Customer Reviews

The Praxis Series Official Guide with CD-ROM, Second Edition: PPST® ? PLT? ? Subject Assessments (Praxis Series Official Guide: PPST Pre-Professional Skills Test (W/CD))

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I bought this book thinking it would be the best one to own and to study the Praxis, because it states it is made by the same people who write the test. DO NOT be fooled by this though. This was one of the most useless practice study books I have ever bought. Out of its hundreds of pages there was only one full length test and only one test with the answers explained. The rest of the tree that was killed to make this book had many tips that went on for pages. Giving explanations can only be so helpful, one should buy a Praxis book with many practice tests rather than be fooled by the writers claim to help you study better.
Along with buying the Praxis book with only one test in it, I also bought that same test, down to the last punctiation mark, on CD that came with the book. Sure the CD helps when you want to take the real timed test on a computer, but it would have been more helpful if the CD had variations of more real tests than the same one on paper. Don't buy this book if you want more tests than explanations.

I bought this book because I am planning to take the Praxis I soon and eventually will need to take the Praxis II. On the cover, it says "practice with hundreds of authentic PPST, PLT, and Praxis II questions." Since the book really isn't THAT thick, I wasn't really sure how many questions there could really be, but since it was made by ETS, I thought it might be useful, especially since it said "3 Full Lenth Actual PPST Tests on CD-ROM." My main thing I wanted to study was the PPST Math portion (and eventually the Praxis II math content), but the book barely has ANYTHING. Basically they have ONE practice test/section for each part of the PPST: Reading, Writing, and Math. I bypassed the reading and writing sections because I took the VCLA in lieu of those parts of the Praxis I, so all I need is the math. I should have bought a book specifically for the math portion (not that the questions are all that difficult, but I wanted the practice) since this book only has one section devoted to the math. By the way, this book is REALLY only going into any depth for the PPST, NOT the subject tests for the Praxis II. Anyway, I took the practice math test that was in the book and I got a passing score without even studying. However, I wanted more practice because even though I passed, I would have liked a higher score than what I got just in case. So I thought I would try the tests that were on the CD ROM. I'm thinking that since it said "3 Full length PPST tests," they considered a "full length test" to be 1 test with all the sections on it. But no, I tried to use it and there is ONE reading, ONE writing, and ONE math test on the CD-rom. So I click on the math test and it is the EXACT same questions on the math practice test that is in the physical book. I have no idea why they would put the same test on the CD and in the book, so I was really irritated with it. So basically you get ONE practice test for each of the sections for the Praxis I. Oh, and not to mention that one of the math questions could definitely be arguably incorrect, and that was just one that I happened to notice that it was wrong. As far as any Praxis II things go, they give you a very VAGUE idea of what to expect for each type of Praxis II test, and maybe give you one or two sample questions. So as far as using this book for the Praxis II, it is useless. If you can find a study book that gives you more than 1 sample test for each section, go with that one and ditch this one. If you do go with this book, get the one that does not come with the CD ROM since it doesn't have anything that the actual book doesn't have and the book will be cheaper, but in my opinion, go with something else. I had a study book for the GRE by Barron and it had tons of practice math questions. I wish Barron's made one for the Praxis. I will also never buy a study book made by Cliff Notes because I borrowed a Cliff Notes GRE book from a friend and the book seemed really disorganized to me and the explanations for questions weren't that great.

I have been out of school for awhile and needed to take the Praxis tests. This book really helped me review the contents of the test. I went through the book at a glance and then took the test on the DVD. It helped a lot! The DVD allows for timed or untimed tests and that gives a much more accurate idea of what your time limit will be on the day of the actual test. Any questions that are missed are explained further so I had an idea about what I needed to study more. I would recommend this book to anyone needing to take the tests, especially untraditional type students.

If you are taking the Praxis I tests, you really should study from this book. It's from the company that makes the test, so it explains how the test is designed. Once you've done enough practice, you don't have to waste time during the exam reading instructions and such.

This guide has three practice tests (reading, math, & writing), which, unfortunately, are the exact same ones on the included CD-ROM. I was hoping for more practice, but alas, that's all it came with. Nevertheless, I do highly recommend it, though I strongly encourage you to use it in conjunction with the Kaplan review as well, if not others. It even comes with a complete list of all the possible essay questions for the Praxis I: Writing exam. Good luck!

My opinion only pertains to the Praxis I (PPST) section. Concerning this section, the material did a wonderful job with preparing me for the Praxis tests. And the practice tests contained within the book (wish there were more than only 1 of each) do a wonderful job at presenting what the actual test will look like. After I took the Praxis tests this week, I feel I was well prepared (I passed on the first try!!). Keep in mind that I took the advice of the writers to find assistance through other books. For instance, when they speak on the topic of transformations, they only mention the types. I took it upon myself to find out what I could about transformations. My suggestion: get the book to familiarize yourself with the material on the test, and then go to your library to find books that will give you more detail and more practice. I did, and it worked.

This book was great! It has tons of examples and explains the basics of each test (math, writing, reading). It also has a brief description of the Praxis II exams. This was the only book I used to prepare for the Praxis series exam and I passed on the first attempt. I would highly recommend this book!!!!

Examples are thorough, accurate and well edited. A great prep tool for Praxis I.

Don't be fooled by the write up. I was extremely disappointed with the misleading information regarding its coverage of the Praxis II. Out of the ~ 500 pages of info, 9 were devoted to the Praxis II. 2 pages were about test taking and the other 7 contained 10 practice test questions in total. That's it! I am extremely frustrated by the fact that in over 2 weeks now, neither Treebeards(bookseller) and Amazon.com have never responded to my emails RE: a refund due to false advertising.
Lizzy

The Praxis Series Official Guide, Second Edition: PPST® Pre-Professional Skills Test (The Official Guide)

Chapter18-Elementary Education: Content Knowledge
2 pages of 'advice from the experts' - 'Become familiar with the test content' 'Assess how well you know the content in each area'
Then there are 10 'real questions for practice'
THAT'S IT for the Praxis II section.

This book is NOT for the PRAXIS II Content knowledge exam.

As someone who plans to take the Praxis exam fairly soon, I was pleased with the book. Helpful tips, excellent answer explanations, and reading clarity.

I was disappointed by the solo test, but its understandable. I used it as a before and after test: took one test before I read the book, and again after to test my skills. Amazing improvement.