Praxis Review Information

Welcome to the Praxis 2 preparation page. This page contains useful links, tips, and study guides for current students who are preparing to take the Praxis. If you are an APSU music major with music education (Choral/K-12 General Music or Instrumental/K-12 General Music) concentration, you will receive a lot of the information below through courses, and departmental e-mails and announcements. Some of you visiting this website stumbled here through an online search, or through one of the study sessions that I present from time to time. Either way, I hope you find this information useful. Feel free to contact me if you have other questions.

Dr. Chandler
APSU Coordinator of Music Education

Praxis 2 is the teacher licensure exam for teacher candidates in the state of Tennessee. As a music major you need to take Music Content and Instruction Praxis Exam (Test number 5114 [computer-administered test]). All students should attempt Praxis 2 prior to the start of the Practicum semester. A passing score of 162 is required by the end of the Practicum semester. The test contains three sections: listening, multiple choice, and writing prompts. In each section, you will be tested on music history and theory, performance, instruction professional issues and technology, and instructional activities (constructed response).

Praxis 2 is administered by Educational Testing Service (ETS). Registration links, testing dates, and official ETS study materials are available from the ETS website:

• To register for a Praxis Exam, or to check dates and deadlines, visit http://www.ets.org/praxis/about/praxisii/
• To obtain study materials, go to http://www.ets.org/praxis/prepare/materials/. Find the correct test by name or by number. From there, you may select the free study companion or purchase the official study guide

Each year, the Department of Music hosts Saturday Praxis Study Review Sessions. Contact Dr. Michael Chandler (chandlermd@apsu.edu) for more information. 

Study Materials from APSU

Praxis Study Session Outline: This is the document distributed to APSU students who attend the Saturday study sessions. It contains general tips, guidelines, and basic sample questions for Praxis preparation (NOTE: Some of the sample questions make more sense in the context of the study session). 

Technology Cram Sheet: Technology is an ever-changing and increasingly useful tool for music educators. While most college student musicians are aware of the social and entertainment uses of music technology, we must also know and be able to use educational music technology hardware and software applications. This includes, but is not limited to knowing how to record small and large instrumental and vocal ensembles, sound amplification, digital music interface platforms, useful software and hardware, and many related topics. The attached technology cram sheet contains a sampling of the related content you will need to know in your music classroom. 

YouTube Links: This document contains an extensive list of videos of music from around the world. The chatter and content organization is based on Worlds of Music: An Introduction to the Music of the World's Peoples (Shorter Version: 3rd edition) by Jeff Todd Titon. The premise behind this document is not that you memorize the songs on the videos, but that you use the provided songs as musical exemplars from which you learn to recognize the overall sound of music from each culture so that when you hear a different example, you can identify it correctly. NOTE: Although we work to maintain currency of this document, there may regularly be inactive or non-functioning links.

World Music Study Guide: Use this document to accompany the Youtube Links, and to familiarize yourself with the traditional instruments, voices, genres, and other musical traits of music from around the world (this document was created by Dr. Ann Silverberg, APSU's resident musicologist / ethnomusicologist). 

Learning Theories: Although Praxis is primarily a music test, there are a lot of connections to learning theories. This document provides an overview of common learning theories, and links to more information pertaining to each learning theorist.

Useful Websites: It is common for Praxis examinees to score poorly on theory and history. As senior music students, it has been a few semesters since your last theory course so you are less familiar with the content. Also, very few music majors studied music history prior to college so you have had less experience with this content. Therefore, extra study time in these areas is beneficial. Visit the list of online music education resources and scroll down to Music Tutoring and Review Websites for study materials in theory, ear training, and music history. 

One final reminder: There is no magic fairy dust that can instantaneously prepare you for the Praxis. It is a tough exam that measures your overall knowledge of music. While you came to college as a trumpet major or voice student, for example, you leave as a trained and certified music educator. The term music implies a gigantic umbrella of skills and concepts, and you must be prepared to teach it all. Therefore, study as though you are preparing for a career rather than studying just to pass a test. Good Luck!