About the Praxis School Psychologist (5403) Exam
Key Takeaways
Praxis School Psychologist (5403) has 125 selected-response questions and a 2-hour 5-minute time limit (ETS test page, checked September 2026).
ETS weights the four content categories at about 40 questions (32%), 28 (23%), 25 (20%), and 32 (25%).
Most jurisdictions that use the 5403 require a scaled score of 155; ETS lists lower cut scores for a few, such as Kansas and New Mexico at 147.
NASP requires a passing 5403 score for the NCSP credential and analyzed 2023–24 results against a passing score of 155.
ETS requires at least 28 days between attempts at the same Praxis test, and the 5403 fee listed in September 2026 is $156.
What the 5403 Measures
The Praxis School Psychologist (5403) test is published by ETS. ETS describes it as based on the NASP Model for Comprehensive and Integrated School Psychological Services (2020), and it is designed for people seeking licensure or certification as school psychologists. The study companion notes that the test assumes supervised practicum or internship experience. Many questions describe a school situation and ask what a school psychologist should do first or next, so the exam rewards applied judgment, not just definitions.
Many states use the 5403 for school psychologist credentialing. NASP requires a passing score for the Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) credential, and many graduate programs require it before graduation.
Test Format at a Glance
| Feature | Current Detail (ETS, checked September 2026) |
|---|---|
| Test code | 5403 |
| Number of questions | 125 selected-response questions (some may not count toward your score) |
| Time | 2 hours 5 minutes |
| Question types | Select one answer, select one or more answers ("select TWO," "select all that apply"), and other formats described in the study companion |
| Delivery | Computer-delivered, at a test center or at home with online proctoring |
| Test fee | $156 |
| Score scale | 100–200 scaled score; the passing score is set by each state or agency |
| Retakes | Wait at least 28 days after the previous test date before retesting on the same test |
Content Categories and Weights
ETS groups the content into four categories. Each maps onto the ten NASP 2020 practice domains.
| ETS Content Category | Approx. Questions | Approx. % | NASP 2020 Domains Included | Chapters in This Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I. Professional Practices That Permeate All Aspects of Service Delivery | 40 | 32% | 1 Data-Based Decision Making; 2 Consultation and Collaboration | Chapters 1–3 (plus FBA in 5.1 and culturally responsive assessment in 9.1) |
| II. Direct and Indirect Services for Children, Families, and Schools (Student-Level Services) | 28 | 23% | 3 Academic Interventions and Instructional Supports; 4 Mental and Behavioral Health Services and Interventions | Chapters 4–6 |
| III. Direct and Indirect Services for Children, Families, and Schools (Systems-Level Services) | 25 | 20% | 5 School-Wide Practices to Promote Learning; 6 Services to Promote Safe and Supportive Schools; 7 Family, School, and Community Collaboration | Chapters 7–8 |
| IV. Foundations of School Psychological Service Delivery | 32 | 25% | 8 Equitable Practices for Diverse Student Populations; 9 Research and Evidence-Based Practice; 10 Legal, Ethical, and Professional Practice | Chapters 9–10 |
Two points matter for planning. First, Category I is the largest single category (about a third of the test), and it is heavy on assessment: problem identification, testing theory, reliability and validity, score interpretation, special populations, and consultation. Second, legal and ethical content (IDEA, Section 504, FERPA, case law, NASP ethics) sits inside Category IV but also appears in scenario questions across all categories.
Scoring and Passing Scores
Your raw score (questions answered correctly) is converted to a scaled score from 100 to 200. There is no single national passing score; each state or agency sets its own. ETS qualifying-score data for the 5403 (retrieved September 2026) show:
| Required Score | Jurisdictions Using the 5403 (ETS data) |
|---|---|
| 155 | Most jurisdictions, including Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming |
| 151 | Nevada |
| 150 | Northern Mariana Islands |
| 148 | Kentucky, Mississippi, Utah |
| 147 | Kansas, New Mexico |
| 145 | Missouri |
Always confirm your own state's current requirement on the ETS state requirements page and with your state credentialing agency, because states can change cut scores. For the NCSP, NASP's 2024 data brief analyzed results against a passing score of 155. NASP requires that the Praxis test date fall within 10 years of the NCSP application and that ETS send the official score report directly to NASP.
How hard is the cut? In NASP's 2024 data brief (tests taken September 2023 through August 2024 by candidates who sent scores to NASP), 95.5% of administrations met the 155 passing score, and the median scaled score was 172. That group is mostly candidates near the end of graduate training, so treat the numbers as context, not a prediction.
How to Read Scenario Questions
Most items describe a student, a team, or a school and ask for the best or first action. A few patterns recur throughout this guide:
- Data before decisions. When a question asks for the first step, the answer is usually to define the problem, gather or check data (including treatment integrity), or rule out simple explanations (vision, hearing, attendance, instruction) before intervening or referring.
- Least restrictive and least intrusive first. Choose consultation before direct service, general education supports before special education, and function-based positive interventions before exclusion, unless safety requires otherwise.
- Law and ethics are the floor. Options that skip consent, notice, confidentiality limits, Child Find, or manifestation procedures are wrong even when they sound efficient.
- Match the intervention to the function or skill deficit. A reading decoding problem calls for explicit phonics instruction, not a behavior chart; an escape-maintained behavior calls for a function-based plan, not time-out.
- Read "select TWO" items carefully. Each correct choice must be independently correct; partial credit is not given for one of two.
A Practical Study Plan
- Weeks 1–2: Read the data-based decision-making and assessment chapters (1–2) closely. Practice converting scores (z, T, scaled, percentile) and calculating SEM bands until they are automatic.
- Weeks 3–4: Cover consultation, academic and behavioral interventions, and mental health (Chapters 3–6), focusing on which intervention fits which problem.
- Weeks 5–6: Study systems-level services, crisis response, and family collaboration (Chapters 7–8), then the foundations chapters (9–10), including every case and statute named in the ETS outline (for example, Larry P. v. Riles, Rowley, and Endrew F.).
- Throughout: Answer the quizzes at the end of each section, then use the free Praxis School Psychologist practice questions to find weak areas. Review each missed item by asking which clue in the scenario pointed to the keyed answer.
- Final week: Take a timed full-length practice set. At 125 questions in 125 minutes, you have about one minute per question, so flag long items and return to them.
According to the current ETS test description, which statement about the Praxis School Psychologist (5403) test format is accurate?
It has 140 questions and a 150-minute time limit.
It has 120 questions, including two constructed-response case studies.
It has 100 questions and must be taken at a test center.
It has 125 selected-response questions and a time limit of 2 hours 5 minutes.
A candidate plans to spend study time in proportion to the ETS content weights. Which content category should receive the largest share?
Direct and Indirect Services (Student-Level Services)
Direct and Indirect Services (Systems-Level Services)
Professional Practices That Permeate All Aspects of Service Delivery
Foundations of School Psychological Service Delivery
A graduate student scores 151 on the 5403. Based on ETS qualifying-score data and NASP's NCSP analysis, which conclusion is most accurate?
The student meets the requirement in some jurisdictions, such as Nevada (151) or Kansas (147), but not in states that require 155, and the score is below the 155 that NASP uses for the NCSP.
The student has passed in every state and qualifies for the NCSP, because 147 is the national passing score.
The student cannot use the score anywhere, because every state requires at least 160.
The score is invalid until the student retakes the test within 28 days.
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.