Praxis II Scores: What You Need to Know

Are you having “post-Praxis II anxiety?” Sometimes the worst post-test-jitters come after test day, as you wait for your official Praxis II scores.

Have no fear, gentle readers. I’m here to alleviate a lot of your uncertainty. Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about Praxis II scores. I think you’ll find that these answers take away a lot of your post-exam uncertainty.

What is the difference between raw Praxis II scores, unofficial Praxis II scores, and official Praxis II scores?

When you take any Praxis exam, you’ll usually receive three different versions of your score: a raw score, an unofficial score, and an official score. Below, I’ll give you a definition of each of the three types of scores, with specific scoring examples from one of the Praxis Subject Assessment tests.

• RAW SCORE:
  This is the number of questions you answer correctly. Always think of your raw score as a ratio; it’s the number of questions you got right out of the total number of questions on the test.
  • Example:
    Suppose you got 92 questions right on the Praxis II for Social Studies: Content Knowledge (5081). There are a total of 130 questions on Praxis II 5081. This means that your raw score is 92/130.

 

• UNOFFICIAL SCORE:
  The unofficial score is calculated on the Praxis II’s special scoring scale for a minimum of 100 points and a maximum of 200 points. Both unofficial and official Praxis II scores are scaled in this 100-200 point range.
  • Example:
    If you got a raw score of 92/130 on the Praxis II, 5081 (Social Studies Content Knowledge), your unofficial score would be 170.

 

• OFFICIAL SCORE:
  Your official score is the score that truly matters. This is the score that your state’s teacher licensing board will look at. Your official score will be issued anywhere from days to weeks after you take the Praxis II. (For details, see the post “When Do I Get My Praxis Exam Results?“) Very often, official Praxis II scores are exactly the same as unofficial Praxis II scores. However, sometimes official scores can be changed. When this happens, the adjustment seldom exceeds 3 points.
  • Example:
    Continuing with my example from Praxis 5081, an unofficial score of 171 on the Praxis II for Social Studies would likely translate into an official score of 171 as well. If any adjustments are made, however, a 171 unofficial score would likely translate into an official score of between 168 and 174.

Wait, how do you convert a raw Praxis II score into an unofficial score?

If the “magic” of converting a raw score (such as 92/130) into a scaled score (such as 171) seems mysterious to you, you’re not alone. Here at Magoosh Praxis, we get student questions about raw-to-scaled score conversion all the time.

Don’t worry, though–the math for changing a raw score ratio into a 100-200 point unofficial scaled score is surprisingly simple. Ready to have your mind blown? Here’s the two-step process:

• HOW TO CONVERT A PRAXIS II RAW SCORE INTO A PRAXIS II UNOFFICIAL SCORE:
  • Step 1: Turn the ratio of your Praxis II raw score into a percentage.
    Example: The Praxis 5081 raw score I described above is 92/130. 92/130 = 0.707, which is like 70.7%. This rounds up to 71%.
  • Step 2: Add 100 to your percentage number to get your scaled unofficial score.
    Example: If you get 71% of your answers correct on the Praxis 5081 (or any Praxis exam), 71+100 = 171 So 171 is your unofficial scaled score.

How are adjustments to official Praxis II scores calculated?

There are two different reasons your official Praxis II score might be adjusted from your unofficial one.

First, a small handful of Praxis II exams have scores that are adjusted for relative difficulty. What does this mean? Well, every test-taker gets a different mix of questions; there are no two identical versions of the same Praxis II exam. You may get a mix of questions that’s harder than average or easier than average. If your questions were unusually hard, you may get a few points added to your score, to compensate for this. And if your questions were unusually easy, your score could be adjusted downward a little bit. (But again, downward adjustments are rare.)

Your official score will also be adjusted if certain questions are worth more than just one point. Usually, Praxis II questions all have the same point value. However, you will occasionally see Praxis II questions that are weighted more heavily.

Sometimes questions are worth extra points because you need to select more than one answer. At other times, questions are given extra value for less obvious reasons. For instance, a multiple choice question may test your knowledge in two or three important principles instead of just one.

Will I always get to see my raw and unofficial Praxis II scores on test day?

Sadly, the answer to this question is “no.” Compared to other ETS exams, the Praxis is maddeningly inconsistent about their unofficial score reports.

The “standard” is that you’ll get to see both your raw and unofficial scores in the test center, right after you take the Praxis II. However, the Praxis doesn’t guarantee you’ll get to see this. If the computers in the exam center are slow or glitchy on the day you take the test, you might only see your raw Praxis II score or only your official Praxis II score. In some cases, you won’t be shown any score at all! (That’s not common, but I have heard of it happening.)

In addition, you’ll see only a partial raw score and no unofficial score if you take a Praxis II exam that includes constructed responses (essays and short written answers). Constructed-response scoring is done by actual human scorers after your test day. For tests with this response type, you won’t see complete score information until you actually get your official score report.