Praxis

Praxis World and U.S. History: Content Knowledge (5941)

North Dakota secondary history teachers take Praxis 5941 on the state list. Format, score 151, fees, and companion-first prep for the history route.

Key details for Praxis World and U.S. History: Content Knowledge (5941)
Current test code 5941
ND qualifying score 151
Questions / time 120 items, 2 hours
ETS fee (checked) $130

Sources checked November 2026

Desk scene for Praxis planning
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Secondary history candidates and test 5941

North Dakota expects future secondary history teachers to pass World and U.S. History: Content Knowledge (5941) or Social Studies (5581) after Core and with Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT): PreK–12 (5625) or PLT Grades 7-12 (5624). The ETS North Dakota requirements page lists 5941 Or 5581 on the secondary history route. Register using 5941 or 5581 as shown for your license path.

How ETS splits the 5941 blueprint

ETS schedules 5941 as 120 selected-response questions in two hours for $130 on the ETS product page (November 2026). Roughly half of the items emphasize world history and half U.S. history. Additional items target historical thinking skills such as evaluating sources and building arguments.

The product page notes stimuli that may include maps, charts, and political cartoons. Diagrams and photographs may appear as well. Unless your test appears on the ETS Calculator Use list, plan on no calculator.

ETS says the 120 questions are equally weighted and each has four answer choices. The test is aligned to the National Council for the Social Studies standards for social studies teachers, and ETS names the skills it checks: forming historical questions, weighing primary and secondary sources, and building a historical argument. Some questions do not count toward your scaled score. Use companions and official practice to learn how ETS frames comparison prompts across centuries rather than memorizing isolated fact lists.

North Dakota qualifying score

North Dakota's qualifying score for 5941 is 151 on ETS qualifying scores (checked November 2026). Verify again the week you pay, because ETS can adjust state cuts. ESPB lists broader testing policy on ND testing information, but the numeric cut lives on ETS.

Registration details that history majors miss

Create or sign in to My Praxis and search 5941 or 5581 to match your ESPB plan. During registration, add recipient 7848 for the North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board if you want electronic delivery.

If you test at a North Dakota center, bring ID that matches your Praxis account exactly. For at-home delivery, complete the environment check early; room scans are strict about extra monitors and notes.

Prep plan tied to dual timelines

Download the Study Companion for 5941 and build two parallel timelines: one for world history from early civilizations through the modern era, and one for U.S. history with Reconstruction through contemporary themes emphasized in the companion. After each timeline pass, answer five companion sample items without notes. Label misses as content gap, stimulus misread, or timeline confusion.

Spend extra sessions on primary source excerpts. ETS often asks you to judge reliability or bias, not just recall a year. Pair map practice with geography vocabulary from the companion so you can orient continents quickly under time pressure.

Working with PLT 5625 or 5624 on the same checklist

Secondary history licenses also require 5625 or 5624, which mixes 70 selected-response and 4 constructed-response items in two hours on 5624 (and selected-response only on 5625). History content depth from 5941 or 5581 does not replace PLT scenario practice. Sequence study so you finish the heavy reading load for your content test before you shift to constructed responses on PLT.

Retakes and transcripts

If you finish below 151, review the score report skill labels before registering again. ETS imposes a waiting period between attempts listed in the Information Bulletin. When you pass, save the PDF and email it to espbinfo@nd.gov as ESPB describes (ESPB testing information), and confirm ESPB received the 7848 transmission when ETS sends it automatically.

World history pacing for 5941

Candidates from programs heavy in U.S. survey courses should still block time for ancient and early modern world units named in the companion. Try a blank world map drill weekly: place five events without notes, then check the companion list you missed.

For U.S. history, connect Native nations, expansion, reform movements, and twentieth-century shifts to primary sources ETS might quote. 5941 rewards comparing author purpose across two excerpts more than listing battle dates alone.

ETS product materials for 5941 list 120 selected-response items in two hours and describe alignment with state standards for secondary history teachers. The page also sells optional interactive practice near $24.95 (November 2026). Use paid SKUs only after the free Study Companion covers every objective you missed on a diagnostic.

When you register, add recipient 7848 if you need ESPB delivery outside North Dakota. Pair content study with 5625 or 5624 prep once 5941 diagnostics sit near qualifying score 151 on ETS qualifying scores.

Comparing 5941 with Social Studies 5581

Secondary history candidates may choose 5941 or 5581 on the North Dakota list. 5941 stays inside history thinking skills and period coverage. 5581 adds civics alongside geography and economics in one sitting. Pick the code your ESPB plan names; do not register both unless dual endorsements require them.

Document-based drill routine

Twice weekly, print or save two companion passages and write one paragraph comparing author purpose. Keep a log of which centuries feel thin so you add world or U.S. units before paying another $130 seat.

Hiring folders beyond ESPB

Districts sometimes request Praxis proof during onboarding even after ESPB receives scores. Store PDFs with the test code, date, and North Dakota qualifying score in the filename. Email espbinfo@nd.gov when ESPB asks during credential processing (ESPB testing information).

Retest planning after a miss

ETS waiting periods appear in the Information Bulletin and on score reports. ESPB notes retakes can be taken once every 21 days on its testing page. Use the gap to rebuild weak companion units instead of repeating the same outline notes. Order an additional score report only when ESPB cannot match your first file.

The 5941 page on ETS lists four free score recipients with registration. Add 7848 during checkout when you test outside North Dakota so ESPB receives the pass without a rush fee later.

For 5941 prep, our Praxis study guides and Praxis practice tests pages compare the main options.

Sources checked November 2026

Quick answers

Do I need both 5581 and 5941?

Secondary history on the ETS North Dakota list accepts 5941 or 5581. You need one of the two, not both.

Will world history classes from college cover everything?

Upper-division electives help, but 5941 spans broad periods. Use the companion to find gaps in early world or colonial U.S. units even if you recently student taught modern U.S.

How long are Praxis scores valid for ESPB?

ESPB testing information does not list a separate Praxis score expiration for initial licensure. ETS notes paper-delivered Praxis scores remain reportable for 10 years from the test date (ETS North Dakota overview, Other Important Information, November 2026).