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Praxis is an exam conducted by the ETS (Educational testing service) and is an essential prerequisite for teaching is the United States. All states in the Unites States require this as a part of their certification process. The exam is also used by colleges and universities to qualify individuals for entry into teacher education programs. A number of professional associations and organizations use these tests as one of several requirements for certification in professional fields.

     The three categories of assessments in the praxis exam are as given

Praxis I :Academic Skills Assessments are designed to be taken early in your college career to measure your reading, writing, and mathematical skills. The Pre-Professional skills tests(PPST) in reading, writing and mathematics are available in two formats, each measuring the basic academic skills vital to all teachers. Many states and institutions accept scores bases on either format :

• The paper-based tests in Reading and Mathematics are one-hour multiple-choice tests. The writing test includes both 30-minute multiple-choice and 30-minute essay section.

• The computer-based tests in reading, Mathematics, and writing contain computer-delivered questions that require selecting single responses of highlighting information. The writing test includes an essay section. Each testing session is two hours to allow sufficient time for tutorials on computer use, the test itself, and the collection of background information for score reporting.The writing test includes an essay section. The use of calculators for mathematics test is prohibited

                The length and testing time for each test is as follows.

       Reading              46 questions      75 minutes

       Mathematics       46 questions       75 minutes

       Writing                 51 questions       45 minutes

                  1 essay               30 minutes   

Your test will also include some questions that will not count toward your score. These are pretest questions mixed in with regular test items to give ETS statistical information on how these new test questions perform under actual testing conditions. For this reason, you will not be told which items are pretest questions.

Praxis II : Subject Assessments measure your knowledge of subjects you will teach.

                      The praxis II subject assessments include :

•  Subject Assessment/ Specialty Area Tests.  These assessments measure your general and subject- specific pedagogical skills and knowledge.

• Multiple Subjects Assessment for Teachers (MSAT).     These tests were developed jointly by ETS and the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

• Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) Tests. These assessments use a case study approach to measure your general pedagogical knowledge at three grade levels : K-6, 5 -9, and 7 -12. The tests feature constructed-response and multiple-choice items

Praxis III : Classroom Performance Assessments     are used to evaluate all aspects of a beginning teacher's classroom performance. Designed to assist in making a licensure decisions, these comprehensive assessments are conducted in the teacher's own classroom by trained local observers who employ a set of consistent, reliable, nationally validated criteria. The assessments are typically are administered during the first year of teaching, although under special circumstances they may take place during the second year.