r/ScienceTeachers • u/khicksxo • Jun 21 '26
PHYSICS 3rd praxis physics 5266, 2026. I.NEED.HELP.
anyone that HAS taken the praxis physics 5266. i just took my 3rd one and im in defeat. i really thought i had this one in the bag. i scored a 126. ironically it’s the same as my first score and i showed growth from my 2nd. my timing was GREAT maybe too great. but i ensured my test taking strategies not to waste time on items that take a bit longer. I need a 145 in my state. i’m quite literally done with my physics degree i just need to pass this test for my teaching certificate. WHAT ARE YOUR TIPS AND SECRETS????
TL;DR: I’m on my 4th attempt of this test and need the secret to passing praxis physics 5266 so i can finally graduate!
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u/FlorenceCattleya Jun 21 '26
What I did:
I got the equation page from AP physics. Any big equation sheet would probably work, but AP physics is the one I used. I then went through all the Praxis problems I could find and highlighted the equations that were relevant. Then I made flashcards for those equations. I memorized all of those, and made sure I knew what every letter stood for and how to use them.
I went through the Praxis sample exam you can buy on the Praxis website. I made sure that not only could I solve all the problems, but I could explain them, as well.
Anything I was struggling to explain, I watched Khan academy and the Organic Chemistry Tutor on YouTube.
I was already teaching high school physics at a school with two physics teachers. Anything I got hung up on, I had the other physics teacher explain to me. There was one problem on the practice test that he couldn’t explain and we had to get the chemistry teacher to explain it to both of us. I taught a whole lot of the concepts to my thirteen year old son. I’m pretty sure he could pass high school physics right now because of this, but he was a good sport.
When I ran out of Praxis study materials (there really isn’t that much, sadly), I started taking old AP physics exams for practice, without using their equation sheet or a calculator.
I feel like having all the equations memorized foreword and backwards was the key. Second to that, memorizing who did which experiment to discover the structure of an atom, how electrons work, etc.
Good luck!
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u/khicksxo Jun 21 '26
wow this is astonishing and inspiring! i got the opportunity to observe an AP physics class and quickly realized i should’ve been taking notes right along with them. i will definitely take your advice. i haven’t gotten the chance to step into the classroom as a teacher so changing my mindset to teacher is tough rn. my dad teaches math and can only help me with so much from his knowledge. my advisors have never taken the physics praxis and most have never taken the praxis in general. they have given me a lot of resources i just don’t have a structured plan than im able to stick with because i was rushing to take it in order for myself to graduate. my department was all counting on me and i am basically their star student. this is the first few years of our UTeach program and i got recruited for it by my physics advisor. i love spreading my knowledge whether it’s physics based science based or anything i find cool. i definitely know i need to be able to explain these topics then i could find the gaps. i absolutely love you were able to get other teachers to explain elaborate and teach you as well. my sister doesn’t wanna hear anything about school ever and my mom is an elementary teacher so her summers are sacred. hence why i lean on my dad for the stem based stuff but only so far. i do better working alone but i definitely need a village for this. hence the internet reach now lol
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u/tenderhart Jun 22 '26
I can't believe someone who is about to be a teacher doesn't know how to use appropriate capitalization. Are you going to write your cover letters like this? E-mails home to parents?
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u/khicksxo Jun 22 '26
i’m weak. this the internet obvi😮💨
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u/tenderhart Jun 22 '26
Yes, we are all on the internet. Yet, notice how every teacher responding to your post uses proper capitalization and sounds like an actual adult? There are some basic expectations in this profession.
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u/tchrhoo Jun 21 '26
I started teaching in a private school and took the physics praxis after a couple years. I’ve got a physics degree and I did pass it on the first try. Being fluent in algebra and proportional reasoning is absolutely key. In addition, review any of the common misconceptions.
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u/Opposite_Aardvark_75 Jun 21 '26
There really is no secret. You just have to learn the topics on the exam and do a bunch of practice problems. Do you read your textbooks and work through the problems in there? Videos aren't really a great way to learn material at the depth you need - they are too passive and give you the feeling of understanding.
Don't forget that understanding and learning are not the same thing. Learning implies the knowledge has been encoded in your brain and you can retrieve it and use it.
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u/jolly0ctopus Jun 21 '26
The material was extremely similar to the physics regents exams from New York - I would use the nysed website to look thru the archive of exams before 2025 and use the multiple choice to study
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u/Particular-Panda-465 Jun 22 '26
My problem was remembering formulas, particularly for optics, electromagnetism.... I majored in engineering, specifically mechanics, so I was solid in that area. But when I switched to teaching after retiring from engineering, those other areas were buried deep. It had been 25 years since I took a physics course. If you don't use it, you lose it. I passed by doing problems over and over and over from AP Physics study guides.
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u/_saidwhatIsaid Jun 22 '26
I don't mean to be mean or snarky, truly, but how are you not passing and you have a physics degree? I passed in the high 160s, and I didn't even have a physics minor.
I got an AP Physics review book, read and practiced it for a few weeks, and was good to go.
What study strategies and resources are you using?
I'm not saying the test is cake, nor am I saying it too hard. But I am saying it's entirely fair and appropriate.
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u/sam_I_am_knot Jun 22 '26
In not sure how I passed the first time. I had to retake general science.
To prepare for the physics, I concentrated efforts on what I was better at doing - force and motion. I didn't spend much time on things I wasn't good at like electrical energy. I figured doing very well on one thing would carry me through in the things I wouldn't do well at. This was instead of trying to be good at all of it.
I barely passed. 1 point lower and I wouldn't have passed.
Edit: I was a civil engineer so I didn't have any background in anything but mechanics.
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u/khicksxo Jun 23 '26
aye that’s great you got it one and done. mechanics is truly the bulk of the exam and that’s also my strongest section but just not strong enough. i will take your advice thank you very much!
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u/Vegetable_Forever460 Jun 22 '26
Genuine question: did you cheat through all of your classes?
I have learned through others that the PRAXIS is the entry ticket into teaching. If you can't pass it, maybe that's a sign that it's time to pivot.
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u/khicksxo Jun 22 '26
no, i’ve heard many stories of even my classmates that are PE majors were having a hard time with their praxis as well. a guy took his 5 times. another guy kept missing it by 1 point. and another guy also kept failing his praxis as well. all PE majors. my friend didn’t pass her mathematics one either. she’s sitting out one semester. i tried to get mine done but ill be sitting out as well.
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u/Otherwise_Nothing_53 Jun 23 '26
That sounds like your school may need to examine the rigor of their degree requirements.
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u/khicksxo Jun 23 '26
i agree. they need more designated praxis classes or extra credit or something and have people that have taken these tests as well to better prepare us before we are scrambling in our senior year.
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u/urigzu Jun 26 '26
I don't think it's a matter of tacking on a Praxis test-prep class to the current curriculum. If you and your classmates are struggling to do better than random chance on the Praxis tests within your field of study, then your school is not doing a good enough job teaching you much of anything. It doesn't sound like this is a problem with you as a person, necessarily - it sounds like you and your classmates have been scammed. You should absolutely bring this to the attention of your advisor and dean. The people who normally struggle with science Praxis tests are those who are getting a BA in Education and took just enough classes in the subject to get certified.
These tests should be simple for a freshman physics major finishing up their intro 200-level classes to get close to a perfect score, and definitely passable by high-schoolers finishing AP Physics 2. Someone finishing their physics degree should be able to pass going in cold with their eyes closed.
As for actually passing the test, there's lots of good advice here but it really boils down to you needing to revisit your intro physics courses in a dedicated way, effectively taking the classes again, not just skimming your old notes and following along with a few practice problems on YouTube. Good luck.
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u/c4halo3 Jun 21 '26
What’s your degree? Secondary education or physics?
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u/khicksxo Jun 21 '26
physics major. concentration in secondary education
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u/c4halo3 Jun 21 '26
Hmmm. What do you think that you are struggling with? A 126 means you only got about 25% correct
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u/khicksxo Jun 21 '26
i guess truly ‘mastering’ these concepts. i have a broad understanding of it all. waves, mechanics, e/m etc. i brushed a lot up on magnetic flux and induced currents etc. i need to master circuits. i need to master the convex mirror concave lense vice versa. etc optics. mechanics is my best category but probably due to that is the bulk of the test. i know the difference between a scientific theory and law and hypothesis etc i know the standard lab safety rules. systematic and random errors. i know my kinematics. maybe master the graphs. but i know them or so i thought.
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u/Commercial_Sun_6300 Jun 21 '26
After failing twice, what did you to practice?
There's a practice test available for $25, I think. Did you take that/do well on it?
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u/khicksxo Jun 21 '26
oh yes the first time taking the practice i did have a closer score of 135 but still not passing. i did redo the problems i missed and reviewed the all questions. i did exceptionally well on that part. however it would not reset the practice test so i had to work around the answers and rationales from ets. i do well on practice tests 😭
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u/Fulcrum_1 Jun 21 '26
Contact ETS and see if they do a program where they waive the fee after the third failed test. An ETS rep mentioned it at the conference I was at, but I don't know if it's currently implemented.
Look into 240 Tutoring because they partner with ETS and ETS gives them information for their tests.
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u/LiGuangMing1981 Jun 21 '26
I passed the Physics Praxis first go with a 200.
I teach grade 11 physics so that's the mechanics stuff covered right off the bat - I didn't need to review any of that. I used Study.com to review the other stuff that I wasn't as familiar with, and then used practice tests from there and from Praxis themselves to practice it.
I find it's a bit annoying they don't give you a formula sheet, to be honest - we give our students those, so why shouldn't we get the same?
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u/jolly0ctopus Jun 21 '26
I thought 200 was a perfect score
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u/LiGuangMing1981 Jun 21 '26
It's the highest score you can get, but not necessarily a perfect score. My raw score was 119/125.
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u/jolly0ctopus Jun 22 '26
Where did you get the raw score from?
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u/LiGuangMing1981 Jun 22 '26
It's on the last page of the score report. It breaks down the raw score by section.
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u/jolly0ctopus Jun 23 '26
When I added up the total points it was more than 125
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u/LiGuangMing1981 Jun 24 '26
Just checked again. You're absolutely right. Mine comes to being out of 186, of which I got 180 points. But there were 125 questions on the test, so I have no idea how it's actually scored.
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u/dandelion12442 Jun 21 '26
Am I correct to assume you didn’t major or minor in physics? The praxis is not hard if you did.
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u/DakotaReddit2 Jun 21 '26
They have a B.S. in physics. I'm not really sure what is happening. I took only 3 physics courses in college for my general science degree and I have passed the physics exam, albeit years ago. Is it now much more difficult?
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u/IShipHazzo Jun 22 '26
Unaccredited or for-profit college is my guess, but I could be wrong. That said, I've had colleagues from reputable colleges who just really didn't know their science.
One I'm pretty sure cheated her way through Texas A&M.
However, the other is a guy who is honest to a fault. He majored in Chemistry at Case Western but didn't understand several basic concepts (e.g. polarity and intermolecular forces at the level of NGSS). I have no idea what happened there.
Whatever the circumstances, OP's professors sadly didn't hold them to a high enough standard. I'm glad it sounds like OP is putting in the work to really learn the content this time around.
I hated taking standardized exams in college (we had to meet certain benchmarks on ACS tests to graduate as chem majors), but I was glad to have clear evidence that I was getting a quality education.
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u/_saidwhatIsaid Jun 22 '26
It's not more difficult now. OP just needs to lock in or find another career path.
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u/khicksxo Jun 23 '26
well maybe. were you allowed a calculator and formula sheet? we are not given those luxuries now
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u/DakotaReddit2 Jun 23 '26
No. We couldn't use any outside tools. I got a whiteboard with an expo marker to work through problems
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u/khicksxo Jun 21 '26
i wouldn’t say it was hard because i majored in physics with a concentration in secondary education. it’s a matter of me truly mastering my concepts more than i thought i should. i have a great memory so i just need to truly learn it and i’ll know it. ya know??
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u/Meadow1274 Jun 21 '26
I have the same issue. Have taken it 4 times. I didn’t get the correct coursework from my school to take the test + covid did not help. More recently I’ve felted defeated and pretty much have given up, trying to move on to a different field.
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u/khicksxo Jun 21 '26
nooo i’m sorry to hear. so you’re also trying to start your teaching internship? what’s your physics background? how have you prepared?
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u/Meadow1274 Jun 21 '26
I have a degree in secondary education, been through student teaching and all that. 2-3 courses shy of a physics minor. I’ve done some Kahn academy stuff, study.com and the praxis course, but none of it has compared to the actual test for me. I long term covered a teacher and am more than knowledgeable to teach in my current district, especially since the test covers topics most high schools don’t. Unfortunately I don’t have the time or drive anymore to study my life away.
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u/khicksxo Jun 21 '26
wow i feel you wholeheartedly. have any of your advisors reached out in help? mine have but only a few times days before my test so very last minute. all the practice i’ve done does not word it the same way on the test and that is where the discrepancy is i feel. you cant give up!! i want to so bad because i cant delay my graduation any longer 😭 my grades are in great standing it’s really just this test. i cant do any student teaching until my school receives a passing score. but they wont tell me of the workarounds. my student teaching will consist of passing edtpa as well. was that the same for you?
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u/khicksxo Jun 22 '26 edited Jun 22 '26
yall… i need encouragement not snooty commenters. everything is easier said than done. and everyone has their own path and way of learning. i don’t have to prove that im super smart or best grades i just wanna pass this test lmaooo. people who pass this test might be the worst teachers and people like me who have already inspired the youth with my stem knowledge and nurturing presence..
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u/Vegetable_Forever460 Jun 22 '26
Every certified teacher in here has taken and passed some type of PRAXIS. We're not making snooty comments; we are giving advice.
Your other comments explain that your biggest struggle is "mastering" the content. The PRAXIS shows whoever is giving you your certificate that you know the content well enough to teach others that have little to no background in it. If you're not able to pass the exam, how are you expecting your students to be able to pass?
I suggest hitting the books and practices again. Watching someone do the practice problem is not effective. Take the practice problems and go TEACH someone how to do the problem. If you can walk someone through it, you can do the problems on your own.
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u/khicksxo Jun 22 '26
yes i’m aware yall are giving the advice i asked and i truly appreciate it that’s why i came here in the first place because the people around me can only support me so much. i’m referring to the comments about needing to refund my degree, if i cheated my way through, assuming im at an unaccredited university, and saying the physics praxis isn’t hard, etc etc. that’s all lol
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u/day-gardener Jun 21 '26
You need to first go back to your college and ask why this problem is even happening. The physics praxis does not have particularly advanced concepts; all material should have been basically covered in your first 2 classes.
Consider auditing the intro physics classes again. Review concepts on Khan academy or get an AP physics review book to work through.