Praxis 5001 Passing Scores: What Your State Requires and How to Look It Up

There is no single "Praxis 5001 passing score." Each state and licensing organization sets its own qualifying score for the Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects exam, and ETS explicitly does not set pass/fail standards.[1] If someone tells you "you need a 160 on Praxis 5001," they may be describing their state's rule — not yours.

The exam is four separately scored subtests: 5002 Reading and Language Arts, 5003 Mathematics, 5004 Social Studies, and 5005 Science. In most states you must pass every subtest, not the exam as a whole. Your target is therefore four separate scores, and each one can differ from the next.

Why Passing Scores Vary by State

Licensing is a state function. ETS administers the tests, but each state's board of education or licensing agency decides:

• which tests to accept for a given certificate,
• the qualifying score for each test,
• whether individual subtests may be taken separately, and
• how long scores remain valid.

ETS's own score-requirements page says it plainly: "Passing scores vary by state or agency; they are not set by ETS."[1] That is why a study plan built around a generic "national passing score" is unreliable.

Common 5001 Subtest Scores (as of August 2026)

To give you a sense of the range — not as your official requirement — several large states currently use these qualifying scores for the four 5001 subtests:

South Carolina is in transition: it currently lists 5001 subtests at 157/157/155/159 but has been moving elementary candidates toward the 5901 Three Subject Bundle and the 7811 CKT series, with deadlines tied to August 2026 and August 2027.[5]

For the full data-first breakdown — including states that no longer use the 5001 at all — see Praxis 5001 passing scores by state.

Notice a pattern? Many states set identical or near-identical lines — but not all do, and scores change over time. North Carolina, for example, has moved its elementary requirement to the Elementary Education: Mathematics CKT (7813) instead of 5003.[6] You must check the requirement that applies to your certificate, in your state, in your application window.

How to Find Your State's Qualifying Score

Use this checklist, in this order:

1. Start at the ETS score-requirements page. Open praxis.ets.org/scores, select your state, and search for "Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects (5001)" or the individual subtest codes (5002–5005). Record every number shown.
2. Read your state's required-tests page on ETS. The state requirements directory links each state's official list of accepted tests and qualifying scores.
3. Cross-check with your state licensing agency. State education departments publish their own certification handbooks. Search for "[State] Department of Education teacher certification Praxis requirements" and confirm the .gov source. Agency rules can lag behind, or differ from, what ETS displays.
4. Ask your educator preparation program. Many programs impose internal deadlines and score floors that are stricter than the state minimum.
5. Save the page and the date. Requirements change. Keep the official page you relied on, and re-check before you register.

What if your state's page shows no score for the 5001?

That usually means one of three things:

• Your state has moved to a different elementary test (for example, the 7001 series, the 7811 CKT series, or the new 8000-series Elementary Education Fundamentals tests).
• Your certificate area uses a different test entirely.
• The page simply lists the combined 5001 without per-subtest lines — in that case, click through to the individual subtest listings or check the state agency handbook.

Do not assume "no score listed" means "no test required." Verify with the agency.

State Guides for Elementary Candidates

For a deeper look at five states where elementary candidates still use the Praxis 5001 family (or are navigating its transition), see our state guides:

• Praxis 5001 Requirements in Virginia — 5001 plus Teaching Reading 5205
• Praxis 5001 Requirements in Tennessee — 5001 plus 5205, scores via TNCompass
• Praxis 5001 Requirements in New Jersey — 5001 for Elementary K–6
• Praxis 5001 Requirements in South Carolina — the 2026 transition to the 5901 bundle and CKT
• Praxis 5001 Requirements in Kentucky — scores set by regulation 16 KAR 6:010

Passing Scores Change — Especially Right Now

ETS is replacing the 5001 family with the 8000-series Elementary Education Fundamentals tests, which launched in spring 2026.[7] States are adopting the new series at different speeds, and several states are also mid-transition between the 5001, 7001, and CKT series. That means:

• a score from 2025 may no longer satisfy a 2026 requirement,
• a test code accepted today may be replaced next year, and
• qualifying scores can be adjusted when a new version of a test is adopted.

The safe move: confirm your exact test code and qualifying score no more than a few weeks before registering, and again before test day.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a passing score on Praxis 5001?

There is no universal answer. Each state sets qualifying scores for 5002, 5003, 5004, and 5005. Common lines are in the 150–165 range per subtest, but the number that matters is your state's current requirement for each subtest.[1]

Do I need to pass all four subtests?

In most states, yes. The 5001 is scored per subtest, and most licensing agencies require a passing score on every subtest — a high math score does not offset a failed reading score. Confirm your state's rule, since a few states allow individual-subtest scheduling or different passing rules.

Is 157 a passing score on Praxis 5002?

157 is the qualifying score several states (including Virginia, Tennessee, and New Jersey) currently list for 5002.[2][3][4] But it is not universal. Look up the exact number for your state and certificate.

Do Praxis passing scores expire?

It depends on your state. Some states accept scores indefinitely; others impose a validity window (often 5–10 years). Check your state's reciprocity or score-validity rules.

My state uses the new 8000 series. Does any of this still apply?

The 5001 subtests no longer match the new 8002–8005 blueprints, which have different question counts and content weights.[7] If your state requires the 8000 series, build your prep around those codes — see our Praxis 5001 vs. the 8000 Series guide for the differences.

The Bottom Line

Your Praxis 5001 passing score is a state-specific number, not a national constant. Find your state's qualifying scores on the ETS score-requirements page, confirm them with your licensing agency, and re-check before you register. Then study for a target comfortably above the line — not right at it.

Want to know where you stand against your state's passing line before you register? Take the free Triumph readiness diagnostic — 12 original questions across all four subtests, with an estimated scaled score per gate.

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