Praxis Special Education 5543 - Digital Study Guide

What does the Praxis 5543 study guide consist of?

The Praxis Special Education 5543 study guide is fully aligned with the skills and categories assessed on the Praxis Special Education test. The study guide has tons of information and sample practice test questions that cover everything on the test. Pass your exam the first time when you use this study guide.

The Praxis 5543 study guide includes:

• Detailed sections for each content category that cover everything from the test specifications, so you know exactly what to study for the exam.
• A full, 120-question practice test with detailed answer explanations organized by competency, so you can see exactly why you got something right or wrong and in what category.
• Constructed-response practice, so you can pass the writing portion of the test.
• Ten practice test questions with detailed answer explanations after each content category, so you can see exactly how those specific types of questions will look on the exam.
• Practice test questions similar to the exam, so you study relevant material.
• Quick tips and strategies throughout the study guide, so you can think like a test maker and pass the first time.
• Detailed answer explanations for every test question in the study guide, so you know exactly why you answered correctly or incorrectly.
• A Good Words List to help you identify correct answer choices and eliminate bad answer choices quickly, so you can be strategic and successful on test day.

The Praxis 5543 exam is designed for educators who plan to teach students with mild to moderate disabilities. The exam covers a vast amount of content ranging from teaching practices in the special education classroom to specifics regarding students with special needs.

Many of the questions are scenario-based, meaning you will have to identify best practices to use given special education classroom situations. The test covers all grades–preschool through grade 12.

Perhaps the most difficult part of the test are the three constructed-response questions. These will require you to write essays in response to classroom scenarios.

Unfortunately, the pass rates for most Praxis exams are less than 50%, so it is important that you do not underestimate this test.

You will have two hours to complete the exam. There are 90 selected-response questions and three constructed-response questions.

The test is not independently timed, meaning it is administered all at once. Therefore you must practice managing your time properly so you can complete the entire exam in the allotted time frame. We recommend spending 90 minutes on the selected-response and 30 minutes on the constructed-response section

There are six content categories covered on the exam:

1. Development and Characteristics of Learners - 17 questions
2. Planning and the Learning Environment - 20 questions
3. Instruction - 20 questions
4. Assessment - 17 questions
5. Foundations of Professional Responsibilities - 16 questions
6. Integrated Constructed-Response - three questions

This exam covers a lot of content and will require you to have a comprehensive understanding of best practices used in the special education classroom.

But fear not! Our study guide covers it all.

It is difficult to predict exactly how many questions you must get correct to pass the Praxis 5543 because a scale score is used rather than a raw score. This means that your raw score–how many you got 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.

For the constructed-response portion of the exam, scoring gets more complicated. Constructed-response questions are scored by trained educational professionals. Two scorers will independently rate each of your written responses, and a third will weigh in if the two graders do not agree within one point. The constructed-response section is worth 25% of your overall score on the Praxis 5543.

If you would like to learn more about how Praxis exams are scored, check out this blog.

While our study guide is aligned with the test, it is against testing policy to share items on the actual exam. State tests are secure, standardized, and heavily regulated.

There are hundreds of test questions in the item banks for each exam. When you take the exam, your version of the test will be different from other versions and will have questions randomly pulled from the item banks. This ensures test security, validity, and reliability. Trying to memorize what you think will be on your test is an exercise in futility. Instead, you should study the skills and content outlined in the specifications and blueprint of the exam.

Everything in our study guide is aligned with the test specifications and blueprint for the exam. That way, you can review how the test is designed and what skills are assessed. The questions in our study guide are structured similarly to what you will encounter on test day, but they are not the same exact questions on the real exam.

Obviously, we believe our study guide is the very best resource you can purchase to prepare for the Praxis 5543. The guide is sectioned out by each content category, and within those categories, we’ve aligned all of the information to the test specifications and blueprint. This ensures you are studying what you will see on test day–nothing more, nothing less.

In each section, there are practice items that align specifically with each category. In addition, we have detailed answer explanations for every question in our study guide. This ensures you know why you got something correct or incorrect. Our study guide contains a full-length practice test with answer explanations. In all, you have 200 practice questions to work with.

Finally, there is a comprehensive writing section in the study guide to help you with the constructed-response portion of the test. We provide you with several writing prompts and sample essays, so you can practice your writing effectively.

Yes. There is a full-length practice test at the end of the study guide, and there are practice test questions after each content category. You have approximately 170 practice test questions to work with when you use our study guide. All of the questions are categorized by skill and contain detailed answer explanations.

Finally, we provide several writing prompts with sample essays for you to use when you're practicing for the constructed-response portion of the exam.

People have a range of skill levels when it comes to this test, so it is difficult for us to tell you exactly how long you need to study. Because this test covers an expansive amount of content, we recommend short, incremental practice over time. This is much better than cramming all of your studying into one or two weekends. Using 20-30-minute study sessions over a 2-3 week period is ideal.

We also recommend you spend some time practicing your writing skills for this test.

States use the Praxis 5543 exam to certify their K-12 special education teachers. However, every state has its own requirements for certification, so be sure to visit your state’s Department of Education website to find out exactly what you’re required to do before registering for the exam or buying materials.

Most states that use the Praxis 5543 exam also require prospective teachers to pass the the Praxis Core and the Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT).

Depending on the state in which you are seeking certification, this will vary. That’s why it is extremely important to check with your state’s Department of Education before you purchase test prep materials to determine exactly what tests are required.