GRE Tests vs. Praxis Tests: Which test should you take?

The GRE Tests and Praxis Tests are two of the standardized tests developed by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). There are two GRE tests, namely the GRE General Test and the GRE Subject Test. On the other hand, the Praxis Test is a series of tests. The first test is Praxis I, followed by Praxis II. This article discusses the purpose, format, similarities, differences, and more of these two tests.

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GRE Tests vs. Praxis Tests: Comparison

The GRE tests are used to evaluate graduate school applicants’ readiness for graduate school. This test assesses one’s knowledge in many different subject areas to fully test one’s suitability. The Praxis test, on the other hand, the Praxis test is required in the US as a certification exam for teachers. This test is one’s ticket to being a teacher in the US.

GRE Tests vs. Praxis Tests
	GRE General Test	GRE Subject Test	Praxis Core	Praxis Subject Assessments
Purpose	This test assesses grad school applicants’ knowledge of verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, analytical writing, and critical thinking skills.	These are supplementary tests that are designed to evaluate applicants’ readiness for postgraduate study in specific fields.	This test assesses the academic skills in writing, mathematics, and reading of teacher candidates.	These tests measure K-12 educators’ content knowledge and skills on specific subjects.
Structure	Verbal reasoning section (2 sections) Quantitative reasoning section (2 sections) Analytical writing section (2 essay tasks) Unscored/research section	Chemistry Analytical Chemistry Organic Chemistry Inorganic Chemistry Physical Chemistry Mathematics Calculus Algebra Other additional topics Physics Classical Mechanics Electromagnetism Optics And Wave Phenomena Thermodynamics And Statistical Mechanics Quantum Mechanics Atomic Physics Special Relativity Laboratory Methods Specialized Topics Psychology Biological Cognitive Social Developmental Clinical Measurement/Methodology/Other	Reading Mathematics Writing (two sections)	Subject Assessments Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) Tests
Number of Questions	100 multiple-choice questions	Chemistry – approximately 130 multiple-choice questions Mathematics – approximately 66 multiple-choice questions Physics – approximately 100 five-choice questions Psychology – approximately 205 five-choice questions	152 questions and 2 essays
Test Fee	$150	$205	$90 to $150	$90 to $209
Format	Computer-delivered testing and paper-delivered testing	Paper-delivered	Computer-delivered	Computer-delivered
Scoring	Scores for each section range from 130-170 in 1 point increments for verbal and quantitative reasoning. The Analytical Writing section is scored separately.	A total score of 200 to 900 score scale, in 10-point increments, is yielded for every Subject Test. The Psychology Tests yield sub-scores on a 20 to 90 score scale, in one-point increments.	Between 100 to 200 points
Testing Time	3 hours and 30 minutes (Paper-Based) 3 hours and 45 minutes (Computer-Adaptive Test) There is a 10-minute break after the 3rd section.	2 hours and 50 minutes	4 hours and 35 minutes	1 hour to 4 hours
Validity	5 years	5 years	10 years	10 years

What are the identification (ID) requirements needed?

Discussed below are the ID requirements for the GRE Tests and Praxis Tests.

GRE General and Subject Tests: ID Requirements

GRE General and Subject Test takers’ identification cards must meet the following requirements:

ID must be original. Photocopied documents will not be accepted and documents cannot be presented on mobile devices or other electronic devices.
ID must be issued by the government. It may be a national, state, or province card as long as it is recognized by the country where you are a permanent resident or a citizen.
ID must be valid. Expired documents will not be accepted.
ID must bear the first and last name exactly as written on the registration form.
ID must include a recent, recognizable photograph.
ID must include a signature.

Identification cards must be presented by all test takers both online and at a test centre. All Identification Card criteria must be followed to be eligible for the GRE test.

Praxis Core and Praxis Subject Assessments: ID Requirements

For the ID to be accepted at the test centre, it must have your name, signature, and photograph. The name on the ID should exactly match the name you registered and on your Praxis account.

On the ID verification at registration, you will be asked for biometric voice, photo identification, thumbprinting, video recording, and signature comparison. This is done during the test day at the test centre. If you refuse to comply, you will not be able to take the test and the test fees will be forfeited.
All the documents you present should be valid, original, recognizable, and not expired.

All examinees must comply with these requirements to be able to take the Praxis tests. Without these, the staff at the test centre may not be able to administer a test to you. Therefore, your test fees will be forfeited. Take note also that there are possible instances where you will be asked for supplemental IDs, so better bring extra documents with you.

How will I get my GRE and Praxis scores?

For Praxis tests:

An email will be sent to notify you when the score report is ready. This official score report may be accessed online in the examinee’s Praxis account. Also, it will be sent to the institutions or agencies selected at the same time.

For the GRE General Test scores:

10 to 15 days after the test date, the official GRE General Test scores will be available in the examinee’s ETS account. An email notification will also be sent to them. At the same time, the official institution Score Report is also sent to the score recipients.

For the GRE Subject Test scores:

ETS will be sending an email notification when the official scores are available in the ETS account. Simultaneously, the scores are sent to the designated score recipients. Scores are available approximately 5 weeks after the test day.

How to register for the GRE Test and Praxis Tests?

Registration for the GRE and Praxis tests may be done through a phone call, mail, or online.

GRE General Test and GRE Subject Test: Online Registration

To register for the GRE test online, follow these steps:

1. Create an ETS account. Ensure that the name used in the registration is the same name that reflects on ID Documents.

Select testing date and location. Click the “Register/Find Test Centers, Dates” button on the GRE homepage. Pick the desired date and test location.
Verify email address. Confirm personal information and agree to the testing terms and conditions.
Settle the GRE fees. Payment can be done through online banking, E-check, and Paypal. Credit card/Debit card is also accepted, including American Express, Diners Club International, Discover, JCB, MasterCard, and Visa.

GRE General Test and GRE Subject Test: Mail Registration

The GRE mail registration process is as follows:

Form Completion. Fill out the GRE Authorization Voucher Request Form found in the GRE registration bulletin or ETS.
Payment and Form Mailing. Check the address printed on the voucher. Then, mail the check or money with the signed voucher request form.
Register through the authorization voucher. After receiving the authorization voucher, register online or call to schedule an appointment. Set an appointment prior to the expiration date of your authorization voucher.

GRE General Test and GRE Subject Test: Phone Registration

Phone registration for GRE includes the following steps:

Early registration. Register at least two days before the preferred test date. Phone registration is not available for home-based test takers and test takers in Mainland China, Hongkong, Taiwan and Korea.
Call Test Centers or Prometric Services. United States test takers can call 1-443-751-4820 or 1-800-473-2255 directly. For other international test takers, find the contact details on Regional Registration Center (RRC) and make a call.
Fee Payment. Pay for the GRE registration fee. Credit or debit card, PayPal, and E-check are the mode of payments accepted by ETS.

Praxis Tests: Online Registration

To register for the Praxis test online, follow these steps:

Create an ETS account. Once an ETS account is created, make sure that the information in the account is correctly encoded. Ensure that the email address is correct, for this is where ETS will send important information.
Register. On the home page, click “Register for a Test.”
Select Tests. On the page, choose the tests to take. This may be viewed on the “Search and Select Tests” page. From this page, the date and time of the test may also be chosen.
Payment. Continue the registration and pay for the test by using a credit or debit card, eCheck, or PayPal®.
Testing. After the registration, print the admission ticker from the Praxis account. This should be brought to the testing centre on the test day.

Praxis Tests: Mail Registration

To register for the Praxis test via mail, follow these steps:

Fill out the form. Fill out and mail the “Test Authorization Voucher Request Form” (PDF) to ETS.

Voucher. A voucher number will be sent once the request is processed. The delivery may take up to three weeks, and along with it, the next steps of registration.

Testing. After the registration, print the admission ticker from the Praxis account. This should be brought to the testing centre on the test day.

Praxis Tests: Phone Registration

To register for the Praxis test via phone, follow these steps:

Call ETS. Four days before the prospective test date, call ETS at 1-800-772-9476 to register.

Payment. Along with the test fee, there will be an additional fee of $35 for this service. Payments may be made via debit or credit card, eCheck, or Paypal.

What types of questions are in the GRE and Praxis?

Different question types are used in the test sections of both the GRE and the Praxis tests. Here are the following types of questions:

GRE General Test

Verbal Reasoning section

Reading Comprehension
Text Completion
Sentence Equivalence

Quantitative Reasoning section

Quantitative Comparison Questions
Multiple-choice Questions — Select One Answer Choice
Multiple-choice Questions — Select One or More Answer Choices
Numeric Entry Questions

Analytical Writing section

An Analyze an Issue task
An Analyze an Argument task

GRE Subject Tests

All question types in the Chemistry, Physics, Psychology and Mathematics test are in multiple-choice format.

Praxis Core

The Praxis Core test contains objective response questions including:

single-selection selected-response question
multiple-selection selected-response question
numeric-entry question

Praxis Subject Assessments

The Praxis Subject Assessments test contains selected-response questions, constructed-response questions or essays, or a combination of both these types.

Which test has a longer testing time, GRE or Praxis?

Praxis Core has a longer testing time than the GRE tests. Praxis test takers are given 4 hours and 35 minutes to answer 152 questions and 2 essays while on the GRE, examinees have 3 hours and 30 minutes to answer the 100 multiple choice questions and 2 essays.

How do you know which test to take?

GRE General Test vs. GRE Subject Test:

The GRE General Test is usually used for graduate school admission for the assessment of a student’s readiness to graduate studies. The GRE Subject Test is also used for graduate school admission, but it measures specific subject areas. Most graduate universities require the General Test whereas the Subject Tests are only for specific programs.

Praxis Core vs. Praxis Subject Assessments:

Students in their early college careers take the Praxis Core to be evaluated for entry into education or teacher programs, whereas professionals entering the teaching profession take the Praxis Subject Assessments. The latter is part of the teacher’s licensing and certification process. Many states usually require this.

Can I take a Praxis Subject Assessment before the Praxis Core test?

Yes, the Praxis Subject Assessment may be taken before the Praxis Core test. The order of tests to take and when to take them depends on one’s educator prep program and state.

Who creates GRE and Praxis tests?

The Educational Testing Service (ETS) develops and administers both the GRE and Praxis tests. For the GRE, there is the GRE board to oversee the tests, research, and services. On the other hand, the Praxis tests are developed by educators.

Read More: Educational Testing Service (ETS)

What test should I take if I will pursue an education degree, GRE or Praxis?

Take the Praxis test. It is a test that measures the academic achievement of education students. It may be used for admission to teacher education or used upon completion of teacher training courses. It is usually required by state departments of education, colleges, and universities. On the other hand, the GRE is taken by an incoming graduate school student.

Which test should I take for admissions to law schools, GRE or Praxis?

The GRE may be taken over the Praxis if applying for law schools. However, this is still not the best choice. Although some law schools started accepting GRE, a big percentage of universities still prefer the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). The GRE is a good alternative but not the best choice for admissions into law schools. It is best to take the GRE for other general graduate programs.

Alternatives of GRE

References:

https://www.ets.org/praxis/about/core/content/
https://www.ets.org/gre/subject/about/content/
https://www.ets.org/praxis/register/fees/
https://www.ets.org/praxis/scores/send/
https://www.ets.org/gre/subject/register/id/
https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/register/id/
https://www.ets.org/praxis/scores/get
https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/scores/get
https://www.ets.org/gre/subject/faq/
https://www.ets.org/praxis/register/how
https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/about/content/
https://www.ets.org/praxis/faq_test_takers/