Praxis Music study guide
Praxis Music · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
Praxis Music refers to the Praxis Subject Assessments used for educator certification in music, administered by ETS as part of its Praxis® teacher certification program. Candidates are typically prospective K–12 music teachers who must satisfy their state's licensure requirements, and ETS advises checking state requirements first so you register for the correct test. ETS publishes free study companions and study guides for Praxis tests that describe the test format and test outline, and offers official test prep products including interactive practice tests, digital flashcards, and online courses. ETS states that 88.1% of people who use at least one Praxis test-prep product pass the exam, based on a survey of 345 Praxis users in 2024. The Praxis Music study guide has 4 sections and about 1,123 words.
01Music Theory and Composition
Theory questions reward fluency with fundamentals: clefs and transpositions, key signatures and all major/minor scales, interval quality and quantity, triad and seventh-chord construction, diatonic function (T–S–D), and cadence types (authentic, half, plagal, deceptive, Phrygian half). Know Roman numeral analysis in both modes, figured bass, and common part-writing rules (avoid parallel fifths/octaves, resolve tendency tones, double the root).
313 words, about 2 min02Music History and Literature
Organize history by era with representative genres, composers, and stylistic markers. Medieval/Renaissance: chant, organum, motet, madrigal, Mass; imitative polyphony (Josquin, Palestrina); word-painting in the madrigal.
264 words, about 1 min03Performance
Performance questions test practical musicianship: accurate rhythm and tempo terms, dynamics, articulation, phrasing, intonation, and ensemble skills. Know tempo markings (grave, largo, adagio, andante, moderato, allegro, vivace, presto) and modifiers (ritardando, accelerando, rubato, a tempo).
270 words, about 1 min04Music Pedagogy and Professional Issues
Pedagogy items test how students learn and how teachers structure instruction: sequencing (sound before symbol, simple to complex), assessment (formative vs. summative), differentiation, and rehearsal planning.
276 words, about 1 min