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Complete Guide · Updated 2026
The SLP Praxis exam — the ETS Praxis 5331, also called the SLP Praxis test — is the one national exam between a graduating SLP and their CCC-SLP. This guide covers every fact worth knowing about the ETS Praxis SLP test: format, content areas, passing score, timing, cost, retake policy, and how to prep efficiently. Written and maintained by practicing SLPs.
Everything the ETS website buries in 30 pages, in one table.
The SLP Praxis exam is the Praxis 5331: Speech-Language Pathology test, administered by Educational Testing Service (ETS). It's the national licensure exam for speech-language pathologists in the United States and satisfies both ASHA's CCC-SLP certification requirement and every US state's licensure exam requirement.
You'll see it referred to a few different ways — SLP Praxis, Praxis SLP, Praxis 5331, ETS 5331, ASHA Praxis — but they all point at the same 132-question, multiple-choice exam. If a study resource or state board mentions any of those names, they mean this test.
The 5331 replaced the older Praxis 0330 in September 2014. Any prep material referencing the 0330 is outdated. There is a separate Praxis 5372: Speech-Language Pathology Services in Schools exam, but it's not the license exam — see our 5331 vs. other Praxis tests guide if you're unsure which one you need.
ETS organizes all 132 questions into three weighted content areas. Every question maps to one of these — plan your study time proportionally.
Anatomy & physiology of the speech and hearing mechanisms, normal development across the lifespan, research design, ethics, ASHA scope of practice, and cultural/linguistic considerations.
Standardized and dynamic assessment, instrumental evaluations (MBSS, FEES, videostroboscopy), differential diagnosis across the ASHA Big 9, and interpreting standardized scores.
Evidence-based intervention selection, goal writing, data collection, dosage and intensity, discharge criteria, and multidisciplinary collaboration.
Want the full topic-by-topic breakdown? Read the deep dive →
162 on a 100–200 scale. That number is set by ASHA and every US state licensure board accepts it — there is no state that requires a higher score.
ETS uses equating, so raw scores (how many of the 132 you got right) are converted to a scaled score. As a rule of thumb, you need to get roughly 85–95 of the 132 questions correct to land at or above 162, depending on the difficulty of your specific form.
Use our Praxis score calculator to estimate a scaled score from your practice-test raw score, or read the full score-report walkthrough.
The candidates who pass on the first attempt tend to follow a predictable pattern. Most needed 6–10 weeks of structured review at 5–8 focused hours per week.
Read the three ETS content areas above and note which ones felt weakest in grad school. That's where you'll spend most of your time.
Take a timed practice test in Week 1 — not to score high, but to identify your weak content areas and pacing issues before you invest study hours.
Cranial nerves, aphasia matrix, motor speech, dysphagia stages, and Brown's morphemes together account for an outsized share of questions. These reward memorization.
The 5331 rewards clinical reasoning. Every day of study should include some question-bank practice with written rationales, not just re-reading notes.
Under timed conditions. If you score 165+, you're on track. If you score 155–161, you need a targeted final push on your weakest content area.
Want it as a week-by-week schedule? Use the 8-week study plan →
These show up on nearly every form of the 5331. Master them first.