This free Praxis Core Math study guide teaches to the — every content category the test measures, organized the way ETS builds the exam.[1] The Mathematics test is one of three tests (with Reading and Writing) that many states and teacher-preparation programs require.[2]
The math here is roughly high-school level — fractions, percents, basic statistics, beginning algebra, and geometry, with notrigonometry or calculus. It’s interactive, not a wall of text: every category has a built-in checkpoint quiz, hover-able glossary terms, worked examples, and concept questions, so you learn by doing.
Read this guide category by category, test yourself at each checkpoint, then round out your free Praxis Core Math prep with our practice questions and flashcards.
Praxis Core Math is one of the 7 Praxis exams — explore our Praxis study guides to compare and prep across the whole family.
Praxis Core Math (5733) Exam Snapshot
| Detail | Praxis Core Mathematics (5733) |
|---|---|
| Questions | 56 selected-response (multiple choice, multiple-select, numeric entry) |
| Time | 90 minutes, one section |
| Format | Computer-delivered; no essay |
| Calculator | On-screen four-function calculator provided (no personal calculator) |
| Score scale | 100–200 (scaled) |
| Qualifying score | 150 commonly cited; the official cut score is set by each state/program |
| Content categories | Number & Quantity · Data, Statistics & Probability · Algebra & Geometry |
| Part of | Praxis Core (with Reading 5713 and Writing 5723) |
| Publisher | ETS |
One untimed test section of 56 questions in 90 minutes, delivered on computer with a built-in calculator.
- 56 selected-response questionsSingle-select multiple choice, multiple-select, and numeric-entry questions across three content categories.
- 90 minutes of testingAbout 96 seconds per question on average. Pace yourself and flag hard ones to return to.
- On-screen four-function calculatorProvided inside the test for every question. No personal calculator is allowed.
- Scaled score 100–200Your raw score is converted to a 100–200 scale. 150 is the most commonly cited qualifying score, but each state or program sets its own cut score.
Praxis Core Math is one of three Core Academic Skills tests (with Reading and Writing). You can take it on its own or as part of the combined Core test.
Because Number and Quantity is the largest category — about a third of the test — fraction, percent, and ratio fluency pays off most.[3] Spend your study time across all three categories, but build arithmetic confidence first:
Number & Quantity is the single largest category — about a third of the test — so build fraction, percent, and ratio fluency first.
ETS reports category shares as approximate ranges, so the exact mix shifts slightly each form.[3] This guide teaches all three content categories — Number and Quantity first, then Data and Statistics, then Algebra and Geometry — as three study modules.
1 · Number and Quantity
About 36% of the test — the single largest category. This is arithmetic done well: fractions and decimals, percents and ratios, number properties, exponents and roots, and estimation. Get fluent here and you bank the most points.[3]
Fractions, Decimals & Operations
To add or subtract fractions, use a common denominator; to multiply, multiply across; to divide, multiply by the (keep–change–flip). Convert freely among fractions, decimals, and percents.
| Operation | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Add / subtract | Common denominator, then add/subtract numerators | 3/4 + 5/6 = 9/12 + 10/12 = 19/12 |
| Multiply | Multiply numerators and denominators, simplify | 2/3 × 9/10 = 18/30 = 3/5 |
| Divide | Multiply by the reciprocal (keep–change–flip) | 3/4 ÷ 2/5 = 3/4 × 5/2 = 15/8 |
| Convert | Fraction → decimal by dividing top by bottom | 3/4 = 3 ÷ 4 = 0.75 = 75% |
Percents, Ratios & Proportions
A is the change divided by the original value, times 100. Set up a for ratio, rate, and scaling problems and solve by cross-multiplying.
Factors, Primes, GCF & LCM
A has exactly two factors; the number 1 is not prime. The splits items into the largest equal groups, and the tells you when repeating events line up again.
| Tool | What it finds | Word-problem signal |
|---|---|---|
| GCF | Largest factor two numbers share (48 & 60 → 12) | Identical kits/groups using ALL items |
| LCM | Smallest multiple two numbers share (8 & 12 → 24) | When two cycles coincide AGAIN |
Exponents, Roots & Estimation
Know the exponent rules and how to estimate a root, and use rounding to check that an answer is reasonable.
| Rule | Statement |
|---|---|
| Product of powers | |
| Quotient of powers | |
| Power of a power | |
| Zero exponent | (for ) |
| Negative exponent |
- PParenthesesDo everything inside grouping symbols first.
- EExponentsThen powers and roots.
- MDMultiply / DivideLeft to right, whichever comes first.
- ASAdd / SubtractLeft to right, whichever comes first.
Multiplication and division share a rank (left to right), and so do addition and subtraction — they are not strictly “multiply before divide.”
Checkpoint · Category 1 · Number & Quantity
Question 1 of 10
Which of the following numbers is prime?
2 · Data, Statistics & Probability
About 32% of the test. Reading graphs and tables, the measures of center and spread, interpreting distributions, and basic probability.[3]
Reading Graphs & Tables
Know what each display is for and always read the scale before estimating a value. A circle (pie) graph shows parts of a whole; a bar graph compares categories; a line graph shows change over time; a scatterplot shows the relationship between two variables.
| Display | Best for |
|---|---|
| Bar graph | Comparing amounts across categories |
| Line graph | Showing a trend over time |
| Circle (pie) graph | Parts of a whole (the slices add to 100%) |
| Histogram | The shape of grouped numerical data |
| Scatterplot | The relationship/correlation between two variables |
Mean, Median & Mode
The three measures of center each describe a “typical” value differently. The is the average, the is the middle value, and the is the most frequent value.
| Measure | How to find it | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Mean | Add the values, divide by the count | Pulled by outliers |
| Median | Middle value of ordered data (average two if even count) | Resists outliers |
| Mode | Value that occurs most often | Can be none or several |
Range, Spread & Skew
The (largest minus smallest) and the (spread around the mean) describe how scattered the data is. An stretches the range and the mean but barely moves the median.
Probability
is favorable outcomes divided by total outcomes, a value from 0 to 1. For two , multiply the probabilities.
Checkpoint · Category 2 · Data, Statistics & Probability
Question 1 of 10
A histogram shows the frequency distribution of the weights of 60 cats. If the mean weight is 10 pounds and the median weight is 9 pounds, which of the following is true about the distribution?
3 · Algebra & Geometry
About 32% of the test. Solving equations and inequalities, working with lines and the coordinate plane, and the core geometry of perimeter, area, volume, and triangles.[3]
Equations & Inequalities
Solve a linear equation by undoing operations in reverse order until the variable is alone. Solve an the same way, with one rule: flip the symbol when you multiply or divide by a negative.
Slope, Lines & the Coordinate Plane
is rise over run. Between two points it is . In , is the slope and is the .
Perimeter, Area & Volume
is the distance around a figure, is the surface it covers (square units), and is the space it fills (cubic units). The 5733 gives no formula sheet, so memorize the workhorses:
The 5733 does not give a formula sheet — memorize these few workhorses so you can apply them quickly.
Triangles & the Pythagorean Theorem
A triangle’s interior angles sum to 180°. The relates the legs and the of a right triangle.
a and b form the right angle
c is opposite the right angle (longest)
9 + 16 = 25, so 3² + 4² = 5²
Given two sides of a right triangle, the theorem finds the third: a² + b² = c².
Recognize the common Pythagorean triples — 3-4-5 and 5-12-13 — and their multiples, so you can spot a missing side without computing.
Checkpoint · Category 3 · Algebra & Geometry
Question 1 of 10
What is the area of a rectangle that is 9 centimeters long and 4 centimeters wide?
How to Use This Study Guide
A study guide is a map, not the whole territory — use it alongside the official ETS Praxis materials and our free tools. Because the 5733 rewards steady accuracy under a 90-minute clock, spaced, mixed practice beats one long cram. Lead with — it’s the largest category and underpins the rest — then layer in statistics, algebra, and geometry.
- 1
Read a category here
Work through one content category at a time — Number & Quantity, then Data & Statistics, then Algebra & Geometry.
- 2
Take the checkpoint
The quick check at the end of each category exposes what didn't stick.
- 3
Drill the gaps
Send your weak category straight into the free practice questions and flashcards.
- 4
Take full, timed practice
Sit a full timed set to build pacing for 56 questions in 90 minutes, then review every miss.
Praxis Core Math Concept Questions
Common math skills the Praxis Core Math test actually measures — at least one per content category. Tap any card for a short, exam-ready answer backed by an official source (ETS), then test yourself on them as flashcards.
Praxis Core Math Glossary
Quick definitions for the terms you’ll see most across the Praxis Core Math (5733) test:
- Area
- The amount of surface a 2-D figure covers, measured in square units (rectangle = length × width).
- Composite number
- A whole number greater than 1 with more than two factors, such as 4, 6, 9, or 12.
- Greatest common factor (GCF)
- The largest factor shared by two or more numbers. The GCF of 48 and 60 is 12.
- Hypotenuse
- The longest side of a right triangle, opposite the right angle.
- Independent events
- Events where one outcome does not affect the other; their probabilities multiply.
- Inequality
- A statement comparing two quantities with <, >, ≤, or ≥. Flip the symbol when you multiply or divide by a negative.
- Least common multiple (LCM)
- The smallest multiple shared by two or more numbers. The LCM of 8 and 12 is 24.
- Mean
- The average — the sum of the values divided by how many there are.
- Median
- The middle value of an ordered data set; it resists outliers.
- Mode
- The value that appears most often in a data set; a set can have no mode or more than one.
- Order of operations
- PEMDAS: Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division (left to right), Addition and Subtraction (left to right).
- Outlier
- A value far from the rest of the data; it strongly affects the mean and range but barely moves the median.
- Percent change
- The change in a quantity divided by its original value, times 100. Always divide by the starting amount.
- Perimeter
- The total distance around a figure — the sum of its side lengths.
- Praxis Core
- The Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators tests — Reading (5713), Writing (5723), and Mathematics (5733) — used by many teacher-preparation programs and states to certify basic academic skills.
- Prime number
- A whole number greater than 1 with exactly two distinct factors, 1 and itself (2, 3, 5, 7, 11...). The number 1 is not prime.
- Probability
- The chance an event occurs, written as favorable outcomes ÷ total outcomes, a value from 0 (impossible) to 1 (certain).
- Proportion
- An equation stating that two ratios are equal, such as 2/3 = x/12; solve by cross-multiplying.
- Pythagorean theorem
- For a right triangle with legs a and b and hypotenuse c, a² + b² = c².
- Range
- The largest value minus the smallest value in a data set.
- Ratio
- A comparison of two quantities, written 3:5, 3 to 5, or 3/5.
- Reciprocal
- The multiplicative inverse of a number — flip the fraction. The reciprocal of 2/5 is 5/2; dividing by a fraction means multiplying by its reciprocal.
- Scaled score
- A converted score on a 100–200 scale. 150 is the most commonly cited qualifying score, but each state or program sets its own required cut score.
- Selected-response
- Question formats where you choose or enter an answer: single-select multiple choice, multiple-select (choose all that apply), and numeric entry. The 5733 has no essay.
- Slope
- The steepness of a line — rise over run, the change in y divided by the change in x. In y = mx + b, the slope is m.
- Slope-intercept form
- The linear equation y = mx + b, where m is the slope and b is the y-intercept.
- Standard deviation
- A measure of how spread out data is around its mean; larger means more spread, zero means all values are equal.
- Test code 5733
- The ETS code for the current Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators: Mathematics test, a 56-question, 90-minute computer-delivered test.
- Volume
- The space a 3-D figure occupies, measured in cubic units (box = length × width × height).
- Y-intercept
- The point where a line crosses the y-axis, where x = 0.
Free Praxis Core Math Study Materials & Resources
Everything you need to prepare for the Praxis Core Math test is free here — no paywall, no sign-up. This guide is the foundation; pair it with the rest of our free Praxis Core Math study materials for active recall, timed practice, and last-minute review:
- Praxis Core Math Practice Test — exam-style questions across all three content categories, with explanations.
- Praxis Core Math Flashcards — active-recall decks for the high-yield arithmetic, statistics, algebra, and geometry facts.
Praxis Core Math Study Guide FAQ
The Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators: Mathematics test (5733) has 56 selected-response questions — a mix of single-select multiple choice, multiple-select, and numeric-entry items. There is no essay; it is entirely selected-response.
You have 90 minutes for the 56 questions — about 96 seconds per question on average. The test is delivered on computer in one section, so you can move forward and back and flag questions to revisit.
Praxis Core Math is reported on a scaled score of 100–200. The most commonly cited qualifying score is 150, but the official passing score is set by each individual state, agency, or teacher-preparation program — always confirm the requirement where you plan to be certified.
Yes. An on-screen four-function calculator is provided within the test for every question. You may not bring your own calculator; the built-in tool is the only one allowed.
Three content categories: Number and Quantity (about 36%) — fractions, decimals, percents, ratios, and number properties; Data Interpretation and Representation, Statistics, and Probability (about 32%) — graphs, mean/median/mode, spread, and probability; and Algebra and Geometry (about 32%) — equations, inequalities, lines, area, volume, and triangles.
The math is roughly high-school level — arithmetic, basic statistics, beginning algebra, and geometry — with no trigonometry or calculus. Most test-takers find the challenge is pacing and avoiding careless errors rather than advanced content. Steady, mixed practice with full review of every miss is the most reliable way to pass.
Work through the three content categories in order — Number and Quantity, then Data and Statistics, then Algebra and Geometry. After each module take the checkpoint quiz to find gaps, then drill that category with our free practice questions and flashcards, and revisit flagged sections before test day.
Yes — the full guide, the checkpoints, the glossary, the practice questions, and the flashcards are 100% free, with no account required.
The Mathematics test (5733) is one of three Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators tests, alongside Reading (5713) and Writing (5723). You can take it on its own or as part of the combined Core (5752) battery, depending on what your program or state requires.
References
- 1.ETS. “Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators: Mathematics (5733).” ETS. ↑
- 2.ETS. “About The Praxis Tests — Core Academic Skills for Educators.” ETS. ↑
- 3.ETS. “Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators — Tests at a Glance.” ETS. ↑
- 4.ETS. “Praxis Tests — Scores and Score Reporting.” ETS. ↑
- 5.ETS. “Praxis Core — How the Tests Are Scored.” ETS. ↑
Sources for the concept answers
Every answer in the Praxis Core Math concept questions above is drawn from an official primary source:

Career Employer
Career Employer is the ultimate resource to help you get started working the job of your dreams. We cover topics from general career information, career searching, exam preparation with free study materials, career interviewing, and becoming successful in your career of choice.
All PostsCareer Employer’s Editorial Process
Here at Career Employer, we focus a lot on providing factually accurate information that is always up to date. We strive to provide correct information using strict editorial processes, article editing, and fact-checking for all of the information found on our website. We only utilize trustworthy and relevant resources. To find out more, make sure to read our full editorial process page here.
