Getting Started with Khan Academy Official Praxis Core Prep

Khan Academy has teamed up with ETS to provide a free and official prep for the Praxis Core Tests. This guide will help you make the most of the platform and get an understanding of all of its features.

First steps

Starting with Khan Academy Official Praxis Core Prep is easy! The first thing you want to do is select the Praxis Core from your Courses menu. You will find it under the Test Prep subsection, together with the SAT and LSAT platforms. 

Once you arrive there, you will see the prompt to Get Started the first time you access the platform. Welcome!

The next step is setting up your practice plan. Your Settings allow you to choose which Praxis Core tests you are going to take, your Official test date, how many Practice Tests you want to complete, set up your Practice Schedule and Goals, choose if and where you will get your Practice reminders, and adjust your Accommodations. 

The first thing you will be doing is selecting which Praxis Core tests - Math, Reading, and/or Writing - you are taking.

You can choose your official Praxis Core dates from the calendar or check the "Don't know yet" box. This will help you set your Practice Schedule.

Next, schedule when you want to take your Practice Tests. Note that Khan Academy currently offers 2 Practice Tests for each Praxis Core subject, so you can't schedule more than that at the moment. Also, the dates are only suggestions to help you organize yourself. You can reschedule the tests and start them whenever is convenient for you.

Now, go ahead and create your Practice Schedule by choosing which days of the week you would like to practice. You can later trigger email reminders for these days to help you keep your practice up to date.

Time to set a goal score! Note that you cannot skip this step. You will first need to choose which state will you report scores to. You will see a reference to the passing score for the state you choose. Then. you can choose a score ranging from 100 to 200. Your choice here will adjust your practice levels once you get started.

The email reminders can help you stick to your study routine. They are not mandatory, and you can always disable the reminders if you don't want to get them anymore.

Finally, if you need special accommodation during your test, you can simulate these circumstances in your practice test. If you are not sure if you are eligible for the accommodations, you can check the ETS official website about the requirements and how to request them. 

NOTE: you can always return to this section by clicking on the Settings tab of your dashboard.   

Great! You are now ready to start practicing for the Praxis Core test. Here are some more details on the features you can access from your Praxis Core dashboard.

Diagnostic Test

When you begin your practice in the Praxis Core test prep, you can choose to take a diagnostic test to gauge your current level. The platform will set your future practice sets according to your results. Note that, as you continue to make progress, the exercises will keep on adjusting according to your performance.

The only way to take the diagnostic test is by clicking on the Start diagnostic button in the test banner, as you see above. However, if you accidently closed the banner, you don't need to worry! A practice test will always have the same effect as a diagnostic test. So, to gauge your level and adjust your practice sets accordingly, you can go ahead and take a practice test at any time you want.

When going for the actual diagnostic test, you will be prompted to take the Express diagnostics - a series of short diagnostics sections that will identify your strengths and weaknesses and create your personal practice plan. These sections are untimed and you can take breaks between sections.. 

Practice Tests

You can choose to take a Praxis Core Practice Test at any moment by simply clicking the Take practice test button in the left column of your dashboard. Practice tests do not let you go over time, though you can pause them and come back to them later.

You will see the list of the 2 Practice Tests per subject. To change the subject, make sure to click Praxis Core drop-down option menu on the upper section of the left column.

Practice sets

Practice sets are short tasks based on a specific topic you might see within the Praxis Core test. If you’re ever stuck or need additional guidance in how to approach these questions, you can access help material relevant to that question directly below the question. You will also see whether you got the answer correct or incorrect after each question, so you can take the time to review the materials and learn that concept.

TIP: Note that, when choosing a task, you can always set the Difficulty Level by clicking on the drop-down menu next to the Start Task button. Set your level of challenge as needed to keep engaged in your studies and improve your overall performance.

Lessons Section

Besides the practice environment, you can always click on the Lessons tab to access a content section created specifically for the Praxis Core test prep. This section is similar to other content pages in Khan Academy so, if you are a teacher, you can assign the videos and articles in this section to your class.   

Reviewing your practice

All past work is reviewable at any time! Scroll up on the left side menu in the Practice tab to locate past tasks and tests. When you find the relevant practice to review, click on it, and then select the "review" button as shown in the images below to dive into it!

Practice task review tab:

Practice tests review button: