Praxis® Elementary Education:
Content Knowledge for Teaching (7811)
Practice Test & Study Guide
The most rigorous elementary education content assessment — four separately timed subtests covering Reading and Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. Approximately 80% of all questions assess specialized Content Knowledge for Teaching (CKT): how teachers apply content to the work of instruction. Developed with TeachingWorks at the University of Michigan. Retiring August 2028.
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Get Free Access →See Premium PlansApproximately 80% of all questions on every subtest assess specialized Content Knowledge for Teaching (CKT) — not just subject-matter knowledge. CKT is a type of professional content knowledge used only in teaching. CKT questions require candidates to apply content knowledge to specific tasks of teaching: interpreting a student's reading miscue to diagnose a phonics gap; evaluating a student's mathematical explanation for its validity and generalizability; selecting the most appropriate graphic organizer for a reading comprehension goal; identifying an error pattern in a student's fraction work. Per ETS, this specialized knowledge is “not knowledge that students are expected to learn, nor is it general knowledge of classroom management strategies or learning theory; it is content knowledge specialized to the work of teaching.”
Source: All exam details are drawn from the official ETS Praxis Elementary Education: Content Knowledge for Teaching (7811) Study Companion. The CKT framework was developed through a partnership between ETS and TeachingWorks at the University of Michigan. Passing scores vary by state — always confirm at ets.org/praxis/states.
Elementary Education: Content Knowledge for Teaching (7811) — Test at a Glance
Key facts confirmed from the official ETS 7811 Study Companion. The 7811 consists of four separately timed subtests.
About the Praxis Elementary Education: Content Knowledge for Teaching (7811)
Understanding what CKT means — and why this exam is fundamentally different from a standard content knowledge test.
The purpose of the 7811 is to assess whether the prospective elementary teacher has the content knowledge needed at the time of entry to the profession in reading and language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. It is designed for teacher candidates seeking a generalist elementary school license.
All four subtests are CKT (Content Knowledge for Teaching) assessments — reflecting a framework developed through a partnership between ETS and TeachingWorks at the University of Michigan, grounded in over 25 years of research. Most questions (~80% per subtest) measure specialized content knowledge needed to teach the student curriculum — not knowledge that students are expected to learn, and not general classroom management or learning theory. Approximately 20% of questions measure the standard content knowledge needed to do the work of the student curriculum itself.
The four subtests — Reading and Language Arts (7812, 63q, 90min), Mathematics (7813, 52q, 85min), Science (7814, 47q, 60min), and Social Studies (7815, 60q, 50min) — are independently timed. An on-screen four-function calculator is provided for the Mathematics subtest only. The Reading and Language Arts subtest may include questions with an audio component.
The 7811 is part of the broader Elementary Education series that retires in August 2028, being replaced by the new Elementary Education Fundamentals series (8002–8006). Always verify your state's current requirements at ets.org/praxis/states. Some questions may not count toward your score.
Four Independently Timed Subtests
Each subtest is separately timed and scored. All four must be passed to complete the 7811 combined assessment.
What Is Content Knowledge for Teaching (CKT)? — Tasks of Teaching
~80% of questions across all four subtests require applying content knowledge to these teaching tasks — not just knowing the content itself. Based on High-Leverage Practices (HLPs) from TeachingWorks at the University of Michigan.
Official Subtest Blueprints
Content categories and question distributions confirmed from the official ETS 7811 Study Companion for all four subtests.
II. Language (15%, 9 questions): Conventions of Standard Academic English (structural rules governing clauses, phrases, words; parts of speech; subject-verb agreement; correlative conjunctions; capitalization and punctuation; simple/compound/complex sentences; grade-appropriate spelling using orthographic patterns, syllables, affixes, derivational suffixes); Vocabulary (denotative and connotative meanings; academic and domain-specific vocabulary; figurative and idiomatic language; context clues, word parts, word associations, external resources); Forms and Functions of Language (appropriate formal language levels across contexts; English dialects and registers; word/phrase/punctuation choices for effect and precision; sentence expansion, reduction, and combination).
III. Constructing Meaning (55%, 35 questions): Key Ideas and Details (close reading; central ideas and themes; summarizing; recounting stories with central message; identifying relationships between characters, settings, events, ideas); Author's Craft and Text Structure (word choice and tone; overall text structure — cause/effect, problem/solution, sequence; text features — captions, tables of contents, diagrams; comparing craft across texts); Integration and Application (validity of arguments; integrating across multiple texts; applying information to new contexts; interpreting illustrations and visual representations); Text Types (elements of narrative/procedural/persuasive genres; transitional language; writing narratives and expository texts); Production of Written Texts (producing clear coherent writing adapted to audience/task/purpose; writing process — planning, drafting, revising); Research (locating and evaluating sources; analyzing evidence; distinguishing credibility of sources); Discussion and Collaboration (discourse conventions; building on others' ideas; paraphrasing; expressing ideas persuasively); Presentation (sequencing ideas; appropriate facts and details; speaking pace and style; digital and visual media).
II. Place Value and Decimals (25%, 13 questions): conceptual understanding of digit value; comparing multidigit and decimal numbers; rounding multidigit and decimal numbers; composing and decomposing multidigit numbers — understanding why grouping and ungrouping are helpful in performing operations; using drawings and manipulatives to represent place value, relating them to numerical equations and written descriptions.
III. Fractions, Operations with Fractions, and Ratios (25%, 13 questions): fractions as part-whole relationships, multiples of unit fractions, numbers, and ratios — moving flexibly among conceptualizations; characteristics of fractions less than, equal to, and greater than one; equipartitioning as a building block for fraction understanding; fraction equivalence; strategies for comparing fractions; all four operations with fractions and mixed numbers; understanding why multiplying by a fraction less than 1 makes a product smaller; applications of operations on fractions (scaling); ratios.
IV. Early Equations and Expressions, Measurement, and Geometry (20%, 10 questions): equivalence of algebraic terms, expressions, and equations; the equal sign as relational equivalence; solving equations using four operations; order of operations including parentheses and distributive property; interpretations of variable (unknown quantities and varying quantities); measurement; geometric figures and their properties.
Key Topics by Subtest
The most heavily tested topics across all four subtests — with emphasis on what the CKT framework means in practice for each subject area.
Registration, Test Day & Scoring
Everything you need to know before and on exam day for this four-subtest assessment.
Registration
Scoring
Subtest Timing
Calculators and Tools
Passing Score Requirements by State
Passing scores are set individually by each state per subtest.
For states that still require the 7811: passing scores are set separately for each of the four subtests. If you pass three subtests but fail one, you may retake only the failed subtest independently. There is no penalty for incorrect answers — always answer every question.
How to Prepare for the Praxis Elementary Education: Content Knowledge for Teaching (7811)
Strategies for the most rigorous elementary education assessment — four subtests, ~80% CKT questions, 4h 45min, and a unique audio component in Reading.
- ~80% of all questions test specialized Content Knowledge for Teaching — studying content alone is not enough. The CKT framework is the single most important thing to understand about this exam. Most questions don't test whether you know the content — they test whether you can apply content knowledge to professional teaching situations. For every major topic area you study, ask: What are common student misconceptions? How would I identify a misconception from student work? What representation or example would best illustrate this concept for a 2nd grader? What does this student error pattern reveal? Practicing content in the context of these teaching questions is the only way to genuinely prepare for CKT questions.
- For the 7812 Reading and Language Arts subtest, Constructing Meaning (55%, 35 questions) dwarfs the other two categories combined. Despite being called "Reading and Language Arts," this subtest places most of its weight on comprehension, text analysis, writing, vocabulary, research, discussion, and presentation — not foundational phonics. Know text structures (cause/effect, problem/solution, sequence, compare/contrast, description) and how to use them in both reading comprehension instruction and writing instruction. Know author's craft well enough to evaluate whether an instructional activity would develop a specific literary analysis skill. The 7812 may also include audio questions where you listen to a student reading — the only such component in any Praxis exam. Practice miscue analysis before test day.
- For the 7813 Mathematics subtest, fractions and their conceptual underpinnings are the most challenging area — prepare them in depth. Fraction CKT questions are the hardest on the math subtest because they require knowing not just how to work with fractions but why each operation works — why the same whole must be used when comparing fractions; why equipartitioning is a foundational precursor to fraction understanding; why multiplying by a fraction less than 1 gives a smaller product (not an intuitive concept for elementary students). Know multiple representations for fraction concepts (area models, number lines, set models) and which representation best supports which specific learning goal.
- For the 7815 Social Studies subtest, pace is the defining challenge: 60 questions in 50 minutes = approximately 50 seconds per question. This is significantly faster than any other Praxis subtest. Practice specifically under timed conditions for the 7815. Know U.S. History chronologically and know Government content (three branches, their powers, key documents) well enough to apply it in 50 seconds. The Social Studies CKT tasks — evaluating student historical arguments, selecting appropriate primary sources, scaffolding geographic analysis — require both content knowledge AND teaching knowledge, all at pace.
- Prepare for the 7814 Science subtest by mastering elementary science misconceptions — they are the primary vehicle for CKT questions. Unlike the 5018 which tests content knowledge directly, the 7814 tests whether you can identify misconceptions, anticipate what student errors reveal, and select appropriate instructional responses. Know the most common elementary science misconceptions (heavier objects fall faster; plants get food from soil; seasons are caused by distance from the Sun; evolution is directional) well enough to recognize them in student work and choose the most appropriate corrective instructional strategy.
- Download the official ETS Study Companion and complete all sample questions — the 7811 Study Companion contains the largest sample question set of any Praxis exam. The 7811 Study Companion is exceptionally detailed — it includes extensive sample questions for all four subtests with full explanations, plus extended discussion of the CKT framework, the TeachingWorks High-Leverage Practices, and how they relate to each subtest. The sample questions are the most realistic CKT practice available. Work through all of them, and for each incorrect answer, identify which specific CKT task you struggled with — that's your diagnostic information for continued study.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers sourced directly from the official ETS Praxis Elementary Education: Content Knowledge for Teaching (7811) Study Companion.
Ready to Start Practicing?
Adaptive CKT-style practice questions across all four subtests — designed to test how you apply content knowledge to teaching situations, not just whether you know the subject matter. Subtest-level analytics so you know exactly where to focus.
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