The Official. Practice Test. Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST ): Test Codes: 0720, 5720

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1 The Praxis Series eooks The Official Practice Test Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST ): Writing Test odes: 0720, 5720 Revised 2009 uthentic Full-Length Practice Test and nswer Sheet Test Instructions nswer Key and Score onversion Tables

2 opyright 2009 by ducational Testing Service. UTIONL TSTING SRVI, TS, the TS logo, and LISTNING. LRNING. LING. are registered trademarks of ducational Testing Service (TS) in the United States and other countries. TH PRXIS SRIS is a trademark of TS.

3 Pre-Professional Skills Tests (PPST ): Writing Features of This ooklet The test in this booklet is a genuine paper-based PPST Writing test. It was given at an actual test administration before being retired for use as a practice test. esides the authenticity of a real test, this booklet gives you additional support: table showing the correct answer and content category for each multiple-choice question so you can determine your score on the multiple-choice section and check your strengths and weaknesses in each of the three content areas. score conversion table so you can convert your raw score to a scaled score for each of the possible essay scores. You can compare your scaled scores with your state s passing score. Sample responses with scores and rationales for the essay question. Using This Practice Test with the Study Guide For most people, this practice test will be most helpful in combination with the Praxis Pre- Professional Skills Test (PPST): Writing Study Guide. (The guide can be purchased at org/store.html.) You can take this test first to gauge what areas you need to focus on in the study guide. Or you can take this test after you have worked through the study guide s review chapters and practice questions. third alternative is to take this test before and after you use the study guide, to check for improvement gained from your review work. This practice test booklet contains a paper-based PPST Writing test. The paper-based version contains 38 multiple-choice questions and 1 essay question. The PPST Writing test is also available as a computer-based test. The computer-based test contains 44 multiple-choice questions and 1 essay question. Of the 44 multiple-choice questions on the computer-based test, 6 are pretest questions. There are no pretest questions on the paper-based test. The pretest questions on the computer-based tests do not count toward your score. TS includes pretest questions in many of its tests to gauge their statistical characteristics before administering them as operational questions, the kind that count toward your official score. The pretest questions are scattered throughout the test and are not detectable. You should not spend any time trying to figure out which questions are pretest questions; you should answer each question as if it counts toward your score. Taking the Practice Test You will probably find it helpful to simulate actual testing conditions when taking the practice test, giving yourself 1 hour to work on the test. You can cut out the answer sheet provided if you wish. When you have finished the practice test, you can score your answers using the charts on pages 17 and 20. The instructions on the next page are taken directly from the back cover of the PPST Writing test. Read these instructions carefully because they contain useful information about such things as guessing and scratchwork. If you take the computer-based PPST Writing test, there will be additional instructions related to the software. n introduction to the computer-based test can be found in the Praxis Pre- Professional Skills Test (PPST): Writing Study Guide, chapter

4 PPST: WRITING This test is divided into two separate sections of 30 minutes each. You will find the time limit printed at the beginning of each section. The supervisor will tell you when to begin and when to end each section. If you finish before time is called, go back and check your work on that section only. oth sections 1 and 2 are in this test book. Section 1 has two parts containing multiple-choice questions. ach of the two parts has suggested time limits to help you pace your work on Section 1. Section 2 is an essay topic that you will see immediately before you are to write your essay. Separate directions will be provided for the essay section. Section 1 Multiple hoice irections: Work as rapidly as you can without sacrificing accuracy. o not spend too much time puzzling over a question that seems too difficult for you. nswer the easier questions first; then return to the harder ones. Try to answer every question, even if you have to guess. Your score will be based on the number of questions you answer correctly. Unanswered questions and incorrect answers are not counted in your score. Where necessary, you may use blank spaces in the test book for scratch paper. o not use any other paper or any part of the answer sheet to do scratchwork. YOU MUST INIT LL YOUR NSWRS ON TH SPRT NSWR SHT. No credit will be given for anything written in this test book. fter you have decided which of the suggested answers is best, fill in the corresponding lettered space on the answer sheet. SUR THT H MRK IS HVY N RK N OMPLTLY FILLS TH NSWR SP. Light or partial marks may not be read by the scoring machine. XMPL: Which of the following is the capital of the United States? () New York, NY () Washington, () hicago, IL () Los ngeles, () oston, M Sample nswer Give only one answer to each question. If you change an answer, be sure that you erase the previous mark completely. Incomplete erasures may be read as intended answers. Section 1 may include one or more questions that do not count toward your score. Time Limits Section 1 30 minutes (38 questions) Section 2 30 minutes (1 essay topic) Total 60 minutes O NOT RK TH SL UNTIL YOU R TOL TO O SO. UTIONL TSTING SRVI, TS, TS logo and the modernized TS logo are registered trademarks of ducational Testing Service. ducational Testing Service Princeton, New Jersey

5 TF Printed in U.S.. mh08266 Q NM nter your last name and first initial. Omit spaces, hyphens, apostrophes, etc. Last Name (first 6 letters) F I F F F F F F F G G G G G G G H H H H H H H I I I I I I I J J J J J J J K K K K K K K L L L L L L L M M M M M M M N N N N N N N O O O O O O O O Q P P P P P P P Q Q Q Q Q Q Q R R R R R R R S S S S S S S T T T T T T T U U U U U U U V V V V V V V W W W W W W W X X X X X X X Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Z Z Z Z Z Z Z O Q O NOT US INK Use only a pencil with soft black lead (No. 2 or H) to complete this answer sheet. e sure to fi ll in completely the oval that corresponds to the proper letter or number. ompletely erase any errors or stray marks. nswer Sheet 2. YOUR NM: (Print) Last Name (Family or Surname) First Name (Given) M. I. 3. T OF IRTH Month ay Jan. 4. SOIL SURITY NUMR Feb. MILING RSS: (Print) P.O. ox or Street ddress pt. # (if any) Mar pril ity State or Province May June ountry Zip or Postal ode July TLPHON NUMR: ( ) ( ) Home usiness SIGNTUR: TST T: ug. Sept. Oct. Nov. ec NIT I NUMR 6. TST NTR / RPORTING LOTION 7. TST O / FORM O 8. TST OOK SRIL NUMR S enter Number Room Number TST FORM enter Name TST NM ity State or Province ountry opyright 2008 ducational Testing Service. ll rights reserved. ducational Testing Service, TS, and the TS logo are registered trademarks of ducational Testing Service. Praxis and The Praxis Series are trademarks of ducational Testing Service PG 1 SMPL

6 RTIFITION STTMNT: (Please write the following statement below. O NOT PRINT.) PG 2 "I hereby agree to the conditions set forth in the Registration ulletin and certify that I am the person whose name and address appear on this answer sheet." SIGNTUR: T: Month ay Year SUR H MRK IS RK N OMPLTLY FILLS TH INTN SP S ILLUSTRT HR: SMPL FOR TS US ONLY R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 TR S 08916_rear_vertical_254.indd 1 10/11/06 2:51:36 PM

7 STION 1 MULTIPL HOI Time 30 minutes 38 Questions Part 21 Questions (Suggested time 10 minutes) irections: In each of the sentences below four portions are underlined and lettered. Read each sentence and decide whether any of the underlined parts contains a grammatical construction, a word use, or an instance of incorrect or omitted punctuation or capitalization that would be inappropriate in carefully written nglish. If so, note the letter printed beneath the underlined portion and completely fill in the corresponding lettered space on the answer sheet with a heavy, dark mark so that you cannot see the letter. If there are no errors in any of the underlined portions, fill in space. No sentence has more than one error. Remember, try to answer every question. xamples: Sample nswers 1. He spoke bluntly No error and angrily to we spectators Margaret insists that are hers. No error this hat, coat, and scarf, 2. Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. -5- GO ON TO TH NXT PG.

8 1. The thousands of glacier studded across 1,500 miles of the Himalayas are a major source of South sia s water supply, feeding more than a dozen major rivers and sustaining a billion people downstream. No error 2. Some high schools have found that when they reschedule their first classes from 7:30.M. to an hour or so later, both attendance and academic performance immediately improves. No error 3. The health of tropical forests is very important both to the peoples of tropical countries and to future trends in biodiversity and global 4. agles are differentiated with other birds of prey mainly by their larger size, more powerful build, and heavier head and bill. No error 5. The growth and continued health of any plant requiring adequate supplies of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, but the optimal amount of each chemical nutrient varies greatly from species to species. No error 6. argo ships take on and transport ballast water in order for maintaining stability, but subsequent discharge into foreign waters of ballast that contains bacteria and other organisms climate, experts, therefore, are advocating international support for a program to monitor forests worldwide. No error often causes ecological damage. No error Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. -6- GO ON TO TH NXT PG.

9 7. fter moving from the Northeast to southern alifornia, I found that I missed seeing snow in winter, so I often took a week in February to visit my sister in snow-covered uffalo. No error 8. lthough aluminum is the most plentiful metallic element in arths crust, pure aluminum was once almost as costly as gold because early refining processes were so difficult. No error 9. recent study suggests that giving people the means to monitor their electricity usage help them to lower their monthly bills and potentially reduces the need to build new power plants. No error 10. galley, a type of ancient ship, was propelled principally by a crew at oars, but their sail could augment human power by harnessing the force of the wind. No error 11. The Seventeenth-century poet nne radstreet was an unusually well educated woman for her time, having been tutored in history, several languages, and literature. No error 12. number of organizations have expressed concern that biofuels could do more harm than good by taking large areas of arable land out of food production and inflate crop prices. No error Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. -7- GO ON TO TH NXT PG.

10 13. In initiation ceremonies that were observed by many traditional societies, adolescent boys left the safety of their homes and underwent various tests of prowess before being accepted as an adult. No error 14. Journalist and photographer Margaret ourke-white who achieved prominence during the Second World War as merica s first female war correspondent, also served on the original staff of Life magazine, 15. Growing up in alifornia, novelist Maxine Hong Kingston was surrounded by immigrants from her father s village in hina, and their storytelling influenced her strong when she started to write. No error 16. In 2002 the amount of United States residents who could claim descent from the original Mayflower passengers who settled at Plymouth was approximately 35 million. No error in which No error her photographs frequently appeared. Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. -8- GO ON TO TH NXT PG.

11 17. Many animals are extremely sensitive to high-frequency sounds that are all but imperceptible to the adult human ear. No error 18. efore synthetic fertilizer was developed, a farmer s most effective means of increasing the soil s nitrogen content had been regular intervals of periodic cultivation of nitrogen-fixing legumes such as peas. No error 19. rittany occupies a large peninsula in the northwest of France, laying between the nglish hannel to the north and the ay of iscay to the south. No error 20. The recent production of the play seemed disjointed, partly because the lead actress s style was so much more flamboyant than the lead actor who played opposite her. No error 21. Some people advocate abolishing the penny, pointing out that due to inflation, the value of the copper used to make a penny sometimes exceeds their face value. No error Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. -9- GO ON TO TH NXT PG.

12 Part 17 Questions (Suggested time 20 minutes) irections: In each of the following sentences some part of the sentence or the entire sentence is underlined. eneath each sentence you will find five ways of writing the underlined part. The first of these repeats the original, but the other four are all different. If you think the original sentence is better than any of the suggested changes, you should choose answer ; otherwise you should mark one of the other choices. Select the best answer and completely fill in the corresponding lettered space on the answer sheet with a heavy, dark mark so that you cannot see the letter. This is a test of correctness and effectiveness of expression. In choosing answers, follow the requirements of standard written nglish; that is, pay attention to acceptable usage in grammar, diction (choice of words), sentence construction, and punctuation. hoose the answer that expresses most effectively what is presented in the original sentence; this answer should be clear and exact, without awkwardness, ambiguity, or redundancy. Remember, try to answer every question. xamples: 1. While waving goodbye to our friends, the airplane took off, and we watched it disappear in the sky. () While waving () Waving () s we were waving () While we are waving () uring waving 2. Modern travelers seem to prefer speed to comfort. () to comfort () than comfort () rather than being comfortable () instead of being comfortable () more than comfort Sample nswers Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal GO ON TO TH NXT PG.

13 22. fter the discovery of King Tutankhamen s tomb by archaeologist Howard arter in 1922, public interest in ancient gyptian art and architecture had reached a peak and remained high even now. () had reached a peak and remained () reached a peak and remains () has reached a peak and remains () reached a peak and remaining () would reach a peak and remain 23. Like many other ancient hinese philosophers, Lao-tzu, author of the Tao Te hing, often explained his ideas by way of paradox, analogy, and he appropriated ancient sayings. () paradox, analogy, and he appropriated ancient sayings () paradox, using analogy, and he appropriated ancient sayings () paradox, using analogy, and the appropriation of ancient sayings () paradox and analogy, and he appropriated ancient sayings () paradox, analogy, and the appropriation of ancient sayings 24. uring his long tenure as president, Franklin Roosevelt delivered many important speeches, and in his most famous, the first inaugural address, assuring mericans that they had nothing to fear but fear itself. () and in his most famous, the first inaugural address, assuring () but the most famous was his first inaugural address, in which he assured () but his first inaugural address, his most famous speech, has assured () but the first inaugural address, his most famous speech, was because it assured () of which his most famous, the first inaugural address, assuring 25. When a voting district is gerrymandered, its boundaries are unfairly manipulated to increase the number of voters within a particular group while the total number of voters stays about equally to what it was originally. () equally to what it was () equally to what they were () equal to what it was () equal to what they were () equalling what it was 26. In Robinson rusoe, the title character s fortunes fluctuate dramatically from success as a merchant to capture by pirates, from prosperity as a razilian planter to isolation on a remote island. () success as a merchant to capture by pirates, from prosperity as a razilian planter to isolation on a remote island () success as a merchant to being captured by pirates, from razil as a prosperous planter to being isolated on a remote island () succeeding as a merchant to capture by pirates, from prospering as a razilian planter to isolation on a remote island () successful merchant to capture by pirates, from prosperity as a razilian planter to being isolated on a remote island () a merchant s success to being captured by pirates, from prosperity as a razilian planter to a remote island s isolation Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal GO ON TO TH NXT PG.

14 27. The ancient ice dome cloaking Greenland is so vast and pilots have mistaken it for a cloud bank spanning the horizon. () Greenland is so vast and pilots have mistaken it for a cloud bank spanning () Greenland is so vast that pilots have mistaken it for a cloud bank spanning () Greenland was so vast and pilots have mistook it to be a cloud bank that spanned () Greenland, so vast as pilots have mistaken it for a cloud bank spanning () Greenland, it is so vast, pilots have mistook it as a cloud bank that spans 28. eing skeptical about our cab driver s ability to get us to the airport on time, then we called the airport from the cab to find out about later flights. () eing skeptical about our cab driver s ability to get us to the airport on time, then we called () We were skeptical about our cab driver s ability to get us to the airport on time, by calling () Skeptical as we were about our cab driver s ability to get us to the airport on time, so we called () Skeptical about our cab driver s ability to get us to the airport on time, so we were calling () Skeptical about our cab driver s ability to get us to the airport on time, we called 29. Though they are different from one another in style, tone, and as far as plot, Shakespeare s comedy Much do bout Nothing and his tragedy Othello both explore the susceptibility of lovers to manipulation by other people. () Though they are different from one another in style, tone, and as far as plot, () Though one being different from the other in style, tone, and their plot, () eing different from one another in style, their tone, and plot, () ifferent as they are from one another in style, tone, and plot, () They differ from one another in style, tone, and plot, 30. The first exhibition of work by sculptor Louise ourgeois was a success in 1947 as it was not until the 1970s that she achieved widespread recognition in the art world. () The first exhibition of work by sculptor Louise ourgeois was a success in 1947 as it was not () The first exhibition of work by sculptor Louise ourgeois was a success in 1947, but it was not () The first exhibition of sculptor Louise ourgeois work being successful in 1947; it was not () Successful as sculptor Louise ourgeois first exhibition of her work was in 1947, not () espite the success of sculptor Louise ourgeois first exhibition of her work in 1947, then it was not Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal GO ON TO TH NXT PG.

15 31. Trained to see for the blind, hear for the deaf, and move for the immobilized, for people with disabilities dogs have become indispensable companions. () for people with disabilities dogs have become indispensable companions () people with disabilities find dogs have become indispensable companions () dogs, to people with disabilities, they have become indispensable companions () dogs having become indispensable companions to people with disabilities () dogs have become indispensable companions for people with disabilities 32. Often labeled a muckraker, author Ida Tarbell not only exposed unfair business practices of large corporations like Standard Oil and even inspired legislation that would eventually control such abuses. () and even inspired () and thereby inspired () but also inspired () but as a result inspired () thus inspiring 33. In an effort to save money and to appeal to environmentally conscious customers, energysaving measures are being instituted in many hotels. () energy-saving measures are being instituted in many hotels () energy-saving measures in many hotels have been instituted () they have instituted in many hotels energysaving measures () many hotels are having energy-saving measures instituted in them () many hotels are instituting energy-saving measures 34. Used primarily as a pain reliever, ordinary aspirin can also serve as a treatment for inflammation of body tissues, to reduce fever, and to prevent blood clots that might cause strokes. () as a treatment for inflammation of body tissues, to reduce fever, and to prevent blood clots () as a treatment for body tissue inflammation, in reduction of fever, and for blood clot prevention () to treat inflammation of body tissues, to reduce fever, and to prevent blood clots () in treating inflammation of body tissues, reducing fever, and for prevention of blood clots () in treatment of inflamed body tissues, for reduction of fever, and in blood clot prevention Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal GO ON TO TH NXT PG.

16 35. onsisting mostly of salted meat and hardtack, a hard biscuit made of flour and water, the typical diet of eighteenth-century sailors was not hardly adequate to prevent diseases caused by vitamin deficiencies. () hardly adequate to prevent diseases caused by vitamin deficiencies () hardly adequate in its vitamin content to prevent deficiency diseases () hardly adequate in their vitamin content to prevent deficiency diseases () adequate to prevent diseases caused by vitamin deficiencies () adequate in their vitamin content to prevent deficiency diseases 36. When Queen nne died in 1714 without a direct heir to the ritish throne, her cousin George became king, even though he had previously lived only in Germany and spoke little nglish. () became king, even though he had previously lived only in Germany and spoke () had become king, even though he had previously lived only in Germany and had spoken () had become king, even though he previously lived only in Germany and spoke () has become king, even though he has previously lived only in Germany and has spoken () becomes king, even though he had previously lived only in Germany and speaks 37. Lacking confidence that any movie could do justice to a great literary work, film adaptations of books they have loved are studiously avoided by many people. () film adaptations of books they have loved are studiously avoided by many people () film adaptations, when they are of books that people have loved, are studiously avoided by many () many people studiously avoid film adaptations of books they have loved () many people will have been studiously avoiding film adaptations of books they loved () many people had studiously avoided film adaptations of books they will have loved 38. While the total area of the United States is about the same as that of hina, hina s population of 1.33 billion is more than four times what the United States is. () what the United States is () what this number in the United States is () that of the United States () those in the United States () the people in the United States STOP If you finish before time is called, you may check your work on this section only. Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. -14-

17 STION 2 SSY Time 30 minutes 1 Topic irections: You will have 30 minutes to plan and write an essay on the topic presented on page 16. Read the topic carefully. You will probably find it best to spend a little time considering the topic and organizing your thoughts before you begin writing. O NOT WRIT ON TOPI OTHR THN TH ON SPIFI. n essay on a topic of your own choice will not be acceptable. In order for your test to be scored, your response must be in nglish. n essay question is included in this test to give you an opportunity to demonstrate how well you can write. You should, therefore, take care to write clearly and effectively, using specific examples where appropriate. Remember that how well you write is much more important than how much you write, but to cover the topic adequately, you will probably need to write more than a paragraph. Your essay will be scored on the basis of its total quality i.e., holistically. ach essay score is the sum of points (0-6) given by two readers. When your total writing score is computed, your essay score will be combined with your score for the multiple-choice section of the test. You are to write your essay on the answer sheet; you will receive no other paper on which to write. Please write neatly and legibly. To be certain you have enough space on the answer sheet for your entire essay, please do NOT skip lines, do NOT write in excessively large letters, and do NOT leave wide margins. You may use the bottom of page 16 for any notes you may wish to make before you begin writing. Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal GO ON TO TH NXT PG.

18 STION 2 (ssay) Time 30 minutes Question 1 Read the opinion stated below. dvances in computer technology have made the classroom unnecessary, since students and teachers are able to communicate with each other from computer terminals at home or at work. iscuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with this point of view. Support your position with specific reasons and examples from your own experience, observations, or reading. The space below is for your NOTS. Write your essay in the space provided on the answer sheet. O NOT TURN K TO STION 1 OF THIS TST. Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. -16-

19 Scoring Your Practice Test First, determine your raw score. To determine your raw score, check your answers shown in Table 1, and then count how many of the questions you answered correctly. ( description of the content categories represented by the Roman numerals in Table 1 can be found on page 21.) Sequence Number Table 1 - nswers and ontent ategories for the PPST: Writing Practice Test orrect nswer ontent ategory Sequence Number orrect nswer ontent ategory 1 I 20 II 2 I 21 I 3 III 22 I 4 III 23 II 5 I 24 II 6 I 25 I 7 III 26 III 8 III 27 II 9 I 28 II 10 I 29 II 11 III 30 II 12 II 31 II 13 I 32 II 14 III 33 II 15 I 34 II 16 III 35 II 17 III 36 III 18 III 37 II 19 III 38 II 1 ssay IV Your raw score = (the number of correct answers). Next, determine your scaled score. In the previous section, you determined your raw score for the multiple-choice section of the practice test. However, your scaled score is a combination of your raw score on the multiple-choice section and your score on the essay section. Your essay from an actual administration of the PPST Writing test is read and will be rated by at least two writing experts. The readers use a rating scale of 1 to 6, where 6 is the best. ( score of zero is given to off-topic essays.) The essay score is the sum of the two ratings and can therefore range from 2 to

20 ecause it is impossible for you to score your own essay, as an alternative you might want to choose three different essay scores with your raw score on the multiple-choice section to see how your scaled score would vary depending on how well you did on the essay. Then you can compare these three scaled scores to the passing score required by your state. (You can find a list of the minimum passing scores at onsider the following three scenarios for three different values of your essay score: Scenario 1: What is my scaled score if I received an essay score of 4? (Remember, the essay score is the sum of the two ratings and can therefore range from 2 to 12.) Use Table 2 to find your scaled score for an essay score of 4. In the column to the left, find the number of questions you answered correctly on the multiple-choice section. Look across the top of Table 2 to the column with the essay score of 4. Go across the row to the column for an essay score of 4 to find your scaled score. Your scaled score for an essay score of 4 = Your state s passing score = If your score was not high enough to pass, determine how many additional correct answers you would have needed on the multiple-choice section to reach the required passing score. For an essay score of 4, use Table 2 to find the raw score on the multiple-choice section that corresponds to your state s passing score. (Subtract) Your raw score on the multiple-choice section dditional correct answers you would have needed on the multiple-choice section to reach your required passing score = Scenario 2: What is my scaled score if I receive an essay score of 8? (Remember, the essay score is the sum of the two ratings and can therefore range from 2 to 12.) Use Table 2 to find your scaled score for an essay score of 8. In the column to the left, find the number of questions you answered correctly on the multiple-choice section. Look across the top of Table 2 to the column with the essay score of 8. Go across the row to the column for an essay score of 8 to find your scaled score. Your scaled score for an essay score of 8 = Your state s passing score = If your score was not high enough to pass, determine how many additional correct answers you would have needed on the multiple-choice section to reach the required passing score. -18-

21 For an essay score of 8, use Table 2 to find the raw score on the multiple-choice section that corresponds to your state s passing score. (Subtract) Your raw score on the multiple-choice section dditional correct answers you would have needed on the multiple-choice section to reach your required passing score = Scenario 3: What is my scaled score if I receive an essay score of 11? (Remember, the essay score is the sum of the two ratings and can therefore range from 2 to 12.) Use Table 2 to find your scaled score for an essay score of 11. In the column to the left, find the number of questions you answered correctly on the multiple-choice section. Look across the top of Table 2 to the column with the essay score of 11. Go across the row to the column for an essay score of 11 to find your scaled score. Your scaled score for an essay score of 11 = Your state s passing score = If your score was not high enough to pass, determine how many additional correct answers you would have needed on the multiple-choice section to reach the required passing score. For an essay score of 11, use Table 2 to find the raw score on the multiple-choice section that corresponds to your state s passing score. (Subtract) Your raw score on the multiple-choice section dditional correct answers you would have needed on the multiple-choice section to reach your required passing score = -19-

22 Multiple- hoice Section (# Right) Table 2 PPST Writing Sample Test Score onversion Table ssay Score (Sum of Two Readings)

23 Next, assess your strengths in the three content categories. Use the content category information in Table 1 to determine whether you need to prepare more intensely in any of the three areas covered by the test. The content categories are represented in Table 1 by Roman numerals, which correspond to the following descriptions: I. Grammatical Relationships II. Structural Relationships III. Word hoice and Mechanics Fill in Table 3 to see where you have the most room for improvement. Table 3 ssessment of Strengths in ach ategory ontent ategory Number of orrect nswers Possible Number of Incorrect nswers I 11 II 15 III 12 Focus on the content area or areas in which you have the most incorrect answers (the rightmost column in Table 3). The Praxis Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST): Writing Study Guide can help you review these content areas. (The guide can be purchased at Measure of Question ifficulty The values in the second and fourth columns of Table 4 are the percentage of examinees that answered each question correctly. This is used as a measure of question difficulty. In general, the higher the percentage the easier the question. -21-

24 Sequence Number Table 4 Percentage of xaminees hoosing orrect nswers for the PPST Writing Practice Test Percentage of xaminees hoosing orrect nswer Sequence Number Percentage of xaminees hoosing orrect nswer 1 81% 20 29% 2 43% 21 59% 3 69% 22 64% 4 47% 23 75% 5 60% 24 75% 6 61% 25 64% 7 48% 26 19% 8 69% 27 87% 9 78% 28 87% 10 35% 29 57% 11 37% 30 83% 12 45% 31 73% 13 16% 32 70% 14 83% 33 42% 15 93% 34 37% 16 31% 35 70% 17 36% 36 56% 18 30% 37 74% 19 59% 38 83% NOT: Percentages are based on the test records of 3,221 examinees who took the 60-minute version of the PPST Writing test in July In general, questions may be considered as easy, average, or difficult based on the following percentages: asy questions = 75% or more answered correctly verage questions = 55% 74% answered correctly ifficult questions = less than 55% answered correctly Using Your Practice Test Score to stimate Your Future Score When you take the PPST Writing Test at an actual administration, the questions you will be presented with will be similar to the questions in this practice test, but they will not be identical. ecause of the difference in questions, the test that you actually take may be slightly more or less difficult. Therefore, you should not expect to get exactly the same score that you achieved on this practice test.* Good luck on your test! * To make all editions of the test comparable, there is a statistical adjustment for the difference in difficulty among editions of the test. This adjustment for difficulty makes it possible to give the same interpretation to identical scaled scores on different editions of the test. -22-

25 Sample Responses and xplanations for the ssay Question This section presents actual sample responses to the question in the practice test on page 16 and explanations for the scores they received. s discussed earlier, the essay question is scored on a scale from 1 to 6, where 6 is the best. ( score of zero is given to off-topic essays.) The essay score is the sum of two ratings and can range from 2 to 12. The scores for the samples in this section represent the score from one rating. We will now look at six scored responses to the essay question and see comments from the scoring leader about why each response received the score it did. Sample 1: Score of 1 (out of a possible 6) omputer technology has advanced drastically within the last decade. Society has gotten acustom to handling everyday transactions and interacting with computerized machines all the time. Schools have taken advantage of the new information age. ommentary on Sample 1: This paper has a promising start with a description of advancing technology and the acceptance of computers by society. However, the paper only states, Schools have taken advantage of the new information age. It does not develop this idea at all, and it does not address the topic of whether computers have made the classroom unnecessary. ecause of this lack of development, this paper is given a score of

26 Sample 2: Score of 2 (out of a possible 6) lthough advances in computer technology have made the classroom seem to be an unnecessary environment, the assembling of teachers and students is needed for these reasons. First of all, teachers can create a caring environment that can be observed by the students. Students will react, in most situations, positively about his or her education if the teachers show concern. Technology is void of any emotion. Secondly, the teachers and students can draw different ideas and solutions from one situation. These solutions can increase the understanding of the subject matter being discussed. Technology may only provided one solution that has a very vague description. Finally, the teachers and students can communicate different responses through real - life experiences, which can increase understanding as well. Technology can not communicate real - life personal experiences. ommentary on Sample 2: This response appears to take a position in opposition to the prompt. The hesitant and somewhat awkward language leaves the position somewhat open to question since it mentions the assembling of teachers and students rather than the need for an actual classroom. s the response attempts to develop reasons for the position, it uses what appears to be a clear organizational scheme: First of all, Secondly, and Finally. These transitional phrases, however, only serve to group a series of sometimes disconnected statements that are often not explained or developed. In each instance, there are one or two brief statements about what teachers and students do followed by what technology can t do, and there are no examples or details to explain the statements. While there are some errors in usage, the lack of clear development of ideas, along with a lack of support for those ideas, places this response at the 2 level. -24-

27 Sample 3: Score of 3 (out of a possible 6) I disagree with computer technology being unnecessary in the classroom because I find that teachers can still communicate with students in the class. There are many reasons why I disagree with this point of view. The reasons are my own experience, observations, and readings. First, I have experienced the advancement of computer technology in classroom instruction. For example, I took a computer applications course in high school where I did not have to communicate with my teacher from a computer terminal. Since I did not have a personal computer at home, I always talked to my teacher privately when I had questions regarding about the classroom assignment. Personally, I see that teachers can still have class with the use of a computer, such as using Microsoft s Power Point presentations for lectures. Furthermore, my experience with computer technology in the classroom has become necessary for instructional purposes for teaching students. Second, I have observed that classrooms are still necessary although the increase in computer technology has allowed teachers to communicate with students. I could not imagine why computers are replacing classrooms, but students need to meet their teacher on a regular basis. If the students do not have access to a computer at home, then they will have to see their teacher in person for classroom assignments. onsequently, I still find that teachers need to have classroom instruction where the students can communicate effectively, regardless of computer technology. Third, I have not read a lot about technology being unnecessary in classrooms. ased on what I have read in magazines, I find that computers cannot really replace classrooms. The teachers must be present to provide efficient instruction toward students. Therefore, I have a little understanding that teachers can still communicate with students without a computer. fter all, I do find it necessary that there needs to be classroom instruction. lthough I believe in technology, classroom instruction is still important today. Thus, I still disagree with the point of computers. ommentary on Sample 3: What appears to be the position of this response is located in the first sentence, and it indicates a disagreement with technology being unnecessary in the classroom. The response then seems to focus on whether technology is necessary in the classroom rather than the main idea of the assigned prompt: advances in technology have made the classroom unnecessary. Whether the classroom is necessary is raised in the third paragraph of the response, and in the remaining paragraphs, the response provides some support for this idea. However, whether because of a misunderstanding or misreading of the prompt, the focus of the response returns to addressing whether technology is necessary. The limited nature of the position and the support for the prompt often make the ideas and connections unclear, and the examples and details provided are not always able to provide an adequate explanation of the key points in the response. lthough individual sentences are generally grammatically sound and understandable, there is an accumulation of errors in the use of language. These factors place this response at the score of

28 Sample 4: Score of 4 (out of a possible 6) In my opinion no amount of computer technology could make the classroom unnecesary. ll of the technological advances should make the teachers and students jobs easier but not eliminate them altogether. Students still need structure and teaching. They need someone there when they have a question about a subject. hildren also need the positive reinforcement from their teacher to do well in school. computer may be able to do many things but it is not able to extrinsically motivate a child the way a teacher can. School provides many essential things that meet childrens needs. Without school, children would not be able to have as much social interaction. Social interaction is what the classroom is all about. Teachers have started to stray away from paper -pencil assesments and are moving more towards cooperative learning. In cooperative learning the students are able to teach each other and in return their knowledge about the subject material is enhanced. Sitting at home on a computer will not manufacture the same results. lso teachers are incorporating Garner s ight Intelligences into their curriculum. ll children learn in different ways and excel in different areas. Learning material through a computer would only blind them from the true potential that they have. However, I do feel that computers should be integrated into the classroom. The most recent school that I have observed at incorporated computers into their language arts program. The program was called ccelerated Reader. The students loved reading books because they got to use the computer when they were finished and take a quiz. For every book they read and passed, they recieved a prize. omputers also allow the children to research material at a much faster pace and they make communication between faculty and parents much easier. Using computers in this way is imperative but replacing the classroom is ignorant as well as unethical. hildren need to be around children on a daily basis and actually experience childhood. ommentary on Sample 4: This paper, which shows competence in response to the assignment, has the clear thesis: no amount of computer technology could make the classroom unnecesary. The paper shows control of development when describing various things that children need: structure and teaching, someone there when they have a question, and positive reinforcement. In a stronger paper these needs would have been gathered together in one sentence, rather than placed individually in simple staccato sentences. ontinuing, the paper mentions social interaction but only states, Social interaction is what the classroom is all about, which is not very informative. However, the paper explains the cooperative-learning technique effectively. The strongest part of the essay is where the writer describes how the most recent school that I have observed at incorporated computers into their language arts program. The program is described in detail, especially how it inspired students to read. The writer then comes to the conclusion that computers should be integrated into school programs but should not replace them. espite the lack of paragraphing, the paper still shows control of organization and development, and it generally supports the thesis. The paper lacks the overall language facility, however, which would lift this essay above the 4 level. -26-

29 Sample 5: Score of 5 (out of a possible 6) The opinion that advances in computer technology have made the classroom obsolete is one that I strongly disagree with. lthough technology has helped to connect people in ways unheard of previously and provides new opportunites for supplementing learning in and out of the classroom, it will never replace the benefits of a real rather than virtual classroom. real classroom provides important social interaction, real-time and personal interaction in the progress of our students, and acts as a baseline for social equity for the students who lack the resources and comfort of other students. One goal of universal education is to create responsible and intelligent citizens in our democracy. If this is the case, which I believe it is, then the social interaction our students recieve is invaluable. Students learn how to live with one another and accept differences in appearance, as well as opinion. This social interaction also helps to fulfill our own need for personal touch and personal connection that a computer will never be able to satisfy. I also believe that the benefit of the real classroom really revolves around our being able to be involved in the minute by minute and second by second progress of our students. From the moment that our students begin math examples, the writing process and reading, we are able to monitor the process they re using and the progress they re making. This happens in real time and we can work with small groups and individuals. We can switch fluidly from student to student in a way that may be impossible for a technology such as computers. Lastly, schools are the one place where students are all equal for 8 hours of their day. s many in the government and media have pointed out, there is a digital divide. How can we ensure that all students have the very same equiptment? ven if we exclude equiptment issues from this discussion, school is the one place where all students are provided a safe place. Some children live in tumultous or even dangerous places that can make it impossible for schoolwork to be completed and learning to take place. dditionally, all students have access to the same learning materials when they walk into a real classroom; they all have access to the same school or classroom library, supplemental materials, and the teacher s attention. This is perhaps the best reason to allow the real classroom to endure. It is the one place where all children are treated equally and given access to the same materials. In conclusion, despite the many benefits new computer technologies offer us, they will never truly replace the benefits that our country and our children derive from a real classroom. The social interactions and the personal attention and equal access given to students are factors that can never be replaced by a virtual classroom. Our children deserve the best and most personalized curriculum we can give them. We can do that best together in the real classroom. -27-

30 ommentary on Sample 5: This paper starts with a clear thesis disagreeing with the statement. It then proceeds to list the benefits of a classroom: important social interaction, real-time and personal interaction in the progress of our students and its function as a baseline for social equity. That leads to a natural organization to develop ideas as well as clear transitions. In the second paragraph, the paper states, One goal of universal education is to create responsible and intelligent citizens in our democracy and supports this idea with examples of how social interaction in schools helps students develop into such citizens. The paper then links to the thesis with: This social interaction also helps to fulfill our own need for personal touch and personal connection that a computer will never be able to satisfy. The next paragraph is developed well as the paper moves from minute by minute to second by second to real time and finally to fluidly in the description of how a teacher may watch the progress of students. Those transitions in the description of time draw the reader in and are persuasive, as the paper then states, We can switch fluidly from student to student in a way that may be impossible for a technology such as computers. The fourth paragraph discusses how schools can be a basis for equality in society. The support of this statement is well explained, starting with, schools are the one place where students are all equal for 8 hours of their day and they all have access to the same school or classroom library, supplemental materials, and the teacher s attention. It is also explained that it would be difficult to achieve parity of computer equipment and access. In the conclusion, the paper effectively reexamines the key ideas and provides a clear conclusion: despite the many benefits new computer technologies offer us, they will never truly replace the benefits that our country and our children derive from a real classroom. Though lacking the language facility and sentence variety of a paper earning a score of 6, this paper shows clear competence in addressing the prompt and develops ideas clearly, earning it a score of

31 Sample 6: Score of 6 (out of a possible 6) lthough advances in computer technology have greatly improved the extent to which students can learn in the classroom, these advances have not made the classroom unnecessary. Yes, it is exciting and useful to be able to research a topic on the internet and get current information that you would not be able to get at the library, but much is missing when a student or teacher is simply sitting at a computer terminal. s a teacher, I would worry that students would miss out on socializing, opportunities to observe a model, and hands-on activities. Imagine a kindergartener who has not had an opportunity to play with his peers, but has only interacted with the teacher via the computer. Would that child be sufficiently socialized? Would this child ever learn to share or get along with others? My guess is no. In elementary school, the life skills that are learned simply through socializing are just as important as the academic subjects. Without a classroom setting, children would not have opportunities to discuss topics with their teachers or with their peers in a real life situation. They would not learn the simple, yet necessary, art of conversation. They would not know that a speaker should also be a listener or even that people engaged in conversations must wait their turn. Students would not have real cooperative learning experiences where they would be expected to collaborate with their peers. They would not learn how to negotiate and learn from one another. Similarly, how would children learn to behave in front of an audience, be it one other person or twenty others? Projects which require students to present a researched topic help them learn a new topic, but also teach them about public speaking, which could not be done without a classroom. On another note, students would not be able to learn from models. Teachers would not be able to show how to do things, they would only be able to tell the students the directions and hope for the best. With regards to different types of learners, what would happen to our auditory learners, barring those types of computer devices? ny teacher knows that many children learn best when they are able to see how something is done, particularly young children. lso, children learn by watching each other. If a child is alone with a computer, he would not interact enough with either his peers or his teachers. Finally, children would not be able to engage in meaningful hands-on activities. Though children may be able to try out scientific experiments at home using materials from the teacher, there is not immediate feedback. The teacher would not be able to stop a student in the midst of an experiment or activity to ask how it is going, to ask the student to predict what might happen next or to stop something dangerous from happening. Other subjects with hands-on elements would also suffer, particularly Math, rt and Physical ducation. How would we ensure that children were being properly exercised when the expectation would be that they would be spending most of their time in front of a computer? One can imagine generations of people who do nothing but sit all day while their muscles atrophy. -29-

32 s I suggested earlier, the use of computers has definitely improved education in that it allows children to do work and research that they would otherwise be unable to do. Yet, taking away the classroom would also take away an essential element of education: interaction. Without interacting with peers and teachers and learning the ins and outs of socialization, while learning from models, we would be raising a culture of children unable to negotiate or collaborate. ommentary on Sample 6: This response clearly takes a position in opposition to the prompt noting that while advances in computer technology have improved classroom education, they have not made the classroom unnecessary. The response adds to this by indicating that much is missing when a student or teacher is simply sitting at a computer terminal. In developing the response, the essay offers three key ideas in support of this position the socialization of children through their collaboration with peers, learning from models, and hands-on activities. These ideas are all thoroughly and insightfully developed to illustrate the premise that education is not only about academics but also about learning to interact appropriately with other people. Wellchosen reasons, such as the notion that children learn from the modeling done by teachers and other children in the classroom, support the discussion of each idea, and logical organization links the ideas effectively. There is effective sentence variety throughout the essay, most notably in the series of rhetorical questions in paragraph two. These questions, along with others in the response, help to further the development and focus the issues being discussed. The response is virtually free of errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics; and it also achieves a high degree of competence in its language facility, as is displayed in such skilled and precise constructions as the simple, yet necessary, art of conversation and One can imagine generations of people. ecause of the high degree of competence demonstrated in this response, it meets all of the criteria for a score of WPF49-30-

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