What is the Praxis 5004?
The Praxis 5004, officially known as the Praxis Elementary Education 5004 - Social Studies, is a subtest of the Praxis Elementary Education: 5001 exam.
The Praxis 5004 is intended to evaluate the social studies knowledge and skills that are vital for an elementary school teacher.
The subtest consists of all multiple-choice questions. The test can be quite difficult because it includes content you may not have seen since you were in elementary or middle school. Therefore, it is important to prepare properly for this exam.
What does the Praxis 5004 consist of?
The Social Studies 5004 subtest is categorized into three main content domains, each targeting a unique facet of social studies. These domains include:
United States History, Government, and Citizenship
This section assesses your knowledge of key events, figures, and concepts in U.S. history, as well as the principles of government and civics.
Geography, Anthropology, and Sociology
This part tests your understanding of physical and human geography, as well as the basic principles of anthropology and sociology.
World History and Economics
This section measures your knowledge of significant events, concepts, and figures in world history. In addition, your understanding of basic economic principles and the role of economics in society is evaluated on this exam.
Along with the content categories above, you must also have an understanding of social studies processes and skills students need to interpret and analyze information in the social sciences.
What is the passing score for the Praxis 5004?
Most states require at least a 155 to pass this subtest. However, South Dakota and Kentucky require a 147 and 148, respectively. While Northern Mariana Islands requires a 157.
How many questions are on each of the subtests?
You will have 60 minutes to complete approximately 60 multiple choice questions on the Praxis 5004 Social Studies exam.
- United States History, Government, and Citizenship - 27 questions
- Geography, Anthropology, and Sociology - 18 questions
- World History and Economics - 15 questions
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.
The best ways to pass the Praxis Elementary 5004
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 use when preparing for this test.
The ETS Study Companion
The first and most important thing you can do to pass your Praxis 5004 test is to examine the test structure and content of the exam by reviewing the test specifications in the Praxis 5004 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.
Study Guides
Beyond that, most people prefer to use a study guide with practice tests to prepare for the exam. Our Praxis 5004 study guide is fully aligned with the test specifications and blueprint outlined in the ETS Study Companion. It also has hundreds of practice test questions for each subtest and content category, so you are fully prepared for the exam.
Online Courses
For those needing additional support, online courses with tutorial videos and practice are helpful. We have a comprehensive, self-paced online course with hours of videos that will help you pass the Praxis 5004 test.
How many questions do I need to get right to pass?
It is difficult to predict exactly how many questions you must get correct to pass the Praxis 5004 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 practicing indicates you are ready to take the test.
Remember, each section of the exam is scored separately.
Free resources for the Praxis 5004
There are many free resources you can use to pass the exam. Our Social Studies 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 5001 webinar, which includes prep for the Praxis 5004. 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.