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Exam Overview
The Praxis ESOL test is developed by ETS and is required or accepted for ESOL licensure in many states. Each state or licensing agency decides whether it uses the test and sets its own passing score. Test 5362 replaced the earlier ESOL test (5361), so make sure your registration shows test code 5362.
Praxis English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), test code 5362
120 selected-response questions; some questions may be pretest items that do not count toward your score
Testing time 120 minutes (2 hours), about one minute per question
Most are single-answer multiple choice with four options; some ask you to select more than one answer
Embedded throughout the test; you hear a recorded prompt (for example, a student reading aloud) and can replay it items within the time limit
Computer-delivered at a test center or at home with online proctoring
Fee $130; confirm the current fee when you register
Scoring Scaled scores reported on the Praxis 100–200 scale
Set by each state or licensing agency; check ETS’s Passing Scores by State page
Guessing No penalty for wrong answers, so answer every question
Question Types You Will See
Every question is selected response, but the questions test different skills. Recognize the style in the first few seconds, because each calls for a different approach.
Classroom scenarios
A teacher, a student with a stated proficiency level and home language, and a situation: choose the most appropriate instructional, assessment, or advocacy response. Many wrong options are legal but not best, or lower expectations instead of providing support.
Language-analysis items
You analyze language as data: an IPA transcription, a minimal pair, a word to divide into morphemes, a student sentence with an error, or an invented spelling that shows the influence of the student’s first language.
Listening items
You hear a short recording, such as a student reading a passage or answering a question, and identify a pronunciation feature, a reading miscue, or the next instructional step. The practice tests in this guide present these items as written transcripts.
Select-more-than-one items
The question tells you how many answers to choose, such as “Select TWO.” Treat each option as true or false against the question and choose exactly the number requested.
How the Test Is Scored
Your raw score, the number of scored questions answered correctly, is converted to a scaled score on the 100–200 scale. Scaling makes different test forms comparable, so the scaled score is not a percentage. Your state decides the passing score. Unscored pretest questions look exactly like scored ones, so give every question full effort.
The test content outline divides the test into six categories. Each section of this guide covers one category, in the same order. The weights are the approximate share of the 120 questions.
PRAXIS ESOL (5362) CONTENT CATEGORIES Category
I · Foundations of Linguistics
II · Foundations of Language Learning
III · Planning and Implementing Instruction
IV · Assessment and Evaluation
VI · Professionalism and Advocacy
APPROXIMATE SHARE OF THE TEST BY CATEGORY
I + II Linguistics and Language Learning — 40% III Planning and Implementing Instruction — 23% IV Assessment and Evaluation — 15% V + VI Culture, Professionalism, and Advocacy — 22%
48 questions on how English works and how it is acquired 28 questions on methods, lessons, and differentiation 18 questions on identification, classroom assessment, and data 26 questions on culture, law, and collaboration
WHAT THE WEIGHTS MEAN FOR YOUR STUDY PLAN
Categories II and III together are about 45% of the test. Know SLA theory well enough to apply it to lesson
Category I (18%) is the most technical. Practice IPA, morpheme counts, and error analysis until they are
Categories V and VI are each about 13 questions. They reward precise knowledge of court cases, laws, and
Check your state’s requirements
Confirm on your state’s licensing site and on the ETS Passing Scores by State page that your state requires test 5362 and note its
Create a Praxis account
Register through the Praxis website, choose test 5362, and select a test center or the at-home option.
Choose your score recipients
Your registration includes free score recipients. Add your state agency and any program that needs your scores.
Request accommodations early
Candidates with documented needs, or whose primary language is not English, request accommodations through ETS before
Confirm the details
Check your confirmation for the time, location or at-home check-in steps, and the name on your appointment.
Identification
Bring acceptable, current photo identification. The name must match your registration exactly.
Arrive early for check-in. Phones, notes, and bags are stored; headphones are provided for the listening items.
Run the equipment check in advance, use a private room with a clear desk, and use headphones that meet the at-home requirements. A proctor monitors the session.
During the test
Replay a recording when you need to, but watch the clock. Use the flag-for-review tool and answer every question.
ALWAYS CONFIRM CURRENT DETAILS
Fees, test codes, passing scores, and testing policies are set by ETS and by each state and can change. Use the Praxis
website and your state licensing agency as your final authority.
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