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Teacher Certification · 5362

Praxis English to Speakers of Other Languages Practice Test

The Praxis English to Speakers of Other Languages (5362) practice page focuses on knowledge used to support English learners’ language development and classroom participation. Practice-bank questions touch on listening and speaking, English grammar and sound patterns, academic vocabulary, reading fluency, and instructional choices that help learners communicate and understand content.

Exam overview

Exam providerETS Praxis
Exam code5362
CategoryTeacher Certification

About the Praxis English to Speakers of Other Languages Exam

The sampled questions ask you to connect language features with teaching decisions. Tasks include modeling clarification strategies for group work, encouraging balanced speaking, and planning presentations for a specific audience. Other items focus on English word order in questions, verb patterns, and distinguishing recurring language-learning needs from isolated errors in student work. Reading-related scenarios involve matching texts to learners’ vocabulary development and building fluency without sacrificing comprehension. Questions also address linking new academic terms to concepts and helping learners hear distinctions between English sounds such as /b/ and /v/. These situations call for attention to language form, communicative purpose, learner evidence, and appropriate instructional support.

Sample Practice Questions

Review a selection from this exam's published US Practice Tests practice bank.

Question 1

A teacher wants learners to practice asking for clarification during group work. Which prompt best models a useful clarification strategy?

  1. A“I already know what you mean.”
  2. B“Could you explain what you mean by ‘factor’?”
  3. C“That answer is incorrect.”
  4. D“I will wait until the teacher comes over.”
Show answerCorrect answer: B

A specific question about an unclear term is a functional clarification request. Modeling such language can help learners sustain interaction and resolve misunderstandings independently.

Question 2

Students are preparing a short presentation about a community issue. Which planning step best supports the development of an audience-aware presentation?

  1. AIdentify the intended audience and purpose, then select relevant information and language
  2. BChoose the longest available text and copy its sentences
  3. CBegin speaking immediately without deciding what listeners need to know
  4. DFocus only on using difficult vocabulary
Show answerCorrect answer: A

Audience and purpose guide decisions about content, organization, and language. This helps students create a presentation that communicates effectively rather than merely displaying vocabulary.

Question 3

A teacher wants to know whether a student understands how English questions differ from statements in word order. Which prompt provides the most direct evidence?

  1. AAsk the student to change “She is ready” into a yes-or-no question
  2. BAsk the student to name three classroom objects
  3. CAsk the student to copy a paragraph about a familiar topic
  4. DAsk the student to identify the first sound in “ready”
Show answerCorrect answer: A

Transforming a statement into a question directly elicits the word-order pattern involved in forming an English yes-or-no question.

Question 4

During a science lesson, which teacher move best helps learners understand the relationship between a new term and the concept it names?

  1. AWrite the term repeatedly on the board without discussing it.
  2. BShow a labeled diagram, explain the term in context, and ask learners to use it to describe the process.
  3. CAsk learners to memorize the term’s spelling before seeing the process.
  4. DAvoid using the term so the explanation stays simple.
Show answerCorrect answer: B

A labeled visual, contextual explanation, and supported use link the word to its meaning and disciplinary concept. This combination makes academic language instruction purposeful rather than isolated.

Question 5

During a paired speaking task, one student gives a very short answer while the partner does most of the talking. Which teacher move is most likely to create balanced participation?

  1. AAssign each partner a different role and require both to contribute information before reaching a shared decision
  2. BLet the more fluent partner complete the task alone
  3. CEnd the activity as soon as one student responds
  4. DAsk both students to remain silent and write individually
Show answerCorrect answer: A

Distinct, interdependent roles give each learner a reason and opportunity to contribute to the shared outcome.

Question 6

A learner can decode many English words but reads a passage slowly and loses track of its meaning. Which instructional practice is most likely to help develop reading fluency while preserving comprehension?

  1. ARepeatedly reread a short, appropriate passage with feedback on accurate, expressive reading, then discuss its meaning.
  2. BIncrease the length and difficulty of every passage immediately.
  3. CAsk the learner to read as quickly as possible without stopping to consider meaning.
  4. DReplace all reading practice with isolated spelling drills.
Show answerCorrect answer: A

Supported rereading of an appropriately challenging passage can build accuracy and automaticity; discussing meaning keeps comprehension central. Simply increasing difficulty or emphasizing speed alone may undermine understanding.

Question 7

A student writes, “She suggested me to apply.” Which explanation best describes the English pattern the student is learning?

  1. AThe verb “suggest” is commonly followed by a that-clause or an -ing form, rather than this object-plus-infinitive pattern
  2. BEnglish verbs never take an object before another verb
  3. CThe sentence is incorrect because “suggested” cannot refer to the past
  4. DThe verb “apply” must always be preceded by “for”
Show answerCorrect answer: A

In standard English, common patterns include “She suggested that I apply” and “She suggested applying.” The student’s construction may reflect a pattern from another language, so instruction can focus on the verb’s complementation patterns.

How to use this practice test

Access is free. The published bank contains 50 questions, and each practice session presents up to 20 randomly selected questions. After a session, review the results to identify which language concepts or instructional decisions warrant further practice.

Preparation tips

  • Compare English question and statement word order, then write prompts that would reveal whether a learner can use each pattern.
  • Practice explaining verb-complement patterns, including why “suggested me to apply” differs from standard English usage.
  • For speaking scenarios, choose prompts that invite clarification, expand short responses, and distribute participation between partners.
  • When reviewing learner writing or speech, look for repeated patterns across samples before deciding that a language feature needs targeted instruction.
  • Pair academic vocabulary with the concepts it names, and select reading tasks that build fluency while checking comprehension.
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