Praxis vs. edTPA for SLPs

If you are heading into a school setting, you may run into the edTPA alongside the Praxis 5331. They test entirely different things in entirely different ways, and only one of them is a licensure requirement for speech-language pathologists.

What each one is

• Praxis 5331 — a computer-delivered, multiple-choice knowledge exam of 132 selected-response items over 150 minutes, scored 100–200 with 162 as the near-universal qualifying score. It is the exam ASHA and state boards require.
• edTPA — a portfolio-based performance assessment. You submit lesson plans, unannotated video of yourself teaching, student work samples, and written commentaries, scored by trained raters against rubrics. It is a teacher-preparation requirement adopted by some states and programs.

Who actually has to take edTPA

SLPs are only pulled into edTPA when the credential they are seeking is an education credential rather than a health-board license — for example, a speech-language pathology services credential issued through a state department of education, or a program that certifies SLPs through a teacher-preparation pathway. Many states that once mandated edTPA have since made it optional or dropped it. Your program's certification officer is the authoritative source; the exam requirement is program- and state-specific in a way the Praxis is not.

How preparing for each differs

Praxis prep is a content and pacing problem: cover the nine ASHA areas, drill exam-format scenario questions, learn to triage items under about 68 seconds each, and re-drill the domains you miss. edTPA prep is a documentation problem: plan a coherent learning segment, capture clean video, and write commentaries that explicitly cite the rubric language and your evidence. Practice questions do nothing for edTPA; rubric-aligned writing does nothing for the Praxis.

Timing them together

1. Take the Praxis 5331 as early as your program allows — scores gate your CF license and your job start date.
2. Schedule edTPA submission around your placement, since it requires real students and real video.
3. Never stack an edTPA submission deadline in the same week as your Praxis date. One is a sprint; the other is a production.

Cost

The Praxis 5331 is $146 with four free score recipients. edTPA submission fees are typically higher, and retakes are billed per task rather than for the whole portfolio. Factor both into your total cost of becoming an SLP.

What if you only take one?

Skipping the Praxis is not an option if you want a state license or the CCC-SLP — see whether the Praxis is required. Skipping edTPA is only viable if your state and program do not require it for the specific credential you are pursuing. Verify in writing before you assume.

Bottom line

The Praxis 5331 measures whether you know the profession; edTPA measures whether you can document your teaching. Prioritize the Praxis — it is the credential that travels with you to every state and every setting.