The best source of information about the reading test is the Praxis web site located at http://www.ets.org/praxis.

• General Information
• Topics Tested
• Hints for the Test

General Information

Here's a list of general facts and information about the writing test.

• the CBT test has a 26 minute question section and a 40 minute essay section
• the PPST test has a 30 minute question section and a 30 minute essay section
• the question section uses multiple-choice format and counts 50% of the test
• the question section has two parts -- usage and sentence correction -you are not required to know grammatical terminology for this test, but you are asked to find mistakes and/or to choose between options for rewriting a phrase/clause/sentence -no sample has more than one error
• the essay section gives you a choice between two topics and counts 50% of the test
• you can handwrite the essay, even if you take the rest of the test on computer
• if you take the CBT, handwritten essays require a form that you get from the test center supervisor
• if you use the computer to type your essay, you will have a short tutorial first
• essays are graded holistically ("a single score for overall quality")
• if you use the traditional test format, the essay will be written in a test booklet
• essays need to address the prompt (the questions)
• essays need to include specific examples
• essays should have an organization that makes sense and is clear to a reader
• while the essays don't require specialized knowledge, they should be written for an academic reader (someone like a teacher)
• write in formal, standard English (as you would for an English professor)
• the Praxis I booklet includes 72 possible topics (pages 23-30)

Topics Tested

There are three areas of concern in this exam:

The usage and sentence correction sections are multiple choice tests, while the writing section contains an essay question. Students tend to think of the usage and sentence correction section as the grammar part of the test.

Grammar (usage and sentence correction). While ETS divides this part of the writing test into two parts (usage and sentence correction), most students think of this as the grammar portion of the test. Here's a partial list of some concepts/skills this section tests:

• nouns (when to capitalize a noun; how many are involved in the noun [singular or plural]; matching the subject to the verb [number, person])
• pronouns (singular vs. plural; correct gender)
• verbs (correct tense; correct number [singular or plural]; correct ending)
• subject-verb agreement (the subject of the sentence has to be singular if the verb is singular and plural if the verb is plural)
• modifiers (adjectives and adverbs; is the right descriptive word used with a noun? are no, not, never, or only put in the right place in the sentence? if you have several adjectives in a row, are they in the normal order? what's the right form, quickly or more quick?)
• conjunctions (ways that words, phrases, and sentences are combined; and, but, and for are the most common conjunctions)
• subordination (ways to make one part of a sentence less important than another part; ways to combine sentences so that not all the parts are of equal importance; ways to embed one sentence into another)
• negation (ways to add no, not, never, nothing, hardly, rarely, and similar words to a sentence) comparison (ways to compare items within sentences; not only X, but also Y; if/then statements)
• idioms (mistakes in ways native speakers say/write things)
• word choice (mistakes in choosing the best word for a given sentence; allusion or illusion? different than or different from? effect or affect? problems with connotations of words)
• no error (can you recognize a sentence without a grammatical error?)
• best revision (select from the choices presented, the most correct and most effect way to change a sentence; it's important to note a warning given on p. 45 -- "in some cases, the phrase or sentence is correct and most effective as stated")
• commas (find places that need commas; find extra commas; comma splices)
• end punctuation (periods, exclamation points, question marks)
• semi-colons and colons (find places that need semi-colons/colons; find places where semi-colons/colons are used incorrectly)

Writing (essay question). In this section, you will be given a writing prompt and be asked to construct a well-written essay.

Here's a short list of what ETS is looking for in a well-written essay:

• clear statement (or implication) or thesis/main idea
• appropriate for the assigned task and intended audience
• logical organization
• clear connection between ideas
• developed ideas (give specifics, details, and examples of your ideas)
• sustained thesis (don't change ideas in the middle; keep connecting support to the main point)
• support that suits the topic and audience
• support that is specific and uses examples (and examples make sense) -sentence variety (not all simple sentences)
• language use (appropriate for an academic audience)
• free from grammar/mechanical error

Hints for the Test

While there's no one right or wrong way to prepare for this test, this section gives you some hints students have found useful in preparing for grammar and essay exams.

Grammar.

Here are some suggestions for preparing for this test:

Essay.

Here are some hints, in no particular order, for writing a solid essay in a timed situation:

Read and re-read the instruction book. Be 100% certain that you understand what the evaluators of the exam will value. From  reading the instructions, the evaluators want writing that is primarily persuasive but backed with a good bit of informative/expository prose. They want formal writing that exhibits your ability to join in professional conversations.  As before, we suggest you try explaining the instructions to someone, as this may highlight any areas that you don't understand.

Practice analyzing the prompts. The instruction booklet gives 72 sample prompts. Put each sample prompt on an index card. Put the cards face down and randomly pick one. Read it aloud. Identify what the prompt asks you to do, the aim of the writing. While lots of aims are possible, here are a few:

Map out possible answers. Once you've identified the aim of the writing to respond to, think about how you might answer the question. Take a few minutes and jot down a brief, informal outline of your answer. Once you've collected several of these informal outlines, go on another task. After some time has passed, return to the outlines. Re-read the prompt, and decide if your outline meets the aim/goal of the prompt.

Write out answers. Rather than outlining answers, you can write them out. If you choose to do this, we suggest setting up practice conditions that are as close as possible to the real test. Use blank paper. Set a clock/timer. Choose a prompt randomly and begin. When the practice writing is over, let some time pass. Get someone else to read and critique what you've written. Run a grammar and spell check (via the computer) on what you've written. If you think you've done very well or very poorly with a particular prompt, make an appointment and go the Writing Resource Center (WRC) -- talk about the prompt and your response to the tutor to try and establish what is working and what isn't working in your writing.

Make a list of questions that resemble the list in the instructions. Imagine yourself as an evaluator -- what criteria would you establish for a writing prompt used in the test? Why?

Role-play. Pretend you are evaluating the writing portion of the Praxis for Educational Testing Services. What criteria would you establish for excellent, adequate, and poor writing? You can extend this activity by applying the criteria you generate to the practice outlines/writing that you've done.

Find a partner and role-play. Find someone else who is taking this test. Set up a practice test. After you're finished, exchange papers. Assess the other person's writing as if you were an evaluator of the Praxis.

Consider your audience. These tests are evaluated by experienced English teachers. So, pretend you're writing for your English teacher. What does this person expect of your writing?

Have a solid organization. Rely on tried-and-true methods for taking essay exams -- the five paragraph theme. It's become an institution, because it works. Your first paragraph introduces your topic. Have three body paragraphs, and discuss one point in each paragraph. Use examples in each paragraph. Have a concluding paragraph that summarizes the writing (unless, of course, it asks you to give a recommendation or something like that).

Use lots of support. These topics are pretty broad and allow the writer to shape the topic as he/she wants. It doesn't matter so much which direction you take as much as it does that you use lots of support for what you say.

Know your Process. Everyone has his/her own writing process. The more you know about your own process, the better you'll be able to manage your writing. Some writers will do better if they write the essay and then revise it. Other writers will do better to plan before they write.

Budget your time. Based on your own process, budget your time. Allow at least 5 minutes at the end of the test (if possible) to proofread and edit what you've written.

KISS. Keep it simple . . . Creativity can be a good thing and is often effective. But, if you're nervous or concerned about your writing, stick to the basics and leave creativity for another project.

Limit your focus. Most of these prompts could lead you into writing a book. Don't try. Instead, think about ways to limit what you'll discuss. A few ways to limit topics are by location, person, time, generation, race, religion, and gender. You may want to work in phrases like "in my limited experience"; "what I know about X leads me to believe"; "when I talk to my friends about X, they tell me . . ." or even "I don't have time or space to give an exhaustive list here, but . . .".

Argumentative/Persuasive Standards: If you are writing an argument, be sure your assumptions are clear, your facts correct, your chain of reasoning sound, and your examples relevant and clear. Think about your audience and what will be most effective for them.

Explanatory/Expository Standards: If you explain, be sure your vocabulary is appropriate to your audience, your organization sound, your examples relevant and appropriate, and your support  as specific as possible.

Definition Standards: If you define, think about why you need the definition, how to make the definition accessible and meaningful to the audience, how to incorporate examples of the term, and how to make the definition appropriate and meaningful to the audience.

Click on these headings for more information:

• About The Praxis Tests
• The Praxis I Reading Test
• The Praxis I Math Test