Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators — All Questions

Read the passage: 'Community gardens do more than grow vegetables. They give neighbors a shared purpose, teach children where food comes from, and turn vacant lots into gathering places.' Which best states the main idea?

• a.Vegetables are difficult to grow in cities
• b.Community gardens provide benefits beyond producing food✓
• c.Children rarely understand where food comes from
• d.Vacant lots should be sold to developers

The passage lists several benefits of community gardens beyond the vegetables themselves, making the broad statement that they provide social and educational value the main idea. The other choices focus on narrow details or ideas the passage does not support.

Read the passage: 'By the time the hikers reached the summit, clouds had rolled in and a cold wind cut across the ridge. They pulled their jackets tight and did not linger.' What can reasonably be inferred?

• a.The hikers were lost on the mountain
• b.The weather at the summit was warm and pleasant
• c.The conditions at the summit were uncomfortable✓
• d.The hikers had never hiked before

The cold wind and the detail that the hikers pulled their jackets tight and did not linger imply the summit was uncomfortable. Inference draws on evidence in the text; the passage gives no support for the other options.

In the sentence 'The scientist's novel approach challenged assumptions that had gone unquestioned for decades,' the word 'novel' most nearly means:

• a.New or original✓
• b.Fictional
• c.Lengthy
• d.Difficult

In this context 'novel' means new or original, describing a fresh approach that challenged old assumptions. Although 'novel' can also mean a work of fiction, that meaning does not fit a scientist's approach here.

A short article opens: 'Before you sign a lease, there are three questions every renter should ask.' The author's main purpose is most likely to:

• a.Entertain readers with a story about renting
• b.Persuade readers never to rent a home
• c.Criticize landlords for unfair practices
• d.Inform renters about important questions to ask✓

The opening signals a practical, informative purpose: guiding renters to ask key questions before signing a lease. Nothing in the sentence suggests entertainment, blanket persuasion against renting, or criticism of landlords.

Read the passage: 'Sea otters help keep kelp forests healthy. By eating sea urchins, which graze on kelp, otters prevent the urchins from destroying the underwater forest.' According to the passage, how do otters protect kelp?

• a.By eating kelp themselves
• b.By eating the sea urchins that graze on kelp✓
• c.By planting new kelp
• d.By scaring away larger fish

The passage states that otters eat sea urchins, which would otherwise destroy the kelp, so controlling the urchin population is how otters protect the forest. This is a supporting detail stated directly in the text.

Read the passage: 'Yet again the committee postponed the decision, and once more the residents left the meeting with nothing but vague promises.' The tone of this sentence can best be described as:

• a.Cheerful
• b.Neutral
• c.Frustrated✓
• d.Admiring

Phrases such as 'yet again,' 'once more,' and 'nothing but vague promises' convey frustration with repeated delay. Tone is identified through the writer's word choice, which here signals dissatisfaction rather than cheer or neutrality.

In a paragraph, a sentence begins with 'For example,' followed by a specific case. That sentence most likely functions to:

• a.Illustrate or support a preceding general statement✓
• b.Introduce a completely unrelated topic
• c.Summarize the entire passage
• d.Contradict the main argument

The transition 'for example' signals that the sentence provides a specific illustration supporting a broader point made just before it. Recognizing how transitions signal structure is part of analyzing craft and organization.

Choose the sentence with correct subject-verb agreement.

• a.The list of supplies were on the desk
• b.The list of supplies was on the desk✓
• c.The list of supplies are on the desk
• d.The list of supplies have been on the desk

The subject is 'list' (singular), and the prepositional phrase 'of supplies' does not change the subject's number, so the verb should be the singular 'was.' A common error is matching the verb to the nearest noun ('supplies') instead of the true subject.

Which sentence uses pronoun agreement correctly?

• a.Each student must bring their own pencil, or they will lose points
• b.Every teacher submitted their grades late
• c.Each student must bring his or her own pencil✓
• d.Neither of the boys finished their test

'Each' is singular, so it agrees with the singular 'his or her.' In formal usage tested here, singular indefinite pronouns like 'each' and 'neither' take singular pronouns rather than the plural 'their.'

Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

• a.After the storm passed, we cleared the fallen branches✓
• b.After the storm passed we cleared, the fallen branches
• c.After the storm passed we cleared the fallen branches
• d.After, the storm passed we cleared the fallen branches

An introductory dependent clause ('After the storm passed') should be followed by a comma before the main clause. The other options misplace or omit the comma, breaking the sentence's logic.

Which sentence avoids a misplaced modifier?

• a.Walking to school, the rain soaked Maria
• b.Covered in mud, the coach sent the players home
• c.Reading quietly, the bell startled the students
• d.Walking to school, Maria was soaked by the rain✓

A modifier should clearly describe the intended noun. 'Walking to school, Maria was soaked by the rain' correctly places Maria, the one walking, right after the modifier. The other options illogically attach the modifier to the rain, the coach, or the bell.

Which sentence maintains parallel structure?

• a.She likes hiking, to swim, and biking
• b.She likes hiking, swimming, and biking✓
• c.She likes to hike, swimming, and to bike
• d.She likes hiking, swimming, and to bike

Parallel structure requires items in a series to share the same grammatical form. 'Hiking, swimming, and biking' are all gerunds, so the sentence is parallel; mixing gerunds with infinitives breaks the parallelism.

Choose the sentence that uses 'its' and 'it's' correctly.

• a.Its going to rain, so bring it's umbrella
• b.The dog wagged it's tail because its happy
• c.It's going to rain, so the dog wagged its tail✓
• d.Its raining, and the cat licked it's paw

'It's' is the contraction of 'it is,' while 'its' is the possessive. The correct sentence uses 'It's going to rain' (it is) and 'its tail' (possessive). Confusing these two is a common mechanics error.

In a research-based essay, the main purpose of citing a source is to:

• a.Give credit to the original author and let readers verify the information✓
• b.Make the essay longer
• c.Hide where the ideas came from
• d.Replace the writer's own thesis

Citation credits the original author and allows readers to locate and verify the source, which supports credibility and avoids plagiarism. It is a core research and language skill, not a way to pad length or conceal sources.

Which revision is the most concise while keeping the meaning of 'At this point in time, we are currently in the process of reviewing the report'?

• a.At this current point in time, we are now reviewing the report
• b.We are reviewing the report✓
• c.In the process currently, we review the report at this time
• d.We are, at present, currently reviewing the report now

'We are reviewing the report' removes redundant phrases like 'at this point in time,' 'currently,' and 'in the process of' without losing meaning. Effective writing eliminates wordiness while preserving the idea.

What is 25% of 80?

• a.16
• b.18
• c.20✓
• d.25

25% equals one-quarter, and one-quarter of 80 is 80 divided by 4, which is 20. You can also compute 0.25 times 80 to get 20.

Solve for x: 3x + 5 = 20.

• a.5✓
• b.7
• c.9
• d.15

Subtract 5 from both sides to get 3x = 15, then divide both sides by 3 to find x = 5. Substituting back, 3 times 5 plus 5 equals 20, confirming the solution.

If 4 pens cost $6, how much do 10 pens cost at the same rate?

• a.$10
• b.$12
• c.$14
• d.$15✓

Each pen costs $6 divided by 4, which is $1.50. Ten pens cost 10 times $1.50, which equals $15. Setting up the proportion 4/6 = 10/x gives the same result.

What is the mean (average) of the numbers 4, 8, 10, and 10?

• a.7
• b.8✓
• c.9
• d.10

Add the values: 4 + 8 + 10 + 10 = 32. Divide by the count of numbers, 4, to get a mean of 8. The mean is the sum divided by how many values there are.

A rectangle has a length of 8 units and a width of 3 units. What is its area?

• a.11 square units
• b.22 square units
• c.24 square units✓
• d.48 square units

The area of a rectangle is length times width: 8 times 3 equals 24 square units. Adding the sides instead would give perimeter-related values, not area.

A fair six-sided die is rolled once. What is the probability of rolling an even number?

• a.1/3
• b.1/2✓
• c.2/3
• d.1/6

The even outcomes are 2, 4, and 6, which is 3 of the 6 equally likely faces. The probability is 3/6, which simplifies to 1/2.

Evaluate: -3 + 5 × 2.

• a.7✓
• b.4
• c.-1
• d.16

Using order of operations, multiply first: 5 times 2 equals 10. Then add: -3 + 10 equals 7. Multiplication is performed before addition.