Praxis Reading
study guide
Every chapter of the course summarized, with each section linked to its lesson.
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This free Praxis Reading study guide summarizes all 6 chapters of Achievable's Praxis Reading course: what each covers, the points to remember, and its 15 sections in order. Read each chapter after you study it, or work through the whole guide before exam day.
Each section links to its full lesson in Achievable, with the review quizzes and full-length practice exams.
Chapter 1: Vocabulary in context
2 sections
Free chapter
- Vocabulary best practices: Read passage first, predict the blank, use context clues, avoid extreme choices, and trust passive vocabulary unless clear evidence changes it.
- Transition and structure clues: Transition words show logical relationships, and parallel structure, restatement clues, and double negatives help match meaning and identify unfamiliar words.
- Word parts and suffixes: Roots and prefixes carry meaning while suffixes change word function, so focus on the root and prefix for meaning and the suffix for part of speech.
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Chapter 2: Main ideas and supporting details
3 sections
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- Main idea basics: About 35% of Reading test questions focus on main ideas and supporting details, and main idea questions may ask for the main focus, best title, or author's purpose.
- Finding the main point: Skim the passage, focus on first and last sentences, check the last sentence of the first paragraph in multi-paragraph passages, and look for the new idea after transition words.
- Supporting details: Supporting details strengthen claims and add relevant information, so identify the main point first and choose details that relate directly to it, not unrelated choices.
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Chapter 3: Organization and text structure
4 sections
- Transition words: Transitional words and phrases signal text structure and relationships between ideas, helping determine the main idea and passage organization.
- Structure questions: Locate transition words, analyze the relationship before and after the transition, and predict the answer before choosing from options.
- Passage structures: Chronological, descriptive writing, classification, persuasive/argumentative, and facts vs. opinions each have distinct signals and purposes.
- Passage types: Science, social science, and literary passages use different conventions, so track claims, evidence, point of view, dialogue, and supported summaries carefully.
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Achievable Praxis Core: Reading
The Praxis Reading Exam is part of the Praxis Core, a set of tests used for teacher certification in many states, plus Washington, D.C. and several U.S. territories. Achievable's interactive online Praxis Reading prep course makes complex topics simple and engaging. Our adaptive platform and AI tutor personalize your study plan, while memory science ensures effective teacher prep that gets results.
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Chapter 4: Writer's craft
- Denotation and connotation: Denotation is the literal dictionary meaning of a word, while connotation is its emotional associations or implied meanings.
- Figurative language: Figurative language creates vivid imagery and comparisons through similes, metaphors, alliteration, personification, onomatopoeia, allusions, and analogies.
- Other word meanings: Proverbs are traditional sayings expressing wisdom or advice, idioms have meanings not deducible from literal words, irony contrasts expectation and reality, and allegory hides deeper meaning.
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Chapter 5: Paired passages
- Paired passages: Two short texts on the same topic present different perspectives, such as contrast or general-specific relationships.
- Best practices: Read Passage A and Passage B separately, identify each main idea, determine the relationship between them, predict the answer, and choose the answer matching your prediction.
- Answer selection: Passage A says resolutions set people up to fail, Passage B says concrete, measurable goals make resolutions more successful, so avoid choices that misstate or overgeneralize passage content.
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Chapter 6: Graphics
4 sections
- Graph basics: Line graphs, scatterplots, bar graphs, pie charts, area graphs, and bubble graphs all show a whole and its parts, and they use similar reading strategies.
- Read carefully: Start with the title and what is being represented, check x-axis and y-axis measurements, and observe trends, shapes, and outliers.
- Line and area graphs: Line graphs show change over time, while area graphs use shaded regions to compare change over time and differences between groups.
- Other graphics: Scatterplot graphs show patterns or correlations, bubble graphs add additional variables, and bar graphs and pie charts require matching chart data with passage details.
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Praxis Reading exam at a glance
- Questions
- 56 selected-response questions
- Time
- 85 minutes
- Passing score
- 156 in most states (varies by state)
- Exam fee
- $90
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- Praxis Reading FAQThe questions asked most about the exam and preparing for it, answered.
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