In this multi-part blog series, I provide an update on my progress in obtaining an English Language Arts master’s degree and state-approved teaching certification.
This post focuses on my experience taking the two required exams, including the Praxis Core 5752 Combined Exam, and the Praxis II English Language Arts 5039 Content Exam.
Praxis 5039 English Language Arts Content Exam
As I explained in my previous post, to find a job, I believed my best course of action was to first complete the more difficult exam, the Praxis II Content and Analysis 5039.
Once finished, I hoped that a potential recruiter would not mind waiting a short period of time for the result.
A Lack of Study Material
The hard part about preparing for the 5039 Content exam is that there really is not any good study material out there. Perhaps the test is not popular enough to warrant a raft of options?
In Regards to the One Official Resource
ETS, the creators of the test, do offer one official practice test.
This is a handy tool, because it allows a test-taker to get an official idea about where they are in their progress towards content mastery.
However, there is one, and only one, such test. Once you take it, there are no more options for official ETS preparation.
Therefore, while I did appreciate knowing that I could turn to this test for a solid idea about what I needed to do to prepare, I did not utilize this option immediately. Instead, I chose to save it until I felt I was ready.
Choosing Study.com
After reviewing the options I could find via Google, I signed up for the Study.com preparatory course.
The cost was $60/month. Over the course of the two months I paid for the study window for this course I spent about $120.
Using Generative A.I. to Create Study Note Cards
As a means of cruising through the preparatory material quickly and memorably, I wanted note cards, and I wanted to make these note cards fast.
OpenAI and ChatGPT-4
I decided to use the new generative artificial-intelligence tool, OpenAI ChatGPT-4. This service cost another $20/month.
If you are not yet familiar with ChatGPT-4 and generative artificial intelligence, take a look at this article from Wired magazine.
In short, ChatGPT-4 is a chat bot that can do a lot of amazing things using automation and conversational interaction with the user.
You type your side of the conversation into a chat box, just like you do when you are texting on your phone with a real person.
ChatGPT-4 receives your text messages, does some artificial-intelligence analysis, and gives you a response.
In my case, I asked ChatGPT-4 to help me create note cards for study.
Specifically, I asked ChatGPT-4 to take a list of terms, along with a pdf printout of my study.com material for each chapter, and create front and back sides to digital note cards.
ChatGPT-4 performed perfectly fine in this regard.
Note Cards Via Anki Open-Source Softare
For displaying and managing these note cards, I turned to the Anki open-source note-card software.
If you haven’t tried using Anki, by the way, it is a handy tool and I recommend it.
Anki allows you to import note cards (such as those I received from ChatGPT-4), sync them between your desktop computer and your phone, and study them with tags and other options to help you track your progress.
Overall, this part of my study system worked well and I’m pleased with the content-mastery pipeline I created.
Study.com Course Relevance, and Irrelevance
I completed nearly the full Study.com course, and this turned out to be mostly a waste of time.
Historical Literacy is Barely Present on the 5039 Exam
My focus in my studies was on that which I believed I was weakest, and which was also listed first in the preparatory course.
After all, if the preparatory course creators list it first, it should be the most important element, right?
The material here was the topics of historical British, American, and World Literature.
As I am mostly self-taught on the English Language side of my professional offerings, my knowledge about these topics stems only from that which I have picked up through my layman enjoyment of reading.
The preparatory material itself for these topics was highly engaging. I thoroughly loved learning more about English literature, from a historical literary perspective.
Alas, little did I know that essentially none of the eleven chapters that comprised these topics would be present on the exam. Of all the content that I spent countless hours turning into note cards and memorizing for these chapters, I would estimate that close to zero percent of it was exercised on the actual exam.
Dang.
The Exam Does Focus on Grammar and Poetic Terminology
Not everything in the Study.com prep course was useless. In the second third of the course, the attention turns to a more thorough discussion of poetic terminology, grammar, and other topics.
This material was highly relevant to the Praxis 5039 exam.
My confidence in my abilities on these topics was a bit higher, perhaps more than deserved, so I did not spend a large amount of time on these chapters.
Therefore, including all the rest the time I spent preparing for the Praxis II 5039 Content and Analysis Exam, I would guess that less than fifteen percent of it was well spent.
Double dang.
Time Runs Out
After about five weeks of study, my time to prepare had expired. The March 1st job fair was just around the corner and I needed to be able to say something about my progress, whether I was ready or not.
The Official ETS Practice Exam
After about a month of what would turn out to be largely useless preparation, I opened the scarce source mentioned previously: the official ETS 5039 practice exam.
On a Sunday evening, for five hours I dedicated myself to using this singular chance to get a clear idea of my possible performance on test day.
This is the moment that I realized that none of my preparation had any value.
A Feeling of Foreboding
I was admittedly a bit anxious about the situation.
My score on the practice test was not even clearly a passing score. My memory of poetic terminology was not as strong as I had hoped and my grammar knowledge was ad-hoc at best.
To make matters worse, the list of authors and works that I had memorized was not present on the exam at all.
Instead, the exam focused on contemporary authors, with an emphasis on those who were aligned with modern politics, or those who had won the Pulitzer or Nobel Prize.
Finally, in a ghastly turn of events, the test inquired into the takers’ knowledge about teaching methods.
This is, in truth, my weakest area. Much of this test knowledge was not present at all in the Study.com course, and some has yet to be discussed in my master’s program. I’m not sure where ETS expects a person to learn the specific vocabulary they expect?
Moving Forward With the Test
My discouragement was real, but there was no value in being upset about the situation.
I decided to take the test anyway. Either I passed on my first attempt, or I would have to figure out a different path to obtaining a teaching position for the 2024-25 school year.
Test Day Arrives
I rented an office space for the day of the test so that I could have a reliable internet connection. (My little cell-phone hotspot connection would not do.)
The test day came, I put forth my best effort, and the test day went.
I had no idea whether I had passed or failed, and would not know for another six weeks.
The Job Fair
On March 1st, I went to the expected job fair and was pleased to receive several offers.
Of all the options available, one was the most desirable. This is the Tok, Alaska position, which I have mentioned elsewhere on this blog.
The position is connected to the road system, which will allow me to stay connected to my family and community here in Fairbanks, Alaska.
The offer was given, but there was, of course, the expected concern in regard to my missing Praxis exam scores.
There was nothing to be done but let my potential employer know about the situation.
They graciously held the position for me while we all waited.
Praxis Core Exams
In the meantime while we waited for ETS to release my 5039 results, I still had to sit for the Praxis Core 5752 exam.
The stakes for this exam were less stressful, but without a passing score, again I would not be able to obtain a position in the 2024-25 school year. The do-or-die aspect remained.
The Core Exam is Arguably Easy
The Core 5752 exam is actually three separate exams all wrapped up into one. The separate exams are Reading, Writing, and Math.
The collective exam has a reputation for being fairly easy.
I can confirm that the reputation is deserved.
Most of the content is stuff that a bachelor’s degree student would expect to know by their freshman or sophomore year of college. Many people know this material by their senior year of high school.
Using Study.com to Prepare
However, as I did not know what to expect and I was in a high-stakes situation, I had no choice but to ensure I did not fail.
I did several hours of study via the Study.com preparatory course. I purchased one more month (for another $60) and spent one or two days of free time on this matter.
In retrospect, my impression of the study.com material for these exams is that while they are somewhat helpful, the content is simple enough that purchasing preparatory material was wasteful.
Save Some Money with the ETS Fee Waiver Request
Also — a little tip for other teachers out there — if you are in an approved educational degree program, such as WGU’s pathway, ETS allows you to take one exam per year at no cost.
Click here to view the form for the fee waiver request.
Make sure you fill out this form well in advance, as it can take a few weeks to get a response.
Going this route saved me about $150. Thank you, ETS.
The Free Praxis Core Practice Exam
In mid-March of 2024, I first took a full sample exam that ETS offers for all registrants.
This was all the practice that I truly needed for the exam.
The practice exam itself took about five hours.
I also spent a few hours before and after in preparation and review. Altogether, the practice exam took perhaps a day and a half of free time.
The Praxis Core Exam
After taking my practice exam, I turned my attention to the real deal by sitting for the official five-hour Praxis Core exam.
The test required my undivided attention during that time, but was otherwise reasonably easy.
The only big mistake I can remember making is that I forgot to delete my essay outline on the writing portion’s constructed-response section. When I later received my scores, I could see that I had a few points knocked off for that mistake.
Whoops.
The Results Arrive
About a week later, much to my pleasure, I received my official passing scores for both exams.
As soon as I had my passing scores I forwarded them to my potential employer in Tok, AK.
They kindly completed the initial portion of the hiring process in response by signing their side of a letter of intent to hire.
What a relief to have that do-or-die situation behind me, and, even more, to seal the deal with my number one opportunity.
From here, my primary remaining requirements are only the night classes, the teacher-of-record coursework, and the state-required credits that I mentioned in a previous post. Onward.
List of Exams
Here is a checklist of my Praxis exam requirements.
| Exam Name | Passed |
| Praxis – Core Academic Skills for Educators: Writing | ✔ |
| Praxis – Core Academic Skills for Educators: Mathematics | ✔ |
| Praxis – Core Academic Skills for Educators: Reading | ✔ |
| Praxis II English Language Arts: Content and Analysis 5039 | ✔ |
Concluding Thoughts
These four blog posts provide an overview of where I am in the process of completing my Alaskan teaching certificate.
Once I obtain my certificate, I should be in a position to turn my attention to other matters in life.
For example, for the first few years of my employment as a teacher, I will need to find supplemental income until I climb high enough on the pay scale to live on this paycheck alone.
I welcome you to follow along as I continue my journey from here.
How You Can Help
Don’t forget, if this path to teaching and storytelling is ever going to work, I will need your support. Thank you!
Here is a link to a blog post that describes how a supportive reader can help me in my quest.
In short, you can…
- Like, comment and share
- Buy a copy of my children’s novella, Westly: A Spider’s Tale
- Help me connect with part-time and contract work