Teaching Solutions Blog » Praxis II http://blog-teachingsolutions.org/blog How To Pass You Test Now And Tell Your Own Success Story. Tue, 01 Sep 2009 05:13:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 Let’s Get Specific About The Praxis II Test http://blog-teachingsolutions.org/blog/praxis-ii/let%e2%80%99s-get-specific-about-the-praxis-ii-test/ http://blog-teachingsolutions.org/blog/praxis-ii/let%e2%80%99s-get-specific-about-the-praxis-ii-test/#comments Mon, 17 Aug 2009 19:53:05 +0000 buckduck2001 http://blog-teachingsolutions.org/blog/praxis-ii/let%e2%80%99s-get-specific-about-the-praxis-ii-test/ So it’s time to start studying your Praxis II Test. This is the moment that will determine if your teacher certification will be easy, difficult, or downright ugly. With the right preparation, you’ll be fine. But what does the “right preparation” entail?

Find the Right Praxis Study Guide

The Praxis II Test is specific – it tests your knowledge of the subject matter you will be teaching. There’s no sense in using a Praxis study guide geared toward secondary math teachers if you are going to be teaching middle school social studies.

You need to know the questions that relate to your field. Limiting your study to the correct, specific questions is half the battle. Nobody wants to spend hours studying the wrong thing.

Repetition, Repetition, Repetition

Once you’ve determined the right Praxis study program for your discipline, it’s time to start practicing. Go over the questions again and again until you recognize them in your sleep.

The questions might change a bit on the actual Praxis II Test, but the gist will be the same. Repetition breeds confidence, and that’s what you need on test day.

Praxis Test Day

The right preparation will pay off big time on test day. Don’t waste your time with a study program that wasn’t built specifically for you. Find a Praxis Study Guide that gets specific. Your teaching career can’t afford to wait because of generalities. Best of Luck!

]]> http://blog-teachingsolutions.org/blog/praxis-ii/let%e2%80%99s-get-specific-about-the-praxis-ii-test/feed/ 0 “PRAXIS STUDY GUIDE HELPS PROSPECTIVE TEACHERS” http://blog-teachingsolutions.org/blog/praxis-ii/%e2%80%9cpraxis-study-guide-helps-prospective-teachers%e2%80%9d/ http://blog-teachingsolutions.org/blog/praxis-ii/%e2%80%9cpraxis-study-guide-helps-prospective-teachers%e2%80%9d/#comments Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:25:00 +0000 buckduck2001 http://blog-teachingsolutions.org/blog/praxis-ii/%e2%80%9cpraxis-study-guide-helps-prospective-teachers%e2%80%9d/ Not all prospective teachers know that a Praxis study guide can give them more insight into practice questions and content that will actually be on the test. Studying with too much content to cover can create information overload.

A good Praxis study guide will be more concise, comprehensive and clear-cut. This gives a prospective teacher the edge for taking the Praxis test. Why? Well, the study guide compact all the facts, figures and content into a review format. This makes it easier for the person who is studying to cover more material in less time.

Of course, there will be a small number of students who will pass the Praxis without using a study guide. But the average student will do better using a guide to study for the Praxis study.

Focusing on the concepts of the Praxis is what the study guide offers. Instead of cramming all the information, the Praxis Study guide helps prospective teachers to learn how to take advantage of test taking skills, improve on memory and organize their study time more effectively.

Praxis Study Techniques Revealed

Even if you are armed with a study guide, you need to know how to use it. Here are some tips for successfully using your Praxis study guide:

  • Avoid the time limit trap by having a Praxis study guide that gives you tips on how to answer questions and what to look for. Time in your Praxis study is one of the enemies to passing.
  • Get fast ways to answer each question correctly and with ease. This saves time and prevents rushing through the test.
  • The secret to questions that give you clues that they are either the right or wrong answers.
  • The precise Praxis study plan that gives you the best result for passing. It prevents you from wasting time on useless study activities.
  • Test taking skills that have been created by expert educators that will help prospective teachers on test day.
  • How to tackle math
  • Learn when you should guess and don’t waste time on a difficult question

More Praxis Study Tips Revealed

A study guide will give you clear instructions on how to look for random information in a question that will lead you to the right answer. It will reveal how you can break down the question for clues to the answer. You will get the inside information on how to work around technical jargon.

There are times when questions will make you want to panic. A study guide could be your lifeline to getting rid of anxiety and learning how to remain calm. You will know how to prevent careless mistakes by using the “double check,” technique to answering questions.

Learn how to trust an answer to a question created by test writers. There are times when they will quote a question in an answer. This is not to confuse you, but you will be able to know what to do in these instances.

If you really want to pass you need a high caliber Praxis study guide that has been effectively proven to work for other prospective teachers is an important part of your study plan. To get more information about the Praxis Study Guide that will help you to pass your Praxis test, go to http://www.teachingsolutions.org/praxisstudy.html.

]]> http://blog-teachingsolutions.org/blog/praxis-ii/%e2%80%9cpraxis-study-guide-helps-prospective-teachers%e2%80%9d/feed/ 0 “PRAXIS II TEST TAKING SHORTCUTS REAPS TEACHER CERTIFICATION SUCCESS” http://blog-teachingsolutions.org/blog/praxis-ii/%e2%80%9cpraxis-ii-test-taking-shortcuts-reaps-teacher-certification-success%e2%80%9d/ http://blog-teachingsolutions.org/blog/praxis-ii/%e2%80%9cpraxis-ii-test-taking-shortcuts-reaps-teacher-certification-success%e2%80%9d/#comments Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:09:27 +0000 buckduck2001 http://blog-teachingsolutions.org/blog/praxis-ii/%e2%80%9cpraxis-ii-test-taking-shortcuts-reaps-teacher-certification-success%e2%80%9d/ There are many states that require teacher certification and licensing with the PRAXIS II Test as the criteria. In some cases, teachers take the PRAXIS exam to improve their resumes. The ETS, which is the Educational Testing Service, is the organization that developed the PRAXIS II Test to measure the knowledge of teachers in certain subject areas and expertise.

PRAXIS II TEST REVIEW

Most of the questions on the test are based on case study scenarios in the form of multiple choice or constructed response. The number of questions answered correctly from the multiple choice questions is considered to be the raw score. Every State has its own passing score. The PRAXIS II test is not computerized. It has to be taken in a testing center in paper format. The questions are developed by group of teachers in each subject area and usually go through several review phases before the final output.

Each subject assessment is used to measure the teaching candidate’s knowledge about the particular subject. The principles of learning and teaching as well as the pedagogy assessment are also included. Online registration for the PRAXIS II exam is available. Exams are between 1 to 4 hours long depending on the subject matter.

Under the “No Child Left behind Act,” some schools use the PRAXIS II exam passing score as an indicator to the high quality status of the teaching candidate.

PRAXIS II test dates are administered on a Saturday six times throughout the year. Depending on the subject area, the cost ranges from $60 to $115.

PRACTICE PRAXIS II BEFORE YOU TEACH

Of course, you can find lots of PRAXIS study materials at large bookstores throughout the country and on the Internet. You can even go to the local library and spend tons of hours slaving over big textbooks and take notes. However, nothing beats getting a system that has already worked for others and helped them to pass the exam.

One such person is Robert. He did not want to fail and wanted to land a job opening at his local community college as a Biology Teacher. The pay was good even though it was just part time income. Robert had to take the PRAXIS II exam to put on his resume before he went for the interview.

Another coworker told him about the “7 Day Praxis II Science Comprehensive Success System” that would ensure that he passed on his first try. There were a lot of practice test in the success system that gave Robert the edge. He did not have too much time to pour over textbooks. He wanted a quick start program and he got it.

Robert used the information in the 7 Day PRAXIS II test success system and was able to pass his exam on his first attempt. If you are going to take the PRAXIS II exam and want to pass the test like Robert did, then get “7 Day Praxis II Comprehensive Success System,” in your subject area.

]]> http://blog-teachingsolutions.org/blog/praxis-ii/%e2%80%9cpraxis-ii-test-taking-shortcuts-reaps-teacher-certification-success%e2%80%9d/feed/ 0 Teaching Solutions Video http://blog-teachingsolutions.org/blog/praxis-ii/teaching-solutions-video/ http://blog-teachingsolutions.org/blog/praxis-ii/teaching-solutions-video/#comments Thu, 20 Nov 2008 02:08:19 +0000 buckduck2001 http://blog-teachingsolutions.org/blog/praxis-ii/teaching-solutions-video/

]]> http://blog-teachingsolutions.org/blog/praxis-ii/teaching-solutions-video/feed/ 0 The Art to Getting Praxis II Content Locked in Your Mind http://blog-teachingsolutions.org/blog/praxis-ii/the-art-to-getting-praxis-ii-content-locked-in-your-mind/ http://blog-teachingsolutions.org/blog/praxis-ii/the-art-to-getting-praxis-ii-content-locked-in-your-mind/#comments Tue, 21 Oct 2008 21:09:17 +0000 buckduck2001 http://blog-teachingsolutions.org/blog/praxis-ii/the-art-to-getting-praxis-ii-content-locked-in-your-mind/ Praxis II Test Content Must Make Sense

Have you ever tried to memorize something without really understanding it? Then, you know the very first key to getting information locked in your mind is to understand the material.

If you come across something you don’t understand in your Praxis II study, stop. Jot a note about it on a yellow pad or another word document. Then continue study things you do understand.

Take all those items you didn’t understand and find someone who does understand them. Ask them for a few minutes of their time and get them to help you get a grasp on the concept.

Get Your Praxis II Facts Organized

Try to memorize a list of key historical figures. It can be difficult. Putting them in chronological order can help. But what if you put them in alphabetical order? It might be just the trigger your mind needs, so you can recall them when you need them.

There are any number of ways you can organize your Praxis II study material:

  • Alphabetical

  • Chronological

  • Series

    Sometimes the most obvious way to organize the material isn’t the best way to remember it. Try some different ways of organizing your Praxis II test material and see if a new way of organizing it helps.

    Use the Power of Association

    Which is easier to draw, an outline of Italy or an outline of Luxembourg? Most of us would have trouble drawing Luxembourg. But almost everyone can get close when drawing Italy. Because our minds associate it with a boot. Use this technique in your Praxis II study and you’ll make memorization much easier.

    When you’re studying for your Praxis II test, find ways to associate as much as possible. Is a 1015 a key date in history? Or is it your father’s birthdate (10/15)? Is 5,280 the number of feet in a mile, or the price of the new shoes for your feet ($52.80).

    Visualization Makes Praxis II Study a Snap

    Concrete things are easier to memorize than abstract, so use visualization when you’re studying for the Praxis II test. In essence, visualization takes what’s abstract and makes it concrete.

    For example, you probably used the children’s rhyme to learn that “in fourteen-hundred and ninety-two Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” But what if you pictured a man standing on the deck of a ship. His plumed hat and cute tights give away who he is, but under one arm he has the number 14 and under the other the number 92.

    That’s visualization. In a split second you accomplish what the children’s rhyme took several seconds to do.

    There are lots of ways you can get Praxis II test material locked into your mind. We’ve summarized the most effective in our Praxis II study guide. Find out for yourself what a good Praxis II study guide can do to boost your score on the Praxis II test.

    ]]> http://blog-teachingsolutions.org/blog/praxis-ii/the-art-to-getting-praxis-ii-content-locked-in-your-mind/feed/ 0 Score Big on Praxis II Essay Questions http://blog-teachingsolutions.org/blog/praxis-ii/score-big-on-praxis-ii-essay-questions/ http://blog-teachingsolutions.org/blog/praxis-ii/score-big-on-praxis-ii-essay-questions/#comments Tue, 21 Oct 2008 21:03:20 +0000 buckduck2001 http://blog-teachingsolutions.org/blog/praxis-ii/score-big-on-praxis-ii-essay-questions/ Memorizing Key Facts is Just the Beginning

    Memorization is a must when studying for any test and that includes your Praxis II study. You just can’t avoid the fact that you’ll need to memorize some stuff. There are, of course, ways to memorize that are much easier than hammering concepts in with simple repetition.

  • Associate It With Something

  • Visualize an Image for an Abstract Concept

  • Organize Facts Effectively

  • Make Sure You Understand Before Memorizing

    Most people think that it’s the test-takers that can run-on at the mouth that do the best on Praxis II essay questions. That’s not true. It’s the ones who fit all the important facts into their essay that score the highest.

    Praxis II Essay Questions Require Organization

    The first thing you do when facing an essay question on the Praxis II test is to make a list of all the relevant fact you want to put in your answer. There’s a pattern to the answers, and the administrator of the test will be looking for the content that fills this pattern. So, you need to make sure all the key information is in your answer.

    Don’t forget that whoever is administering the test doesn’t want to spend any more time reading essay answers than necessary. Make your answers packed full of information and use as few extra words as possible to make your argument. You’ll make the administrator’s job much easier and lean them to your good side.

    The process of organizing your Praxis II test essay responses is too deep to cover well in this article, but
    get a really good Praxis II study guide and you’ll do much better on the Praxis II essay questions.

    Practice Makes the Praxis II Test Simple

    I know this sounds simplistic, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t use this advice when preparing for the Praxis II test. Simply practicing the process of answering essay questions will put you ahead of 99.9% of the others taking the test.
    How do you practice for an essay test?

  • Have a friend ask you questions
  • Write a brief summary of key concepts
  • Find a formula or bulleted list and write a paragraph about it

    If you can take a bulleted list from a text and write it out in prose, you can write an essay answer. You’ll get some good practice for taking key points and putting them together in a well-designed argument or explanation.

    Of course, this is just a quick glance at some of the ideas that make it easy for you to ace the essay questions on the Praxis II test. If you really want to nail the essay questions on your Praxis II test, you’ll need a comprehensive Praxis II study guide. Get one and get well-prepared for the biggest test of your life.

    ]]> http://blog-teachingsolutions.org/blog/praxis-ii/score-big-on-praxis-ii-essay-questions/feed/ 0 Develop a Praxis II Test-Taking Strategy http://blog-teachingsolutions.org/blog/praxis-ii/develop-a-praxis-ii-test-taking-strategy/ http://blog-teachingsolutions.org/blog/praxis-ii/develop-a-praxis-ii-test-taking-strategy/#comments Mon, 22 Sep 2008 21:27:26 +0000 buckduck2001 http://blog-teachingsolutions.org/blog/praxis-ii/develop-a-praxis-ii-test-taking-strategy/ 1) Read all the questions carefully on the Praxis exam before answering.

    Look for potential “trick” questions and fully understand what the question is asking before answering it. At first glance, the question may not be asking what you think it is. Whatever answer you select, it must answer the question that is being asked.

    2) Focus on getting the easy points first.

    As you work through the Praxis 2 study guide questions, practice this strategy to ensure success. First look for the giveaway questions, then look for the questions that you already know. This strategy will work particularly well with multiple choice questions.

    3) Scan the list of questions where the answer is obvious.

    There’s bound to be a few of them, since you’ve studied for the exam you willalready know the answers to some of the questions. If there is any doubt on the answer, skip it and move on to the next question.

    4) Use Praxis II study guide questions to develop a habit of pacing your time when answering questions.

    As you know, every section of the test is timed. One strategy you can use is to give more time to questions that need them. Work more quickly through the multiple choice sections of the exam so you will have more time to devote to more difficult sections.

    5) Review the Praxis study guide and train yourself to focus on questions that give the most points.

    Your test will have a variety of sections that vary in the amount of points you can get. There will basically be two types of questions on the exam: multiple choice and constructed-response questions. Once you’ve answered the easy and obvious questions, consider focusing on the constructed-response questions, since they give you more points than multiple choice. When you get stuck, go back to rereading the multiple choice questions.

    6) Work on making educated “guesses.”

    The Praxis II practice tests are excellent tools to help you develop a strategy of making educated guesses. Once you understand what types of questions there are, that will give you a huge clue as to the answer your are looking for. Go back to the things you studied when you prepared for the exam to help you figure out the answer.

    Develop your test-taking strategy so that you achieve the best score possible. Your Praxis II study will prepare you for success and you will find that you won’t be entering the exam without knowing how to answer each question strategically. You will understand that using an effective strategy will reduce the amount of time you need to answer and increase your ability to answer each question in the best possible way.

    For more information and help on developing a test-taking strategy for the Praxis II exam, go to Praxis II help right now.

    ]]>     http://blog-teachingsolutions.org/blog/praxis-ii/develop-a-praxis-ii-test-taking-strategy/feed/ 0     Avoid Careless Mistakes on Your Praxis Exam http://blog-teachingsolutions.org/blog/praxis-ii/avoid-careless-mistakes-on-your-praxis-exam/ http://blog-teachingsolutions.org/blog/praxis-ii/avoid-careless-mistakes-on-your-praxis-exam/#comments Mon, 22 Sep 2008 21:17:07 +0000 buckduck2001 http://blog-teachingsolutions.org/blog/praxis-ii/avoid-careless-mistakes-on-your-praxis-exam/ Careless mistakes on your Praxis exam can be costly. A failed exam can set you back months in your career, but you can avoid this. By using Praxis 2 study guide(s), you will learn what you need to know to reduce careless mistakes and ensure that you are selecting the best possible answer you know. The trick is to know what to look for as you study the questions that you need to answer.

    1) Stay focused on taking your test.

    Exam day can be stressful! Many test takers experience anxiety and panic when taking the exam. They get themselves flustered to the point where they can’t focus. The lack of focus leads to careless errors. Combat the stress and anxiety and stay focused by using Praxis II study guide(s) in your preparation for the exam.

    2) Read the question on the Praxis 2 exam thoroughly.

    Some of the most common errors were made on the exam because a question was skimmed and an answer was given that did not really answer the question. In your Praxis II study, you will begin to understand the method or pattern used for designing questions. In fact, a good Praxis study guide will show you strategies to answer multiple choice questions and constructed response questions. When you begin to use those strategies, you will have a better chance of selecting the correct answer to a question you are unsure about.

    3) Remember the test question strategies you observed and used during practice.

    If there’s one thing you get from this article, know that you should complete as many Praxis II practice tests as possible. As you learn about how the questions are structured and figure out what each question was designed to test, you’ll find that you will begin to automatically pick up on the type of question it is. One of the most common mistakes a test taker can make is not preparing thoroughly for the exam.

    4) Stop over thinking your response to a question!

    You may have heard that the Praxis II exam contains question that are “trick” questions. There is no such thing! Each question tests a specific key point within the topic. The question might seem difficult or unclear, but if you are unsure of an answer, make a tick mark by the answer you believe is correct and come back to it. Examine the question again and work on eliminating other possible choices of answers based on the answer you originally deemed was the answer.

    5) Eliminate time sucking questions on the ets.org Praxis exam.

    The time sucking questions are the ones that you aren’t prepared for and don’t even have a clue about the answer. Save those for the last and work on answering the questions you might know.

    6) Eliminate careless mistakes during your exam.

    Use the study guides to practice what you have been taught and you will realize that you’ll be better prepared to perform on test taking day.

    For more information and help on avoiding careless mistakes on your Praxis II exam, go to “Top 5 Praxis Test Mistakes That Can Kill Your Teaching Career.

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