Praxis Information

Praxis Overview

The Praxis is a set of standardized tests required by most U.S. states, including Mississippi, for teacher certification. In Mississippi, passing the Praxis Core test is necessary for participants who do not have an ACT composite score of 21 or higher, or an SAT composite score of 990, or an undergrad GPA of 3.0+.

The Praxis II is required of everyone wishing to enroll in the MAT program at the University of Mississippi. You should take the Praxis II test that most closely relates to the coursework you completed during your undergraduate degree. This document has a list of the possible Praxis II tests you can take to receive initial teacher certification in Mississippi through the MAT program.

In Mississippi, you can take additional Praxis II tests and add those subjects as supplemental endorsements to your license. For example, if you take the ELA Praxis II (5038), but also want to add social studies to your license, you can do so by taking the social studies Praxis II (test #5081). Additionally, there are other ways in which to add supplemental endorsments to your Mississippi teaching license. The complete list of Mississippi supplemental license endorsements and the requirements can be found here.

MTC participants must pass an eligible Praxis II test before the start of summer training. Although the initial MTC application does not require Praxis test scores, completing and passing the test before submitting your application will increase your chances of acceptance into MTC.

The institutional code for the University of Mississippi 1840. Use this code to send your Praxis Core and Praxis II test scores to the Mississippi Teacher Corps. In addition, you will want to select the Mississippi Department of Education (state code 7599) as a score recipient when you register for the Praxis.

Visit the ETS website to register for the exam and to find information on testing dates and locations.

Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators (Core) Test

Participants who have an ACT composite score of 21 or higher, or an SAT composite score of 990 or higher, or an undergraduate GPA of 3.0+ do not need to take the Praxis Core. The Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators (Core) Test is a set of three general knowledge exams administered by Educational Testing Services (ETS). The test is comprised of three sections: Reading, Writing, and Mathematics. The three areas of the Praxis core are listed below:

Section / CDT Code / Qualifying Score

Core Academic Skills for Combined Test: Reading / 5713 / 156

Core Academic Skills for Combined Test: Writing / 5723 / 162

Core Academic Skills for Combined Test: Mathematics / 5733 / 130

Praxis II Test

The Praxis II is a content-area exam and you should sign-up for the content-area you are most interested in teaching. MTC typically accepts Praxis II exams for the following specialty areas: Biology, English, Mathematics, and Social Studies. For the correct test to take, please see the following subject test codes:

Section / CDT Code / Qualifying Score

Biology: Content Knowledge / 5236 / 148

Chemistry: Content Knowledge / 5246 / 140

English Language Arts: Content Knowledge / 5038 / 167

Mathematics: Content Knowledge / 5165 / 152

Social Studies: Content Knowledge / 5081 / 150

Spanish: World Language / 5195 / 160

French: World Language / 5174 / 153

Click here to see other subject area possibilities and the associated test scores.