Praxis (Praxis Core and Praxis Subject Assessments) Praxis Core: Reading (5713) Syllabus

What is 'text structure' or rhetorical organization?

The pattern an author uses to arrange ideas, such as cause-effect, compare-contrast, chronological/sequence, problem-solution, or description.

What signal words indicate a compare-and-contrast structure?

Similarly, likewise, in contrast, however, on the other hand, whereas, unlike.

What signal words indicate a cause-and-effect structure?

Because, since, therefore, as a result, consequently, due to, leads to.

What signal words indicate a sequence or chronological structure?

First, next, then, after, before, finally, meanwhile, subsequently.

What is the difference between a fact and an opinion?

A fact can be objectively verified or proven true; an opinion expresses a personal belief, judgment, or value that cannot be definitively proven.

What language often signals an opinion rather than a fact?

Value words and qualifiers such as best, worst, should, believe, beautiful, probably, and superlatives expressing judgment.

On the Praxis, how should you treat statements blending fact and opinion?

Identify whether the verifiable portion or the judgment portion controls the statement; a sentence containing any unprovable value claim is classified as opinion.

What is 'quantitative information' in a reading passage?

Numerical or data-based content presented in tables, graphs, charts, or numbers within the text that must be interpreted alongside the prose.

When interpreting a graph on the Praxis, what should you check first?

The title, axis labels, units, and legend, to understand exactly what the data represents before drawing conclusions.

What is the difference between a bar graph and a line graph's typical use?

A bar graph compares discrete categories or quantities; a line graph shows change or trends over a continuous variable such as time.

How do you relate a visual to the passage in a paired prose/graphic question?

Find where the text references the data and confirm the answer is consistent with both the words and the figure, not just one.

What is the goal of a paired-passage (two related passages) question set?

To compare and contrast the two authors' ideas, purposes, tones, or claims, and to evaluate how they relate or disagree.

When comparing two passages, what should you identify about each first?

Each passage's main idea, purpose, and stance, so you can pinpoint points of agreement, disagreement, or differing emphasis.

What does it mean for two passages to present 'complementary' versus 'opposing' views?

Complementary passages support or extend each other's ideas; opposing passages present conflicting claims or perspectives on the same topic.

What does it mean to evaluate an argument's reasoning?

To assess whether the author's claim is logically supported by relevant, sufficient, and credible evidence, and whether the reasoning is free of flaws.

What are the basic parts of an argument?

A claim (conclusion), the evidence (premises/support), and the reasoning (warrant) connecting evidence to the claim.

What is a logical fallacy?

A flaw in reasoning that weakens an argument, such as hasty generalization, circular reasoning, false cause, or appeal to emotion.

How can a single piece of evidence weaken an argument?

By being irrelevant, unrepresentative, outdated, or contradicting the claim it is meant to support.

What does it mean to 'synthesize' information across sources?

To combine ideas, evidence, or claims from multiple texts to form a broader understanding or answer a question neither text fully answers alone.

What is the difference between summarizing and synthesizing?

Summarizing restates the content of one text; synthesizing integrates and connects information from two or more sources into a new, combined insight.

On the Praxis Core Reading, how many passages of varying length appear?

A mix of brief statements, short passages (about one paragraph), and longer passages (multiple paragraphs), each followed by one or more questions.

What characterizes a 'brief' (short statement) passage question?

A one- to two-sentence text testing a single skill, often identifying the main point, relationship, or logical conclusion of a short statement.

What strategy fits a long passage with multiple questions?

Read for overall structure and main idea first, then return to the specific lines referenced by each question for details.

What are the common Praxis Core Reading question formats?

Single-answer multiple choice, multiple-answer (select all that apply), and select-in-passage (clicking a sentence) questions.

How does a 'select all that apply' question differ from standard multiple choice?

It may have more than one correct answer and gives no credit for partial selection, so each option must be evaluated independently.

How many questions and how much time does the Praxis Core Reading (5713) allow?

56 selected-response questions in 85 minutes.

Approximately how much time per question does the Praxis Core Reading allow?

About 90 seconds per question (85 minutes for 56 questions).

What is a key pacing strategy for the Praxis Core Reading test?

Spend time proportional to passage length, don't dwell too long on one item, mark and skip hard questions, and return to them since there is no penalty for guessing.

Why should you never leave a Praxis Core question blank?

There is no penalty for wrong answers, so guessing on remaining items can only help your score.

What is a 'distractor' in a multiple-choice reading question?

An incorrect answer choice designed to look plausible, often by being partly true, too broad/narrow, or based on outside information.

Name three common traps that make a distractor wrong on the Praxis.

It is true but does not answer the question, it overstates/understates the text, or it uses information not supported by the passage.