Praxis 2 Elementary Education CKT 7814 Science

What is the Praxis 7814?

The Praxis CKT 7814 is a comprehensive assessment designed to evaluate the knowledge and skills of aspiring educators in the field of science instruction. This test examines candidates' understanding of scientific concepts, principles, and practices across various scientific disciplines, including physical sciences, life sciences, earth and space sciences, and scientific inquiry

If you are trying to become a certified elementary education teacher, you will take the Praxis CKT 7814 or an exam like it. Most states want their teachers to have comprehensive knowledge in the area of reading and writing skills of early learners.

What does the Praxis 7814 Consist of?

You will have 60 minutes to complete the Praxis CKT 7814. This subtest  assesses candidates' understanding of the nature of science, scientific inquiry processes, and the ability to effectively communicate scientific concepts. Additionally, the Praxis 7814 test focuses on pedagogical content knowledge, including instructional strategies, assessment techniques, and the ability to adapt science instruction for diverse learners

The assessment is not aligned to a particular grade or course, but it is aligned to the Common Core State Standards for Science. 

The Science Subtest is divided into the following four categories:

1. Earth and space sciences
2. Life sciences
3. Physical sciences
4. Engineering, technology, and the application of science 

Within these four main content categories are several other key components: 

Earth’s place in the universe

Covers Earth's place in the universe. It includes observations of the Sun, Moon, and stars to describe patterns, the relative brightness of stars due to their distances, and the amount of daylight related to different times of the year. Graphical displays reveal daily changes in shadows, day and night, and seasonal star appearances. Evidence from various sources is used to explain Earth events occurring quickly or slowly, and patterns in rock formations and fossils support explanations for landscape changes over time.

Earth’s systems

Covers Earth's systems, including Earth's materials, weathering, and erosion effects. It explores plate tectonics, water's role in surface processes, weather, climate, and biogeology. Students analyze interactions among geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere, and model land and water shapes.

Earth and human activity

Covers Earth and human activity, including natural resources and their impact on the environment. It explores weather forecasting to prepare for severe conditions and design solutions to mitigate hazards. Students learn about human impacts on Earth systems, communicate solutions for reducing harm to the environment, and study community practices for protecting Earth's resources.
There are also questions throughout the science subtest that have to do with the following teaching methods and how to apply those to the elementary science classroom.

Optimizing the Design Solution

Here, Students inquire, observe, and gather information to define simple problems solvable through new or improved objects or tools. They plan and execute fair tests, controlling variables to identify model or prototype improvements

From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

Covers Molecules to Organisms, focusing on structure and function in plants and animals, growth and development patterns, organization for matter and energy flow, and information processing. Students design solutions based on mimicking natural mechanisms, analyze life cycles, and explore sensory information processing in animals.

Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

Explores Ecosystems, highlighting interdependent relationships, the movement of matter, and energy transfer among plants, animals, and decomposers. Students investigate plant growth needs, mimic animal functions in dispersing seeds and pollination, and analyze ecosystem dynamics and resilience. Additionally, they study societal interactions and group behavior in animals.

Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits

Focuses on Heredity, covering inheritance and variation of traits. Students observe and construct evidence-based accounts of young plants and animals inheriting traits from their parents with some variations. They analyze data to show inherited traits in groups of similar organisms and understand how traits can be influenced by the environment.

Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity

Explores Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity, analyzing fossil data to provide evidence of past organisms and environments. It also covers Natural Selection, explaining how variations in species individuals offer advantages in survival, mating, and reproduction. Students study Adaptation, understanding how organisms survive differently in specific habitats, and examine Biodiversity and Humans, comparing life diversity in various environments.

Matter and Its Interactions

Covers the Structure and Properties of Matter, including investigation and classification of materials based on observable properties. It analyzes data to determine materials best suited for specific purposes and constructs evidence-based accounts of object disassembly and reassembly. Students develop a model of matter's particle nature, measure and graph quantities to show the conservation of matter during changes, and conduct investigations on mixing substances resulting in new substances.

Motion and Stability

Covers investigations comparing the effects of different pushes and pulls on object motion. Students analyze data to assess design solutions for changing object speed and direction. They also study the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces and use patterns to predict future motion. The curriculum explores various types of interactions, including electric, magnetic, and gravitational forces.

Energy

Covers energy definition, conservation, and transfer. Students construct explanations on object speed and energy, observe energy transfer through various forms like sound, light, heat, and electric currents, and predict energy changes during collisions. They design and refine devices converting energy between forms and explore energy in chemical processes and its connection to animals' food and the Sun.

Waves and Their Application in Technologies for Information Transfer

Teach students to inquire, observe, and gather information to define design problems for creating or improving objects and tools. They learn to set criteria for success and consider constraints on materials, time, or cost.

Defining and Delimiting an Engineering Problem

Covers Earth and human activity, including natural resources and their impact on the environment. It explores weather forecasting to prepare for severe conditions and design solutions to mitigate hazards. Students learn about human impacts on Earth systems, communicate solutions for reducing harm to the environment, and study community practices for protecting Earth's resources.
There are also questions throughout the science subtest that have to do with the following teaching methods and how to apply those to the elementary science classroom.

Developing Possible Solutions

Here, students define simple problems through inquiry and observation, developing new or improved objects or tools. They generate and compare multiple solutions based on problem criteria and constraints. Fair tests are planned and executed, identifying aspects for model or prototype improvements. 

You will be required to have an understanding of scientific concepts, principles, and practices across various scientific disciplines, including physical sciences, life sciences, earth and space sciences, and scientific inquiry

Finally, many of the questions are scenario-based, which means you will be presented with a classroom situation and will be required to choose the most effective approach to increase student achievement in the area of Science. These questions can be quite challenging for new teachers who have limited experience in the classroom.

What is the passing scores for the Praxis 7814?

Most states require a score of 154 to pass this exam.. Be sure to check your state score requirements by visiting this page.

How many questions are on each of the subtests?

There are approximately 52 questions total on the Praxis CKT 7814.

1. Earth and space sciences - 11-15 Questions (30%)
2. Life sciences - 13-17 Questions (35%)
3. Physical sciences - 13-17 Questions (35%)
4. Engineering, technology, and the application of science - Questions in this category cover topics in category 1, 2, and 3

Please understand that you may have several additional questions on your test. ETS, the company that makes the exam, will often field test new items on the exams.

You will never know which test items count toward your score and which items are being field tested. You can learn more about this HERE.

Field testing items is common practice in the testing industry. Therefore, if you see a couple more questions on your exam, don’t panic. Just answer all the questions on your test.

Is the Praxis CKT 7814 difficult to pass?

The difficulty of the Praxis tests generally depends on your level of preparation, your understanding of the content, and your test-taking skills. In short, it’s not an easy exam. The questions require you to understand foundational skills in reading. If you are new to the elementary classroom, this information will be difficult. Teaching reading is a science, and you must have a deep understanding of how to teach students the alphabetic principle, print concepts, phonological and phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, comprehension, and metacognition.  

Here is an example of a question from the Praxis CKT 7814 study companion:

Explanation: The correct answer is (D). To answer this question, a teacher candidate needs to recognize the question that will elicit a different answer from a student who has misread the y-axes scales. Choice (A) does not involve a comparison between graphs, while choices (B) and (C) will produce the same response whether the student uses the y-axis scale or compares the heights of the bars during those months. In choice (D), a student comparing the heights of the bars would provide an incorrect response, indicating a need to point out the difference in the two scales.

The best ways to pass the Praxis Elementary 7814

Everyone is different in terms of how they want to prepare for the exam. People have different strengths and weaknesses, and it’s important you choose the right program for you.

The following are a few resources you can consider when preparing for this test.

The ETS Study Companion

The first and most important thing you can do to pass your Praxis 7814 test is to exam the test structure and content on the exam by examining the test specifications in the Praxis 7814 Study Companion. This document is developed by ETS and shows you everything you are responsible for on the exam. It even has practice test questions similar to what you will see on test day.

How many questions do you need to get right to pass?

It is difficult to predict exactly how many questions you must get correct to pass the Praxis 7814 because a scale score is used rather than a raw score.

This means that your raw score—the number of questions you get correct—is put into a formula to calculate a scale score.

To keep things simple, we recommend scoring at least a 75% on the practice tests before you go in to take the exam. Getting 75% of the questions correct when you practice indicates you are ready to take the actual test.

Remember, each section of the exam is scored separately.

Free resources for the Praxis 7814

There are many free resources you can use to pass the exam. Our Science Playlist on our YouTube Channel is packed full of videos to help you with all the foundational skills tested on the exam.

You might also want to check out our free Praxis 7811 webinar, which includes prep for the Praxis 7814. It comes with a free study guide, test strategy tips, and more. Just fill out this form and you will gain access to all of that.