Testing Requirements
The Praxis Series exams are a requirement for participation in the Philadelphia Teaching Fellows if admitted into the program. While the exams are not part of our application process ( the exams must be passed before a candidate can receive full admission to the program) , we strongly encourage you to register to take all three portions of the Praxis I exam as a computer based test as soon as possible. ALL applicants must also take and pass the required Praxis II Content Area exam in their specified subject area.  Although you are not required to register for and pass the Praxis I and II before applying for the program and progressing through our selection process, it is in your best interest to consider taking these exams as soon as you can since it is required to receive full admission to the program and an important step in the process of becoming a new teacher.

The table below contains all the testing requirements as well as the codes for registration. For more information about the Praxis exam, and to register please click here to visit the official website.

All candidates accepted into the Winter Program will be required to produce passing scores on all required tests by January, 2009. All candidates accepted into the Summer Program will be required to produce passing scores on all required tests by June, 2009.

All candidates accepted into the Philadelphia Teaching Fellows are required to take all three portions of the Praxis I exam (reading, writing, and math).

Candidates will also need to pass the Praxis II Content Knowledge exam for the subject area in which they have been assigned and, in some cases (Special Education*, Spanish, and Bilingual Education), the additional Praxis II Fundamental Subjects Content Knowledge test.

*In order to be considered highly qualified, all special education Teaching Fellows will be required to pass a third Praxis II content knowledge exam in one of the core content areas (math, science, or English).

Please be aware that it is not possible to take the Praxis I and the Praxis II exams on the same date.

For this reason, we strongly encourage candidates to take the computerized version of the Praxis I as soon as possible.

The computerized version of the Praxis I is administered on a rolling basis and can be scheduled at your convenience. The Praxis II is only offered as a paper and pencil test on limited dates. (Please see the chart below.)

Overviews of the Praxis exams are provided on the Educational Testing Service website.

Placement as a teacher in SDP and continued enrollment in the Philadelphia Teaching Fellows program is contingent upon successful completion of all required Praxis tests.

Registration for the Praxis Series exams is handled through the Education Testing Service (ETS).

For more information and to register, please visit www.ets.org/praxis/.

Please take note of the following table that indicates the Praxis tests that are required for each of our critical need subject areas:

* All special education Teaching Fellows will be required to take an additional Praxis II: Content Knowledge test. Fellows have the option of taking any middle years or secondary core content area (math, science, or English) Praxis II exam, although the secondary exam is preferable.  We strongly encourage special education candidates to consider taking the Praxis II in math or science as the School District of Philadelphia has reported that they anticipate the greatest number of middle or high school special education vacancies in these subject areas.

The following table lists upcoming dates for paper-based Praxis administrations as well as their registration deadlines:

*The April test is the last test administration that candidates can take in order to be eligible for the Summer Cohort.

Please visit www.ets.org to register online for a test.

Praxis Preparation Suggestions

• Go to www.ets.org/praxis and select the Tests at a Glance feature for the Praxis I and Praxis II. This will allow you to access an overview of the material covered on the exam and download sample test problems.
• Actively search the Internet for further test preparation resources.
• Consider purchasing or checking out Praxis I and/or Praxis II study guides distributed by ETS and other major test prep providers at a local library or bookstore.
• Refer back to college and high school textbooks to review content-specific material covered on the Praxis II exams.
• Contact local universities and community colleges in your area to see if they offer Praxis preparation courses for prospective teachers. The Community College of Philadelphia and Butler County Community College (located in Butler, PA) offer Praxis I and Praxis II preparation courses.