Praxis II
Who needs to take the Praxis?
Majors pursuing traditional Licensure
-
To receive Standard Professional
2 license (three years after receiving Standard
Professional 1; formerly A license) if one does meet
NC HOUSSE, National Board Certification, or state
determined distinction
Majors pursuing lateral entry
licensure
-
To receive Lateral Entry License
and Standard Professional 1 license
-
Students without a history major
or 24 hours in history
-
To be admitted to lateral entry
program
-
To receive Lateral Entry License
and Standard Professional 1 license
Requirements:
Middle School
?
Praxis 0089 Middle School Studies with a score of 149 or
higher
High School
?
Praxis 0081 Social Studies: Content Knowledge
?
Praxis 0084 Social Studies: Pedagogy
?
A combined score of 320 or higher
Praxis II: Social Studies Workshops
The PRAXIS II: Social Studies test can be a major hurdle
which students must overcome before they can be licensed
as teachers in North Carolina (and many other states).
Unlike Praxis I which is an assessment
of basic verbal and mathematical skills, PRAXIS II is
a test on your area of content expertise--and pedagogical
skills. History and Social Studies. NOTE: this page
is only concerned with the SOCIAL STUDIES CONTENT KNOWLEDGE
parts of Praxis II.
Since knowing what to expect from PRAXIS II: Social
Studies and preparing yourself both in the long and
short run will help you do well on the test, we have
gathered together on the pages below information which
will be useful to you. We have included both basic information
about the test, sample questions direct from the test
maker, and advice on taking the test.
For information concerning the Praxis II social
studies workshops, see workshop
announcements.
Test Information
Praxis II: Subject Assessments and
Specialty Area Tests
What is the Praxis test series?
• Praxis I and Praxis II are tests required by
North Carolina and 35 other states to measure the academic
proficiency of perspective teachers. The state department
of education sets the minimum scores needed to pass
the test. Praxis I is a preliminary test that measures
the academic possibility of a perspective teacher. Praxis
II measures the academic proficiency of individuals
finishing their education classes before entering the
teaching field. Praxis II is a two part test covering
professional knowledge, US History, World History, Economics,
Geography, and Government. One must obtain a combined
minimum score for full NC licensing.
What Praxis II: Social Studies test(s) do I take?
This depends if you are applying for a Middle Grades
(6-9) or for a Secondary (9-12) Social Studies License.
If you are applying Middle Grades (6-9) Social Studies
License, you need to take the 0089 Middle School
Social Studies test and pass it with a score of
149 or better. If you are applying for a Secondary (9-12)
Social Studies License, you need to take the 0081
Social Studies: Content Knowledge, and the
0084 Social Studies: Pedagogy tests with a combined
score of 320 or better.
Here is a brief explanation of all three social studies
tests:
This is a 2 hour test that is multiple-choice questions.
There are 130 questions. This test covers the six
social studies fields and asks questions from each
area (US History- 29 questions, World History- 29
questions, Government/Civics/Political Science- 21
questions, Geography- 19 questions, Economics- 19
questions, and Behavioral Sciences- 13 questions).
This test is designed to measure content knowledge
needed by a beginning teacher in the Social Studies
field.
This test consists of two case studies to be completed
in 60 minutes. Each case study consists of five questions.
In case study one, you will be assessed on your ability
to plan a two-week unit in World History or
United States History. In case study two, you are
requested to create a specific 40-45 minute
lesson plan for either gov/civics/pol., economics
or geography.
- Middle School Social Studies (0089)
This test consists of two parts to be completed in
120 minutes. The first part consists of ninety multiple-choice
questions (Apr. 26% US History, 21% World History,
16% Government/Civics/Pol. Science, 17% Geography,
15% Economics, 3% Sociology, 2% Anthropology). This
part seeks to primarily test the applicant's content
knowledge. The second part, which consists of three
multidisciplinary constructed essays, tries to measure
the applicant's ability to apply knowledge and skill
in one integrated exercise. One will receive at least
1 question, which combines US History with Government
and Civics, and 1 question, which combines World History
with Geography. The Third question is 1 of 4 possibilities:
US with Economics; US with Geography; World with Government/Civics;
World with Economy.
When should the Praxis II be taken?
- Praxis II is suggested to be taken right before
or during student teaching. The test is comprehensive
and covers material learned in all education classes,
so for this reason the test should be taken after
all course work has been finished. Student teaching
allows the future teacher to spend time focusing on
Praxis II preparations if necessary.
Do you offer workshops?
How do I register for the test?
What happens if I miss the registration and late registration
deadlines?
- You can still possibly take the test on a standby
basis. You must arrive early at the test center and
you may be accommodated if that testing area has seats
open-up due to no-shows or under-booking. If you are
able to take the test on a standby there is a $65
fee in addition to the normal registration and test
fees. You must have a pre-filled out registration
sheet before you arrive at your testing center. Standby
testing does not guarantee a seat for you, so keep
track of registration dates and apply early to avoid
missing registration dates.
Where are the Praxis II tests offered?
- The tests are offered at many different high schools
across the state. UNCC offers all Praxis tests on
all offered dates. Garinger H.S. also offers all tests
on all testing dates.
When are the Praxis II tests offered next?
- The Praxis tests are offered six times a year.
Tests are historically offered mid-October, late November,
late January, mid-March, late April, and mid-June.
How much do the tests cost?
- Tests vary in price. There is a $35 non-refundable
registration fee. Late registration is an extra $35.
Standby testing is $60. Register early and save money!!
The four individual parts of the Praxis II range from
$70-$80 for each section.
Who receives my test scores?
- You must fill in UNCC as a recipient of your test
scores (code --RA5105) and the NC division of Teacher
Education Services (code --R 7846). You will receive
your test scores approximately 50 days after you take
the test.
What if I miss my test date?
Test Format
Sample Questions
You can access the test sample questions at the following
website:
[http://www.ets.org/praxis/]
(You will need to choose the 'Tests and Test Dates'
page. Click on the test number in order to download the booklet in Adobe Acrobat format.
Although we cannot reproduce questions from previous
tests, reports from individuals taking the test in the
past year indicate that there were questions on the
below topics. It is highly unlikely that these
questions will appear again, however, they will help
to give you a sense of the kinds of questions you may
be asked to answer.
Multiple Choice [0081]
On the whole, these questions are relatively specific
in that they require you to know particular pieces
of information. Most of the questions deal with
relatively traditional topics: politics and government,
foreign policy. The questions are strictly chronological,
so you can use a question's position to eliminate
incorrect answers.
These questions are much more general than their
American history counterparts. In general,
instead of presidents and treaties you need to know
about 'big' cultural characteristics (e.g. the characteristics
of an Asian religion) or about 'broad' historical
processes (e.g. the rise of industrialization) or
about concepts (e.g. any -ism you care to name).
Only in questions covering the 19th and 20th century
were specific facts more commonly incorporated in
questions.
These questions covered three basic areas:
the U.S. political system including both 'civics'
(the constitution, etc.) and modern politics; international/comparative
politics; and political philosophy. Probably
half the questions were on the US material, one third
on comparative, one sixth on philosophy.
Most questions involved things like map reading skills
and knowledge of climate/geography principles.
There was little direct testing of knowledge of a
world map--geographical or political.
These questions covered basic economic theory and
their application to modern situations.
- Sociology/Anthropology/Psychology
This is something of a grab bag section of the test,
but there are only a handful of questions.
Pedagogy (0084)
- A unit on the Renaissance
- A lesson plan on the First Amendment
Middle School (0089)
- A constructed response question on the migration
to the West
Top of page
Preparation and Test Taking Hints
PRAXIS II test is not an easy test, but it is not impossibly
difficult either. Anyone who is reasonably intelligent
and who pays attention to the world around them (by
reading a good newspaper or listening to quality news
reporting on public radio or TV) will probably do fine.
(You can't do much about the first, so better start
on the second now, and if you choose newspaper over
radio don't forget to subscribe!)
That said (tongue only partly in cheek) there are some
things you can do to prepare for the PRAXIS II test.
One thing that may help is to take the right kinds of
classes, and these are outlined on our Hints
and Help page. You should also attend one
of the workshops on PRAXIS II whose schedule is given
at the top of this page.
Multiple Choice:
You have two hours for this part of the test; depending
on how fast you work, this may be plenty of time or
only just enough. To make best use of your time
plan to go through it two or even three times.
- On the first pass, answer only those questions you
are sure you know the answer to without a lot of thought.
Mark the questions you didn't answer with an X, but
put a question mark by an answer you think might be
correct but would need more time to make sure.
- On the second pass, go through and answer all those
questions you thought you knew the answer to the first
time. Now you've got a little time to think
about the other answers; remember, knowing that one
or more of the options is wrong can be a big help
in getting the right answer.
- On your third pass, tackle the questions you didn't
have a clue about the first time. Hopefully
there won't be many and you'll be able to take some
time with each knowing that you have already
answered most of the questions.
A few key things to remember about the multiple choice
part of the test:
- You get the same score for a wrong answer as for
no answer. So, if you can reject 2 out of 4
of the options, you've got a 50/50 chance--that's
better than leaving it blank.
- In the two history sections (US and World) use chronology
as a helping tool all the questions are in chronological
order! SO, the right answer to a question will
not pertain to a period before the previous question
or two or after the subsequent question or two.
- Beware for cleverly worded choices which appear
to be correct but have a tricky modifier (but, except,
etc.). There are not many of these, but they
are easy to fall for.
- 'Study' for the test by reading the textbooks and
notes from your survey level courses; especially in
US and European history, and compare.
(0084) Social Studies: Pedagogy:
You will need all your time to complete the case studies.
Read both case studies first, determine how much time
you need per case study and reserve at least ten minutes
for re-reading or correcting your answer
- Although both case studies look similar, they require
different skills. Whereas the Case study 1 evaluates
your ability to create a curriculum, Case study 2
assesses your potential teaching skills.
- For both cases, do not immediately write. First
jot down some notes on your question booklet and see
if all elements fit before you put them to paper (you
may have a topic selected which is impossible to evaluate
above a cognitive level or with which to include other
social sciences)
- Select your topic based on your familiarity with
the material and its suitability/your ability
to answer all questions successfully.
- Keep your answers short and to the point.
(0089) Middle School Social Studies
Manage your time carefully: 90 minutes for multiple
choice, 30 minutes for essays. For hints on how to answer
the multiple choice portion, see 0081 above. For the
constructed part:
- Identify of which discipline combination the question
is constructed so one uses the proper type of evidence.
- Answer the question but add direct knowledge to
the essay
- Show cause and effect
General:
- Arrive on time, but not too early; they don't begin
even reading the instructions till the test time.
- Bring pencils and pens (you can use a pen on the
essay).
- Bring snacks, drinks. The breaks are short.
- If you take all three social studies tests, be ready
for a long day of it.
Top of page
Preparation and Test Taking Hints
PRAXIS II test is not an easy test, but it is not impossibly
difficult either. Anyone who is reasonably intelligent
and who pays attention to the world around them (by
reading a good newspaper or listening to quality news
reporting (on public radio or TV) will probably do fine.
(You can't do much about the first, so better start
on the second now, and if you choose newspaper over
radio don't forget to subscribe!)
That said (tongue only partly in cheek) there are some
things you can do to prepare for the PRAXIS II test.
One thing that may help is to take the right kinds of
classes, and these are outlined on our Hints
and Help page. You should also attend one
of the workshops on PRAXIS II whose schedule is given
at the top of this page.
Multiple Choice:
You have two hours for this part of the test; depending
on how fast you work, this may be plenty of time or
only just enough. To make best use of your time
plan to go through it two or even three times.
- On the first pass, answer only those questions you
are sure you know the answer to without a lot of thought.
Mark the questions you didn't answer with an X, but
put a question mark by a an answer you think might
be correct but would need more time to make sure.
- On the second pass, go through and answer all those
questions you thought you knew the answer to the first
time. Now you've got a little time to think
about the other answers; remember, knowing that one
or more of the options is wrong can be a big help
in getting the right answer.
- On your third pass, tackle the questions you didn't
have a clue about the first time. Hopefully
there won't be many and you'll be able to take some
time with each knowing that you have already
answered most of the questions.
A few key things to remember about the multiple choice
part of the test:
- You get the same score for a wrong answer as for
no answer. So, if you can reject 2 out of 4
of the options, you've got a 50/50 chance--that's
better than leaving it blank.
- In the two history sections (US and World) use chronology
as a helping tool all the questions are in chronological
order! SO, the right answer to a question will
not pertain to a period before the previous question
or two or after the subsequent question or two.
- Beware for cleverly worded choices which appear
to be correct but have a tricky modifier (but, except,
etc.). There are not many of these, but they
are easy to fall for.
- 'Study' for the test by reading the textbooks and
notes from your survey level courses; especially in
US and European history, and compare.
(0084) Social Studies: Pedagogy:
You will need all your time to complete the case studies.
Read both case studies first, determine how much time
you need per case study and reserve at least ten minutes
for re-reading or correcting your answer
- Although both case studies look similar, they require
different skills. Whereas the Case study 1 evaluates
your ability to create a curriculum, Case study 2
assesses your potential teaching skills.
- For both cases, do not immediately write. First
jot down some notes on your question booklet and see
it all elements fit before you put them to paper (you
may have a topic selected which is impossible to evaluate
above a cognitive level or with which to include other
social sciences)
- Select your topic based on your familiarity with
the material and its suitability/your ability
to answer all questions successfully.
- Keep your answers short and to the point.
(0089) Middle School Social Studies
Manage your time carefully: 90 minutes for multiple
choice, 30 minutes for essays. For hints on how to answer
the multiple choice portion, see 0081 above. For the
constructed part:
- Identify of which discipline combination the question
is constructed so one uses the proper type of evidence.
- Answer the question but add direct knowledge to
the essay
- Show cause and effect
General:
- Arrive on time, but not too early; they don't begin
even reading the instructions till the test time.
- Bring pencils and pens (you can use a pen on the
essay).
- Bring snacks, drinks. The breaks are short.
- If you take all three social studies tests, be ready
for a long day of it.
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Department
Created by John Smail with
help from Jon Kinman and Oscar Lansen; maintained by
Kelly Hatley
26 Nov 2007 10:23:40 -0500
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