How Long Is the SLP Praxis Exam? Timing, Questions, and Pacing

The short answer: the SLP Praxis (test code 5331) gives you 2 hours and 30 minutes of testing time to answer 132 questions across three content categories. Plan on being at the test center or in front of your camera for closer to 3 to 3.5 hours total once you factor in check-in, the tutorial, and optional breaks.

Timing at a glance

Pacing: how much time per question?

150 minutes divided by 132 questions is 68 seconds per question. In practice you should aim for about 55 seconds on quick recall items (cranial nerves, Brown's morphemes, milestones) and bank the extra time for the 3–5 sentence clinical scenarios that dominate the intervention section. Most candidates who run out of time do it in the last 20 questions because they spent 2+ minutes on early scenario items.

My rule of thumb

• Question 33 (¼ done): you should be at ~38 min.
• Question 66 (½ done): ~75 min.
• Question 99 (¾ done): ~113 min.
• If you're 5+ min behind at any checkpoint, mark and move on aggressively.

Are there breaks?

No scheduled break. Unlike some longer Praxis tests (e.g. the Core Combined), the 5331 does not include a mid-test scheduled break. You can raise your hand for an unscheduled restroom break, but the clock keeps running. Eat, hydrate (a little), and use the restroom in the check-in window.

What about the at-home test?

The at-home version of the 5331 runs the same 150-minute clock. The difference is check-in: the ProctorU room-scan process typically adds 20–40 minutes on top of what you'd spend at a test center, and any tech troubleshooting comes out of your day but not your testing clock. See our full at-home Praxis SLP guide for the setup checklist.

How many questions again?

132 selected-response questions. Roughly 15 of them are unscored pretest items that ETS mixes in to trial new questions — you can't identify which they are, so treat all 132 as scored. The breakdown by content category:

• Foundations — ~40% (~53 questions)
• Screening, Assessment, Evaluation, Planning, Ethics — ~28% (~37 questions)
• Intervention — ~32% (~42 questions)

Full breakdown in our content areas guide.

What if I finish early?

You can end the section early, but I don't recommend it. Every candidate who has time to spare should use it to revisit marked questions. Two rules for review time:

1. Only change an answer if you can articulate why."It just feels wrong" is not a reason. First-instinct answers on the 5331 are right more often than they're wrong.
2. Prioritize scenario items over recall items. If you didn't know a cranial nerve the first time, you don't know it now. Scenario items reward a second, calmer read.

Does the at-home version take longer?

Only the parts that are not on the clock. The 150-minute timer is identical, but ProctorU check-in, ID capture, and the 360-degree room scan add roughly 20 to 40 minutes before you ever see question one, and a tech failure can stretch that further. Test-center candidates who arrive 30 minutes early usually start sooner than at-home candidates who log in 15 minutes early.

How long does it take to get your scores?

You get an unofficial score preview on screen the moment you submit, so you walk out knowing whether you cleared the 162 cut score. Official scores post to your ETS account and go to your designated recipients on your test window's reporting date, generally 10 to 16 days after you test. State boards then add their own processing time on top of that, which is why registering for an early test date matters more than most candidates realize.

How long should you study before test day?

Different question, same planning problem. Most candidates who pass on the first attempt spend 6 to 8 weeks at 6 to 10 hours per week, front-loading content review and shifting to timed question blocks in the final three weeks. If you have four weeks, the 4-week plan compresses the same sequence; with eight, use the 8-week plan. The non-negotiable in either case is at least one full-length, 150-minute timed run before test day — pacing is a skill you cannot learn from untimed practice.

How the 5331 compares to other Praxis tests

The 5331 is one of the shorter Praxis tests in seat time, but it has one of the tighter per-question budgets because so many items are multi-sentence clinical scenarios rather than one-line recall.

Practice the clock, not just the content

Reading about 68 seconds per question does nothing for your pacing. Do a timed set today: our free 15-question practice test takes about 17 minutes at exam pace, and the question of the day keeps the habit alive between longer sessions.