The Praxis ParaPro Test is an exam for school paraprofessionals— classroom assistants and teacher’s aides. The exam is accepted in 40 states as well as the U.S. Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia.
Testing and licensing requirements for classroom paraprofessionals varies widely within a sate or territory, however. So even if you live in a state that accepts the ParaPro, you may or may not need to take the ParaPro exam to be eligible for a teacher’s aide position. Check with local schools for the requirements.
If you do need to take the ParaPro exam, this post lists the basic facts about the test.
Praxis ParaPro Test for Paraprofessionals: Test Format and Content
- Number of questions and type of questions: 90 questions, all multiple choice
- Time limit: 2 hours and 30 minutes
- Question topics: general academic content knowledge (reading, writing, math, about 2/3 of the questions), pedagogy (about 1/3 of the questions)
Praxis ParaPro Test for Paraprofessionals: Test Dates, Locations, and Fees
The Praxis ParaPro test is administered by appointment through participating school districts. Currently, the ParaPro can be taken in just thirty states, and only at certain select locations. The Praxis website provides a list of ParaPro test centers.
Test fees are as follows: $55 to take the exam, and $50 for additional score reports. (One score report will be sent free of charge to the school district in which you took the exam.)
Comparing the Praxis ParaPro to the Praxis Core and Praxis PLT
Like the Praxis Core and the Praxis PLT, the ParaPro covers both general academic content knowledge and pedagogy.
Some of the the questions on the ParaPro are very similar to questions you might see on the Core or PLT exams. For instance, the ParaPro includes questions on algebra, as seen in Praxis Core Math. And the ParaPro exam has main idea questions as well as a few other Praxis Core Reading question types. Some ParaPro sentence correction questions resemble Core Writing too. Moreover, the ParaPro’s pedagogy questions are often scenario-based, much like the scenario-based pedagogy questions on the Praxis PLT.
However, ParaPro questions are simpler than the questions found on other Praxis exams. ParaPro math focuses on very basic, straightforward interpretations of data and numbers. Other foundational math principles on the Praxis ParaPro include rough estimates and the use of simple math operations. Similarly, the ParaPro exam’s Reading and Writing questions focus on fundamental concepts such as the difference between a fact and an opinion, or different parts of speech.
On the ParaPro, pedagogy questions are blended with content knowledge, making them different from the “pure pedagogy” questions on the PLT. For example, the ParaPro may ask you to choose a good opening sentence for a sample student essay, or a question might ask you how to explain a math principle to a group of students.
The Praxis ParaPro for Paraprofessionals: Preparation Materials
There are very few third party Praxis ParaPro study guides. Fortunately, ETS itself provides some excellent ParaPro Assessment Test Prep material for test-takers. Official ETS resources for this exam include a free ParaPro Assessment Study Companion, a free online tutorial for the exam, and a simulated practice exam which costs $19.95.
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