The PRAXIS II Education of Exceptional Students: Mild to Moderate Disabilities exam (0542) is a one-hour test comprised of five constructed response questions regarding three general areas of special education for students with mild to moderate disabilities: assessment, curriculum and instruction, and classroom management. The test is designed to assess the readiness of special education majors for the classroom, and some states require the PRAXIS II Education of Exceptional Students: Mild to Moderate Disabilities test for K-12 certification in special education.
To answer the constructed response questions on the PRAXIS II Education of Exceptional Students: Mild to Moderate Disabilities exam successfully, teaching candidates must apply what they know about special education to situations that occur frequently in the teaching of students who have mild to moderate disabilities. Test-takers are required to answer one or two questions in each of the three general areas.
Questions on the PRAXIS II Education of Exceptional Students: Mild to Moderate Disabilities test regarding assessment may concern the procedures for screening and placing students with mild to moderate disabilities. Methods for assessing student eligibility for special education services and strategies for modifying instruction and assessment for students with mild to moderate disabilities may also be addressed by the questions in this portion of the PRAXIS II Education of Exceptional Students: Mild to Moderate Disabilities exam.
Questions about curriculum and instruction on the PRAXIS II Education of Exceptional Students: Mild to Moderate Disabilities test may deal with creating, evaluation, and choosing teaching materials suitable for students with mild to moderate disabilities. They may also deal with lesson planning with IEPs and utilizing outside resources for special education students who follow the general education curriculum.
Classroom management questions on the PRAXIS II Education of Exceptional Students: Mild to Moderate Disabilities exam may concern behavior management strategies, conflict resolution, and ways for special educators to collaborate successfully with school personnel and the families of students with mild to moderate disabilities.
All responses on the PRAXIS II Education of Exceptional Students: Mild to Moderate Disabilities test are evaluated on the same 0-3 grading scale. Answers that are blank, off-topic, incorrect, or a mere restatements of the question receive no points. Answers that are incomplete in that they lack sufficient support, respond to only part of the question, and/or misunderstand all or part of the prompt earn scores of one. Responses that demonstrate basic understanding of the subject matter and include adequate support score a two. Responses on the PRAXIS II Education of Exceptional Students: Mild to Moderate Disabilities exam that earn a three demonstrate full understanding of the topic, include relevant support, and offer significant insights into the subject matter.
