A behavior checklist gives nearly the same score every time it is used, but the scores do not reflect the trait it claims to measure. How should the checklist be described?Wikipedia, "Reliability (statistics)", Difference from validity. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, I. Professional Practices (32%), A. Data-based Decision-Making.
A counselor from an outside agency asks the school psychologist for details from a student's file. Under NASP ethics standard I.2.4, with whom may confidential information be discussed?National Association of School Psychologists, The Professional Standards (2020), Principles for Professional Ethics, Standard I.2.4. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, I. Professional Practices (32%), B. Consultation and Collaboration.
A family that speaks Vietnamese will attend a feedback meeting. According to NASP ethics standard II.3.9, which interpreter should the school psychologist request?National Association of School Psychologists, The Professional Standards (2020), Principles for Professional Ethics, Standard II.3.9. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, I. Professional Practices (32%), B. Consultation and Collaboration.
A fourth-grade mathematics achievement test contains only addition items. Which kind of validity is most clearly weak?Wikipedia, "Content validity", lead section. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, I. Professional Practices (32%), A. Data-based Decision-Making.
Show all 63 questions (59 more)
Data, assessment and consultation, continued
A report gives a student's result as a z-score of -1.5. What does that say?Wikipedia, "Standard score", lead section. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, I. Professional Practices (32%), A. Data-based Decision-Making.
A student solves a set of unfamiliar matrix puzzles that draw on no school learning. In the theory of fluid and crystallized intelligence, which ability does this task mainly call on?Wikipedia, "Fluid and crystallized intelligence", lead section and History. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, I. Professional Practices (32%), A. Data-based Decision-Making.
A teacher asks the school psychologist for ideas about a student who calls out in class. Under NASP ethics standard I.1.1, when may this consultation go ahead without informed parental consent?National Association of School Psychologists, The Professional Standards (2020), Principles for Professional Ethics, Standard I.1.1. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, I. Professional Practices (32%), B. Consultation and Collaboration.
A team is about to conclude that a student did not respond to a reading intervention. Which data does the NASP practice model say to consider in every such decision?National Association of School Psychologists, The Professional Standards (2020), Practice Model, Domain 1. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, I. Professional Practices (32%), A. Data-based Decision-Making.
During a functional behavior assessment, the school psychologist records what happens just before each outburst and what follows it. What are these two kinds of events called?Wikipedia, "Functional behavior assessment", Definition. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, I. Professional Practices (32%), A. Data-based Decision-Making.
In a normal distribution, about what share of scores falls within two standard deviations of the mean?Wikipedia, "68–95–99.7 rule", lead section. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, I. Professional Practices (32%), A. Data-based Decision-Making.
In the NASP practice model, what do school psychologists use to plan, carry out and evaluate academic, mental health and behavioral health services?National Association of School Psychologists, The Professional Standards (2020), Practice Model, Domain 2. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, I. Professional Practices (32%), B. Consultation and Collaboration.
Measures of adaptive behavior typically sort skills into which three categories?Wikipedia, "Adaptive behavior", lead section. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, I. Professional Practices (32%), A. Data-based Decision-Making.
Researchers compare children's scores on a kindergarten screener with the same children's reading scores three years later. Which kind of validity are they studying?Wikipedia, "Criterion validity", lead section. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, I. Professional Practices (32%), A. Data-based Decision-Making.
The same rating scale is given to a class twice, two weeks apart, and the two sets of scores are compared. Which property is being estimated?Wikipedia, "Reliability (statistics)", Types. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, I. Professional Practices (32%), A. Data-based Decision-Making.
Two observers code the same videotaped lesson for on-task behavior, and their records are compared for agreement. Which property is being checked?Wikipedia, "Reliability (statistics)", Types. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, I. Professional Practices (32%), A. Data-based Decision-Making.
What does a score's percentile rank report?Wikipedia, "Percentile rank", lead section. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, I. Professional Practices (32%), A. Data-based Decision-Making.
When a new generation of children takes an older intelligence test, their average score is usually well above 100. What is this long rise in test scores called?Wikipedia, "Flynn effect", lead section. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, I. Professional Practices (32%), A. Data-based Decision-Making.
When a school psychologist uses a norm-referenced measure, what should its norms be, according to NASP ethics standard II.3.4?National Association of School Psychologists, The Professional Standards (2020), Principles for Professional Ethics, Standard II.3.4. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, I. Professional Practices (32%), A. Data-based Decision-Making.
Which kind of assessment is interactive and shows what a student can do with scaffolding as well as what the student has already mastered?Wikipedia, "Dynamic assessment", lead section. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, I. Professional Practices (32%), A. Data-based Decision-Making.
Which metric is typical of a curriculum-based measurement in reading?Wikipedia, "Curriculum-based measurement", history sections. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, I. Professional Practices (32%), A. Data-based Decision-Making.
Which pair of tasks does the theory of fluid and crystallized intelligence give as measures of crystallized intelligence?Wikipedia, "Fluid and crystallized intelligence", History. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, I. Professional Practices (32%), A. Data-based Decision-Making.
Student-level services 13
A counselor asks a student to imagine that the problem was solved overnight and to describe the first signs she would notice. Which approach uses this "miracle question"?Wikipedia, "Solution-focused brief therapy", questions. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, II. Student-Level Services (23%), B. Mental and Behavioral Health Services.
A program that is trauma-informed realizes the impact of trauma, recognizes its signs and responds by building that knowledge into its practices. What else does SAMHSA say it seeks to do?SAMHSA, Trauma-Informed Approaches and Programs, What is a trauma-informed approach?. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, II. Student-Level Services (23%), B. Mental and Behavioral Health Services.
A student plans how to study, checks her own progress against a standard and changes strategy when it is not working. What is this called?Wikipedia, "Self-regulated learning", lead section. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, II. Student-Level Services (23%), A. Academic Interventions and Instructional Support.
A student's joking has been kept going by classmates' laughter. The plan is to stop the laughter from following the jokes. Which behavioral procedure is this?Wikipedia, "Applied behavior analysis", Extinction. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, II. Student-Level Services (23%), B. Mental and Behavioral Health Services.
A teacher lets students skip the homework review once they have turned in three assignments in a row, and on-time work goes up. Taking away something unwanted to strengthen a behavior is called what?Wikipedia, "Reinforcement", lead section. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, II. Student-Level Services (23%), B. Mental and Behavioral Health Services.
A tutor models the first step of a long division problem, prompts the second, then withdraws help as the student takes over. What is this tailored, temporary support called?Wikipedia, "Instructional scaffolding", lead section. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, II. Student-Level Services (23%), A. Academic Interventions and Instructional Support.
According to the National Center on Intensive Intervention, which student is DBI intended to help?National Center on Intensive Intervention, What is Data-Based Individualization?, Who needs DBI?. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, II. Student-Level Services (23%), A. Academic Interventions and Instructional Support.
How does the National Center on Intensive Intervention describe data-based individualization (DBI)?National Center on Intensive Intervention, What is Data-Based Individualization?, What is DBI?. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, II. Student-Level Services (23%), A. Academic Interventions and Instructional Support.
Students earn points for target behaviors and trade them on Friday for chosen rewards. What is this system called?Wikipedia, "Token economy", lead section. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, II. Student-Level Services (23%), B. Mental and Behavioral Health Services.
Which counseling approach focuses on challenging and changing cognitive distortions and the behaviors tied to them?Wikipedia, "Cognitive behavioral therapy", lead section. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, II. Student-Level Services (23%), B. Mental and Behavioral Health Services.
Which feature separates cooperative learning from simply seating students in groups?Wikipedia, "Cooperative learning", lead section. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, II. Student-Level Services (23%), A. Academic Interventions and Instructional Support.
Which practice does Recommendation 2 of the IES guide on using student achievement data name?IES practice guide, Using Student Achievement Data to Support Instructional Decision Making (2009), Recommendations 1 and 2. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, II. Student-Level Services (23%), A. Academic Interventions and Instructional Support.
Which term, popularized by Carl Rogers, names accepting and supporting a person whatever they say or do?Wikipedia, "Unconditional positive regard", lead section. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, II. Student-Level Services (23%), B. Mental and Behavioral Health Services.
Systems-level services 12
According to the Center on PBIS, Tier 1 support should enable about what share of students to experience success?Center on PBIS, Tiered Framework, Tier 1. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, III. Systems-Level Services (20%), A. Schoolwide Practices to Promote Learning.
At most schools, about what share of students need Tier 3 support, according to the Center on PBIS?Center on PBIS, Tiered Framework, Tier 3. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, III. Systems-Level Services (20%), A. Schoolwide Practices to Promote Learning.
In Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, which system holds the links between a child's family and the child's teachers?Wikipedia, "Ecological systems theory", The five systems. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, III. Systems-Level Services (20%), C. Family-School Collaboration.
In the IES dropout prevention guide, which students does Recommendation 2 single out for intensive, individualized support?IES practice guide, Preventing Dropout in Secondary Schools (2017), Recommendation 2. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, III. Systems-Level Services (20%), A. Schoolwide Practices to Promote Learning.
In the NASP practice model, Domain 7 concerns collaboration among family, school and community. Which knowledge base does it name?National Association of School Psychologists, The Professional Standards (2020), Practice Model, Domain 7. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, III. Systems-Level Services (20%), C. Family-School Collaboration.
In the Secret Service guide to school threat assessment, what is the first step of a targeted violence prevention plan?U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center, Enhancing School Safety Using a Threat Assessment Model (2018), Steps 1 to 3. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, III. Systems-Level Services (20%), B. Safe and Supportive Schools.
The NASP practice model lists five parts of school crisis work. Prevention, protection, mitigation and response are four. What is the fifth?National Association of School Psychologists, The Professional Standards (2020), Practice Model, Domain 6. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, III. Systems-Level Services (20%), B. Safe and Supportive Schools.
Recommendation 1 of the IES dropout prevention guide says to monitor the progress of all students. Early signs of problems in which three areas should prompt action?IES practice guide, Preventing Dropout in Secondary Schools (2017), Recommendation 1. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, III. Systems-Level Services (20%), A. Schoolwide Practices to Promote Learning.
Recommendation 5 of the IES guide on reducing behavior problems says to address schoolwide behavior issues by involving which group?IES practice guide, Reducing Behavior Problems in the Elementary School Classroom (2008), Recommendation 5. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, III. Systems-Level Services (20%), A. Schoolwide Practices to Promote Learning.
What does Recommendation 1 of the IES guide on response to intervention in mathematics tell schools to do first?IES practice guide, Assisting Students Struggling with Mathematics: Response to Intervention for Elementary and Middle Schools (2009), Recommendation 1. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, III. Systems-Level Services (20%), A. Schoolwide Practices to Promote Learning.
What ratio does the NASP practice model say school psychologist staffing should not exceed?National Association of School Psychologists, The Professional Standards (2020), Practice Model, organizational principles. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, III. Systems-Level Services (20%), A. Schoolwide Practices to Promote Learning.
Which decision does Step 4 of the Secret Service school threat assessment guide ask a school to make in advance?U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center, Enhancing School Safety Using a Threat Assessment Model (2018), Steps 4 and 5. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, III. Systems-Level Services (20%), B. Safe and Supportive Schools.
Law, ethics and research 17
A parent asks to see the answers her child gave on a test, which are written on the test protocol. What does NASP ethics standard II.4.5 say?National Association of School Psychologists, The Professional Standards (2020), Principles for Professional Ethics, Standard II.4.5. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, IV. Foundations (25%), C. Legal, Ethical, and Professional Practice.
A school psychologist keeps private notes as a memory aid and shows them to no one. How do the FERPA regulations treat such notes?34 CFR Part 99 (FERPA regulations), section 99.3, education records. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, IV. Foundations (25%), C. Legal, Ethical, and Professional Practice.
A school psychologist measures a behavior during baseline, during an intervention and again after the intervention is withdrawn. Which single-subject design is this?Wikipedia, "Single-subject design", Reversal design. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, IV. Foundations (25%), B. Research and Evidence-Based Practice.
A school psychologist suspects that a colleague in the same field has acted unethically. What does NASP ethics standard IV.3.2 say to try first, if feasible?National Association of School Psychologists, The Professional Standards (2020), Principles for Professional Ethics, Standard IV.3.2. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, IV. Foundations (25%), C. Legal, Ethical, and Professional Practice.
A study can rule out other explanations for its result, so the claim that the program caused the gain is well supported. Which property does the study have?Wikipedia, "Internal validity", lead section. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, IV. Foundations (25%), B. Research and Evidence-Based Practice.
A team holds a manifestation determination. Besides a failure to implement the IEP, which finding makes the conduct a manifestation of the disability under 34 CFR 300.530(e)?34 CFR Part 300 (IDEA Part B regulations), section 300.530(e)(1). Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, IV. Foundations (25%), C. Legal, Ethical, and Professional Practice.
An intervention is started with one student, then two weeks later with a second and later with a third, and the three graphs are compared. Which design is this?Wikipedia, "Multiple baseline design", lead section. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, IV. Foundations (25%), B. Research and Evidence-Based Practice.
Before a disability label is considered, what does NASP ethics standard II.3.1 say must be considered first?National Association of School Psychologists, The Professional Standards (2020), Principles for Professional Ethics, Standard II.3.1. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, IV. Foundations (25%), A. Equitable Practices.
In Board of Education v. Rowley (1982), what did the Supreme Court say about maximizing each child's potential?Board of Education v. Rowley, 458 U.S. 176 (1982), text at the Legal Information Institute, syllabus and opinion. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, IV. Foundations (25%), C. Legal, Ethical, and Professional Practice.
Reviewers say that a study of a reading program has weak external validity. What do they mean?Wikipedia, "External validity", lead section. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, IV. Foundations (25%), B. Research and Evidence-Based Practice.
Under NASP ethics standard I.1.4, when is it ethically permissible to provide a service without a minor student's assent?National Association of School Psychologists, The Professional Standards (2020), Principles for Professional Ethics, Standard I.1.4. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, IV. Foundations (25%), C. Legal, Ethical, and Professional Practice.
Under the Section 504 regulations, who must make a placement decision?34 CFR Part 104 (Section 504 regulations), section 104.35(c). Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, IV. Foundations (25%), C. Legal, Ethical, and Professional Practice.
What did the court hold in Larry P. v. Riles?Wikipedia, "Larry P. v. Riles", lead section. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, IV. Foundations (25%), A. Equitable Practices.
What feature of a randomized controlled trial gives statistical control over influences the researchers cannot directly control?Wikipedia, "Randomized controlled trial", lead section. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, IV. Foundations (25%), B. Research and Evidence-Based Practice.
What standard did the Supreme Court set for an IEP in Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District (2017)?Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District RE-1, 580 U.S. 386 (2017), syllabus. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, IV. Foundations (25%), C. Legal, Ethical, and Professional Practice.
When should a school psychologist explain the boundaries of confidentiality to a student, according to NASP ethics standard I.2.2?National Association of School Psychologists, The Professional Standards (2020), Principles for Professional Ethics, Standard I.2.2. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, IV. Foundations (25%), C. Legal, Ethical, and Professional Practice.
Which of these is one of the four broad themes of the NASP Principles for Professional Ethics (2020)?National Association of School Psychologists, The Professional Standards (2020), Principles for Professional Ethics, Broad Themes I to IV. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis 5403, IV. Foundations (25%), C. Legal, Ethical, and Professional Practice.
How this list was compiled: Our own questions, written to the content topics of the ETS Study Companion for Praxis School Psychologist (5403) (https://praxis.ets.org/on/demandware.static/-/Library-Sites-ets-praxisLibrary/default/pdfs/5403.pdf, read 2026-10-09; test page https://praxis.ets.org/test/5403.html): Professional Practices that Permeate All Aspects of Service Delivery 32%, Direct and Indirect Services for Children, Families, and Schools (Student-Level Services) 23%, the same (Systems-Level Services) 20%, Foundations of School Psychological Service Delivery 25%. The bank holds 21, 13, 12 and 17 questions. Every fact was read on 2026-10-09 in the public document the question names: The Professional Standards of the National Association of School Psychologists (2020), which hold the practice model and the Principles for Professional Ethics (nasponline.org); the IDEA, Section 504 and FERPA regulations (34 CFR Parts 300, 104 and 99, ecfr.gov, current on 2026-10-07); the Supreme Court opinions in Rowley and Endrew F.; four practice guides of the Institute of Education Sciences (ies.ed.gov); the Center on PBIS; the National Center on Intensive Intervention; SAMHSA; the school threat assessment guide of the U.S. Secret Service; and 28 Wikipedia articles for measurement, research design, behavior and counseling terms. Licence: Questions, choices and explanations are original work of this site.
How it works
ETS lists its school psychology test today as School Psychologist (5403), so this free Praxis 5402 practice test follows that outline: 63 questions of our own, each with its source. Unofficial practice, not affiliated with ETS.
Read the full guide
What the test covers
ETS groups 5403 in four categories, by the Study Companion read October 9, 2026: professional practices that permeate all service delivery (32%), student-level services (23%), systems-level services (20%) and foundations of school psychological service delivery (25%). You get 21, 13, 12 and 17 questions here.
Timing
Exam mode runs 63 questions against a 63-minute clock, the pace of the real test.
Where the answers come from
Ethics and practice answers give the standard or domain in the 2020 Professional Standards of the National Association of School Psychologists. Law answers give the regulation or the court opinion. Score, research and counseling terms cite a Wikipedia article.
ETS bases the test on the 2020 practice model of the National Association of School Psychologists and assumes some supervised practicum or internship.
Ten domains sit under the four categories, from data-based decision making (Domain 1) to legal, ethical and professional practice (Domain 10).
Questions and answers
Is Praxis 5402 the same test as 5403?
No, the two codes are separate. On October 9, 2026 the ETS site had no test page for 5402, and its old Study Companion described 140 questions. The school psychologist test listed now is 5403, with 125. Ask your state agency which code it accepts.
Is this the real Praxis school psychologist exam?
No. These questions were written for this site from the content topics that ETS publishes for 5403. Nothing comes from a real test or from ETS sample questions, in the same or other words, and your result here says nothing about a real score.
How many questions are on the Praxis school psychologist test?
School Psychologist (5403) has 125 selected-response questions in 2 hours 5 minutes, given on a computer. ETS says it may include questions that do not count in your score.
What score do I need on the Praxis school psychologist test?
That depends on who will license you. ETS leaves passing scores to states and licensing agencies, and they differ. A timed round on this page reports how many you got right, without a verdict.