Praxis® Middle School Social Studies (5089) : Best Study Resources

So you’re taking the Praxis® Middle School Social Studies (5089) exam and you’re asking some of the following questions:

Where do I find a free practice test?
An exam breakdown?
How do I register for the test?

Those are all great questions, and you’ve found the right place to get them answered!

My name is Ashley Macken, and at Best in Class we are here to help you get familiar with everything you need to know about the Praxis® Middle School Social Studies!

Praxis® Middle School Social Studies Video Overviews

Choosing the right study material for the Praxis® Middle School Social Studies can be overwhelming. 240 Tutoring offers a helpful video on choosing the right study resources for you.

Selecting the Best Study Resource for YOU!

The following video from Mometrix walks you through a handful of practice questions to help you get an idea of what content will be on your Praxis® exam.

Praxis® Middle School Social Studies Practice Questions

First Thing to Know

Praxis® exams are a series of tests used by various states to measure a candidate’s knowledge and skills as related to teaching. The term “praxis” means to demonstrate theoretical knowledge in practice, meaning these tests provide a chance for you, the prospective teacher, to show that you have learned all the necessary skills to begin teaching a certain subject.

This particular test, the Praxis® Middle School Social Studies, is meant for middle school teachers hoping to teach social studies. This exam is used by many states and professional associations and organizations as part of their licensure and certification process.

The identification number for the Praxis® Middle School Social Studies is 5089. This number’s only purpose is to help differentiate between the different tests. Since descriptive titles are similar, the test number is a great way to make sure you are registering and studying for the correct exam.

Praxis® Middle School Social Studies Exam Breakdown

The Praxis® Middle School Social Studies is made up of two parts. Part A is made up of 90 selected-response questions and accounts for 75% of your total score. Part B is 25% of your score and made up of three constructed-response questions. You will have two hours to complete both parts of the Praxis® Middle School Social Studies (5089) exam. It is recommended that you spend 90 minutes on Part A and 30 minutes on Part B.

Part A: Selected-Response Section
Content Category	Approximate Percentage of Test	Approximate Number of Questions
I United States History	19%	22
II World History	15%	18
III Government/Civics	14%	17
IV Geography	14%	17
V Economics	13%	16

Part B- Constructed-Response Section

Content Category

Approximate Percentage of Test

Number of Questions

VI Short Content Essays

United States History, related to Government/Civics
World History, related to Geography
U.S. History, related to Economics or Geography OR World History, related to Economics or Government/Civics

25%

If you do not pass the Praxis® Middle School Social Studies and want to retake it you will need to retake the entire exam again.

What is a Passing Score

The range of scores for the selected-response portion of the exam is 100 to 200, and each essay will be rated on a scale of 1 to 6.

Scores are reported by ETS, but the minimum required score varies by state. You can find information on these requirements by test and state here.

You will receive a score report that details your performance compared to others who took the same test. It will also tell you whether you passed or failed based on the agency that your scores were reported to.

How to Register for the Praxis® Middle School Social Studies Exam

New to Teaching?

Praxis® tests are used by most state education agencies and have specific requirements. If you are new to teaching you will want to check your state’s requirements for certification and licensure.

Once you have received approval from a certification program, you can begin the process of registering for your Praxis® exam. You will register using the ETS Praxis® registration page.

Select the blue “Create Account” link near the center of the page.
Fill in your information. Your Social Security number is not specifically required by the ETS page, but it is required by some states. If you choose to leave it off and later find out your state requires it, it could make it difficult to register for your test.
Once you are logged in, you will be directed to a home page. Select “Register for a Praxis® Test.”
Next, complete and submit the optional information regarding your experience and education. While the questions are not all required by the ETS website, they may be required by your state.
You’re almost done! Now, use the drop-down lists to select your state and agency. Work through the remaining prompts to select your test administration, choose your score recipients, and pay for your test.
Be sure to print your admission ticket. It may not be required by your testing site, but it would be best to have it just in case.

You can also register for a Praxis® exam by mail or by phone.

Registering by mail is a bit more complicated. You will need to complete a test authorization voucher form. Once your request is processed you will receive a voucher number and directions on how to register. Make sure to print your admission ticket to bring with you to your testing appointment.

Registering by phone requires an additional $35 fee. You will need to have created an online ETS Praxis® account and be testing at a U.S. test center. If you meet these requirements, call 1-800-772-9476 (Monday–Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET) and pay by credit or debit card.

More information on how to register for a Praxis® exam can be found on the Praxis® website.

Already Certified?

Registering for your test will be quick and easy!

Log in to your ETS Praxis® account.
Once you are logged in, you will be directed to a home page that provides relevant links. Select “Register for a Praxis® Test.”
Review all of your personal information and background questions, and update your information if needed.
Finally, use the drop-down lists to select your state and agency. Work through the remaining prompts to select your test administration, choose your score recipients, and pay for your test.

Remember to print your admission ticket! It may not be required by your testing site, but it would be best to have it just in case.

That’s it! Now you will arrive to take your test on your selected day. Once you pass the exam and meet all of your state’s specific requirements, you’ll be qualified to teach middle school social studies!

Yay!

Praxis® Middle School Social Studies (5089) Free Practice Test

Are you preparing for the Praxis® Middle School Social Studies (5089)? If so, you’re going to want to know what you need to study.

A practice test is a great starting point to know what to study but finding a reliable practice test can be hard.

Luckily, you’ve come to the right place. Below we’ve provided a list of the best practice tests for the Praxis® Middle School Social Studies exam.

Best Free Practice Test

240 Tutoring’s Diagnostic Practice Test

240 Tutoring has been helping teachers since 2011 pass their exams. They offer an online, completely free practice test for Praxis® Middle School Social Studies. This practice test will give you a free score breakdown so you can see exactly what you need to study.

Praxis® Middle School Social Studies Practice Test

Praxis® Middle School Social Studies (5089) Paid Practice Test

Best Paid Practice Test

240 Tutoring’s Praxis® Middle School Social Studies Study Guide and Practice Test

240 Tutoring also offers a full study guide and practice test. Their Praxis® Middle School Social Studies Study Guide and Practice Test includes more than 269 practice questions and 157 pages of content. So while it is a paid practice test, it offers a lot of extra benefits.

Best of all? The study guide comes with a money-back guarantee that you will pass the test.

BONUS: 240 Tutoring is a month-to-month subscription. You get all of their Praxis® study guides — including the Praxis® Middle School Social Studies — for just one monthly price of $39.99. So simply subscribing to one study guide gives you access to all study guides. If you plan on taking multiple Praxis® tests, this is a great deal!

Runner-Up for Practice Test

The Praxis® Study Companion

The ETS website offers practice questions as part of its study companion for the Praxis® Middle School Social Studies exam. The reliability of this resource is undeniable, as the questions are provided by the same company that is responsible for the actual test. While reliable, however, it will likely not fulfill all of your study needs. ETS provides two sample constructed-response questions and fewer than 30 questions for the selected-response section. Given that this section will contain approximately 90 questions, this practice test can offer only a partial understanding of your preparedness.

Praxis® Study Companion for the Middle School Social Studies

Honorable Mention

Study.com Practice Test

This practice test provides a preview of Study.com’s paid resources. Each question is followed by a short sample of a video or lesson.

Unfortunately, it falls short in the number of questions offered. With only 15 practice questions, the limited amount of content will likely not be enough to help you study. And while there seems to be a lot of information to support each practice question, it is hard to navigate back and forth between the course content preview and the practice test questions.

Study.com Praxis® Middle School Social Studies Practice Test

Praxis® Middle School Social Studies (5089) Free Study Guide

As you probably have already realized, the Praxis® Middle School Social Studies (5089) exam covers a lot of content. You’re probably asking yourself how you’re ever going to be able to study all of the material in order to pass your exam.

The question you probably really want answered is, “Where can I get a study guide that has everything I need to pass the Praxis® exam?”

Well, lucky for you, we’ve got exactly what you need! Below you’ll find a breakdown of the best study guides for the Praxis® Middle School Social Studies exam.

Best Free Study Guide

240 Tutoring’s Praxis® Middle School Social Studies Ultimate Guide

240 Tutoring offers a free guide, the Praxis® Middle School Social Studies Ultimate Guide, to help test takers like you get a good idea of what your exam will be like.

The Ultimate Guide offers a breakdown of many of the concepts that will be on the exam. It provides charts, graphs, and examples of specific content to help you better understand the tested content categories.

Between the practice tests and the free study material, this Ultimate Guide is an excellent starting point! However, keep in mind that the free Ultimate Guide will not cover every tested concept. Depending on your current content knowledge, you may need to take your studying further than what is offered in this guide.

Praxis® Middle School Social Studies (5089) Paid Study Guide

Best Paid Study Guide

240 Tutoring’s Online Study Guide

240 Tutoring also offers a full study guide. Their Praxis® Middle School Social Studies Study Guide has over 269 practice questions and 157 pages of content. So while it is a paid study guide, it offers a lot of extra benefits.

Best of all? The study guide comes with a money-back guarantee that you will pass the test.

BONUS: 240 Tutoring is a month-to-month subscription. You get all of their Praxis study guides — including the Praxis® Middle School Social Studies — for just one monthly price of $39.99. So simply subscribing to one study guide gives you access to all study guides. If you plan on taking multiple Praxis® tests, this is a great deal!

Praxis® Middle School Social Studies Study Guide

Runner-Up for Study Guide

The Praxis® Study Companion

The ETS website offers a free study companion for the Praxis® Middle School Social Studies exam. The great thing about this study guide is that it comes from the same company that makes the test. It also offers some good test-taking tips and explains the types of questions you might see on the exam. The downside is that it can be cumbersome to read through and a bit overwhelming at times.

Praxis® Middle School Social Studies Study Companion

Honorable Mention

Study.com Study Guide and Practice Course

Study.com offers a Praxis® Middle School Social Studies Practice Course and Study Guide. You can access a small portion of the content for free, which might give you an idea of some of the test content. However, to access the rest of the material you’ll need to sign up for an account and provide payment information. The paid guide offers 58 chapters broken down into 458 lessons. Some may see this as a positive, while others may find the amount of material daunting.