Shoutout to the education majors!
Have you heard about the Praxis exam yet? The Praxis is a test that every educator needs to take and pass in order to get their licensing and certifications. Here at Millersville you need to take this exam (and pass it) in order to become registered as APS status (Advanced Professional Studies). You need APS status before you can enter your Professional Bloc!
When should you take the Praxis? Don’t let anyone tell you, “Oh, don’t worry about that exam! You don’t need to take it until the semester before you go into student teaching” – this is false. Once you decide to become an education major you need to take the test ASAP. It’s advised that you take it earlier rather than later because most of the information that is on the test you most likely learned in high school. I, personally, fell through the cracks. I didn’t even understand what I needed or how to do anything – I don’t want you to be like me.
Image courtesy of Pinterest
How do you sign up for the Praxis?
- Go to the ETS website
- Make a username and password
- Click on link that says: Register for a Praxis test
- Fill out all the information and pay ($150 if you take the 5751 – Core Academic Skills for Educators: Combined)
- You will get a confirmation email a few days prior to your test
- You need to print out your admission ticket 3 days before the test (in case the address changes)
You can choose to take the test at the Test Center at Millersville University in Stayer Hall, room 117. Make sure to arrive 30 minutes before the report time if you are taking the test on a computer!
Image courtesy of Pinterest
Preparation for the Praxis: There are a couple options you can choose from (or choose all of them, that’s up to you). On the Praxis website when you go to pay for your test, you will be given the option of buying practice programs (these are roughly $20 each and you only get about 10 questions per program). Or, if you don’t want to spend more money on the test than you already have, you can download the app called Pocket Prep: Praxis (it’s FREE!). I love this app – it keeps track of your personal scores (from the practice questions). In order to download this app though you need an iOS 8 or higher. Furthermore, you could always buy the book called Praxis Core for Dummies by Carla Kirkland and Chan Cleveland.
Also, outside of the certification office in Stayer Hall, there is a green paper with even more information about the tests.
For more information on the test, click here!
Have faith in yourself and remember, you can take the exam over again! Good luck, collegiettes!