Choose your word list

Subscribers can choose from a variety of word lists.  Go to Vocabulary » Study Options and select the word list you would like to begin studying.

What if I want to change my word list later?

You can change your word list at any time simply by returning to the Study Options page and choosing the word list you want.  The words you studied on your previous lists will still be repeated in the program to make sure you do not forget them.

Do I have to study all the words on a list?

You have the freedom to select the words you wish to study.  If you go to Vocabulary » Future Words, you can see the upcoming words on your current list.  If you wish, you can select the words you'd like to study.  When you have encountered all the words that you want to study from a particular list, just go on to a new list of words.

This is optional.  If you do not select specific words from your chosen word list, the computer will automatically introduce words at random for you to study until you complete the list.

Start Studying

On the main page, just choose Study Now, and your first daily session will begin.

Each session will introduce new words and give a variety of exercises.  It will also recycle vocabulary words from previous sessions to make sure you do not forget them.

Every tenth session is a review-only session.  No new words are introduced; instead, words from previous sessions are reviewed.

What kinds of exercises will I see?

Praxis Education distinguishes itself from other vocabulary sites in that we provide a large number of different exercise types for each word.

Word Introduction

Here you can find the definition of a word, information on pronunciation, model sentences and information on how the word is commonly used (collocations).

You should not try to memorize the information here.  Just read it over and get a sense of what the word means and how it is used.  You can review this page anytime you'd like simply by going to Vocabulary » Word Bank.

Translation Exercises

Translation exercises are more common in the early stages of learning the word.

Sometimes you just need to recognize the meaning.

Other exercises require you to type the word correctly.

Listening Practice

Knowing a word means more than just recognizing it when you read.  You need to understand the word when you hear it as well.

One kind of listening exercise provides a short dialogue using the target word.  To complete the dialogue correctly, you have to be able to recall the meaning of the target word.  This exercise is also useful practice for the TOEIC, which provides similar exercises.

Another type of listening exercise is a dictaion, which allows students to work on hearing and spelling of new vocabulary words.  We also include common collocations in the dictations so that you have a better idea about how the word is actually used.

Grammar Practice

Grammar practice exercises develop your ability to use the word in the correct grammatical form of the words you are studying.

Collocations

Collocation exercises develop your knowledge of common word collocations of the words you are studying.

What if I don't do an exercise correctly?

If you select a wrong answer, the program will assume that you need a little more work with that word.  Two more exercises on that word are added later to that session, one of them being a repeat of the exercise you missed.

What if I use the hint button?

The hint button is there to give you the answers to questions you do not know.  If you use it, however, the program will add two more exercises on that word later in the session.

Finish your session

At the end of your session, the program will update your records and let you know when you can return for a new session.  You are done for the day!

How exactly does the program decide when I can start the next session?

There are three rules that the program enforces:

• You must wait at least 8 hours between sessions.
• You may do a maximum of six sessions per week.  Weeks start at midnight on Sunday morning.
• You may only do one session per day.  However, you don't need to rush to finish before midnight, as there is some flexibility.  As long as you finish a day's session by 8:00 the following morning, it will be recorded as completed the previous day.

Why can't I do more than one session per day?

Memory research has shown that information is retained better when there are breaks between study sessions.  We actually learn and remember things better when we have some rest time between study sessions.

The same principles apply as in body building.  If you exercise one day, you need to rest your muscles so they can recover and grow stronger.  In learning, your memory also benefits from having a break before studying the word again.

For this reason, it is not really helpful to do extra study on the words between Praxis Ed sessions.  Extra study may actually even slow down the learning process.

What if I don't have time to finish a session in one day?

No problem!  You can leave any time, and the program will remember exactly where you are.  When you return later, it will automatically pick up where you left off.