Praxis 5024 vs 5025: Which Early Childhood Test Do You Need?
October 12, 2026 · Alex S. · reviewed by Hana N., Quality Reviewer · how we write
Preparing for the Praxis 5025? Take a free readiness test and see which topics to study first.
Praxis 5024 and Praxis 5025 sound alike and both cover the early childhood years, but they are separate ETS tests. Your state, not you, decides which one counts for your license. This comparison uses the official ETS test pages and the ETS passing-score tool.
| Praxis 5024 | Praxis 5025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Education of Young Children (5024) | Early Childhood Education (5025) |
| Questions | 120 selected-response and 3 constructed-response | 120 selected-response |
| Time | 2 hours 30 minutes | 2 hours |
| Fee | $156 | $130 |
| Focus | Teaching young children: each of the three written responses focuses on one of four areas (Developmentally Appropriate Practices; Professionalism, Family, and Community; Observation, Documentation, and Assessment; Content Pedagogy and Knowledge) | Content knowledge across six areas: language and literacy, mathematics, social studies, science, health and physical education, creative and performing arts |
| Retakes (ETS) | Wait at least 28 days after your previous test date | Wait at least 28 days after your previous test date |
The real difference
The 5025 is a selected-response test of the content you will teach young children across six areas. The 5024 adds three written (constructed-response) answers on practice, family and community, observation and assessment, and pedagogy, and it is half an hour longer and costs more. Preparing for one does not fully prepare you for the other.
Which states use which
ETS does not set passing scores; each state or agency does. According to the ETS passing-score tool, read on October 12, 2026:
- Praxis 5024 is listed for: Arkansas, Colorado, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Northern Mariana Islands, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia, Wyoming.
- Praxis 5025 is listed for: Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, District of Columbia, Guam, Idaho, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Some states list both (for different licenses or pathways). Before you register, confirm the exact test code on your state's certification page or in the Praxis state requirements: a passing score on the wrong code does not transfer. The Praxis passing scores by state page lists the qualifying score for each of these states.
Study guides: Praxis 5024 study guide (free 5024 practice test) and Praxis 5025 study guide (free 5025 practice test).
Official sources
- ETS: Education of Young Children (5024)
- ETS: Early Childhood Education (5025)
- ETS: Passing Scores By State
Checked against the sources above on October 12, 2026. Exam bodies change fees and rules: confirm on the official page before you register.