The Praxis II: Subject Assessments is a test that was designed by the Educational Testing Service after asking both teachers and teacher educators what they thought new teachers needed to know. Almost all stressed that new teachers needed to know an in-depth knowledge of their subject area and be able to discuss it in all aspects of situations because students learn in different ways as well as be able to recall facts. Because of this, the test is broken into two parts: constructed-response and multiple-choice questions. Multiple-choice questions, may at first glance, be seen as a piece of cake, but a lot of detail goes into the questions, so a knowledge of the type of question is almost as important as the material that the question covers.



As with any test, it is important to know the material that the test will cover. But because the Praxis II: Subject Assessment encompasses everything about a subject it can be overwhelming to study for. To overcome this obstacle the test taker can learn what the test will cover by looking at the specifications lists. The specifications lists specify the percent of the test that each topic will cover allowing the test taker to study on those topics making it easier to plan study sessions on key material rather than stressing over an abundant amount of material that may or may not be on the test. Once the test taker has an idea of what topics will be covered on the test, it is a good idea to genuinely gauge how well he or she knows the subject matter. By being honest the test taker is able to make a better judgment on what he or she needs to study for in preparing for the exam.

The multiple-choice tests can take a good portion of time and should not be taken lightly just because they are multiple-choice questions. There are several formats that are used in order to evaluate the test takers? knowledge of certain subject matter. The following are the main formats used in multiple-choice tests:

?Complete the statement

??Which of the following?

?Questions that use Roman Numerals

?Questions that use graphs, tables or reading passages

Complete the statement questions are those that give an incomplete statement and the test taker must choose the correct answer from a group of answers. Another format is the ?which of the following? questions. Both this question format and the complete the statement format can be checked by inputting the answer in place of the phrase ?which of the following? or ?complete the statement.?

Questions that have Roman numerals are those that will have more than one correct answer. The biggest thing to remember about this type of question is to make sure that the answer matches the Roman numerals given; with Roman numerals it is easy to misread. Questions that contain ?not,? ?least,? and ?except? asks for you to choose the answer that does not fit. This question format is generally used when there are several correct answers and one that is wrong. When answering this type of question the test taker must remember to choose the negative answer. Questions that contain graphs, tables or reading passages can be tricky at first glance, but it is important that your selected answer answers what is being asked. When the question pertains to graphs or tables, it can be easier if the test taker reads the question prior to looking at the graph or table. And when the question pertains to a passage, it is best if the test taker reads the passage thoroughly, albeit quickly, and underline important information and then look at the questions.

Preparing for the multiple-choice questions is only half the battle when it comes to taking the Praxis II: Subject Assessments. But knowing what each format of question is asking is also essential. If the test taker understands what is being asked, it is much easier to provide an answer. It is also important for the test taker to not be overwhelmed by words the he or she does not understand or is familiar with. By reading the question carefully and using the knowledge of the subject matter it becomes easier to choose the best answer.