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Exam Overview
An Overview of the Exam
Format, content categories, scoring and policies
The Praxis Health Education (5551) test is developed and administered by ETS as part of the Praxis Subject Assessments. It is delivered on computer and consists entirely of selected-response questions.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Test name and code | Health Education (5551) |
| Developer | ETS (Praxis Subject Assessments) |
| Number of questions | 120 |
| Question type | Selected response (four options, one best answer) |
| Testing time | 2 hours |
| Delivery | Computer delivered, at a test center or at home with a remote proctor |
| Score scale | 100 to 200 |
| Qualifying score | Set by each state or licensing agency |
| Test fee | $130 |
| Retake waiting period | 28 days |
Always Confirm Current Details
Fees, qualifying scores and testing policies are set by ETS and by each state or licensing agency and can change. Confirm them on the official Praxis website and with the state education agency before registering.Content Categories and Weights
Questions are drawn from five content categories. The number of questions in each category is approximate, and the questions are not grouped by category on the test.
| Category | Approximate questions | Share of test |
|---|---|---|
| I. Health Education as a Discipline | 20 | 16% |
| II. Health Promotion and Prevention of Injury and Disease | 36 | 30% |
| III. Healthy Relationships and Mental and Emotional Health | 36 | 30% |
| IV. Community Health and Advocacy | 14 | 12% |
| V. Health Education Pedagogy | 14 | 12% |
Share of the test by content category
II. Health Promotion and Prevention — 30%Disease, fitness, nutrition, substance use, first aid
III. Relationships and Mental Health — 30%Communication, violence prevention, sexuality, mental health
I. Health Education as a Discipline — 16%Theories, data, standards, professional practice
IV and V. Community Health; Pedagogy — 24%12 percent each
Question Formats
All questions are selected response. Most present a stem followed by four options. Some stems describe a classroom or community scenario, some include a small table or chart, and a few use a capitalized qualifier such as EXCEPT, LEAST, MOST or FIRST. A test form may include questions that are being tried out and do not count toward the score; they are not identified.
Knowledge questions
Definitions, classifications, mechanisms, standards, laws and guidelines, often with closely related options.
Application questions
A teacher, student or community situation that requires choosing the best action, strategy, theory or resource.
Data questions
A table of survey results, rates or label values to interpret before answering.
Best-answer questions
More than one option may be reasonable; the task is to choose the one that is most appropriate, most effective or first.
Scoring
- Each correct answer earns one raw point. There is no deduction for a wrong answer, so every question should be answered.
- The raw score is converted to a scaled score from 100 to 200 so that scores from different test forms are comparable.
- Each state or licensing agency sets its own qualifying score. The same scaled score can pass in one state and not in another.
- The score report shows the scaled score, whether it meets the qualifying score of the selected recipients, and raw points earned in each content category.
- Official scores are posted to the candidate's ETS account on the published score reporting date for the test date, and are sent to the score recipients chosen at registration.
Registration and Test-Day Policies
1
Check the state requirement
Confirm that test 5551 is the required test and note the qualifying score for the state or agency.
2
Create an ETS account
Register online through the Praxis website. The name on the account must exactly match the identification that will be shown on test day.
3
Choose delivery and date
Select a test center appointment or at-home testing. At-home testing requires an equipment and room check and a live remote proctor.
4
Select score recipients
Score recipients can be selected at registration at no added cost; reports ordered later carry a fee.
5
Request accommodations early
Testing accommodations for disabilities or health-related needs must be approved by ETS before an appointment is scheduled.
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Bring valid, unexpired, government-issued photo identification with a name that matches the registration.
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Arrive at the test center at least 30 minutes early; late arrivals may not be admitted and the fee is forfeited.
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Phones, watches, notes, bags and other personal items are not permitted in the testing room.
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Changes to an appointment must be made at least three full days before the test date, and a fee applies.
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A candidate who does not earn the qualifying score may retake the test after 28 days. Under the ETS Free After 3 policy, a candidate with three reported attempts at the same test under the current policy can retake that test free of charge for five years (not offered in every state).
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