What is the ParaPathways Assessment?

What ParaPathways is

ParaPathways is the new assessment from ETS, the same group that built the older ParaPro. If you are applying to be a paraprofessional (a teacher's aide, an instructional assistant, a classroom support staffer) in a school that requires a test, this is most likely the one you will take. It launched on September 1, 2025 as the replacement for the older ParaPro, which ETS retired after August 31, 2026 (a score you already earned still counts). States are adopting ParaPathways on their own timelines, so check your state for what it requires right now.

ParaPathways has two subtests, timed and scored separately, so the reading and writing part and the math part each stand on their own. You can register for both together (5757) or for either one on its own (5758 or 5759).

Worried about a score you already earned? You do not need to start over. A ParaPro score you have already passed still counts wherever your state accepts it, and ETS keeps it on record for 10 years, so this transition is only about people testing fresh after the cutover date.

Every number on this page comes from an ETS document or a state education department. You can check each one, with the source's exact words, on our ParaPathways facts with official sources page.

The two subtests

ParaPathways is made of two parts, and each one gets its own score. You can think of them as two separate finish lines. Here is what each looks like.

Because they are scored separately, a strong Reading and Writing score cannot rescue a weak Math score, and the other way around. You pass each one on its own. If you fall short on just one, ask ETS and your state Department of Education what a retake involves: whether you sit only that subtest, and whether the score you already passed still counts. Those rules are theirs to set and can differ between them.

How scoring works

Each subtest is scored on a 310 to 350 scale, and you receive two scores rather than one combined number. This trips people up at first, so it is worth saying plainly: there is no single ParaPathways total. Your report shows a Reading and Writing score and a Mathematics score.

• ETS recommends 332 for Reading and Writing.
• ETS recommends 334 for Mathematics.
• States set their own cutoffs. Some set a lower bar, as low as 322 on Reading and Writing in Missouri.

The number you actually need depends on where you plan to work. Check your state before you schedule so you know the target you are aiming for. You can look it up on our passing score by state page.

Format and test day

The whole thing runs 145 minutes across both subtests. The questions come in two kinds: basic skills (the reading, writing, and math you would expect) and classroom-application questions that ask how you would use those skills with real students. ParaPro had classroom-application questions too; ParaPathways keeps them in both subtests.

• A calculator is allowed on the Math subtest. It is an on-screen four-function calculator, provided for you, so leave your own at home.
• The fee is $75 to test at home or $59 at a test center. That covers both subtests; either subtest on its own is $37.50 at home or $29.50 at a center. A retake is a new registration: you can retake once right away, and after that ETS asks you to wait 21 days after your most recent attempt.
• ETS keeps your scores on record for 10 years, so a passing score can travel with you from one job search to the next (your state decides how long it accepts one).

Testing at home is convenient, but it does come with a quiet room and webcam requirements. If your space is noisy or your internet is shaky, the test center is the calmer choice and a little cheaper too.

Studying in Spanish? Read our ParaPathways in Spanish page: what the English-only test allows, the extra time you can request, and what you cannot bring to a test center.

For the day itself, our ParaPathways test day page covers where you can test, what it costs, the separately timed subtests, and what a test center does not let into the room.

How to get ready

You do not have to study everything at once. Here is the path that has worked for the aides I have coached, in the order I would do it.

• Start with the free diagnostic so you can see where you stand today. It is the fastest way to find your two or three weak spots.
• Work through the subtest guides for Reading and Writing and Mathematics one at a time.
• Then sit with the full study book to fill any gaps and rehearse the classroom-application questions.

Coming from the old exam? Our ParaPathways vs ParaPro comparison shows exactly what changed, and the ParaPathways practice test lets you rehearse the new format before test day. A little structured practice goes a long way, and you are more ready than you think.

Frequently asked questions