What the Course Entails and Exam Details

The Praxis II: Health and Physical Education exam evaluates your comprehensive knowledge across five key content domains, each contributing a specific percentage to your final score.

These areas are aligned with the professional standards established by SHAPE America (Society of Health and Physical Educators).

The content categories and their approximate weightings are as follows:

• Health Education as a Discipline/Health Instruction (~20%): Assesses your understanding of major health behavior theories, valid data sources, professional ethics, and your ability to plan, implement, and assess sequential instruction in health education.

• Health Education Content (~25%): Focuses on core health topics including nutrition, disease etiology and prevention, personal hygiene, substance abuse, mental and emotional health, healthy relationship development, and human sexuality.

• Content Knowledge and Student Growth and Development (~17%): Measures your knowledge of anatomy and physiology, biomechanics, kinesiology, motor skill acquisition, and principles of growth and development to safely design and facilitate developmentally appropriate movement activities and sports.

• Management, Motivation, and Communication/Collaboration, Reflection, and Technology (~22%): Tests your skills in classroom and resource management, effective behavior management plans, motivational strategies, communication with diverse stakeholders, reflective practice, and integrating technology in instruction.

• Planning, Instruction, and Student Assessment (~16%): Evaluates your ability to align curriculum with standards, sequence instruction, provide effective feedback, and use diverse assessment techniques (including peer and self-assessment) to monitor and interpret student learning data.

What to Expect in the Final Exam

The Praxis II: Health and Physical Education: Content Knowledge (5857) is a computer-delivered exam.

Here is a breakdown of what you will experience on test day:

• Format: The exam consists of 130 selected-response (multiple-choice) questions.

• Time Limit: You will have a total testing window of 130 minutes (2 hours and 10 minutes) to complete all questions. There are no scheduled breaks, so managing your time effectively is paramount.

• Scoring: Your raw score (the number of correctly answered questions) is converted to a scaled score ranging from 100 to 200.

• Passing Score: The passing score requirement varies by state or agency, but a scaled score of 160 is a common threshold. You must verify the specific requirement for the state in which you are seeking certification on the official ETS website.

How to Study and Exam Centers

Preparation is the absolute key to confidence and success on the Praxis II.

Effective Study Strategies:

1. Understand the Test Breakdown: Start by thoroughly reviewing the content categories listed above to identify your areas of strength and those that require more focus.

2. Use Official ETS Resources: The Educational Testing Service (ETS) provides official study companions, sample questions, and a full-length practice test. These should form the foundation of your preparation.

3. Practice with Full-Length Exams: Regularly take timed, full-length practice tests to build your endurance, become familiar with the exam format, and refine your time-management skills.

4. Analyze Your Mistakes: After taking a practice test, do not just look at the score. Analyze every question you missed to understand why you got it wrong and to clarify the underlying concept.

5. Utilize Flashcards: Create flashcards for critical anatomical terms, biomechanical principles, health behavior theories, and sports rules to facilitate quick recall.

6. Form a Study Group: Collaborative learning can expose you to different perspectives and help you better understand complex pedagogical scenarios.

Where and How to Take the Exam:

You must register for the Praxis II: Health and Physical Education exam through the Educational Testing Service (ETS) online portal.

The exam is offered through a network of standard physical testing centers, including Prometric sites, authorized universities, and Pearson VUE centers.

Additionally, ETS offers an At-Home Testing option, allowing you to take the exam in a secure environment on your own computer with live proctoring, subject to specific technology and room requirements.

Job Opportunities from the Course

A passing score on the Praxis II: Health and Physical Education exam is the prerequisite to unlock diverse and meaningful career paths in schools, communities, and recreational organizations.

This certification prepares you for roles such as:

• K-12 Health Education Teacher

• K-12 Physical Education Teacher

• Head Coach or Assistant Coach for various school sports

• Adapted Physical Education Specialist

• Health and Wellness Coordinator (School or District Level)

• Youth Fitness Instructor

• Recreation Center Program Director

• Health Educator in Community or Public Health settings