2024 Edition

PRAXIS Core Academic Skills for Educators Practice Test

Take this free practice test to see how prepared you are for the PRAXIS Core Exam and the PRAXIS I teacher certification test. Most states use the PRAXIS Series of Exams to license teachers to teach in their classrooms. The PRAXIS Core Academic Skills for Educators test and the PRAXIS I evaluate three subject areas: Math, Reading and Writing.

For 800 Praxis practice questions including explanations to the answers check out the Practice Test Kit for the Praxis Core Exam.

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1.	Linda drives 30 miles to the dentist. She then travels another six miles to get to the utility company and 12 miles to the grocery store. Assuming the utility company and the grocery store were both on her way home, approximately how many miles will she still have to drive to make it home?
		a. 8
		b. 12
		c. 18
		d. 21
30 miles - 6 miles - 12 miles = 12 miles Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

2.	Combine like terms in the following equation into the final algebraic expression: -2y + 11 + 6y
		a. 8y + 11
		b. -8y + 11
		c. 4y + 11
		d. None of the above
-2y + 11 + 6y = 4y + 11 Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

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3.	A "metaphor" is a figure of speech that compares two different things, usually with the words "like" or "as."
		True
		False
A metaphor is figure of speech where one object stands for another as a symbol. A simile is a figure of speech that makes a comparison using "like" or "as". Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

4.	Use the following passage to answer questions 4 through 7. It was in the last four decades of the ninth century of our era that Norsemen began to leave their own country and set up new homes in Iceland. The sixty years ending with 930 A.D. were devoted to taking up the land, and the hundred years that ensued after that date were devoted to quarreling about that land. These quarrels were the origin of the Icelandic family sagas. The year 1000 brought Christianity to the island, and the period from 1030 to 1120 were years of peace in which stories of the former time passed from mouth to mouth. The next century saw these stories take written form, and the period from 1220 to 1260 was the golden age of this literature. In 1264, Iceland passed under the rule of Norway, and a decline of literature began, extending until 1400, the end of literary production in Iceland. In the main, the authors of Iceland are unknown. Which of the following best expresses the main idea of the passage?
		a.Christianity brought peace to Iceland.
		b.Icelandic literature flourished briefly but was extinguished under Norwegian rule.
		c.Iceland was founded by Norsemen.
		d.Old Norse literature was spread through word of mouth.
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

5.	According to the passage, when did Norsemen begin setting up new homes in Iceland?
		a.Between 860-900 A.D.
		b.Sixty years prior to 930 B.C.
		c.From 930-1030 A.D.
		d. None of the above
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

6.	Based on this passage, the golden age of Norse literature came when ______________.
		a.Christianity arrived
		b.stories passed from mouth to mouth
		c.Iceland passed under the rule of Norway
		d.the stories transitioned from oral to written form
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

7.	Based on this passage, what can we infer about Norsemen?
		a.They were a peaceful people.
		b.They brought Christianity to Iceland when they first arrived.
		c.They were not indigenous to Iceland.
		d.They divided up the new lands equally and fairly.
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

8.	The first step you would take to solve the following math problem is to multiply 24 by 16: x = 36 + (24 x 16)
		True
		False
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

9.	Find the product: -3(y+1)
		a. -3 + y
		b. 3y + 1
		c. -3y + 3
		d. -3y -3
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

10.	A "simile" is something that is used to represent something else.
		True
		False
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

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11.	Solve for "n" if "m" is equal to six: n = 7m² + 5m +3
		a. 75
		b. 285
		c. 435
		d. 502
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

12.	*Solve y = 57+(32+-3)8*
		a. 267
		b. 315
		c. 512
		d. None of the above
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

13.	An "allegory" is a form of extended metaphor that has religious, political or social meanings.
		True
		False
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

14.	An "analogy" is a similarity between similar features of two or more different things.
		True
		False
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

15.	A passenger train left San Diego and went to San Francisco and back. The trip to San Francisco took three hours, but the return trip took four hours. If the train averaged six kilometers per hour on the trip back to San Diego, find the average speed of the train during the outbound trip.
		a. 6 km/h
		b. 7 km/h
		c. 8 km/h
		d. 9 km/h
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

16.	The length of the hypotenuse of a right triangle can be found by taking the square root of the sum of both sides.
		True
		False
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

17.	Use the quadratic formula to solve the following equation: x²+ 3x - 4 = 0
		a. 4, 1
		b. 4, -1
		c. 1, 4
		d. - 4, 1
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

18.	Find the product: (4x + 2)(6x² - x +2)
		a. 24x³ + 8x² + 4
		b. 24x³ + 8x² + 6x + 4
		c. 24x³ + 8x² + 6x
		d. 24x³ + 6x² + 8x + 4
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

19.	Find "z" when "x" equals two and "y" equals four. z = 4x² + 3y² + 2xy+ 2
		a. 80
		b. 82
		c. 84
		d. 86
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

20.	*Evaluate: f(y) = 1/36ⁿ where n = 2**
		a. 2
		b. 4
		c. 12
		d. 36
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

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21.	Factor the following equation completely: 8r³- 64r²+ r - 8
		a. (8r² - 1)(r + 8)
		b. (8r² + 1)(r - 8)
		c. (r² - 1)(8r + 8)
		d. (r² + 1)(8r - 8)
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

22.	Barbara purchased three shirts each for $12.54, and two pairs of shoes each for $29.98. How much did she pay in total for these items?
		a. $78.97
		b. $87.79
		c. $97.58
		d. $99.85
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

23.	Use the information presented in the following passage to answer questions 23-28. Samuel Clemens is still one of America's most beloved authors, more than a century after his death. The majority of people know him only be his pen name, Mark Twain. Twain was born on November 30, 1835 in Florida, Missouri. He grew up in nearby Hannibal. Only three of his six siblings lived to adulthood. His father also died when he was only 11. These early experiences greatly impacted young Twain and forever shaped his outlook on the world. Twain first worked as a printer; he was apprenticed at the age of 12. When he tired of the printing industry, he became a riverboat pilot on the Mississippi and then tried gold mining with his brother Orion. When none of these ventures succeeded, Twain took a job as a journalist. It was in writing that he found his life's true calling, and he soon became a popular author. He would go on to write such classics as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Throughout his life, Twain was plagued by personal tragedies. Three of his four children preceded him in death; his son did not live past infancy. He also lost a number of close friends and experienced numerous financial problems. Halley's Comet heralded Twain's birth, and he wanted to live long enough to see it again. He got his wish and died one day after the comet's next approach to earth, on April 21, 1910. What genre does this passage fall into?
		a. Narrative Nonfiction
		b. Biography
		c. Journalism
		d. None of the above
Biography Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

24.	Determine which of the following statements from the passage is an inference or opinion, rather than a testable fact.
		a. Twain was born on November 30, 1835 in Florida, Missouri.
		b. His father also died when he was only 11.
		c. These early experiences greatly impacted young Twain and forever shaped his outlook on the world.
		d. He got his wish, and died one day after the comet's next approach to earth, on April 21, 1910.
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

25.	Based on the passage, what is the most likely definition of the word "apprenticed?"
		a. Sold into indentured servitude
		b. Placed into an early job assignment, with a more seasoned expert as teacher
		c. Hired as a servant
		d. None of the above
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

26.	Which of the following would be the best way for someone to prove that Twain is one of America's most popular authors?
		a. Take a poll of all popular American authors and see where Twain ranks
		b. Compare book sales, past and present, of various authors
		c. Ask a literature expert
		d. Both a and b
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

27.	How many deaths in the family did Twain experience as a child?
		a. Three
		b. One
		c. Four
		d. None of the above
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

28.	How did Twain probably feel about his father's death?
		a. It probably had no effect.
		b. It led to his career as a writer.
		c. It caused him to suffer severe depression.
		d. It is impossible to determine the exact effects from the material presented in the passage.
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

29.	For questions 29 and 30, use the following information. Lisa travels a total of 67 miles to see her brother. Her friend Maria's house is on the way. Lisa passes Maria's house when she is 79 percent of the way to her brother's house. How far has Lisa traveled when she passes Maria's house?
		a. 5.29 miles
		b. 5.92 miles
		c. 52.9 miles
		d. 59.2 miles
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

30.	After visiting her brother, Lisa stops at Maria's on the way home. How far has she traveled, in total, when she stops at Maria's house?
		a. 8.13 miles
		b. 8.11 miles
		c. 81.3 miles
		d. 81.1 miles
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

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31.	You are doing a research paper on how the use of steroids and human growth hormones in professional sports is affecting competition. An article in Sports Illustrated on this topic is a:
		a. Primary Source
		b. Secondary Source
		c. Tertiary Source
		d. None of the above.
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

32.	Which of the following best describes a “working hypothesis” in the formation of a research paper?
		a. A definitive conclusion of a research paper.
		b. A tentative answer to guide research
		c. An implausible answer to a problem
		d. An hypothesis is never used in the formation of a research paper.
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

33.	Use the following passage to answer questions 33 - 35. (1) We Americans devour eagerly any piece of writing that purports to tell us the secret of success in life; yet how often we are disappointed to find nothing but commonplace statements, or maxims that we know by heart but never follow. (2) Most of the life stories of famous and successful men fail to inspire because they lack the human element that makes the record real and brings the story within our grasp. (3) While we are searching far and near for some Aladdin's Lamp to answer the Sphinx's riddle of fortune, there is ready at hand the interesting and vividly told story of one of the wisest and most useful lives in our own history, and perhaps in any history. (4) In Franklin's Autobiography is offered not so much a ready-made formula for success, as the companionship of a real flesh and blood man of extraordinary mind and quality, whose daily walk and conversation will help us to meet our own difficulties, much as does the example of a wise and strong friend. (5) While we are fascinated by the story, we absorb the human experience through which a strong and helpful character is building. (6) The thing that makes Franklin's Autobiography different from every other life story of a great and successful person is just this human aspect of the account. (7) Franklin told the story of his life, as he himself says, for the benefit of his posterity. (8) He wanted to help them by the relation of his own rise from obscurity and poverty to eminence and wealth. (9) He is not unmindful of the importance of his public services and their recognition, yet his accounts of these achievements are given only as a part of the story, and the vanity displayed is incidental and in keeping with the honesty of the recital. (10) There is nothing of the impossible in the method and practice of Franklin as he sets them forth. (11) The youth who reads the fascinating story may be astonished to find that Franklin in his early years struggled with the same everyday passions and difficulties that the reader experiences. Read in context, which revision to sentence 2 (shown below) makes the sentence gender neutral in the most economical way? Most of the life stories of famous and successful men fail to inspire because they lack the human element that makes the record real and brings the story within our grasp.
		a. "Most of the life stories of famous and successful men and women..."
		b. "Most life stories of famous and successful people...."
		c. "Most of the life stories of the famous and successful..."
		d. "Most life stories of the famous and successful..."
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

34.	Read in context, what is problematic about sentence 3 (shown below)? While we are searching far and near for some Aladdin's Lamp to answer the Sphinx's riddle of fortune, there is ready at hand the interesting and vividly told story of one of the wisest and most useful lives in our own history, and perhaps in any history.
		a. Tense shifting
		b. Mixed-metaphor
		c. Indefinite pronouns
		d. Misplaced modifier
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

35.	Read in context, which of the following is the best version of the underlined portion of sentence 9 (shown below)? He is not unmindful of the importance of his public services and their recognition, yet his accounts of these achievements are given only as a part of the story, and the vanity displayed is incidental and in keeping with the honesty of the recital.
		a. thus
		b. but
		c. and
		d. therefore
Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

36.	John followed his supervisor to the warehouse and they review the shipment of merchandise that was to go out that day. Which answer below corrects the use of verb agreement for the underlined text?
		a. Followed, reviews
		b. Following, reviewed
		c. Followed, reviewed
		d. Follows, reviews
The only correct answer options where the verbs agree are in the past tense. Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

37.	The company gave a bonus to it employees if they worked overtime on an project over the holidays. Which answer corrects the usage errors for the underlined text?
		a. Its, they, an
		b. it, they, an
		c. its, it, an
		d. its, they, a
"Its" is the possessive form of "it". The indefinite article "a" or "an" is used as follows: If the noun after begins with a consonant sound (e.g., d, t, r) us "a" and if the noun begins with a vowel sound (e.g., a, o, i), use "an". Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

38.	Either the music teacher or the vice principal usually attend the dance. Which answer provides the correct subject-verb agreement?
		a. Attend
		b. Attends
		c. Attended
		d. Attending
When singular subjects are joined by either/or or neither/nor, the verb is also singular. Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

39.	Yesterday, Tammy and her friends was late for the appointment. Which answer provides the correct subject-verb agreement?
		a. Was
		b. Were
		c. is
		d. are
The verb must agree with the subject of the sentence. When the subject is plural, the verb must also be in plural form. Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

40.	Mark Twain's Huckleberry Fin have always been widely read. Which answer provides the correct subject-verb agreement?
		a. have
		b. is
		c. has
		d. was
The verb must agree with the subject of the sentence. When the subject is singular, the verb must also be in singular form. Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

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41.	It was Sarah, Julie, Tom and my idea. Which answer corrects the errors in the possessive nouns?
		a. It was Sarahs, Julies, Toms and my idea.
		b. It was Sarah's Julie's, Tom's and my idea.
		c. It was Sarahs', Julies', Toms' and my idea.
		d. It was my, Sarah, Julie, Toms idea.
Form the possessive singular of nouns by adding 's. Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

42.	The dog ate ___ food. Which answer correctly uses the possessive form.
		a. Its
		b. It's
		c. That
		d. Their
It is a common error to use the contraction for "it is" or "it's" for the possessive form "its" and vice versa. Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

43.	While I usually like Spielberg movies, I do not feel like going tonight. Correct the conjunction in the sentence.
		a. While
		b. Although
		c. While
		d. But
"While" refers to time and should not be used as a substitute for "although". Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

44.	He loved her affectionately but not her dog. Correct the sentence so the sentence parts are in agreement.
		a. He loved her affectionately and not her dog.
		b. He loved her affectionately, not her dog.
		c. The girlfriend he loved affectionately, not her dog.
		d. He loved her affectionately but he did not love her dog.
When using a conjunction, the sentence parts need to be in agreement. Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

45.	Timothy listened to the band wincing in astonishment. Correct the misplaced modifier in the sentence.
		a. Timothy listened to the wincing band in astonishment.
		b. Wincing in astonishment, Timothy listened to the band.
		c. Timothy was astonished to listen to the wincing band.
		d. Timothy winced listening to the astonished band.
The dangling participle is an error that causes confusion. The participle should be placed immediately before or after the subject of the sentence. Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

46.	Stephanie almost ate the cake until it was gone. Correct the misplaced modifier in the sentence.
		a. Stephanie at the cake until it was almost gone.
		b. Stephanie ate the cake almost until it was gone.
		c. Almost, Stephanie ate the cake until it was gone.
		d. Stephanie ate the cake until it was gone almost.
Modifiers such as "almost" must appear immediately before the word they modify or they will be confusing. Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

47.	A tree as tall as a three story building. Turn this sentence fragment into a sentence.
		a. A three story building as tall as a tree.
		b. A tree as tall as a building that is three stories tall.
		c. The tree is as tall as a three story building.
		d. A tall tree and a three story building
A sentence fragment does not have enough to make it complete. It is usually missing a subject or a verb. Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

48.	It was a nice day for a walk the sun was shining in a clear blue sky. Fix this run-on sentence.
		a. The sun was shining in a clear blue sky it was a nice day for a walk.
		b. It was a nice day for a walk. The sun was shining in a clear blue sky.
		c. It was a nice day for a walk in a clear blue sky with the sun shining.
		d. It was a nice day for a walk, the sun was shining in a clear blue sky.
A run-on sentence is a sentence with too much in it. It typically has two complete sentences. It is incorrect to insert a comma between the two sentences, as this creates another error, a comma splice. Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

49.	3/4 + 3/8 =
		a. 6/12
		b. 9/32
		c. 1 1/8
		d. 2
6/8 + 3/8 = 9/8 = 1 1/8 Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

50.	5 x 4/9 =
		a. 20.9
		b. 11
		c. 2 2/9
		d. .5
5/1 x 4/9 = 20/9 = 2 2/9 Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

51.	7 – 19 + 48 ÷ 6 =
		a. 4
		b. -4
		c. 34
		d. -34
By order of operations, you first carry out division before subtraction or addition. 7 – 19 + 8 = x x = 7 – 11 x = - 4 Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

52.	.07 + 5 x 4 =
		a. 1.4
		b. 9.07
		c. 20.28
		d. 20.07
By order of operations, you first carry out multiplication before subtraction or addition. .07 + 5 x 4 = x .07 + 20 = x x = 20.07 Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

53.	4 – 32 ÷ 4 =
		a. -4
		b. 4
		c. -16
		d. 16
By order of operations, you first carry out division before subtraction or addition. 4 – 32 ÷ 4 = x 4 – 8 = x x = - 4 Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

54.	7/8 x 2/3 =
		a. 7/12
		b. 2/7
		c. 9/11
		d. 5/5
To multiply fractions, multiply the numerators and denominators. 7/8 x 2/3 = 14/24 = 7/12 7/12 Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

55.	2/4 ÷ 5/6 =
		a. 5/6
		b. 3/5
		c. 3/7
		d. 7/10
To divide a fraction by another fraction, invert the terms of the divisor and then multiply: 2/4 ÷ 5/6 = 2/4 x 6/5 = 12/20 = 3/5 Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

56.	Which expression is equivalent to 2 + 5(6 – 7) + 10?
		a. 2 + 5 ÷ 6 ÷ - 7 + 10
		b. 2 + 5 x 6 - 5 x 7 + 10
		c. 2 + 5 x - 5 x - 7 + 10
		d. 2 x 5 + 2 x 6 - 2 x 7 + 10
In the given expression, the five must be distributed over the parentheses. Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

57.	6x + 8 = 3x + 11, Solve for x.
		a. x = 3
		b. x = 2
		c. x = 1
		d. x = 0
6x + 8 = 3x + 11 6x – 3x = 11 – 8 3x = 3 x = 3/3 x = 1 Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

58.	What is the median of the following set of numbers? 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11
		a. 5
		b. 8
		c. 7
		d. 6
Since there are an even number of values, the average of the two middle values is the median. 5 + 7 = 12 12/2 = 6 Incorrect answer. Please choose another answer.

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