About This Test
The Middle School Mathematics test is designed to certify examinees as teachers of middle school mathematics. Examinees have typically completed a bachelor's program with an emphasis in mathematics education, mathematics, or education. Course work will have included many of the following topics: theory of arithmetic, foundations of mathematics, geometry for elementary and middle school teachers, algebra for elementary and middle school teachers, the big ideas of calculus, data and their uses, elementary discrete mathematics, elementary probability and statistics, history of mathematics, mathematics appreciation, and the use of technology in mathematics education.
The examinee will be required to understand and work with mathematical concepts, to reason mathematically, to make conjectures, to see patterns, to justify statements using informal logical arguments, and to construct simple proofs. Additionally, the examinee will be expected to solve problems by integrating knowledge from different areas of mathematics, to use various representations of concepts, to solve problems that have several solution paths, and to develop mathematical models and use them to solve real-world problems.
The examinee will be allowed to use a four-function, scientific, or graphing calculator during the examination; however, calculators with QWERTY keyboards will not be allowed. More information on the calculator use policy for Praxis tests can be found at www.ets.org/praxis/prxcalc.html.
The test is not designed to be aligned with any particular school mathematics curriculum, but it is intended to be consistent with the recommendations of national studies on mathematics education such as the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (2000) and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) Program Standards for Initial Preparation of Mathematics Teachers (2003).
This test may contain some questions that will not count toward your score.
Calculators
The examinee will be allowed to use a four-function, scientific, or graphing calculator during the examination. However, computers, calculators with QWERTY (typewriter) keyboards, and electronic writing pads are NOT allowed.
Unacceptable machines include the following:
- Powerbooks and portable/handheld computers
- Pocket organizers
- Electronic writing pads or pen-input/stylus-driven devices (e.g., Palm, PDA's, Casio Class Pad 300)
- Devices with QWERTY keyboards (e.g., TI-92 PLUS, Voyage 200)
- Cell-phone calculators
More information on the calculator use policy for Praxis tests can be found at www.ets.org/praxis/prxcalc.html.
PRAXIS Graphing Calculator Policy
Test administration staff will clear the memory of all graphing calculators both before and after test administration. We recommend that you
- back up any important information in your calculator's memory, including applications, before arriving at the test site
- know how to clear the memory on the approved calculator that you plan to use during the test
Note: Instructions on how to back up and clear the memory of calculators can be found on various calculator Web sites.