Today is When Is Your Testing Date?

Praxis General Science – Top 5 Things You Need To Get A Passing Score Now

If your head is spinning at everything you need to learn for the Praxis General Science test, you’re not alone. With so many possible subject areas, it can feel like the test expects you to be an expert in every area of science.

It’s totally normal to feel completely confident in one area of the Praxis General Science, but overwhelmed by the rest. In the end, there’s no way to avoid extensive studying if you want to do well. However, you can avoid the overwhelm and anxiety that cripples many test-takers.

praxis ii general science practice test questions resources

These 5 Praxis General Science study guide and practice test will help you study effectively and stay organized, focused, and calm.

Praxis General Science Practice Tip #1: To Study More Effectively, Divide and Conquer

The amount of information on the Praxis General Science is no joke. The ETS Praxis General Science study companion takes seven pages just to list all of the subjects that could come up.

To avoid instant overwhelm and anxiety, plan to divide your studying based on the five areas of the test:

Praxis 5435 General Science Content Knowledge

SectionQuestionsWorth
Scientific Methodology, Techniques, and History15 multiple choice11%
Physical Science51 multiple choice38%
Life Science27 multiple choice20%
Earth and Space Science27 multiple choice20%
Science, Technology, and Society15 multiple choice11%

SMT&H and ST&S are not only worth the least on the test, they tend to be the easiest sections for many test-takers. You’ll still need to study them, but probably not as extensively as the others. This leaves three main areas of focus for your studying: Physical Science, Life Science, and Earth & Space Science.

Tackle just one at a time until you feel confident and do a general review at the end. You’ll feel far less scattered and overwhelmed.

Warning: The Little Praxis Mistake That Cost My $41,000 In First Year Teacher Income…

Praxis General Science Study Tip #2: You Won’t Know Everything, So Don’t Stress About It On Test Day

No one expects to get every question correct. But many Praxis General Science test takers are surprised by how many questions completely stump them. If you get several in a row that you simply don’t know, just take a breath.

praxis 2 general science study guide review book for education career

The worst thing you could do is let those gaps in knowledge shake your confidence and affect your performance during the test. Remember these points to keep yourself calm and focused

  • Not every question counts towards your score. Some are trial questions.
  • Your composite score is determined by more than just how many questions you get right. Some questions are worth less than others.
  • The Praxis General Science covers an extremely wide scope of information. You’ll always been great in some and not so great in others. You can pass without knowing it all.

Praxis General Science Prep Tip #3: Ignoring Chemistry Will Hurt You

The physical science portion of the test determines 38% of your score on the Praxis General Science. So naturally, many testers focus on it the most as they study.

Everyone knows that chemistry shows up on the test, but some underestimate how much. Despite study guides and resources like the ETS study companions, some testers still mistakenly assume that “physical science” means mostly physics and study accordingly. Don’t make this mistake.

Sure, physics is an important component of the physical science questions, but chemistry is just as important. In fact, the two subjects are usually equally tested, taking relatively equal portion of the 51 physical science questions.

Know that if you hear anyone refer to the physical science portion as the “physics portion,” this is a huge misnomer.

Praxis General Science Study Guide Tip #4: Aim High in Areas You Know and Like

If you’re like most Praxis General Science preparers, you have one or two areas of science that you love and a few areas that you struggle with. Your instincts may tell you to spend most of your studying time on your weakness, but it might be just as important to study your strengths. Here’s why:

  • It’s easier to study and retain material in subjects you love.
  • You won’t reach perfection in your weakest areas.
  • But scoring extremely high on one section can make up for a lower performance on another.

So, if you know that you struggle with life science but excel in physics, aim to get almost all of your physics questions correct.

Of course, you’ll still want to shore up your weaker areas as you study. But if you devote all of your time to fixing those up at the expense of reinforcing your stronger areas, you’ll probably miss out on points that would have been easy for you to get.

Links To Praxis Subject Tests Prep Tools And Tactics

Praxis General Science Study Guide Tip #5: Separate Preparation Materials To Reduce Overwhelm

The Praxis General Science test is so broad that it’s almost like three or four tests in one. So, it’s no surprise that some aspiring teachers find it helpful to treat it that way as they study.

Any Praxis General Science study guide will already be organized by subject matter. However, a top complaint about almost every Praxis II book is that they feel disorganized and overwhelming.

High quality Praxis test practice materials help reduce mental overwhelm and feel more organized as they study. College text books (as long as they’re still up to date) are a great way to gain more thorough information and to help you focus on one subject at a time.

Take Action

  • Read the ETS Praxis General Science study companion to get an idea of the information that could be on the test.
  • Create a study calendar that gives you enough time to focus on each subject individually.
  • Put your strongest areas in the middle of your schedule. This will give you a confidence boost as you study and give you a break from subjects you don’t enjoy as much.
  • Gather old college and even high school science textbooks to help you study.

Go: Why Some People Make Passing The Praxis Look So Easy…

Author: Mark Dahlson