Praxis General Science study guide
Praxis General Science · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Praxis General Science (5435) test is one of the Praxis Subject Assessments, the ETS testing program that states and educator-preparation programs use as part of teacher certification. Candidates take it to demonstrate the science content knowledge a beginning general science teacher is expected to have - most often people seeking a middle school or secondary science license, or a broad science endorsement rather than a single-discipline (biology, chemistry, physics) license. The published test outline organizes the content into four domains: the nature and impact of science and engineering; physical science; life science; and Earth and space science. Because the exam is broad rather than deep, success depends less on advanced coursework in one field and more on solid, connected understanding across all four, including scientific inquiry, engineering design, data interpretation, and the relationships among science, technology, and society. The Praxis General Science study guide has 4 sections and about 1,173 words.
01Nature and Impact of Science and Engineering
This domain asks you to reason about how scientific knowledge is built and how engineering solves problems, not to recite vocabulary. Know the scientific method as a flexible cycle: observation, question, hypothesis, prediction, controlled experiment, analysis, revision.
284 words, about 1 min02Physical Science
Know atomic structure (protons, neutrons, electrons), isotopes, and ions, and how periodic position predicts reactivity: metals lose electrons, nonmetals gain or share, noble gases are stable. Balance simple equations using conservation of mass - atoms are rearranged, never created or destroyed.
295 words, about 1 min03Life Science
Understand the cell as the basic unit of life; compare prokaryotes (no membrane-bound nucleus) with eukaryotes, and plant with animal cells (cell wall, chloroplasts, large central vacuole). Know the four macromolecules: carbohydrates (quick energy), lipids (membranes, long-term storage), proteins (enzymes, structure), and nucleic acids (information).
305 words, about 2 min04Earth and Space Science
Know Earth's layered structure (crust, mantle, outer core, inner core) and that the liquid outer core generates the magnetic field. Plate tectonics explains earthquakes, volcanoes, mountain belts, and seafloor spreading: divergent boundaries create new crust, convergent boundaries produce subduction and volcanoes, transform boundaries slide past one another.
289 words, about 1 min