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PRAXISCode: 5723Core Writing📝 CCSS Writing Aligned✍ Includes 2 Essays (Scored 1–6)

Praxis® Core Academic Skills
for Educators: Writing (5723)
Practice Test & Study Guide

Comprehensive preparation for prospective teachers — covering all three sections: 40 selected-response questions (grammar, usage, revision, research) plus two timed essays, both scored 1–6 by trained raters.

40 + 2
SR + essays
100 min
Time limit
Varies
Passing score*
3
Timed sections
$90
Individual fee
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✍

This exam has three separately timed sections — not just the 40-minute selected-response section. The total test time is 100 minutes: a 40-minute selected-response section (usage, sentence correction, revision-in-context, research skills) plus a 30-minute Argumentative essay and a 30-minute Informative/Explanatory essay. Once you advance to an essay section, you cannot return to previous sections. Essay and SR points are reported separately on your score report.

⚠️

No formal grammar terminology knowledge required — and “No Error” is a valid correct answer.The ETS Study Companion explicitly states: examinees are not required to have knowledge of formal grammatical terminology. In usage questions, recognizing that a sentence has no error is a tested skill — a significant percentage of usage questions have “No error” as the correct answer. Do not assume every sentence has an error.

📋

Source: All exam details are drawn from the official ETS Praxis Core Academic Skills: Writing (5723) Study Companion. Passing scores vary by state — always confirm at ets.org/praxis/states.

Praxis Core Academic Skills: Writing (5723) — Test at a Glance

Key facts directly from the official ETS test specifications.

Test name
Core Academic Skills: Writing
Praxis Core Subtest
Test code
5723
Computer-delivered
SR questions
40
40-minute section
Essay tasks
2
30 min each · scored 1–6
Timed sections
3 separate
Cannot return between sections
Total time
100 min
40 + 30 + 30 minutes
Individual fee
$90
Or $150 combined (5752)
Score reporting
~5 wks
SR and essays reported separately

About the Praxis Core Academic Skills: Writing (5723)

What you need to know before you register — especially regarding the three-section structure that the live page does not reflect.

The Core Academic Skills for Educators: Writing (5723) measures academic skills in writing needed to prepare successfully for a career in education. All skills assessed have been identified as needed for college and career readiness, in alignment with the Common Core State Standards for Writing.

The test is 100 minutes in length and has three separately timed sections: a 40-minute selected-response section (40 questions), a 30-minute Argumentative essay section, and a 30-minute Informative/Explanatory (source-based) essay section. Once you advance to the next section, you cannot return. On your score report, points earned on the selected-response section are reported separately from points earned on the essay sections.

The selected-response section tests ability to use standard written English correctly and effectively through four question types: usage (identify errors in grammar, mechanics, and word choice, or recognize correct sentences), sentence correction (select the best restatement), revision-in-context (strengthen a draft essay through editing), and research skills (source credibility, citation elements, research strategies). No formal grammatical terminology knowledge is required — you need to recognize correct and incorrect usage, not name the rules.

The two essays assess ability to write effectively in limited time. Topics are familiar to all educated people — no specialized knowledge is required beyond the ability to write effectively in English. Essays are scored holistically by experienced teachers on a 1–6 scale.

Three Separately Timed Sections

The 100-minute exam is divided into three sections, each independently timed. Once you submit a section and advance, you cannot go back.

1
Selected-Response Section — Grammar, Usage & Research
⏱ 40 minutes · 40 questions
Usage Questions
A sentence with four underlined portions. Identify which underlined part contains a grammatical, structural, word-choice, or mechanics error — or select "No error" if the sentence is correct as written. No sentence has more than one error. No formal grammar terminology required.
Sentence Correction Questions
Part or all of a sentence is underlined. Select from five options: (A) keeps the original, (B)–(E) offer alternatives. Choose the clearest, most correct, and most effective version — free of awkwardness, ambiguity, and redundancy. If the original is best, select (A).
Revision-in-Context Questions
A draft essay passage is presented; questions ask how to strengthen it through editing and revision. Consider development, organization, word choice, style, tone, and standard written English. In some cases, the indicated portion is best as written and requires no change.
Research Skills Questions
Test familiarity with basic research skills: recognizing effective research strategies for a specific task, identifying elements of a citation, assessing the credibility and relevance of sources, and recognizing information relevant to a particular research task.
2
Argumentative Essay
⏱ 30 minutes

Task: Draw from personal experience, observation, or reading to support a position on the assigned topic with specific reasons and examples. The topic presents a situation familiar to all educated people — no specialized knowledge is required.

Requirements: Write only on the assigned topic. Address all points in the topic. Support generalizations with specific examples. Plan and organize before writing — examinees who take time to organize their thoughts before writing produce more organized essays.

Scoring: Scored holistically 1–6 by experienced teachers. How well you write matters more than how much you write — but you will probably need more than one paragraph to cover the topic adequately. Scorers understand that essays are written under timed conditions and are not held to the same standard as a polished, edited piece.

3
Informative/Explanatory Essay (Source-Based)
⏱ 30 minutes

Task: Read two provided source texts and extract information from both to identify important concerns related to a specific issue. Synthesize the information and write a coherent, well-organized informative/explanatory essay.

Critical requirement: You must draw information from both sources and cite each source within your essay. Drawing from only one source, or failing to cite sources, will negatively affect your score. The scoring rubric explicitly evaluates ability to synthesize information from both sources and attribute it correctly — this is a separate criterion from general essay quality.

Scoring: Scored holistically 1–6 by experienced teachers on the same criteria as the Argumentative essay, plus synthesis and citation of both sources. No specialized knowledge is required — topics are familiar to educated adults. Plan and organize before writing.

Official Exam Blueprint: 2 Content Categories

Two content categories span all three sections. Text Types, Purposes, and Production (60%) includes both essays and revision questions; Language and Research Skills (40%) covers the usage, sentence correction, and research SR questions.

Category I
Text Types, Purposes, and Production
Producing an Argumentative essay supporting a claim with relevant evidence; producing an Informative/Explanatory essay that synthesizes from two sources with proper citation; developing and strengthening writing through revision and editing — including revision-in-context SR questions on development, organization, word choice, style, and tone. Also includes writing clearly and coherently with logical organization, clear thesis, effective sentence variety, and minimal errors.
60%
6–12 SR + 2 essays
Category II
Language and Research Skills for Writing
Grammar and usage: subject-verb agreement, pronoun-antecedent agreement, pronoun case, intensive pronouns, vague pronouns, verb tense shifts, adjectives vs. adverbs, noun-noun agreement. Structural relationships: misplaced/dangling modifiers, coordinating/subordinating conjunctions, fragments, run-ons, correlative conjunctions, parallel structure. Word choice: idiomatic expressions, frequently confused words, wrong word use, redundancy. Mechanics: capitalization, commas, semicolons, apostrophes. Research: source credibility, citation elements, research strategies.
40%
28–34 SR questions

Key Topics: Selected-Response Section

Every error type and skill category tested in the four SR question types — drawn directly from the official ETS content specification.

GrammarGrammatical and Structural RelationshipsUsage + Sentence Correction questions
Subject-verb agreement: compound subjects, collective nouns, inverted sentence order, indefinite pronouns (everyone, neither, each) — each requires singular verb
Pronoun-antecedent agreement: pronoun must agree in number and gender with its antecedent; compound antecedents; "it" referring to two nouns (must use "them")
Pronoun case: subjective (I, he, she, they) vs. objective (me, him, her, them) case; who vs. whom; pronoun in compound constructions
Intensive pronouns: myself, yourself, himself, herself — used only for emphasis; never as a subject or object substitute
Vague pronouns: pronoun without a clear, single antecedent — "It eventually led to…" is vague if "it" has no clear referent; replace with a specific noun phrase
Pronoun number and person: maintaining consistent pronoun use — e.g., "As a consumer, one can accept… but we can reject" mixes singular/plural and first/third person
Verb tense shifts: inappropriate shift from past to present within a passage — e.g., "Payne simply enjoys watching" (present) is inconsistent when the rest of the passage uses past tense
Adjectives vs. adverbs: using an adjective when an adverb is required — e.g., "spoke out passionate" should be "spoke out passionately" (modifying a verb requires an adverb)
Misplaced and dangling modifiers: phrase or clause placed too far from the word it modifies; dangling modifier has no clear subject to modify in the sentence
Coordinating and subordinating conjunctions: using the correct conjunction for the logical relationship — "Therefore" vs. "In fact" vs. "However" (revision-in-context tests which fits the passage logic)
Parallel structure: items in a list or paired elements must use the same grammatical form — "accept… or we can reject" breaks parallel structure; correction: "accept… or reject"
Fragments and run-ons: a sentence missing a subject or complete verb; two or more independent clauses joined without proper punctuation or conjunction
Word & MechanicsWord Choice, Mechanics, and Research SkillsUsage + Research Skills questions
Idiomatic expressions: recognizing phrases that are not idiomatic in standard written English — e.g., "without being noticed by hardly anyone" uses a double negative and is not idiomatic; the correct form is "without hardly being noticed by anyone" — actually also not idiomatic; the correct form is "hardly noticed" (no double negation)
Frequently confused words: affect/effect, lay/lie, who/whom, its/it's, there/their/they're, fewer/less, than/then — correct usage in specific contexts
Wrong word use: logically incorrect pronoun reference — e.g., "print prizes" when the magazine prints submissions, not the people who win prizes
Redundancy: saying the same thing twice — e.g., "annually each year" uses both "annually" and "each year" to mean the same thing; one must be removed
No Error recognition: recognizing sentences that are correct as written — a substantial portion of usage questions use "No error" as the correct answer; do not force a change
Capitalization: proper nouns require capitalization; common nouns do not — "ordinance" is not capitalized; titles of works are capitalized; first word of a sentence is capitalized
Commas: separating an introductory element from the rest of the sentence; separating items in a series; setting off non-restrictive clauses; correct use before coordinating conjunctions joining independent clauses
Semicolons: linking two or more closely related independent clauses (with or without a conjunctive adverb such as however, therefore, moreover)
Apostrophes: forming contractions (it's = it is); forming possessives (the club's members); plural possessives (the students' work)
Source credibility and relevance: assessing whether a source is credible and relevant to a research task — peer-reviewed journals vs. anonymous websites; primary vs. secondary sources
Citation elements: recognizing different components of a citation (author, title, publisher, date, URL); main purpose of reviewing references in a research article = to identify additional relevant sources
Research strategies: recognizing strategies appropriate to a specific research task; identifying information that is relevant vs. irrelevant to a research question
RevisionRevision-in-Context QuestionsPassage-based — part of 40-minute SR section
Transition word selection: choosing the correct logical connector — "Therefore" vs. "In fact" based on whether a sentence continues a point, contrasts it, emphasizes it, or explains it (Payne/elephant passage example)
Combining sentences: selecting the most economical and grammatically correct way to combine two sentences while eliminating redundancy — e.g., combining zoo sentences using "zoo, where she" rather than repeating "zoo"
Vague pronoun correction in context: replacing a vague "It" with a specific noun phrase that refers unambiguously to the intended antecedent — e.g., replacing "It eventually led to" with "This insight eventually led to"
Best concluding sentence: selecting a sentence that best concludes a paragraph by restating or reinforcing the main theme — the best conclusion returns to the central idea established at the beginning
Development and support: recognizing when a sentence needs more specific detail or when generalization needs concrete examples to support it
Word choice for precision: choosing words that convey ideas precisely rather than approximately; avoiding imprecise language when exact language is available
Style and tone consistency: maintaining a consistent style appropriate to the passage's purpose and audience throughout — formal academic vs. casual narrative
"Best as written" recognition: recognizing when the indicated portion of the passage is already the most effective version and requires no change — just as with usage questions, some answers are "leave it as is"

Essay Scoring Guide: 1–6 Scale

Both essays are scored holistically 1–6 by experienced teachers. Raters judge overall quality — they take into account that essays are written under timed conditions and are less polished than edited work.

6
High competence — minor errors only
States or clearly implies a position/thesis; organizes and develops ideas logically with insightful connections; explains key ideas with well-chosen reasons, examples, or details; displays effective sentence variety; clearly demonstrates facility with language; generally free of grammar, usage, and mechanics errors.
5
Clear competence — minor errors
States or clearly implies a thesis; organizes and develops ideas clearly with connections between them; explains key ideas with relevant reasons, examples, or details; displays some sentence variety; demonstrates facility with language; generally free of errors.
4
Competence demonstrated — some errors
States or implies a position/thesis; shows control in organization and development; explains some key ideas with adequate reasons, examples, or details; adequate use of language; shows control of grammar and mechanics but may display errors.
3
Some competence — obviously flawed
Limited in stating a thesis; limited control in organization and development; inadequate reasons, examples, or details; accumulation of language errors; accumulation of grammar, usage, or mechanics errors. One or more of these weaknesses is present.
2
Seriously flawed
No clear position or thesis; weak organization or very little development; few or no relevant reasons, examples, or details; frequent serious errors in language use; frequent serious errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics.
1
Fundamental deficiencies
Contains serious and persistent writing errors; or is incoherent; or is undeveloped. A score of 1 indicates the response does not demonstrate minimum writing competency.
Additional criterion for Informative/Explanatory essay only: Scorers also evaluate the ability to synthesize information from both provided sources and to cite this information in the essay. Failing to draw from both sources or failing to attribute information to its source will lower your score on this essay regardless of the quality of your writing.

Registration, Test Day & Scoring

Everything you need to know before and on exam day.

Registration
Where to registerpraxis.ets.org
Individual fee$90
Combined fee (5752)$150 (all 3 subtests)
Testing formatsIn-person or remote
Arrive (in-person)30 min early
Scoring
SR questionsMachine scored
Essays scored byExperienced teachers
Essay scale1–6 holistic score
Passing scoreVaries by state
SR vs. essay scoresReported separately
Section Timing
Section 1 (SR)40 min · 40 questions
Section 2 (Argumentative)30 min · 1 essay
Section 3 (Info/Explanatory)30 min · 1 essay
Return to prior sectionNot allowed
Total time100 minutes
Remote Testing
Browser requiredETS Secure Test Browser
DeviceLaptop or desktop only
Equipment neededWebcam, mic, speakers
Essay typingIn test interface text box

Passing Score Requirements by State

Passing scores are set independently by each state — and are set separately for SR and essay performance.

Important: Passing score requirements for the Core Academic Skills: Writing (5723) are set individually by each state or licensing agency. A score that meets requirements in one state may not meet requirements in another. Always verify the exact passing score for your state at ets.org/praxis/states before registering.

Your score report shows two separate scores: one for the selected-response section and one for the essay sections. There is no penalty for incorrect answers on SR questions — always answer every question. For essays, an unwritten essay receives a score of 0 and will significantly affect your overall Writing score. Always write something for each essay prompt, even if you have limited time remaining.

How to Prepare for the Praxis Core Writing Exam

Strategies for all three sections — including the unique demands of the three-section structure, essay timing, and the source-based essay.

  • The three sections are independently timed — plan your energy accordingly and never leave an essay blank. Once you move from Section 1 (SR) to Section 2 (Argumentative essay), you cannot return. If you run out of time on Section 1, you still get full time for each essay. Conversely, if you find yourself in the last minutes of an essay section, write a conclusion paragraph rather than stopping mid-essay — an essay with a clear ending scores higher than an essay that just stops.
  • For the Informative/Explanatory essay, explicitly draw from and cite both sources — this is a separate grading criterion. The rubric includes a specific criterion for the source-based essay: "ability to synthesize information from both provided sources and to cite this information in the essay." Failing to use both sources, or using them without attributing information to "Source 1" or "Source 2," will lower your score even if the writing itself is strong. Build in time at the start to read both sources and identify at least one key point to use from each.
  • Know the "No Error" usage question type — and use it confidently. A substantial percentage of usage questions have "No error" as the correct answer. The exam tests whether you can recognize correct standard written English, not just find errors. If you evaluate all four underlined portions and find no genuine error, select "No error" with confidence rather than forcing a change. Over-correcting correct sentences is one of the most common mistakes on the SR section.
  • For revision-in-context questions, read the entire passage before answering — then focus on the logic of each question. Revision questions ask about development, organization, word choice, style, and tone — all context-dependent. For transition word questions, identify the logical relationship between the sentence and the one before it. For vague pronoun questions, identify which noun the pronoun refers to and whether that reference is unambiguous. For "best conclusion" questions, the correct answer typically restates the main theme established at the beginning of the passage.
  • For sentence correction questions, re-read the entire sentence with each option substituted in. Do not just read the underlined portion in isolation. Check the entire sentence for pronoun agreement (if you change "one" to "we," you must also update other pronouns in the non-underlined portion), parallelism, and overall clarity. The official ETS guidance: choose the answer that expresses most effectively what is presented in the original — clear, exact, without awkwardness, ambiguity, or redundancy.
  • For Argumentative essays, take 3–5 minutes to plan before you start writing. The official ETS guidance: "Before beginning to write each essay, examinees should read the topic and organize their thoughts carefully." A well-organized essay with a clear thesis and two or three developed examples will score higher than an unorganized essay that is longer. ETS scorers are explicit: "How well you write is much more important than how much you write."
  • Download the ETS Study Companion for 5723 and study the 12 sample SR questions plus the scored essay samples. The Study Companion contains 12 annotated SR questions spanning all four SR types, one sample argumentative essay with a score of 6 and a score of 5 (with full commentary on what earned each score), and a sample informative/explanatory essay. The scoring commentary is especially valuable — it explains specifically what distinguishes a score of 6 from a score of 5, which is exactly the distinction most candidates need to understand.

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers sourced directly from the official ETS Praxis Core Academic Skills: Writing (5723) Study Companion.

How many questions are on the Praxis Core Writing (5723)?
The exam contains 40 selected-response questions and 2 essay questions. Total time is 100 minutes across three separately timed sections: a 40-minute SR section (40 questions covering usage, sentence correction, revision-in-context, and research skills), a 30-minute Argumentative essay, and a 30-minute Informative/Explanatory essay. Once you advance to the next section, you cannot return to the previous one.
How are the essays scored?
Experienced teachers score each essay holistically on a scale of 1–6. Scoring considers: quality of insight or central idea, clarity, consistency of point of view, cohesiveness, strength and logic of supporting information, rhetorical force, appropriateness of diction and syntax, and correctness of mechanics and usage. For the Informative/Explanatory essay, raters also evaluate ability to synthesize information from both provided sources and cite them. Points from essays are reported separately from the selected-response score.
What are the four types of selected-response questions?
Four SR question types: Usage — identify the underlined portion with an error, or select "No error"; Sentence Correction — select the best restatement of an underlined phrase or sentence from five options (A = keep original); Revision-in-Context — given a draft essay, select the best way to strengthen a specific portion through editing and revision; Research Skills — recognize effective research strategies, citation elements, source credibility, and relevant information for a research task.
Do I need formal grammar terminology knowledge?
No. The ETS Study Companion explicitly states: "Examinees are not required to have a knowledge of formal grammatical terminology." You need to recognize correct and incorrect usage, not name the rules. You don't need to know the term "dangling modifier" to identify that a modifier is misplaced.
What is the Informative/Explanatory essay?
The Informative/Explanatory (source-based) essay (30 minutes) provides two source texts and asks you to extract and synthesize information from both to address an issue. You must draw from both sources and cite each one in your essay — this is a separate scoring criterion. Drawing from only one source or failing to cite will lower your score. No specialized knowledge is required.
Can I take the Core Writing (5723) as part of the Combined test?
Yes. The Core Writing (5723) can be taken independently ($90) or as part of the Praxis Core Combined (5752) with Reading (5713) and Mathematics (5733) for $150 total. Scores are reported separately for each subtest regardless of how you register.
What is the passing score for the Praxis Core Writing (5723)?
The passing score varies by state or licensing agency. Always verify at ets.org/praxis/states before registering.
Is there a penalty for wrong answers on the selected-response section?
No. Your score on the SR section is based solely on correct answers — no penalty for wrong answers. Always answer every SR question. For essays, an unwritten essay receives a score of 0, so always write something even if time is short.

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Sources: ETS Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators: Writing (5723) Study Companion (official PDF, praxis.ets.org); ETS official test page for 5723; Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts — Writing; ETS Praxis fee schedule 2025–26. Praxis® is a registered trademark of Educational Testing Service (ETS). This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by ETS. Passing score requirements vary by state — always verify at ets.org/praxis/states.
Last Updated: May 10, 2026