It can be stressful to determine when to take the Praxis Core and its subject tests. You want to make sure you have enough time to study, but you also want to make sure that your scores are received in time for you to be licensed in a timely fashion. Relax! I’m here to walk you through determining your ideal Praxis test dates.
Scheduling your Praxis Test Date for the Praxis Core
The Praxis Core Test is offered year-round at test centers, so scheduling to hit a certain window or date won’t be a concern here. The Praxis Core consists of a reading, writing, and mathematics portion that can be taken together or separately. Scores take about 10-16 business dates to reach the recipients you specify, so be sure you leave about 3-4 weeks of lead time to ensure that your scores arrive in time to the institutions and licensing agencies you specify.
Scheduling your Praxis Test Dates for the Praxis Subject Tests
This is a bit trickier than scheduling your Core test! The first thing you’ll want to do here is check with the Praxis website to see what subject tests your state or states require for specific licensure areas, along with any other license requirements. Once you’ve determined the tests you’ll need to take, you’ll want to look at the testing windows for each of your exams.
These windows are generally open for two weeks a month for each of the subject tests, so don’t wait until the last minute to schedule!
Disability Accommodations
Another aspect you’ll want to consider when scheduling your Praxis test dates is the time needed to approve accommodations for disabilities. These include, but are not limited to, extra time, a separate testing room, and additional breaks.
ETS (the company that administers the Praxis) can take up to six weeks to approve accommodations, and another six weeks on top of that if they need extra documentation – yikes! That means if you need extra time or other accommodations for testing, it’s best to schedule your tests three months in advance to ensure that your documentation is received and approved in time.
Due Dates for Licensure
Lastly, you’ll want to look online to make sure that you take your tests in time to ensure that you’re licensed for the year you want to teach. For example, in Wisconsin, to be licensed in a specific subject, you’ll want to take the corresponding subject test before August 31st. Otherwise, your license won’t take effect until July 1st of the next year! You’ll want to do a bit of research to ensure your scores arrive before those cutoff dates.
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