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Praxis 8002 vs Praxis 8006: What's the Difference?
Both exams live in the Praxis 8000 series (Elementary Education Fundamentals) and both involve reading — but they test completely different things.
Side-by-side comparison
| Praxis 8002 | Praxis 8006 | |
| Full name | Elementary Education Fundamentals: Reading and Language Arts | Elementary Education Fundamentals: Teaching Reading |
| What it tests | Your own reading & language arts ability | Your ability to teach reading professionally |
| Time / questions | 100 minutes · 80 selected-response | 100 minutes · 80 selected-response |
| Content domains | Reading (42) Writing, Speaking & Listening (38) |
Foundational Literacy Skills (32) Fluency & Vocabulary (24) Comprehension & Written Expression (24) |
| Tasks of Teaching | 10–15% classroom-scenario items | 10–15% classroom-scenario items |
| Score scale | 100–200 | 100–200 |
| Praxis Steps availability | September 2026 | 2027 (not in the 2026 batch) |
| West Virginia | Confirmed qualifying score 152 | Not listed |
| Arkansas | Confirmed qualifying score 137 | Not listed |
| Virginia | Confirmed qualifying score 152 | Not listed |
| Idaho / South Dakota / Vermont | Not listed | Confirmed qualifying score 152 |
| South Carolina | Neither — reading is covered by 5205 Teaching Reading: Elementary (159) | |
| Other 43 states + DC | Not listed / not verified | Not listed / not verified |
Frequently asked questions
Is Praxis 8006 the same as PECT 8006?
No. They share a code number by coincidence and are otherwise unrelated.
Praxis 8006 (Elementary Education Fundamentals: Teaching Reading) is an ETS exam about teaching reading.
PECT 8006 (PreK-4 Module 1: Child Development, Learning & Assessments; Collaboration & Professionalism) is a Pearson exam used only for Pennsylvania PreK-4 certification. Study materials for one do not apply to the other.
Which states require Praxis 8002 or Praxis 8006?
Confirmed data exists for seven states as of September 27, 2026 — and it shows a mutually exclusive pattern:
West Virginia, Arkansas, Virginia — use Praxis 8002 (qualifying scores 152 / 137 / 152) as part of the 8002–8005 set; Praxis 8006 is not listed.
Idaho, South Dakota, Vermont — use Praxis 8006 (qualifying score 152) for reading; 8002 is not listed.
South Carolina — uses neither; reading is covered by 5205 Teaching Reading: Elementary (159).
No confirmed state currently uses both. All other states: not listed or not verified — check your state education agency before registering. Full detail on our state requirements tracker.
Can I take just one of them?
Yes. They are separate exams with separate registrations and scores ($79 each for a full test administration). Whether you need one or both depends entirely on your state's requirements — among confirmed states, West Virginia, Arkansas, and Virginia use Praxis 8002 while Idaho, South Dakota, and Vermont use Praxis 8006. No confirmed state currently requires both.
Which one is harder?
They test different things, so it depends on your background. Praxis 8002 rewards strong personal literacy skills. Praxis 8006 requires professional knowledge most people only get from literacy-instruction coursework — phonological awareness, structured literacy, and identifying reading difficulties. Candidates without teaching-of-reading training usually find Praxis 8006 harder.
Can I use the same study materials for both?
Only partially. General reading-comprehension practice transfers, but Praxis 8006's domains are about how to teach reading, which standard ELA prep does not cover. Use exam-specific materials for each test.