked my work but needed to pee. I was under the impression that I could use the bathroom between exams. This I would double check at your exam because the Math exam was the only one where I ran out of time and I am not sure if it was because I left the exam room. If you do have to leave you can access your locker (me for water although they had a water cooler) but they will pat your down and do all the security checks again.

Reading and Language Exam: phonemes, phonic awareness, blending, segmenting, digraphs, tiers of words, author's perspective, onset/rime, ELL - find out about the varying ways of recognising the stages, narrative (first second etc), fluency/prosody/accuracy/reading rate (lots of questions) nouns/verbs/adjectives (ways of using them and changing them out) fish bowl groups, story elements, poem patterns, conjunctions and sentence structures, resource materials - primary versus secondary.

Math: I went into the math section pretty confident but was freaked out during the exam. They say every exam is different and I felt like I had a seriously hard one. As mentioned above I didn't complete all the questions and I found that the number and operations, algebraic thinking questions I was strong at were at the end of the exam. Definitely know: XY axis and calculating, Order of Operations, fractions, number theory - greatest common factors, least common multiples, percentages, patterns, expressions and equations, associative/communicative/distributive properties, volumes, shapes, geometric models, converting units (mm - inches etc) graphs (which to use)
Watch your timing. If you feel it is taking too long move onto questions you know you can do. Practice using an online calculator. This was the most time consuming part for me plus the clicking of others drove me crazy even through the head phones!!!

Social Studies: Similar to ladybee4. I thought this was the most detailed section. Definitely learn all aspects of the US government (who makes which decisions), separation of powers, Dec of Independence, Bill of Rights - amendments to constitution, early colonies, civil war, American revolution, Louisiana purchase, relocating of native Indians, industrialisation, westward expansion, Geography: where major deserts, mountain ranges are, I had questions on places in the middle east, ring of fire, regions and temperatures, WW1, WW2 Vietnam, Korean Wars, Cold War (fall of USSR) Economics (trade, mercantilism, supply, demand, inflation, opportunity cost) Romans, Greeks

Science: I was worried about the scientific wording but it wasn't too bad. Mine covered: layers of earth, plate tectonics, rock types, oceans, water cycle, origin of earth, sun-earth-moon relationships, comets, Cells - lots of questions (nucleus protons electrons, membranes, mitochondria, photosynthesis, structure etc) biomes, basic organ systems, classification (KPCOFGS), matter (solids, liquids, gases) atoms, laws of motion, energy, heat, science inquiry.

I don't know if this will help anyone but figured it worth the share.

Good luck and don't forget to breath.
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OMG! Bless you, this is so helpful. To make a long story short-going through divorce, been a SHM for over 15 years and need to be on the same schedule as my children. I am planning to enroll in an alternative teaching credential program, but they require passing the PRAXIS first. It's a long road ahead, as I'm almost 50 and have been out of school for a while. I'm mostly worried about math, science, and social studies. I don't have the finances to buy books or tests, so I am relying on what is free and available online. Thank you for taking the time to break everything down! Congratulations and best wishes to all who are still preparing.
 
@Mai I have some codes for videos for the 5001 from a book I purchased. if you would like to message me, I can send them to you. I'm taking the test on Oct 26!
 
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