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FLASHSALE
In this blog post, we're breaking down one of the toughest sections of the Praxis Core exam: the Reading (5713) test. If you've been staring down practice passages and feeling stuck, you're not alone. There's no silver bullet for this part of the exam — but there is a smarter way to approach it. Here's how.
Reading Skill Is Trainable
If English isn't your first language and you're working toward passing the Praxis Core Reading test, that's a genuine accomplishment worth recognizing. Whether you're bilingual or simply out of practice, the good news is that reading skill can be built like any other skill.
Just 15–20 minutes a day with a novel, short story, or informational text strengthens the exact muscles the Praxis Core Reading (5713) exam tests. Pair that daily habit with a reading comprehension to target the specific skills the test measures.
1. Read the Questions Before the Passage
Before you even look at the passage, read the questions first. This flips the traditional approach and helps you scan with purpose instead of reading blindly.
For most question types, skip the answer choices at first glance — but main idea questions are the exception. Exam writers tend to include three or four answer choices that are too specific, alongside only one or two that are truly overarching. Once you know to look for this pattern, you can often spot it before you even finish reading the passage.
For more test-taking strategies you can use on your exam, watch our videos on the Test Strategy YouTube Playlist.
2. Work Backwards Through the Passage
Your instinct is to read top to bottom, but that's not always the fastest path to the right answer. In many shorter passages, the information you need sits in the last two sentences.
This bottom-to-top approach takes some getting used to, but it saves valuable time — letting you move faster through easier questions so you have more time for the difficult ones.
3. Remember: Main Idea Means Broad, Not Just True
One of the most common traps on this exam is answer choices that are all technically true. Everything listed did happen in the passage — but only one choice captures the actual main idea.
Watch for overly specific details, like a single statistic or a narrow event. These are rarely the correct answer to a main idea question, no matter how accurate they sound. If you want to practice spotting this pattern, watch the Praxis Core Reading Playlist, which walks through several examples modeled directly on real exam formats.
4. Master the Double Passage Strategy
Double passages intimidate a lot of test takers, and for good reason. The fix: separate the questions before you separate the passages.
- Find every question that refers only to Passage One.
- Read Passage One and answer those questions.
- Repeat the process for Passage Two.
- Only after you've handled both individually, tackle the questions that ask about Passage One and Passage Two together.
This takes a little more time upfront, but it dramatically improves comprehension and accuracy. It's a strategy worth using in the classroom too, since many students face similarly complex paired passages on their state exams. For a full walkthrough of this technique with sample passages, visit our Free Praxis Core Practice Test.
5. Put It Into Practice
Strategy only works when you rehearse it. Consistent practice is what turns these techniques into instinct on exam day. If you want structured support building these habits, the Praxis Core test prep resources combine guided lessons, timed practice, and personalized feedback to help you walk into the reading exam prepared and confident.
For additional context on how the Praxis Core Reading (5713) test is structured and scored, the Educational Testing Service (ETS) publishes detailed guidance on reading comprehension test design. Your state department of education is the best source for exam-specific requirements and passing scores.
🎥 Watch the full video to see these strategies in action 🎥
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