Praxis SLP 5331
Speech-Language Pathology (5331)
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Cheat sheet
Keep the key ideas within reach.
ExploreKey terms
Get comfortable with the vocabulary.
ExploreStudy plan
Give each week a clear focus.
ExploreCommon mistakes
Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
ExploreCase studies
Put your knowledge to work in context.
ExploreExam-day guide
Prepare for the day ahead.
ExploreAbout this exam
The Praxis Speech-Language Pathology (5331) test is the assessment ETS publishes for candidates who are seeking independent practice as a speech-language pathologist. Because it is written for "all primary employment settings, including schools, hospitals, clinics, private practice," it is one of the broadest single-title assessments in the Praxis catalog - it is not a school-only credential, and candidates headed straight into a medical or private-practice role take the same test as those entering a district. The content is organized into three domains: Foundations and Professional Practice; Screening, Assessment, Evaluation, and Diagnosis; and Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation of Treatment, weighted at roughly 33 percent, 33 percent, and 34 percent. That near-even split is the single most useful fact for planning study time: no domain can be skipped, and treatment planning alone carries the largest block of points. Preparation is best anchored to the free ETS study companion for 5331, which lays out the test blueprint, alongside the official prep course - nine lessons that match the exam, interactive tools, and a full-length practice test. Confirm your own state's certification requirements before registering, since states set their own test requirements. The test fee is $146.
What you'll study
About Praxis SLP 5331 preparation
How many questions are on the SLP 5331 test, and how long is it?
The ETS test page does not publish the item count or the time limit. Those details live in the free study companion and the Praxis Information Bulletin for 5331. Download the companion, which also includes the full content outline and sample questions, and treat any figure you see elsewhere as unverified until you match it against ETS materials.
What score do I need to pass?
There is no single national passing score. ETS notes that each state sets its own requirements for certification, and passing standards are adopted state by state. Look up the passing score for the state where you are applying, and register for 5331 specifically - not a neighboring state's test code - if your state's requirement names it.
How is the exam structured content-wise?
It is divided into three domains: Foundations and Professional Practice, Screening, Assessment, Evaluation, and Diagnosis, and Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation of Treatment. The weighting is approximately 33, 33, and 34 percent respectively, so the three areas are close to equal. Any study plan that ignores one domain is giving away roughly a third of the test.
How hard is it, and what trips candidates up most?
Most candidates fail on application, not recall. Knowing a definition of a phonological process or an aphasia type is not enough; items ask you to choose a diagnosis, an assessment procedure, or a treatment target for a described client. The other common error is under-preparing for treatment planning, which carries the largest single share of the exam.
In what order should I study?
Start with Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation of Treatment, since it carries the largest weight and depends on content you already know from assessment. Then work through Screening, Assessment, Evaluation, and Diagnosis, and finish with Foundations and Professional Practice, which is largely ethics, policy, and professional-role material that is quick to review and easy to refresh late.
How much does it cost, and what prep is available?
The 5331 test fee is $146. ETS also sells a Speech-Language Pathology Praxis Prep Course for $199, built with SLP experts, containing nine lessons aligned to the exam, interactive tools, and a full-length practice test. Free study companions and a test-format outline are also available through the Praxis prep pages.
Can I retake the test if I don't pass?
ETS does not state a retake waiting period or a retake limit on the 5331 test page. The governing rules - how soon you may re-register, how many attempts are allowed, and how states treat multiple attempts - appear in the Praxis Information Bulletin and in your state's certification requirements. Confirm both before scheduling a second attempt.
Do I need this test if I only want to work in a school?
That depends on your state. ETS describes 5331 as the test for independent practice as a speech-language pathologist in all primary employment settings, including schools, but it also states that each state sets its own requirements. Some states accept it for school licensure; check your state's page before you register.
What should I bring on test day, and where can I test?
ETS offers both test center and at-home testing options, each with its own identification and equipment requirements, and publishes separate ID requirement and at-home testing pages. Review the ID rules for the name on your registration and run the at-home equipment check in advance if you choose remote delivery. Details are on the Praxis Test Day Planning pages.