How Do I Score Well on the Social Studies Praxis™?

To earn a high score on the Social Studies Praxis™, you will typically need to schedule plenty of preparation time and do a bit of research. Your preparation might begin by visiting the Educational Testing Service® website to learn about the test and then using study guides and practice tests to boost your chances of earning a high score. You may even enroll in a Praxis™ course as part of your preparation.

A visit to the Educational Testing Service® website may be a good first step in your preparation for the Social Studies Praxis™ exam. This website provides details about the test you can use to prepare for the exam. For example, the site states the exam is multiple choice, includes a total of 130 questions, and you will usually have two hours to complete the test.

To perform well on the Social Studies Praxis™, you will likely need an in-depth understanding of the social studies and history topics taught in high school. The categories on the test include United States and World history, government and political science, geography, behavioral sciences, and economics. The history, government, and political science categories make up the majority of the questions on the exam. Geography and economics are next in terms of the number of questions, and the behavioral sciences category has the fewest questions. It might be best to prioritize your study, focusing first on United States and world history, followed by government, political science, and civics, then on the economics and behavioral sciences categories.

To score well on the Social Studies Praxis™, you can draw on the education you’ve received in preparation to become a teacher. In addition to that, however, you may benefit from using study guides to review the types of material included on the exam. You can also use practice tests to prepare. The Educational Testing Service® website lists a study guide for this exam as well as practice tests. Additionally, you can purchase practice tests and study guides from other sources, or even enroll in a review course in preparation for this exam.

No matter how you choose to prepare, you will need more than just social studies knowledge to do well on the test, as many of the questions on the Social Studies Praxis™ are interdisciplinary. As such, you will need the ability to apply your knowledge to answering complex questions and interpreting information from the various social studies categories. Reviewing sample questions might help you understand the way concepts are often integrated on the exam.