On this page
What these practice tests cover
Each test is a shorter, proportional version of the real thing, at the real pace:
- Core Reading practice (20 questions, 30 min). Long, short, and paired passages, one-sentence arguments, and a data table, split across Key Ideas and Details, Craft, Structure, and Language Skills, and Integration of Knowledge and Ideas in the same proportions as the real test.
- Core Writing practice (16 questions in 16 min, plus a 30-minute argumentative essay). Usage, sentence correction, research skills, and revision-in-context questions, then an essay prompt with a sample response and a self-scoring checklist.
- Core Math practice (20 questions, 32 min). Number and Quantity; Algebra and Geometry; and Data Interpretation and Representation, Statistics, and Probability. Includes select-one-or-more and numeric-entry questions, plus a basic calculator like the real test's four-function tool.
All questions are original and written to mirror ETS's published formats: five answer choices on single-answer questions, the "No error" option on usage items, and a first choice that repeats the original on sentence-correction items.
Exam mode vs. practice mode
Exam mode times each section and hides answers until the end — use it for your first attempt so you get an honest baseline. Practice mode lets you check each answer and read the explanation immediately, which is better once you know your weak spots.
How the real Praxis Core is scored
The real tests convert your raw points to a reported score, and the passing score is whatever your state sets for that test code — ETS doesn't set one. Because we can't reproduce ETS's score conversion, this practice test reports your percent correct overall and by content category. Treat it as a map of your weak areas, not a pass/fail prediction.
On the real Writing test, each essay gets a holistic 1–6 score, and your selected-response and essay points are reported separately. Here, the essay is self-scored and doesn't count toward your percentage.
What to do after you finish
- Look at the category breakdown and pick the lowest one. That's your next week of study.
- Re-read every explanation for questions you missed and ones you guessed on.
- Learn the question types in the Praxis Core guide, then retake in practice mode.
- Look up your state's qualifying scores and requirements on the Praxis overview page.
Official free practice from ETS
The free ETS Study Companions include official sample questions with answers for each test: Reading 5713, Writing 5723, and Math 5733. ETS also links free Core prep and sells full-length interactive practice tests on the real interface.
Sample questions
4 questions from this practice test, with answers and explanations. Take the full test above for timing, scoring and your weakest domains.
Questions 1–5
In the 1880s, the German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus ran an unusual experiment on the one subject he could test at any hour: himself. He memorized long lists of nonsense syllables — combinations such as "DAX" or "BUP" that carried no meaning — and then measured how quickly he forgot them. By choosing meaningless material, Ebbinghaus hoped to isolate memory itself from the associations that make some words easier to recall than others.
His results traced what is now called the forgetting curve: much of what he learned slipped away soon after studying, after which the rate of loss slowed. More intriguing was what happened when he relearned the lists. Material reviewed in sessions spread out over time was relearned more efficiently, and it lasted longer, than material crammed in a single sitting.
Educators have been slow to act on this finding, now known as the spacing effect. Textbooks still tend to cluster practice problems by topic, and many courses test each unit once and then move on. Spacing is also less comfortable than cramming; students who space their review often feel less confident during study sessions, precisely because they must work to retrieve what they have partly forgotten. Yet that effort appears to be the point. The struggle to recall, far from signaling failure, may be what makes a memory last.
Which of the following best states the main idea of the passage?
- A. A finding from Ebbinghaus's memory research — that spaced review produces longer-lasting learning — remains underused in education.
- B. Ebbinghaus's decision to test only himself makes his conclusions about memory unreliable.
- C. Nonsense syllables are harder to remember than ordinary words because they carry no meaning.
- D. Students should stop studying by topic and instead review every subject each day.
- E. Textbooks are the main reason students forget what they learn.
Show answerHide answer
The passage describes Ebbinghaus's experiments, draws out the spacing effect, and then argues that educators "have been slow to act" on it — so the first choice captures the whole passage. The second choice is tempting because the passage mentions he tested himself, but the author never questions his results. The textbook choice overstates one supporting example.
A city council member argued: "Since bike lanes were added to Main Street last spring, traffic accidents on Main Street have dropped. Clearly, bike lanes make streets safer, and we should add them throughout the city."
Which of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the council member's argument?
- A. During the same period, the speed limit on Main Street was lowered and a new traffic signal was installed.
- B. Some drivers have complained that the bike lanes make Main Street feel narrower.
- C. Adding bike lanes throughout the city would require several years of construction.
- D. More people now ride bicycles on Main Street than did before the lanes were added.
- E. Accident rates on streets without bike lanes stayed about the same during the period.
Show answerHide answer
The argument assumes the bike lanes caused the drop in accidents. If the speed limit was lowered and a signal added at the same time, those changes could explain the drop instead — that weakens the causal claim. The last choice actually helps the argument (streets without lanes didn't improve), and complaints or construction time don't touch the safety claim at all.
Questions 13–16 refer to the following draft
(1) Many schools have begun replacing traditional recess with structured activities led by adults. (2) Supporters say structured recess reduces conflicts on the playground. (3) It also ensures that every child is included in a game. (4) Critics argue that unstructured play teaches children to negotiate rules and solve problems on their own. (5) My cousin's school has a very large playground with two slides. (6) ______, some schools have tried a middle path, offering organized games for children who want them while leaving others free to play as they choose. (7) This approach may give students the benefits of both models.
The writer wants to add a sentence after sentence 1 that states the central question the passage explores. Which of the following best accomplishes this goal?
- A. The change has sparked debate over what children actually gain from recess.
- B. Recess usually takes place outdoors when the weather allows.
- C. Many adults remember recess as their favorite part of the school day.
- D. Structured activities are sometimes led by parent volunteers.
- E. Some playgrounds have been updated with new equipment.
Show answerHide answer
The rest of the passage lays out a debate — supporters, critics, then a compromise — so the new sentence should announce that debate. The "favorite part of the day" sentence is on topic and appealing, but it's a nostalgic aside, not the question the passage goes on to explore.
The table shows the total amount s, in dollars, in a savings account w weeks after a savings plan began. The relationship between w and s is linear.
| w (weeks) | s (dollars) |
|---|---|
| 2 | 130 |
| 5 | 220 |
| 9 | 340 |
How much money was in the account when the plan began?
- A. $30
- B. $60
- C. $70
- D. $100
- E. $130
Show answerHide answer
Rate of change: (220 − 130) ÷ (5 − 2) = 90 ÷ 3 = $30 per week (check: (340 − 220) ÷ 4 = 30 ✓). Work back 2 weeks from $130: 130 − 2(30) = $70. $100 subtracts only one week's savings, and $30 is the weekly rate, not the starting amount.
More Praxis guides
Praxis Tests: The 2026–27 Guide for Future Teachers
The Praxis is the teacher-licensing exam series that many U.S. states rely on.
Read GuidePraxis Core Guide: Reading, Writing, and Math
What each Praxis Core test actually asks, how the points are weighted, and the traps that cost people the most — with…
ReadFrequently asked questions
Are these real Praxis questions?
No. They're original questions written to match the format, content categories, and difficulty of the current Core tests. For official items, use the sample questions in the free ETS Study Companions.
Can this practice test tell me if I’ll pass?
Not reliably. Passing scores are set by each state on ETS's reported-score scale, so a percent-correct score can't be converted. Use it to find weak categories.
How long is the real Praxis Core Math test?
56 questions in 90 minutes, with an on-screen four-function calculator.
Does the real Writing test have two essays?
Yes: an argumentative essay and an informative/explanatory essay based on two sources, 30 minutes each, after a 40-minute selected-response section.
Sources & official links
- ETS — Praxis Study Companion: Core Reading (5713)praxis.ets.org
- ETS — Praxis Study Companion: Core Writing (5723)praxis.ets.org
- ETS — Praxis Study Companion: Core Mathematics (5733)praxis.ets.org
- ETS — Understanding your Praxis scorespraxis.ets.org