Praxis Steps, Explained: Modular Testing for the Elementary Education Fundamentals Tests
Praxis Steps is ETS’s modular testing approach for the new Elementary Education Fundamentals tests (8002–8006). Instead of sitting a full 100-minute subject test, you can take — or retake — a test one content category at a time, in smaller sections ETS calls “Steps.” Steps are available now for the 8002–8005 tests; 8006 follows in Spring 2027[2][3].
This page explains what Steps are, what they cost, when retaking a single Step makes sense, how your score report actually works — including a new 7-day reporting rule that took effect on September 12, 2026[3] — and the part most other guides skip: how to find out whether your state uses them at all.
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Praxis Steps at a Glance
| What it is | Modular testing built into the Elementary Education Fundamentals tests — take or retake one content category (“Step”) at a time[1][2] |
| Applies to | Elementary Education Fundamentals tests 8002–8005, available now; 8006 in Spring 2027[2][3][4] |
| How many Steps | 11 in total across 8002–8005: 2 for 8002, 3 each for 8003, 8004, and 8005[3][6] |
| Full test fee | $79.00[2][3] |
| Per-Step fee | $39.50[2][3] |
| Multi-test pricing | Buy any 3 of 8002–8005 in one order: $149.49 (save $87) · any 4: $199.52 (save $116)[6] |
| Free retakes | Free After 3 — after the same test or the same Step has been taken 3+ times, further retakes of it are free[2][3] |
| Retake policy | Same 28-day rule as other Praxis tests, with special full-test/Step interactions[3] |
| Score reporting | Official reports within 7 calendar days for 8002–8005 taken after September 12, 2026[3] |
| Delivery | At home or at a test center — same options as other Praxis tests[3] |
| Availability | Depends on your state. Steps appear on your State Requirements page only if your state has adopted them[2][3] |
| Replaces | Nothing — Steps are an additional way to take the same tests[2] |
What Praxis Steps Actually Is
The Elementary Education Fundamentals tests can be taken two ways[2][3]:
- The full test, in one sitting — the same single-appointment format as any Praxis subject test. This has been available since the new series launched on March 9, 2026.
- As Steps — each test’s official content categories become individually schedulable sections, each with its own test code. For example, Elementary Education Fundamentals: Mathematics (8003) can be taken as one 68-question test, or as three separate Steps: Numbers and Operations (8301), Algebraic Thinking (8302), and Geometry, Measurement, and Data (8303)[3][6].
Steps are not a different exam. The content, the scoring scale, and the qualifying scores your state sets are the same. What changes is the packaging: you demonstrate the same content knowledge in smaller, separately scheduled pieces, and ETS reports performance at the Step level — which means diagnostic feedback that points at the specific category where you struggled[1][3].
Four official mechanics matter in practice:
- Each Step is a separate appointment. You can order up to four tests or Steps in one transaction, but you cannot take multiple tests or Steps in a single sitting[2][3].
- Steps can be taken in any order. ETS does not require you to work through them sequentially — you can sequence them around your coursework or your comfort level[2].
- Steps have their own test codes. If your state has adopted Steps, your State Requirements page lists the individual Steps and their codes alongside the full test[2][3].
- You can mix paths. If you took a full test before Steps opened, you can still take individual Steps of that test afterwards[2][3].
One structural point that is easy to miss: the new series has no combined-test option. Unlike the old 5001 (Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects), there is no single appointment that covers all four elementary subjects — and no official exam that bundles them. If your state requires all four, you sit four separate appointments, whether as four full tests or as Steps[7].
What It Costs — and When Steps Actually Save You Money
The official pricing[2][3][6]:
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Full test (any of 8002–8006) | $79.00 |
| Individual Step | $39.50 |
| Any 3 of 8002–8005, single order | $149.49 (save $87) |
| Any 4 of 8002–8005, single order | $199.52 (save $116) |
ETS notes pricing may vary and special discounts may exist at times; your State Requirements page shows current pricing[2][3].
Two things worth knowing before you do this arithmetic yourself. First, the multi-test discount applies to a single order and is applied in the cart[6]. Second, Free After 3: once the same test or the same Step has been taken three or more times, further retakes of that same test or Step cost nothing[2][3]. That changes the retake math more than any discount does.
Here is the arithmetic ETS’s marketing glosses over. Using 8003 (three Steps) as the example, these are our calculations from the official fees above, not ETS figures:
| Scenario | Full-test path | Steps path |
|---|---|---|
| You pass everything on the first try | $79 | 3 × $39.50 = $118.50 |
| You fail one category, retake once | $79 + $79 = $158 | $118.50 + $39.50 = $158 |
| You fail two categories | $79 × 3 = $237 | $118.50 + (2 × $39.50) = $197.50 |
Read that honestly: if you expect to pass everything first try, the full test is $39.50 cheaper. Steps break even if you need one retake, and only win if you need two or more. The “save time and money” claim in ETS’s materials is real, but it is a retake argument, not a first-attempt argument[7].
Two things money does not capture:
- A failed Step is a shorter defeat. Retaking one category costs less preparation time and less test-day anxiety than re-sitting a full 100-minute test for a category you already passed[1][7].
- Passing Steps bank progress toward demonstrating the same content the full test covers — but how your state or program counts Step-based results toward licensure is set by them, not by ETS. That is the next section.
State Acceptance: The Question We Will Not Answer For You
Whether Praxis Steps count toward your license depends entirely on your state licensing agency or educator preparation program. ETS is explicit that Steps are adoption-dependent: individual Steps appear on your State Requirements page only after your state has adopted the tests with Steps[2][3].
What we have verified so far — and what we deliberately have not:
As of 2026-09-14, we have confirmed adoption for one state: West Virginia. Its ETS State Requirements page lists all 11 individual Steps with their own test codes and the $39.50 per-Step price, alongside the four full tests[6]. Per ETS’s own rule — Steps are shown only where adopted — that listing is the confirmation.
Here is exactly what West Virginia’s page showed when we checked it on 2026-09-14. It is worth reading closely, because it is the only worked example of Steps adoption we can currently show you:
| Full test (WV qualifying score) | Step code | Step name as listed | Step price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8002 Reading and Language Arts (152) | 8201 | Reading | $39.50 |
| 8002 Reading and Language Arts (152) | 8202 | Writing, Speaking, and Listening | $39.50 |
| 8003 Mathematics (152) | 8301 | Numbers and Operations | $39.50 |
| 8003 Mathematics (152) | 8302 | Algebraic Thinking | $39.50 |
| 8003 Mathematics (152) | 8303 | Geometry, Measurement, and Data | $39.50 |
| 8004 Social Studies (147) | 8401 | United States History, Government, Citizenship | $39.50 |
| 8004 Social Studies (147) | 8402 | Geography, Anthropology, Sociology | $39.50 |
| 8004 Social Studies (147) | 8403 | World History and Economics | $39.50 |
| 8005 Science (143) | 8501 | Earth and Space Sciences | $39.50 |
| 8005 Science (143) | 8502 | Life Sciences | $39.50 |
| 8005 Science (143) | 8503 | Physical Sciences | $39.50 |
We have not verified adoption for any other state. That is a deliberate gap, not an oversight: state requirement pages are rendered dynamically and adoption is still rolling out, so we will not publish an adoption claim we cannot show you a source for. A wrong answer here costs you a test fee, a 28-day waiting period, and possibly a certification deadline.
A detail that surprises most candidates: your state does not set a passing score for a Step. States set the qualifying score for the full test, and ETS derives the appropriate Passed / Not Passed status for each Step against that same standard. That is why Step listings often show a price and a code but no cut score[3].
How to check your own situation in about five minutes:
- Open your state’s ETS requirements page:
https://praxis.ets.org/state-requirements/<state>-tests.html. (State names are written as one word, no hyphen —westvirginia, notwest-virginia.) - Look for the Fundamentals test you need. If individual Steps are listed alongside the full test with their own test codes, your state has adopted Steps[2][3]. If only the full test appears, your state either has not adopted Steps or has not been added yet — in both cases, plan around the full test.
- If your program (not the state) sets your testing requirement, ask your program directly whether Step-based results are accepted. ETS’s infrastructure supports it; the acceptance decision is your program’s[2][3].
Every Steps adoption finding we have verified is listed on this page, and we add to it as adoption is confirmed. We do not treat a missing listing as proof of non-adoption: a state page that does not show individual Steps may simply not have been updated yet.
Retaking a Single Step: The Rules Nobody Else Explains
This is where the 28-day policy gets subtle, and where guessing wrong costs a month. All from ETS’s official Steps FAQ[2][3]:
- The standard Praxis retake rule applies: once every 28 days.
- Full test first? If you take the full test, you cannot take an individual Step of that same test until the 28-day period passes. So “I failed one category of the full test, let me just retake that piece next week” is not a thing — the 28-day clock applies.
- Step first? If you started with Steps, you can take the remaining Steps of that test in less than 28 days — but you may not take the full test until 28 days have passed since your last appointment.
- Practical reading: the 28-day rule protects against burning attempts, but it also means your path choice (full vs. Steps) partially locks in. Switching directions is possible; switching quickly is not.
Failing a Step does not automatically mean failing the test
This is the single most counterintuitive rule in the whole framework, and it is stated plainly in ETS’s candidate FAQ[2]:
If you do not pass one individual Step but pass the other Steps, you may pass the overall test.
Your Step results combine into the overall test score. A weak category can be offset by strong ones, and the composite — not any single Step — determines whether you pass against your state’s qualifying score[2][3].
ETS draws the practical conclusion for you: if you are working through a test one Step at a time and fall short on a particular Step, finish the remaining Steps before you retake that one. The composite result may already be a pass[2].
For reference, ETS’s wording on what a Step result even is: you receive raw points and a Passed / Not Passed status for a Step. A full official score report is only generated once all Steps in that test are complete[2][3].
If you miss by a little: Praxis Bridge
For states that adopted the Fundamentals tests with Praxis Bridge, a candidate who does not pass but lands within -1 SEM of the state’s passing score can take a Bridge module for the content category ETS identifies, instead of retaking the full test or a Step. Completing it updates the record to “Alt Passed” for the overall test[2][3]. Whether Bridge is available is a state-level adoption decision — check your state page.
Other mechanics worth knowing before you register[2][3]:
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Cancellation | Cancel 3+ full days before your appointment: 50% refund |
| Rescheduling | $40 fee, no later than 3 days before the appointment |
| Scheduling Protection | Optional, $25, when scheduling any full test or Step |
| Accommodations | Approved accommodations for the full test carry over to individual Steps |
| Free score recipients | Up to 4, selectable per Step; recipients carry across Steps of the same test |
| Additional Score Reports | $50 per recipient — but not purchasable for a Step until all Steps in the test are complete |
How Your Score Report Actually Works
This section exists because Step-based reporting is genuinely different from a normal Praxis result, and the differences show up on test day.
Faster reporting since September 12, 2026. If you take 8002–8005 — as a full test or as Steps — on or after September 12, 2026, ETS issues your official score report within 7 calendar days[3]. (Earlier candidates were on the longer standard cycle. If you tested before that date, the reporting schedule you were given at registration applies.)
On test day, you will not see a total score. If you choose to report scores at the end of a full test or a Step, the Unofficial Results screen shows raw points for each test category — but your Total Score displays as “NS” (No Score). This is expected behavior in the early period of the new tests: once ETS has collected sufficient data, candidates who take the full test in one sitting will see a total score on the unofficial screen[2][3].
Official reports are not issued Step by Step. You will see raw points and a Passed / Not Passed status for a Step in your Praxis account, but the official Test Taker Score Report is generated only after you complete all Steps in that test[2][3]. Your report then follows the same structure as other Praxis reports, except Section II (Your Highest Scores and Overall Passing Status) also breaks out results and passing status for each Step[3].
This has a downstream effect worth planning for. Because no official report exists until the test is complete, you cannot purchase an Additional Score Report for an in-progress Step — and if you share individual Step results with an educator preparation program, ETS advises that programs should not treat them as an official score[2][3]. If a program needs an official record, finish the test first.
Scores are retained for 10 years, though states may set their own limits on how long they accept a score for licensure[2][3].
Why 8006 Is Not Part of This Rollout
Praxis Steps cover 8002–8005 today. Teaching Reading (8006) follows in Spring 2027 — ETS’s program FAQ gives the more specific target of March 2027[1][2][3]. Until then, 8006 is taken only as a full test.
If your requirement is 8006, nothing on this page changes your timeline yet: one sitting, 80 questions, $79[5]. ETS has published an 8006 test-date-to-report-date schedule for the current cycle — for example, testing between August 31 and September 26, 2026 reports on October 16, 2026; February 1–20, 2027 reports on March 5, 2027[3]. See Praxis 8006 Teaching Reading for what that test covers.
Two other timing notes from the official FAQ:
- More tests are coming. ETS states that additional Praxis tests may be enabled with Steps later in 2026, to be announced in late 2026[2][3].
- The new tests replace the old series. The Elementary Education Fundamentals tests are designed to replace 5001 (Multiple Subjects), 7001, 5901, and 7811, which are targeted to retire in August 2028[3][7].
A Note on ETS’s Own Timeline Wording
We track ETS’s published dates closely, and they have moved:
- The partner brochure (© 2025) said the tests would launch “Spring 2026” — and they did, on March 9, 2026[7].
- Steps were first announced as “Summer 2026”[7]; the current official test pages say September 2026 for 8002–8005 and 2027 for 8006[3], and ETS’s Steps hub now describes the capability as available[1].
- For 8006 specifically, the current official FAQ wording is “Spring 2027”[2] with a targeted March 2027 date in the program FAQ[3].
Bottom line: for the tests and Steps alike, the official test pages are the current authority, and this page follows them. If you find a date here that contradicts an official test page, trust the test page and tell us.
FAQ
What is Praxis Steps?
Praxis Steps is ETS’s modular testing approach for the Elementary Education Fundamentals tests (8002–8006). It lets candidates take or retake one content category at a time as a separately scheduled “Step,” instead of the full test in one sitting[1][2].
How much does a Praxis Step cost?
An individual Step costs $39.50; a full Fundamentals test costs $79.00. Buying three of the 8002–8005 tests in one order costs $149.49; four costs $199.52. ETS notes pricing may vary — your State Requirements page shows current pricing[2][3][6].
When did Praxis Steps become available?
Steps are available now for 8002–8005. Registration for individual Steps is open for those four tests. Steps for 8006 (Teaching Reading) follow in Spring 2027[2][3].
Do I have to take the Steps in order?
No. ETS does not require sequential order — you can sequence Steps around your coursework or where you feel ready[2].
Can I retake just the Step I failed?
Yes — that is the core feature. The 28-day retake policy still applies, and its details matter: after taking a full test, you cannot take a Step of that same test for 28 days; after taking Steps, you cannot take the full test for 28 days (though remaining Steps of the same test are allowed sooner)[2][3].
If I fail one Step, have I failed the test?
Not necessarily. Step results combine into the overall test score, and a weak category can be offset by strong ones — ETS states that you may pass the overall test without passing every Step. If you fall short on one Step, finish the remaining Steps before deciding whether to retake it[2].
Do individual Steps have their own passing scores?
No. States set the qualifying score for the full test; ETS determines the Passed / Not Passed status for each Step against that same standard. That is why Step listings show a code and a price but typically no cut score[3].
How long until I get my scores?
For 8002–8005 taken on or after September 12, 2026, official score reports are issued within 7 calendar days. Note that the unofficial screen on test day shows raw points per category, with the Total Score displayed as “NS” (No Score)[2][3].
Does my state accept Praxis Steps?
That depends on your state or educator preparation program, and Steps appear on your State Requirements page only if your state has adopted them[2][3]. As of 2026-09-14 we have confirmed adoption for West Virginia only, and we do not publish unverified adoption claims. Check your state’s requirements page before registering.
Why can’t I take Steps for Praxis 8006?
ETS has scheduled Steps for 8006 in Spring 2027 (targeted March 2027). Until then, 8006 is available only as a full test[2][3].
Can I take a Praxis Step at home?
Yes. Full tests and individual Steps can be scheduled at home or at test centers, following the same rules and availability as other Praxis tests[2][3].
Is a Praxis Step a different test from the full 8002–8005?
No. Steps cover the same official content categories as the full test, on the same scoring scale. What differs is the packaging — smaller, separately scheduled sections with Step-level reporting[2][3].
Can I avoid retake fees if I keep failing?
Yes — Free After 3. Once the same test or the same Step has been taken three or more times, further retakes of that same test or Step are free[2][3].
Official Sources
Every factual claim above traces to one of these. Verification dates are shown because ETS updates test pages.
| # | Source | Link | Last verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ETS official Praxis Steps hub | praxis-steps.html | 2026-09-14 |
| 2 | ETS official FAQ for Teacher Candidates: Praxis Steps FAQ (12 pp) — availability wording, Step ordering, failure/composite rules, Free After 3, NS on unofficial results | praxis-steps-test-taker-faq.pdf | 2026-09-14 |
| 3 | ETS official FAQ for State Partners and EPPs: Elementary Education Fundamentals Tests and Praxis Steps (14 pp) — 7-day reporting rule, Step passing-status derivation, 8006 timing and reporting schedule, retirement dates | praxis-steps-epp-faq.pdf | 2026-09-14 |
| 4 | ETS official test page, Praxis 8002 (Steps availability wording applies to 8002–8005) | 8002 test page | 2026-09-14 |
| 5 | ETS official test page, Praxis 8006 (fee, 100 minutes, 80 questions) | 8006 test page | 2026-09-14 |
| 6 | ETS official state requirements page, West Virginia — lists all 11 Steps with codes and $39.50 price; source of the $149.49 / $199.52 single-order pricing and of the Step-name table above | West Virginia page | 2026-09-14 |
| 7 | ETS, The new Praxis Elementary Education Fundamentals tests (V5, © 2025) — “no combined test option,” Steps value framing, “shortly after launch” wording | Elementary-Education-V5.pdf (local archive: docs/sources/ets-elementary-education-fundamentals-brochure-V5-2025.pdf) | 2026-09-14 |
Notes on source limitations — read these before relying on the page:
- The cost-scenario table is our arithmetic, not an ETS figure. It combines only official per-item prices shown above, and does not model the multi-test bundle discount (which applies to whole tests, not Steps) or Free After 3.
- State Steps adoption: 1 state verified (West Virginia) as of 2026-09-14, against 11 Steps listed with codes on its state requirements page. No other state has been confirmed. A state page that does not list Steps is not evidence that the state has rejected them — only that we have not confirmed adoption.
- “Pricing may vary” is ETS’s own caveat[2][3]. The $79.00 / $39.50 figures and the $149.49 / $199.52 bundle prices are the published rates as of the verification date.
- Whether Step-passed results stack toward a licensure requirement is set by states/programs, not by ETS and not by us. We describe ETS’s mechanics only.
- The 7-day reporting rule has an effective date (September 12, 2026, for 8002–8005). Candidates who tested earlier are on the schedule given at their registration[3].