Overview
The State Board of Education and the SC Department of Education adopted the Praxis Core assessment to establish basic skills standards for teacher candidates.
The Praxis Core exam is a comprehensive assessment that measures academic skills in Reading, Writing, and Mathematics.
The Praxis Core is a requirement for admission to the Professional Program and is a separate requirement from the Praxis II and PLT exams needed for certification.
The Praxis Core is required for all students enrolled in an undergraduate degree program leading to initial certification.
Students in graduate programs leading to initial certification are not required to take this exam.
Students can exempt sections of the Praxis Core exam or exempt the entire exam through SAT or ACT scores.
How can a student exempt the Praxis Core?
Students can exempt all three subject tests (Reading, Writing, and Mathematics) with a minimum composite score of 22 on the ACT or a minimum total score of 1100 on the 2-part SAT.
If students do not exempt the entire Praxis Core, they can exempt a subject test of the Praxis Core based on the SAT section score or the ACT subject test score as shown in the charts below.
| SAT Section | Section Score | Praxis Core Section Exempted |
|---|---|---|
|
Reading and Writing |
550 or higher | Reading and Writing |
| Math | 550 or higher | Math |
| ACT Subject Test | Section Score | Header |
|---|---|---|
| English | 22 or higher | Reading and Writing |
| Math | 22 or higher | Math |
Students who must take the Praxis Core exam must submit passing scores for each subject test of the Praxis Core by the program deadline.
| Praxis Core Subtest | Passing Score |
|---|---|
| Reading (code 5713) | 156 |
| Writing (code 5723) | 158 |
| Mathematics (code 5733) | 150 |
Students can also meet the Praxis Core requirement by combining the subtest scores to reach a total score of 464 or higher:
| Praxis Core Subtest | Minimum Score when using “combination” method |
|---|---|
| Reading (code 5713) | 152 |
| Writing (code 5723) | 154 |
| Mathematics (code 5733) | 146 |
To access test preparation materials, visit Prepare for a Test on the ETS website. You will find study guides, practice tests, and links to other preparation tools.
Each Praxis Core Subtest can be taken individually, or students can register for the Combined Test (code 5752) to take all 3 Subtests at one time. While it is more expensive to take each Subtest individually, some students perform better when Subtests are taken individually.
| Test Code | Test Name | Test Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5713 | Core Academic Skills for Educators: Reading | 1 hour 25 minutes | $90 |
| 5723 | Core Academic Skills for Educators: Writing | 1 hour 40 minutes | $90 |
| 5733 | Core Academic Skills for Educators: Mathematics | 1 hour 30 minutes | $90 |
| 5752 | Core Academic Skills for Educators: Combined Test (Reading, Writing and Mathematics) | 4 hours 30 minutes | $150 |
ETS offers a Fee Waiver for qualifying students and more information can be found on the ETS website.
Please note that the application process for the Fee Waiver is controlled by ETS (not UofSC) and questions about this process should be directed to ETS.
ETS offers Preparation Tools to help prepare students for the Praxis Core exam. Many of these tools, including videos created by the Khan Academy, are offered at no cost.
USC’s Department of Mathematics maintains a list of private math tutors.
We encourage you to contact your academic advisor if you are having trouble passing any part of the Praxis Core.