A student comes late to a team meeting. Her teammates decide she is lazy and never ask about her bus. Which error of perception is this?Wikipedia, "Fundamental attribution error". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), I. Communication Fundamentals (11%), D. communication process: perception, self-concept, self-disclosure.
A student says "Great idea" in a flat, drawn-out voice, and the class hears sarcasm. Which part of the message changed its meaning?Wikipedia, "Paralanguage". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), I. Communication Fundamentals (11%), A. verbal and nonverbal messages.
A teacher notices that her students stand at very different distances from a partner while they talk. Which field studies this use of space?Communication in Practice (University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing), Eight Forms of Nonverbal Communication. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), I. Communication Fundamentals (11%), A. verbal and nonverbal messages.
Classmates all notice that a speaker says "um" before each sentence, but the speaker has no idea. In the Johari window, which quadrant holds this habit?Wikipedia, "Johari window". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), I. Communication Fundamentals (11%), D. communication process: perception, self-concept, self-disclosure.
In the Shannon–Weaver model a source produces a message. Which part of the model turns the message into a signal?Wikipedia, "Shannon–Weaver model". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), I. Communication Fundamentals (11%), C. elements of communication and their definitions.
Which response shows the active listening technique of paraphrasing?Wikipedia, "Active listening". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), I. Communication Fundamentals (11%), B. effective listening behaviors.
Show all 52 questions (46 more)
Interpersonal communication 6
A couple wants both time together and time apart and keeps reworking the balance. Which theory treats such pulls between contrary tendencies as part of close relationships?Wikipedia, "Relational dialectics". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), II. Interpersonal Communication (13%), F. communication processes in different types of relationships.
A manager is puzzled that her new colleagues rarely say "no" outright and expect her to read pauses, tone and facial expression. Which kind of culture does their style suggest?Communication in Practice (University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing), Differences in Language: Directness vs. Indirectness. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), II. Interpersonal Communication (13%), D. effect of gender and culture.
In Knapp's relational development model, which stage puts the relationship on public display, often through marriage or another public contract?Wikipedia, "Knapp's relational development model". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), II. Interpersonal Communication (13%), F. communication processes in different types of relationships.
Two new roommates begin with safe topics such as classes and music. Over months they come to share fears and family troubles. Which theory describes this movement?Wikipedia, "Social penetration theory". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), II. Interpersonal Communication (13%), C. goals, skills and outcomes of interpersonal communication.
Which sentence is an I-statement?Communication in Practice (University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing), What Helps to Resolve Conflict. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), II. Interpersonal Communication (13%), E. emotional and relational messages.
Which theory, set out by Berger and Calabrese in 1975, looks specifically at the first interaction between strangers?Wikipedia, "Uncertainty reduction theory". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), II. Interpersonal Communication (13%), A. interpersonal and intrapersonal elements of the communication process.
Group communication 8
A close student council, eager to stay friendly, approves a risky budget. Several members had private doubts and nobody spoke. What is this called?Communication in Practice (University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing), When Decision-Making Goes Wrong. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), III. Group Communication (13%), B. problem solving and decision making.
A club adviser hands every decision to the members and stays out of their way. Which leadership style, described by Lewin, Lippitt and White, is this?Wikipedia, "Leadership style". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), III. Group Communication (13%), C. group roles and functions.
A new committee has begun to voice opinions, and members clash as power and status are worked out. Which of Tuckman's stages is this?Wikipedia, "Tuckman's stages of group development". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), III. Group Communication (13%), F. group communication processes.
A teammate pushes her own plan hard and shows no concern for how this affects her relationships with the others. Which conflict style is this?Communication in Practice (University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing), Conflict Styles. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), III. Group Communication (13%), D. conflict management and mediation.
Four students share one grade for a project, and one of them works far less hard than she does on solo assignments. What is this called?Wikipedia, "Social loafing". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), III. Group Communication (13%), C. group roles and functions.
In a culture with a high power distance index, how are the less powerful members of a group most likely to treat a leader's authority?Wikipedia, "Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), III. Group Communication (13%), E. effect of culture on leadership.
Two officers of a debate team cannot settle a dispute, so a neutral teacher helps them negotiate a settlement. What is this process?Wikipedia, "Mediation". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), III. Group Communication (13%), D. conflict management and mediation.
Which practice belongs to the nominal group technique?Wikipedia, "Nominal group technique". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), III. Group Communication (13%), B. problem solving and decision making.
Public speaking 10
A council member proposes one bike lane downtown. An opponent answers, "She wants to ban every car from the city." Which fallacy is the answer?Communication in Practice (University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing), Logic. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), IV. Public Speaking (18%), K. argument in public speaking settings.
A dentist opens a talk on gum disease by describing her twenty years in practice. Which appeal is she building?Wikipedia, "Modes of persuasion". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), IV. Public Speaking (18%), K. argument in public speaking settings.
A novice speaker keeps her voice within a narrow band, never going high or low. Which element of vocal delivery should she widen?Communication in Practice (University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing), Vocal Delivery. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), IV. Public Speaking (18%), H. components of delivery: voice and diction, pronunciation, movement.
A speaker can gather three levels of information about an audience. Which level matters most for truly understanding listeners and is also the hardest to discover?Communication in Practice (University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing), Levels of Audience Information: Demographics, Experiences, and Attitudes. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), IV. Public Speaking (18%), B. audience analysis.
A speaker has just shown the audience that litter in the town park is a serious problem. In Monroe's motivated sequence, which step comes next and offers a solution?Wikipedia, "Monroe's motivated sequence". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), IV. Public Speaking (18%), C. strategies for organizing content.
A speaker wants every phrase worked out in advance, so she writes the whole speech and reads it word for word. Which delivery style is this?Communication in Practice (University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing), Delivery Modes. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), IV. Public Speaking (18%), E. effective delivery.
In the model of the rhetorical situation that Lloyd Bitzer introduced, a critic studies an issue, an audience and what else?Wikipedia, "Rhetorical situation". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), IV. Public Speaking (18%), I. criticism and evaluation of speeches; rhetorical criticism.
"Maya was born in this state, so she qualifies for resident tuition, since anyone born here qualifies." In Toulmin's model, what is "anyone born here qualifies"?Communication in Practice (University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing), The Parts of an Argument. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), IV. Public Speaking (18%), K. argument in public speaking settings.
"Test scores rose after the school put in new lights, so the lights raised the scores." Which fallacy is this?Communication in Practice (University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing), Logic. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), IV. Public Speaking (18%), K. argument in public speaking settings.
"We will listen. We will learn. We will lead." Which rhetorical device does the speaker use?Wikipedia, "Anaphora (rhetoric)". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), IV. Public Speaking (18%), D. style and use of language.
Media and their influences 6
A news director picks eight of the sixty stories on offer for the evening newscast. In the study of media, what is a person in this position called?Communication in Practice (University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing), A Brief History of Media. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), V. Media and Their Influences (13%), D. environmental influences that affect the media industry.
A radio station broadcasts a message by one candidate for mayor. What does the equal-time rule then require of the station?Wikipedia, "Equal-time rule". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), V. Media and Their Influences (13%), B. influence on audiences: programming, commercials, political process.
A study finds that people who watch many hours of crime drama rate their own town as far more dangerous than its records show. Which theory predicts this?Wikipedia, "Cultivation theory". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), V. Media and Their Influences (13%), B. influence on audiences: programming, commercials, political process.
For a month the local stations lead every newscast with water quality, and residents begin to name it as the town's top problem. Which theory describes this influence?Wikipedia, "Agenda-setting theory". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), V. Media and Their Influences (13%), B. influence on audiences: programming, commercials, political process.
In a televised interview the camera tightly frames the guest's face. Which type of shot is this?Wikipedia, "Close-up". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), V. Media and Their Influences (13%), C. production techniques; communication technologies.
Which theory treats audiences as choosers who seek out media to meet needs of their own, such as company, information or escape?Wikipedia, "Uses and gratifications theory". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), V. Media and Their Influences (13%), A. critical analysis and evaluation of media forms.
Oral interpretation and performance 5
A class records planned interviews with residents who lived through a flood in the town, then studies the recordings. Which form of work is this?Wikipedia, "Oral history". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), VI. Oral Interpretation and Performance Studies (11%), E. readers' theater, storytelling, folklore, oral history and creative dramatics.
Five students present a story as a dramatic reading. They hold scripts and use no costumes, props, scenery or special lighting. Which form is this?Wikipedia, "Reader's theatre". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), VI. Oral Interpretation and Performance Studies (11%), E. readers' theater, storytelling, folklore, oral history and creative dramatics.
In the National Speech & Debate Association's Dramatic Interpretation, what does a performer use to bring a published piece of serious literature to life?National Speech & Debate Association, Competition Events, Dramatic Interpretation. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), VI. Oral Interpretation and Performance Studies (11%), C. principles of acting and performance techniques.
In the three-act structure, what does the first act do?Wikipedia, "Dramatic structure". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), VI. Oral Interpretation and Performance Studies (11%), D. dramatic theory and criticism: forms, styles, structures.
Which term names a monologue in which a character, typically alone on stage, voices private thoughts for the audience to hear?Wikipedia, "Soliloquy". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), VI. Oral Interpretation and Performance Studies (11%), D. dramatic theory and criticism: forms, styles, structures.
Competitive speech and debate 6
In the National Speech & Debate Association's Policy Debate, how long does one topic stay in use?National Speech & Debate Association, Competition Events, Policy Debate. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), VII. Forensics: Competitive Speech and Debate (11%), D. argumentation and debate.
In the National Speech & Debate Association's Public Forum Debate, what is "crossfire"?National Speech & Debate Association, Competition Events, Public Forum Debate. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), VII. Forensics: Competitive Speech and Debate (11%), D. argumentation and debate.
In the National Speech & Debate Association's United States Extemporaneous Speaking, how long does a student have to prepare after choosing a question?National Speech & Debate Association, Competition Events, Extemporaneous Speaking. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), VII. Forensics: Competitive Speech and Debate (11%), A. individual events: public address, interpretation, extemporaneous speaking, oratory.
What sets Duo Interpretation apart from other events of the National Speech & Debate Association?National Speech & Debate Association, Competition Events, Duo Interpretation. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), VII. Forensics: Competitive Speech and Debate (11%), A. individual events: public address, interpretation, extemporaneous speaking, oratory.
Which description fits an Original Oratory entry in the National Speech & Debate Association?National Speech & Debate Association, Competition Events, Original Oratory. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), VII. Forensics: Competitive Speech and Debate (11%), B. writing and/or performing individual events.
Which National Speech & Debate Association event is a one-on-one debate on questions of morality, philosophy and justice?National Speech & Debate Association, Competition Events, Lincoln-Douglas Debate. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), VII. Forensics: Competitive Speech and Debate (11%), D. argumentation and debate.
Assessment and evaluation 5
A speech rubric gives separate scores for organization, delivery, evidence and language. Which type of rubric is it?Wikipedia, "Rubric (academic)". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), VIII. Assessment and Evaluation Issues (10%), B. assessment techniques for oral performance: rubrics.
A teacher has each student give an ungraded one-minute practice introduction and comments on it before the graded speech. Which kind of assessment is the practice round?Carnegie Mellon University, Eberly Center, What is the difference between formative and summative assessment?. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), VIII. Assessment and Evaluation Issues (10%), A. teacher responsibility: promptness of feedback.
Classmates fill in the teacher's critique form for each speaker, scoring against the teacher's benchmarks. Which practice is this?Wikipedia, "Peer assessment". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), VIII. Assessment and Evaluation Issues (10%), B. assessment techniques for oral performance: written and oral critiques.
In a rubric, what do the performance levels provide?Carnegie Mellon University, Eberly Center, Grading and Performance Rubrics. Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), VIII. Assessment and Evaluation Issues (10%), B. assessment techniques for oral performance: rubrics.
Two trained judges score the same recorded speech with the same rubric and come out far apart. Which quality of the assessment is in doubt?Wikipedia, "Reliability (statistics)". Outline: ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication (5221), VIII. Assessment and Evaluation Issues (10%), A. teacher responsibility: objective assessment of performance.
How this list was compiled: Our own questions, written to the content topics of the ETS Study Companion for Praxis Speech Communication: Content Knowledge (5221) (https://www.ets.org/pdfs/praxis/5221.pdf, read 2026-10-13; test page https://praxis.ets.org/test/5221.html): eight content categories, Communication Fundamentals 11%, Interpersonal Communication 13%, Group Communication 13%, Public Speaking 18%, Media and Their Influences 13%, Oral Interpretation and Performance Studies 11%, Forensics: Competitive Speech and Debate 11%, Assessment and Evaluation Issues 10%. The bank holds 6, 6, 8, 10, 6, 5, 6 and 5 questions. Every fact was read on 2026-10-13 on the public page the question names: Wikipedia articles on the theories and terms, the open textbook Communication in Practice (University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing, open.lib.umn.edu/commpractice), the event pages of the National Speech & Debate Association (speechanddebate.org) and the assessment pages of the Eberly Center at Carnegie Mellon University (cmu.edu/teaching). Licence: Questions, choices and explanations are original work of this site.
How it works
These free Praxis Speech Communication practice tests draw on 52 questions of our own, spread over the eight content categories of test 5221 as ETS weights them. They are unofficial and not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by ETS.
Read the full guide
What test 5221 covers
By the ETS Study Companion read October 13, 2026, Speech Communication: Content Knowledge has 120 selected-response questions in 2 hours. Public speaking is the largest category at 18%. Interpersonal communication, group communication and media are 13% each, fundamentals, oral interpretation and forensics 11% each, and assessment 10%.
How the bank is spread
The 52 questions follow those shares: 10 on public speaking, 8 on groups, 6 each on fundamentals, interpersonal communication, media and competitive speech and debate, and 5 each on oral interpretation and assessment.
Where the answers come from
Each explanation names the public page its fact was read on. Debate and speech event rules come from the event pages of the National Speech & Debate Association, and theories from the articles named on each question.
ETS says some questions test basic knowledge and others ask you to apply principles to real-life situations.
ETS says the test may contain some questions that will not count toward your score.
Questions and answers
What should a Praxis 5221 Speech Communication study guide cover?
Start with public speaking, the largest category: audience analysis, organizing content, style and language, delivery, supporting materials and argument. Then the theories behind the interpersonal, group and media questions, the competitive speech and debate events, and how oral performance is assessed.
Is this the Praxis 2 Speech Communication test?
It practices the Praxis subject test Speech Communication: Content Knowledge, code 5221. The questions were written for this site. None repeats or rewords a real test question or an ETS sample question.
What is a passing score on Praxis Speech Communication?
There is no single one. ETS states that passing scores are set by each state or licensing agency and vary by state. A result on this page counts right answers and says nothing about a real score.