Customer Reviews

English Language, Literature, and Composition: Content Knowledge Study Guide (Praxis Study Guides)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I purchased this book hoping I would get a detailed list of test items, however I only got a general list of items that you may see on the test. It also came with one full length test that gives you an idea of the testing format and questions that may be asked. I was disappointed that there were not enough specifics. I would recommend you get a student high school literature book and following the content in that book. You would be better off. Stick to the test at a glance on the Praxis website. It gives the same information for free without the full length test.

I agree with K. Sylvester. This book is really a waste of money and not half as informative as other practice books that are around the same price (or cheaper!) and have many more practice exams/questions. ETS is banking on the fact that people are going to spend extra cash on a book by the test creators; aren't they already making a killing on the tests themselves? I was quite disappointed when I received the book; I figured a book from the test creator would be the best choice. Not the case. There is no scoring guide for the practice test, either, which I find quite frustrating because I have no idea how well I will do based on the sample test. I feel I did pretty well on it, but the scoring for the Praxis is very confusing and no ETS website seems to provide any insight into the scoring process, except for analyzing scores once you get them back. Very general and non-specific. I do not recommend ETS sponsored publications, unfortunately. I bought guides for all three tests I have to take and they are all very vague. Thanks, but no thanks.

I just took this test on Saturday, and let me tell you I was extremely let down. I thought buying this book would be the greatest thing since sliced bread and it would be so helpful in my studying, etc. Well, it fails to let you know that one third of the actual Praxis II exam has to do with diagramming sentences and syntax. I know how to write a simple sentence, but I don't remember what a gerund is and where to put the adverb in a sentence when I am under pressure. The practice test in the book focuses mostly on what you have read and how well you can recognize writing styles. I was completely unprepared for the grammar section and it left me feeling like I failed. If you're really worried about the reading list I suggest picking up the Praxis book for the composition part of the test, which was much more helpful than this waste of $20.

I graduated college in 1987 and am hoping to teach through an alternative certification program. I took the Middle School Language Arts Praxis earlier this year and passed the first time, using the ETS Middle School Praxis Study Guide. Now I'm going to take the secondary English tests 0041 and 0042. I looked at this book at our local college library, but it was only for reference and could not be checked out. This book is a good study guide, key word being 'guide'. It gives you a list of authors to become familiar with, offers detailed explanations about types of test questions and how to best approach each, and IT DOES INCLUDE A PRACTICE TEST WITH CORRECT ANSWERS. It even gives detailed explanations on why each answer was the correct one. Praxis is a hard test. The questions are long, detailed and complicated. The practice questions in this book mirror actual test questions in style. If you're looking for a book with all the answers in it, good luck. But if you're searching for a book to help you know what areas to concentrate your studies in - then buy this one.

This is a great guide to show you what of the test content you do and don't know. Some reviewrs seemed upset it didn't provide straighforward answers for the test; it's not supposed to do that. The study guide is best used as just that: a guide to indicate what you need to study up on. if you buy it far enough ahead of time to be able to look at what you don't know, it's a great tool. The Praxis II tests are meant to assess potential teachers' knowledge of their subject area; frankly, if you need one book to give you the test answers, you may need to reconsider the field you're going into.

Over all: not a magic test-killing bullet, but a valuable resource if used properly.

As a 40-something who after spending the past 20 years in the corporate world, but is now planning a career change into teaching, I purchased this book to help me prepare the this Praxis exam.

Considering I wasn't an English major and that I haven't had an English class in more than 20 years, I really needed a comprehensive study guide. While this book gave some ideas on how to prepare for the exam, and provides a full sample test, I do have a few issues.

The MAIN issue: The guide lists about 50 authors that it recommends one emphasize while studying, as the exams will focus on these authors.
Well, I took three different sample exams plus the actual exam. From that list of 50 authors, only Shakespeare appeared on all the tests.

In fact, with the exception of Shakespeare, the "recommended" authors rarely, if ever appeared on the exams. Not one of the sample exams, nor the real exam had more than ONE author other than Shakespeare from the list.
The vast majority of the quoted authors on the official Praxis exam were obscure authors, many of whom I had no knowledge.

Luckily, I passed the exam. While the "Study Guide" helped little, I DO RECOMMEND taking the sample tests as this will help you determine your strengths and weaknesses allowing you to plan your studying accordingly.

I used this book when reviewing for the test I took this weekend. The sample exam was, of course, representative of the actual exam. That was helpful, but I was disappointed that it had only 90 questions instead of the full 120 that are on the exam.
Also, while the sample test itself was a good review/practice; I was surprised that there was not more actual review information in the book. The rest of the book is more focused on test taking skills, like how to read multiple choice questions. Let's face it, by the time you get to the educational level to be taking this test, you've taken enough of these standardized exams that you don't really need to figure out how to read and choose an answer on a multiple choice test.
So, if you're looking for a good practice exam - this book is great. If you're looking for an overall review or study guide - try another book.

I was a bit disappointed by this test prep book because I felt that the information it largely contained was just about tips on test taking in general that they probably put in all their test prep books regardless of subject. It doesn't really get into the "meat and potatoes" of what you need to be studying to do well on this test. If you want general information on test taking tips then this book is fine, but you would be better served just visiting the ETS website for that information and then studying your old college textbooks and notes for the subject matter.

A fine study guide. It is the best pretest on the market. It is the closest thing to taking the Praxis II test without actually taking the Praxis II test. Or going to a ummm...less than legal site which I hope no future teacher is doing.
I would not recomend this guide if you are looking for that last minute cram guide who will tell you who William Shakespear is and how he fits into English Liturature.

After going through this book and taking the practice test, I felt a lot more comfortable with the types of authors, literary movements, and literary devices the test was looking for. Only includes one practice test.