Praxis 7001 vs Praxis 5001 – What’s The Difference?
The Praxis 7001 and Praxis 5001 exams are similar but they do have some slight differences. We'll break down the differences between the two exams.
What is the Praxis 7001 Exam?
The Praxis 7001 Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects exam is a newer, updated version of the Praxis 5001 Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects exam. The exam aims to determine whether a beginner teacher has the knowledge and skills needed to be a successful entry-level elementary education teacher. The Praxis 7001 exam covers reading, mathematics, social studies, and science concepts.
At the moment, only Missouri, Louisiana have adopted the exam, but Kansas has voted to start using the exam starting September 1, 2024.
What is the Difference Between Praxis 7001 and Praxis 5001?
Although the Praxis 7001 and 5001 exams are very similar, they do have some important differences. Let’s look a little deeper into each exam and discuss those differences.
Exam Breakdowns
The Praxis 7001 exam consists of 225 multiple-choice questions split up between 4 subtests:
- 7002 Teaching Reading Subtest (80 questions)
- 7003 Mathematics Subtest (40 questions)
- 7004 Social Studies Subtest (55 questions)
- 7005 Science Subtest (50 questions)
The Praxis 5001 exam consists of 245 multiple-choice questions split up between 4 subtests:
- 5002 Reading and Language Arts Subtest (80 questions)
- 5003 Mathematics Subtest (50 questions)
- 5004 Social Studies Subtest (60 questions)
- 5005 Science Subtest (55 questions)
The exam breakdowns/structures for both exams are pretty much the same. The Praxis 5001 has approximately 20 more questions, and the reading subtests (5002 and 7002) have different names. We’ll discuss the differences between those two subtests in a minute.
Time Limits
Each exam has a total time limit of 4 hours and 35 minutes.
For the Praxis 7001 exam, you have 110 minutes to complete the Teaching Reading subtest and 55 minutes each to complete the Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science subtests.
For the Praxis 5001 exam, you have 90 minutes to complete the Reading and Language Arts subtest, 65 minutes for the Mathematics subtest, and 60 minutes for the Social Studies and Science subtests.
Concepts Covered
One of the main differences between the two exams is the reading subtests for each feature. The Praxis 5001 has the Praxis 5002 Reading and Language Arts exam, while the Praxis 7001 has the Praxis 7002 Teaching Reading exam.
The Praxis 5002 exam covers two concepts:
- I. Reading
- II. Writing, Speaking, and Listening
while the Praxis 7002 exam has five concepts:
- I. Phonological and Phonemic Awareness and Emergent Literacy
- II. Phonics and Decoding
- III. Vocabulary and Fluency
- IV. Comprehension of Literacy and Informational Text
- V. Written Expression.
The rest of the subtests cover the same concepts across both exams. For example, both Praxis 5003 and 7003 cover
- I. Numbers and Operations
- II. Algebraic Thinking
- III. Geometry and Measurement, Data, Statistics, and Probability.
Who needs to take the Praxis 7001 exam?
Only three states—Missouri, Louisiana, and Kansas—have adopted the Praxis 7001 Elementary Education exam as part of their teacher certification process so far.
In Missouri, you must pass all four subtests of the Praxis 7001 exam to receive your Elementary Education (Grades 1-6) certification.
Missouri is switching to Praxis from MEGA, and the Praxis 7001 Elementary Education exam is vital for those wanting to become an elementary school teacher in Missouri.
In Louisiana, you can use the Praxis 7002 Teaching Reading to fulfill your Teaching of Reading (TOR) requirement as a part of your Early Childhood, Elementary Education, or Special Education certification requirements.
Louisiana also allows you to use subtests from the Praxis 5001 and Praxis 7001 exams to meet the content requirements for your certification. As long as you take one subtest for each subject area (reading, mathematics, social studies, and science), you are good to go. It does not matter if you take the Praxis 5001 subtests (5002-5005), the Praxis 7001 subtests (7002-7005), or a combinations of both (i.e Praxis 7002,7003,5004,5005). Always check with your teacher preparation program or district to ensure you take the correct exams.
Check the Louisiana Certification Exams and Required Scores or the Literacy Exam and Coursework Guidance for Preparation Providers to learn more about how Louisiana uses the Praxis 7001 exams.
Kansas has voted to replace the 7811 exam with the 7001 exam starting in September 2024. Kansas will allow use of the Praxis 7811 exam until August 2025 to give its prospective teachers plenty of time to make the transition to the Praxis 7001 exam.
Below is a screenshot from the minutes of the May 14, 2024, Kansas State Board of Education meeting, where they voted on whether or not to adopt the Praxis 7001 exam.
How to Pass the Praxis 7001 Exam?
To pass the Praxis 7001 exam, you should first understand the structure of the exam and know what concepts are covered on the exam. Once you understand the exam’s concepts, you can find study materials to make sure you have a complete understanding of all the concepts on which you will be tested. You can use practice tests, study books, or online study guides to help you prepare for the exam.
Passing any teacher certification exam can be challenging, but if you find the right study materials, you can definitely ace it on the first try. 240 Tutoring’s Praxis 7001 study guides are comprehensive and personalized to your learning style. They include practice questions, video lessons, instructional content, and full-length practice tests; everything you need to ace your exam!
