Praxis Algebra I (5162)

What is it?

What exactly is the Praxis Algebra I (5162)?

Praxis Algebra I (5162) — Education & Teaching credential from ETS

Focused mathematics test for teachers whose licence is limited to Algebra I, covering expressions, equations, functions and modelling. Offered by ETS, it is designed for candidates who need to demonstrate verified competence in the Education & Teaching field. The credential is commonly used for career entry, advancement, regulatory compliance, or employer requirements. Candidates should review the official handbook for eligibility, exam format, and scoring before registering.

The path in brief

1. Confirm you meet any eligibility or prerequisites
2. Review the official handbook and study materials
3. Register and pay through the awarding body or authorized provider
4. Schedule and take the exam (test center or online proctoring)
5. Receive your score and, if passed, your credential

Before you book

Who is eligible to sit the Praxis Algebra I (5162)?

Eligibility varies; many credentials are open to all, while others require coursework, work experience, or sponsorship.

Who it is for: Professionals and candidates seeking to validate Education & Teaching competence.

The test itself

What is the format of the Praxis Algebra I (5162)?

The Praxis Algebra I (5162) is administered by ETS and runs ~3 hours (verify current).

The fine print

What are the retake and renewal rules for the Praxis Algebra I (5162)?

Proctoring & delivery

HiSET is offered in three ways: paper-based at a test centre, computer-based at a test centre and HiSET@Home under live online proctoring, with availability depending on the state. Calculators and formula sheets are supplied at test centres. The full battery in English or Spanish is permitted, and several states allow candidates to mix languages across subtests.

Retake policy

Retake rules are set per state, but a common pattern allows three attempts per subtest in a calendar year, sometimes extending to six. Several states use a favourable pricing structure in which the full fee is charged only on the first and fourth attempts while the second and third cost only the test centre or proctor fee.

Score reporting

Each of the five subtests is scored 1 to 20. To pass you must score at least 8 on every subtest, at least 2 out of 6 on the Language Arts Writing essay, and at least 45 out of 100 in total across the five. A score of 15 or higher on a subtest is treated as HiSET honours-level performance in several states.

Recertification

The credential a state issues on the strength of a passing HiSET battery is permanent and needs no renewal. Passing subtest scores are carried forward within a state-defined window while you complete the remaining subjects.

Refunds & rescheduling

Refund and reschedule windows are administered by PSI and vary by state and test centre; most centres require cancellation at least 24 hours before the appointment. Registering by phone rather than online attracts an additional fee in some states.

What it pays

How much does this credential pay?

$64,580 median for high school teachers (BLS, May 2024)

The direct conclusion for an Algebra I (5162) candidate is that this exam is a licensing toll gate rather than a pay lever: the credential qualifies a teacher to hold an Algebra I teaching assignment, and the wage that assignment pays is tracked by the closest BLS occupation, High School Teachers, SOC 25-2031, which had a May 2024 median annual wage of $64,580. The BLS classifies by job duties rather than by certificate, so no wage series isolates Algebra I teachers specifically, and secondary mathematics teachers are paid on district salary schedules where years of service and graduate credits drive progression far more than subject certification does. The distribution matters more than the median: geography dominates the spread, with state-level medians ranging from the high $40,000s to more than $90,000, and the highest-paying states are largely the highest-cost ones such as California, New York and Massachusetts. BLS counted 1,094,500 high school teachers in 2024 and projects a 2 percent decline in employment from 2024 to 2034, while still expecting about 66,200 openings a year, almost all of them replacement need from retirement and career change. The practical reading is that mathematics teachers remain chronically in demand in most regions, which gives a certified Algebra I teacher some negotiating leverage for stipends and workload, but the wage itself moves with the schedule, not with the credential. One nuance specific to 5162: the exam exists because many states issue a restricted or add-on endorsement limited to Algebra I, so a candidate taking it is often already employed or under contract, and the exam is a condition of the assignment rather than a career entry point. Because the financial stake is the assignment itself, the exam should be treated as a professional obligation to clear quickly and once, not as a career decision with wide salary consequences.

Job growth.-2% projected change 2024-34 (decline driven by falling secondary enrollment), with ~66,200 replacement openings a year. Pay is set by district salary schedules, so geography and experience matter more than the credential.

Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — High School Teachers

Your schedule

How long should I study for it?

50-80 hours of focused study

The 5162 is a compact paper: 60 selected-response questions in 150 minutes, with an on-screen graphing calculator provided, and the content map is three categories — Principles of Algebra (about 23 questions, 38 percent), Functions (about 18 questions, 30 percent), and Number and Quantity, Probability and Statistics (about 19 questions, 32 percent). The structural fact that should shape the schedule is that the exam is heavily weighted toward reasoning and justification rather than rote computation: the Principles of Algebra category explicitly includes mathematical reasoning and justification of the reasoning process used to solve equations, and the Functions category rewards understanding how linear, quadratic and exponential models differ, so a candidate who is fast at algebra but cannot explain why a step is valid has a real gap. The plan below runs six to eight weeks at roughly 8-10 hours a week. Because 5162 is a single-course endorsement exam, many candidates already teach or have recently taught the content, and for them the first diagnostic week usually exposes a narrow set of repair targets — often statistics and probability, or the reasoning-and-justification items, which are the most common weak spots for strong calculators. The final two weeks should be timed mock exams on the real format, because a 150-minute paper with an on-screen calculator rewards rehearsal of the exact tool you will have: candidates who practise only with a handheld calculator lose time fumbling with the interface on exam day. Before planning, confirm that 5162 is the test your state actually requires, because some states license Algebra I through the broader Mathematics: Content Knowledge (5165) instead, and preparing for the wrong exam wastes both weeks and money. The hours below are built for a practicing teacher with evenings and weekends; if you are not currently teaching, add two weeks of structured algebra review before Week 1.

1. Week 18-10 hrs

   Diagnostic and state cut-score lookup

   • Take one untimed diagnostic pass through all three content categories to rank your starting position
   • Look up your state’s exact 5162 cut score on the ETS Praxis state requirements page and write it down
   • Confirm 5162 is the exam your state requires (some states use 5165) before investing a week
2. Weeks 2-39-11 hrs/week

   Principles of Algebra (38%)

   • Drill algebraic expressions, polynomial operations and equivalent forms, then equations and inequalities including systems
   • Work the reasoning-and-justification items explicitly — why each step is valid, not just what the answer is
   • One timed 30-question drill per week under 75 minutes to build pace
3. Week 49-11 hrs

   Functions (30%)

   • Master function notation, domain and range, and analyzing behavior through varied representations
   • Study how functions and relations model relationships, and the differences among linear, quadratic and exponential models
   • Re-test the Principles of Algebra items you missed in Weeks 2-3 to confirm the repair took
4. Weeks 5-69-11 hrs/week

   Number and Quantity; Probability and Statistics (32%)

   • Review exponents and radicals, rational and irrational numbers, and quantitative reasoning and units
   • Work data summarization, interpretation and linear regression models, plus simple and compound probability
   • Two timed 30-question half-exams per week, rotated across all three categories
5. Week 79-11 hrs

   Full-length timed mocks

   • Take two full 5162 mocks: 60 questions in 150 minutes using only the on-screen graphing calculator
   • Review both by content category — the pattern of misses matters more than the total score
   • Drill the specific topics that cost points in the mocks, especially statistics and reasoning items
6. Week 86-8 hrs

   Taper and logistics

   • Light review of category checklists and miss lists, plus one timed half-exam to keep the pace reflex fresh
   • Confirm your state cut score and that your ID name matches your Praxis account exactly
   • Confirm your seat, travel or at-home system test, and take one quiet day before the exam

What to buy

Which study resources are worth paying for?

The highest-value resources for the 5162 are free: the ETS Study Companion, which contains the exact content categories, sample questions and the on-screen calculator directions, and the ETS Interactive Practice Test, which is the closest thing to the real item style and is the best single readiness check available. Third-party courses add structured drilling volume and are worth it mainly if a specific category needs systematic repair — statistics and probability especially, because that is the category most algebra-strong candidates neglect. The buying logic for this exam is unusual because the paper is so compact: a 60-question, 150-minute test does not require a multi-hundred-dollar course library, and for most candidates the official set plus one good question bank is enough. The decision really is how much structured remediation your two weakest categories need, and that should be diagnosed before you spend anything, not after. One caution that applies to all paid materials: ETS revises Praxis blueprints on a published cycle, and some states changed which test they accept for the Algebra I endorsement, so verify that any course is current for 5162 and matches the three-category blueprint rather than the older five-category layout of the retired general mathematics tests. Employers and school districts are the hidden variable: many districts that require the Algebra I endorsement pay for or reimburse the registration fee and prep materials, so asking a principal or HR office before buying anything is a free first step that candidates routinely skip. The table below lists current list prices as of mid-2026; we do not rank by commission and prices change frequently.

Prices checked 2026-08 in USD before promotions; ETS registration fees are set by ETS and state surcharges may apply. Passing scores are set by state and are not included in any fee. We do not rank by commission.

What you'll face

What question types will I see?

The 5162 is 60 selected-response questions in 150 minutes, scored on the 100-200 scaled scale against a state-set cut. The paper covers three content categories — Principles of Algebra (about 23 questions), Functions (about 18 questions), and Number and Quantity, Probability and Statistics (about 19 questions) — and every item is selected-response, meaning single-answer multiple choice plus a minority of multiple-select items where you choose more than one option; ETS notes that some questions on a form are pretest items that do not count toward your score. An on-screen graphing calculator is provided for the entire test, and a table of formulas and constants is available, so the paper does not test recall of arcane formulas; it tests whether you can use the tools to solve problems and justify your reasoning. There are no constructed-response items, so pacing is the dominant tactical skill: about 2.5 minutes per item sustained across the sitting, with eliminate-and-move as the core discipline — answer confidently, flag genuinely uncertain items for review, and never let a single question eat several minutes. The reasoning layer is what distinguishes this paper from a routine algebra quiz: items repeatedly ask whether a step is valid, whether a transformation preserves equivalence, and whether a conclusion follows from a claim, so candidates who can explain their mathematics collect points that pure calculators miss. The function-model discrimination items — recognizing linear, quadratic and exponential growth from data, graphs or formulas — are another staple, as are the data-interpretation items that ask what a correlation or a regression line does and does not support. The samples below illustrate the published item style across the three categories.

Samples are editor-written illustrations of the published blueprint, not live exam items.

Reference

What are the key facts about the Praxis Algebra I (5162)?

Praxis Algebra I (5162) is a exam credential; awarded by ETS; the exam fee is ~$130; typical preparation is 40-60 hours over 4-6 weeks; holders typically earn $40,000-$85,000 (25-2031 median $64,580).

In short

Is the Praxis Algebra I (5162) worth it?

• Praxis Algebra I (5162) is awarded by ETS.
• Validates job-ready competence in Education & Teaching.
• Registration is through the awarding body or an authorized test provider.
• Renewal and retake policies vary — confirm before scheduling.

Worth comparing

How does the Praxis Algebra I (5162) compare with similar credentials?

• TOEFL iBT ETS
• TOEIC Listening and Reading Test ETS

Trust

Where does this information come from?

Everything above is taken from the awarding body's own published material. Fees, question counts and domain weights are revised regularly — check the official page before you pay.

• ETS Awarding body

Research confidence: medium · Last reviewed 2026-08