The Praxis 5331 is a 132-question, 150-minute selected-response test used for ASHA certification and US state licensure. This guide covers its verified format, the three scored content areas, the ASHA passing score and state variations, fees and delivery options, the January 2027 move to PSI, and a preparation plan built on the official outline.
What the Praxis 5331 examination covers
It is a computer-delivered test of 132 selected-response questions in 150 minutes, measuring knowledge needed for independent practice as a speech-language pathologist across schools, hospitals, clinics, and private practice.
ETS describes the test as one of several requirements for the Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) issued by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). State licensing boards and state education agencies also use it to credential speech-language pathologists, including those working in school settings. Because each authority sets its own rules, confirm your own jurisdiction's requirements before registering.
The examination is typically taken by people who are in, or have completed, a master's degree program in speech-language pathology. Questions span foundational knowledge, professional practice, and applied clinical knowledge from screening through treatment evaluation. ETS notes that the test may include a small number of questions that do not count toward your score.
Official sources used: Speech-Language Pathology (5331), ETS Praxis test page — Test features, fees, and test description; ETS Praxis 5331 Study Companion: exam overview and test specifications — Test at a Glance and Test Specifications (partial extract)
How the exam is used for certification and licensure
ASHA's Council for Clinical Certification requires a passing score on this national exam for the CCC in speech-language pathology; states set their own passing scores for licensure and teacher credentialing.
For ASHA certification, the current passing score is 162 on a 100–200 scale. ASHA's certification council sets that score after a standard-setting process, and its 2020 certification standards require applicants to pass the national examination in speech-language pathology.
States determine their own passing scores for professional licensure and school credentialing. Most adopt the same score ASHA requires, but some set a higher or lower score based on their own review. Check both ETS's state requirements tool and your state licensing agency before you register.
Scores submitted for initial ASHA certification must come directly from ETS and must have been earned no more than 5 years before your certification application. Once you apply for certification, you have 2 years to complete the process, including passing the exam. You may retake the exam if you do not pass, but if you have not passed within the 2-year window your file closes and you would need to reapply under the standards in effect at that time.
Official sources used: ASHA: About the Speech-Language Pathology Praxis Exam — Passing score, certification requirements, exam development, timing
When to schedule the exam
ASHA recommends registering no earlier than the completion of your graduate coursework and clinical practicum, or during your first year of clinical practice after graduation.
This timing is a recommendation, not a registration prerequisite, so verify what ETS currently requires to book. Factor in any state licensing deadlines about when the exam must be completed, and remember the 2-year certification application window described above when you decide your date.
Official sources used: ASHA: About the Speech-Language Pathology Praxis Exam — Passing score, certification requirements, exam development, timing
Tested content areas and preparation priorities
The exam covers three equally weighted content categories, and clinical content is organized around nine cross-cutting practice areas; the official Study Companion lists the detailed specifications for each.
ETS calls the nine areas the “big nine” of practice: speech sound production; fluency; voice, resonance, and motor speech; receptive and expressive language; social aspects of communication, including pragmatics; cognitive aspects of communication; augmentative and alternative communication; hearing; and feeding and swallowing. The same nine areas appear under assessment procedures and again under treatment, so studying them once and then connecting them to each exam category is efficient.
The table below maps the three categories to the topic groups listed in the Study Companion. The companion's full specification pages give every subtopic, so link each row to the official document when you build your study plan.
The content is based on a practice and curriculum analysis commissioned by ASHA — a national survey of speech-language pathologists in clinical and educational settings — and ETS states the test is regularly updated. That is why your preparation should start from the current Study Companion rather than older outlines or shared notes.
| Content category | Approximate questions | Official topic groups to prepare |
|---|---|---|
| I. Foundations and Professional Practice | 44 (one third of the exam) | Foundations: typical development across the lifespan, factors that influence communication and swallowing, epidemiology and characteristics of common disorders. Professional practice: wellness and prevention, culturally and linguistically appropriate service delivery, counseling, collaboration, documentation, ethics, legislation and client advocacy, research methodology and evidence-based practice. |
| II. Screening, Assessment, Evaluation, and Diagnosis | 44 (one third of the exam) | Screening for communication disorders and feeding/swallowing disorders; assessment approaches, including case histories and selecting instruments and procedures; assessment procedures spanning the nine practice areas; etiology, including genetic, developmental, disease, auditory, neurological, structural, and psychogenic causes. |
| III. Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation of Treatment | 44 (one third of the exam) | Treatment planning, including prioritizing goals, treatment details, prognosis, and communicating recommendations; monitoring progress and outcomes; treatment across the nine practice areas, including hearing and aural rehabilitation and swallowing and feeding. |
Official sources used: Speech-Language Pathology (5331), ETS Praxis test page — Test features, fees, and test description; ETS Praxis 5331 Study Companion: exam overview and test specifications — Test at a Glance and Test Specifications (partial extract)
Fees, delivery, and the 2027 provider transition
The exam fee is $146.00, and you can test at a center or at home — but the booking channel changes on January 11, 2027, when ASHA's exams move from ETS/Prometric to PSI.
ETS currently sells the exam at $146.00, including four free score recipients, with a choice of testing at home online or at a test center. Preparation products are separate purchases: interactive practice tests are $24.95 each and an official prep course is $199.00. Distinguish the exam fee from prep costs when you budget.
ASHA has announced that the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Praxis examinations will transition to PSI, a subsidiary of ETS, on January 11, 2027. Testing through ETS and Prometric continues through December 31, 2026, and PSI registration opens on November 3, 2026. If you plan to test in 2026, book through the current channel; if you plan to test in 2027, expect to register through PSI once that window opens.
ASHA states that exam content and passing points will remain the same through the transition, that practice tests will continue to be available, and that the exams will still be offered at secure test centers and through online remote proctoring.
Official sources used: Speech-Language Pathology (5331), ETS Praxis test page — Test features, fees, and test description; ASHA: Praxis Exam in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology — Update on ASHA Exams (PSI transition)
A preparation plan built on the official outline
Map the three content categories and nine practice areas to your notes, then use practice results to choose what to review next.
Start with ETS's free Study Companion, which contains the test specifications and sample questions, and the free Study Plan, which is designed to help you pinpoint strengths and weaknesses. Mapping the three content categories and nine practice areas into your own study schedule gives you a checklist that matches the test itself.
For each missed practice question, record the content category, practice area and reason for the error. Review that point, then check it again in a later mixed set. Use free official examples or a practice resource you already have; purchasing an ETS practice test is optional.
Official sources used: Speech-Language Pathology (5331), ETS Praxis test page — Test features, fees, and test description; ETS Praxis 5331 Study Companion: exam overview and test specifications — Test at a Glance and Test Specifications (partial extract)
Final checklist and official documents
Before test day, confirm your jurisdiction's requirements, your booking channel for your chosen date, and the score-reporting details ASHA and your state need.
- Confirm that your certifying state accepts the 5331 test and find its required score.
- Decide whether you are testing in 2026 (ETS/Prometric) or 2027 (PSI, registration opens November 3, 2026).
- Check the current exam fee and purchase only the prep products you need.
- Plan to take the exam after graduate coursework and clinical practicum, per ASHA's recommendation.
- Choose your four free score recipients and confirm how ASHA and your state require scores to be delivered.
- Read the official Study Companion's specifications for all three content categories.
Official sources used: Speech-Language Pathology (5331), ETS Praxis test page — Test features, fees, and test description; ETS Praxis 5331 Study Companion: exam overview and test specifications — Test at a Glance and Test Specifications (partial extract); ASHA: About the Speech-Language Pathology Praxis Exam — Passing score, certification requirements, exam development, timing; ASHA: Praxis Exam in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology — Update on ASHA Exams (PSI transition)
Official sources used
Verified exam facts: