CliffsNotes Praxis Mathematics: Content Knowledge (5161), 3rd Edition (CliffsNotes Test Prep)

I used this to practice for my Praxis 5161 exam. Background: I teach math as a licensed Kumon math instructor, and have been doing this for the last 8 years, so it's not like I'm starting from scratch. Also: physics degree and an MBA. I passed the test on my first try with a 169. Passing is 152 in Colorado. Didn't bother taking it again.Pros: logically arranged, and an adequate number of example problems up through roughly algebra 2. The sample tests pretty accurately predicted my final score. Praxis is pass/fail, so I wasn't aiming for the "max" score. Also, when you are reading/studying the material, definitely do not assume that some of it is "minutia that will never be tested". The Praxis 5161 contains a lot of totally useless math and math definitions that you probably haven't seen or used since 8th grade. This book does a great job making sure to cover this stuff. As my kids put it, "Stuff that you only learned so you could pass a math test, but you never saw it again...ever."Cons: it really tails off fast in the last few chapters like the author ran out of gas. Gives short shrift to things like matrices and the calculus portions. Fortunately, between my Kumon work and additional practice on Khan Academy, I filled in those gaps. Any area I felt weak in, I would write it down, and then go get added practice from other sources. Khan Academy is free, and has tons of practice problems, so I would do that if I were you.I also splurged and paid for the computer-based Praxis 5161 exams which you can buy from ETS (the people who write the exam). These are nice because you get to practice on a platform that resembled the actual test (computer based). The down-side of the ETS tests is that there is no on-screen calculator. I was using my iphone because of this. The on-screen calculator on the Praxis exam is crap, is difficult to use, and it slowed me down a lot. Just be aware of that...this book won't prepare you for the actual exam setting or tools, so practice the way you play at least once or twice.I studied using this book for about 6-7 weeks off-and-on. Yes, I recommend it as a study guide which (for the most part) gives a solid overview of what to expect on the Praxis exam. However, be aware of its limitations (later chapters are weak, actual Praxis is computer-based), and be self-aware enough to know when you need to deep-dive into concepts using other sources (e.g. Khan academy).Good luck!

Excellent review book and study guide.It's very comprehensive in the topics covered.One improvement would be to have practice questions built into the end of each major topic or chapter to reinforce comprehension of concepts. Otherwise, it is a great book to prepare for the exam.I supplemented this book with the following sources:1) Precalculus Demystified (for detailed practice with conic sections and matrices)2) Caclulus Textbook (any recent text should be sufficient for brushing up on first and second derivative tests)3) ETS website's package of two practice exams for Math CK 5161 (very good source of study and actual past exam questions)I used the above stated resources extensively, made a review sheet of definitions, concepts and formulas for each chapter of this review book, and scored a 187 on the exam (which I was okay with). I spent about five to seven hours daily studying for one week. If you need to brush up on math or have not taken math classes in a while, I highly recommend, as a math educator, that you set up a minimum of a one-month study plan involving one to two hours of studying daily. Spending one week studying intensively as I did is stressful, so if you have more time, spread out your studying over a longer period of time in order to have time to revisit and review concepts and be able to build and absorb skills and content knowledge.Though I am a math teacher, the exam is challenging and rigorous as it not only covers a wide range of topics from high school algebra I to college calculus and statistics, but also assesses some concepts involving critical thinking, logic, and reasoning that goes beyond simple memorization of facts and formulas. Most questions on the assessment are recall-of-facts type of questions, but many require connections among multiple concepts.If you use this review book along with the sources stated above very comprehensively, you are setting yourself up for much success.

This book was very effective for helping me prepare to take the praxis. My friend and I both used this book and she got a one hundred eighty something and I got a 195 on both of our first tries. It's a great review of all the key concepts the praxis study companion says could be tested, with three practice tests with solutions and practice/example problems throughout. I did better on the actual praxis than on any of the three practice tests so I think they really did a good job of preparing me. The material is very clearly written, easy to understand, and actually a pretty enjoyable read. I'd also recommend looking at the practice problems on the test's study companion from the official ets website.I noticed some bad reviews say this isn't a good book if you're new to the topics. To that I say....duh? By the time you should be taking the Math CK 5161 test, you should be about to student teach, in which case I sure hope none of this material is new to you. If it is, you need to take more college math before thinking about taking the praxis. It is a great and effective book for what it is, which is a review of key concepts needed for the praxis.