1.1 About the ParaPro Assessment

What the ParaPro Assessment Is

The ParaPro Assessment (test code 1755) is a standardized test built and administered by Educational Testing Service (ETS) — the same organization behind the Praxis teacher-licensure series. It measures the foundational academic skills that a paraprofessional (also called a paraeducator, instructional aide, teacher assistant, or teacher's aide) needs to support classroom instruction. The test does two things at once: it checks that you personally have solid reading, mathematics, and writing skills, and it checks that you can apply those skills to help a teacher work with students.

That dual focus — skill plus classroom application — is the single most important idea in this whole study guide, and it shapes every section that follows.

Unlike a teaching-license exam, the ParaPro does not test advanced pedagogy, child psychology, or subject-area theory. It tests the kind of practical academic ability you would use every day while monitoring a small reading group, walking a student through a long-division problem, or helping a child proofread a paragraph.

Because of that, the challenge is less about advanced material and more about accuracy, careful reading of the question, and recognizing the best classroom response among several reasonable-sounding choices.

Exam Snapshot

Why "Some Questions Are Not Scored"

ETS says some, but not all, ParaPro forms include pretest (field-test) questions that do not count toward your score. ETS tries out new questions among the real ones to see how they perform before deciding whether to use them on future forms. You cannot tell which questions are scored and which are not — they look identical — so the practical takeaway is simple: treat every question as if it counts and answer all of them. There is no separate "experimental section" to skip.

Example — why you answer everything: If you skip a hard question hoping it is an unscored pretest item, you lose a point whenever it turns out to be scored. You never see which were which, so you should never leave a question blank hoping it "doesn't count." Always guess; there is no penalty for a wrong answer.

Who Takes the ParaPro — and Why It's Required

The ParaPro exists because of federal education law. Paraprofessionals who provide instructional support in a program supported by Title I funding (federal money targeted at schools serving low-income students) must meet minimum qualifications that date to No Child Left Behind. ETS cites the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the 2015 reauthorization of that law, as requiring them to satisfy one of three routes:

1. Complete two years of college, or
2. Hold an associate's degree, or
3. Pass a state or local academic assessment that demonstrates knowledge of, and the ability to assist in instructing, reading, writing, and mathematics.

ETS says the choice of test for that third route is left to states and districts. ParaPro has long filled it, and ETS's newer ParaPathways assessment now replaces ParaPro in many states. That is the core reason people take it: it lets a candidate who does not have two years of college credit demonstrate readiness on a single exam instead.

Typical Test-Takers

• Current and prospective instructional aides and teacher assistants in K–12 schools
• Title I program staff who tutor or support small groups
• Special education paraprofessionals supporting students with disabilities
• Library, media-center, and computer-lab aides in instructional roles
• Candidates exploring paraeducation as a first step toward a teaching career

What You Do Not Need

You do not need a teaching license, an education degree, or completed college coursework to sit for the ParaPro. Many candidates take it with only a high school diploma. Note, however, that some states or districts require you to be already employed as a paraeducator before you register, and a few set their own additional rules — so always confirm local requirements before scheduling.

Test Format: Computer at a Center vs. Online at Home

The ParaPro is delivered only by computer — there is no paper-and-pencil booklet version offered through ETS today. You choose between two equivalent delivery settings:

Both settings use the same 90 questions, same 150-minute limit, and same scoring. The choice is purely about logistics and comfort. Online testing is available seven days a week, which makes scheduling flexible, but it has stricter environment rules (a clear desk, no notes, one person in the room).

A Critical Timing Note: The ParaPathways Transition

ETS now offers ParaPathways (5757) alongside the ParaPro Assessment (1755), and states are switching on their own schedules. On October 26, 2026, the ETS state-requirements page listed ParaPro through August 31, 2027 in Arkansas and Maryland, only ParaPathways in states such as Missouri, Nevada, Rhode Island, and South Carolina, and only ParaPro in many other state and district entries. Confirm with your state or district which test it accepts for your test date — the underlying skills (reading, math, writing, and classroom application) overlap heavily, so this preparation remains valuable either way.