Praxis Elementary Science Online Center
This Praxis Elementary Science Online Center brings together practice, lessons, worksheets, flashcards and review tools. Choose the resource that matches the skill you want to work on next.
Praxis Elementary Science Practice Center
Take a full 90-minute form, then read the explanation under every question you missed. Notice which misses are content and which are the practices and teaching items, where the question is what the data support or what a child’s explanation reveals.
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Praxis Elementary Science at a glance
This is the science subtest of the Elementary Education Fundamentals series. The three categories are close to evenly weighted and each is timed on its own, so a weak area cannot be rescued by speed elsewhere. Roughly a quarter of the questions are not recall at all: some ask what an investigation actually shows, and some show a child’s explanation and ask what the misconception is.
| Test code | 8005 (Elementary Education Fundamentals: Science) |
|---|---|
| Replaces | The Elementary Education Multiple Subjects science subtest, 5005. |
| Number of questions | 74 selected-response questions |
| Answer options | Four per question |
| Time limit | 90 minutes, with each category timed separately at 30 minutes |
| Content categories | Earth and space sciences 32%, Life sciences 34%, Physical sciences 34%. |
| Science and Engineering Practices | About 10 to 15 percent of the questions ask you to work like a scientist rather than recall a fact. |
| Tasks of Teaching Science | A further 10 to 15 percent set the question inside an instructional context. |
| Passing score | Set by each state, so check the requirement where you are certifying. |
The three categories are nearly equal, which is unusual and useful: there is no section you can safely neglect. Thirty minutes for about 25 questions is roughly 72 seconds each, and the investigation items take longer than that, so the recall items have to be fast.
The three categories, in plain language
ETS groups the subtest into three separately timed categories.
Category 1: Earth and space sciences (32%, 30 minutes)
Do you know how the Earth, its atmosphere, and its place in space work?
- Describe rocks, minerals, soil, plate tectonics, and the processes that shape landforms
- Explain the water cycle, weather, climate, and the composition of the atmosphere
- Describe the Earth, Moon, and Sun system, seasons, tides, eclipses, and the solar system
- Interpret evidence about Earth’s history, including fossils and rock layers
- Read and interpret weather data, maps, and Earth science models
Category 2: Life sciences (34%, 30 minutes)
Do you know how living things are built, inherit, and interact?
- Describe cell structure, function, and the organization of living things
- Explain heredity, traits, and the evidence for evolution and natural selection
- Classify organisms and describe their defining characteristics
- Describe plant structure, function, photosynthesis, and reproduction
- Describe human and animal body systems and how they work together
- Explain ecosystems, food webs, energy flow, and the cycling of matter
Category 3: Physical sciences (34%, 30 minutes)
Do you know how matter, energy, and forces behave, and how to test a claim?
- Describe the structure and properties of matter, including states and changes of state
- Distinguish physical from chemical change and describe chemical reactions
- Explain forms of energy, energy transfer, and conservation of energy
- Apply the basics of motion, forces, and simple machines
- Describe electricity, magnetism, waves, sound, and light
- Plan and interpret a fair test, including variables, controls, and evidence
A study routine that fits three timed sections
Ninety minutes across three sealed sections means the plan is per category, not overall. Find the weakest one and put your time there.
Complete lesson map
Forty-four lessons across Earth and space, life, and physical science. Each one opens in a new tab so you can keep this page open while you work.
Reading and interpreting science
Scientific reasoning
Experimental design
Data: tables, charts, and graphs
Life science
Heredity, evolution, and ecosystems
Matter and reactions
Earth and space science
- 34Earth’s Layers and Plate Tectonics↗
- 35Rocks and the Rock Cycle↗
- 36The Water Cycle and Weather↗
- 37Climate and the Greenhouse Effect↗
- 38Natural Resources↗
- 39Atmosphere, Oceans, and Earth Systems↗
- 40Natural Hazards and the Age of Earth↗
- 41The Solar System↗
- 42Earth, Moon, and Sun: Days, Seasons, Phases, Tides↗
- 43Stars, Galaxies, and the Universe↗
- 44Eclipses and Stellar Life Cycles↗
Before test day
Two habits carry this subtest. The first is knowing the mechanism rather than the label: not that seasons come from tilt, but why tilt changes how concentrated the sunlight is. The second is reading an investigation for what it controlled. When a question hands you a data table, the answer is nearly always the narrowest statement the data actually support, not the most interesting one.
A USEFUL NEXT STEP
Praxis Elementary Science: study questions
What can I study in this Praxis Elementary Science Online Center?
This Praxis Elementary Science Online Center includes practice, lessons, worksheets, flashcards and review tools. Topics on the page include Category 1: Earth and space sciences (32%, 30 minutes), Category 2: Life sciences (34%, 30 minutes), Category 3: Physical sciences (34%, 30 minutes).
How should I use the Praxis Elementary Science resources?
Choose a topic or practice activity from this Online Center. Review the linked explanation, try the practice, and use the result to decide what to study next. Check each resource’s directions for its format and access requirements.
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